Jesus: Light/Bread and Water
		
	Jesus is light.
	"I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things," Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:13-16, "and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time-- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him {be} honor and eternal dominion! Amen."
	"In the beginning was the Word," John 1:1 affirms, "and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
	"In Him was life," verse four adds, "and the life was the light of men."
	Jesus is light.  Yet, as this passage from John's Gospel points out, He comes to a world of darkness.
	"And the light shines in the darkness," John 1:5 continues, "and the darkness did not comprehend it."
	Jesus is light.  Yet He comes to a world of darkness.  He comes to a world of darkness for those of us who live in darkness.
	"To give to His people {the} knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins," Zacharias prophesies in Luke 1:77-79, "because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
	"And {so} we have the prophetic word {made} more sure," we find in 2 Peter 1:19, "to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts."
	"For those who sleep do their sleeping at night," Paul notes in 1 Thessalonians 5:7, "and those who get drunk get drunk at night."
	Jesus is light.  Yet He comes to a world of darkness.  He comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.
	"While I am in the world," Jesus states in John 9:5, "I am the light of the world." 
	Jesus comes to the world of darkness for the very purpose of providing illumination.
	"And I will give him the morning star," Jesus promises in Revelation 2:28.
	"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches," the Lord expresses in Revelation 22:16. "I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star." 
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  But walking in the light requires certain responses on our part.
	"But you, brethren, are not in darkness," Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8, "that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.  For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of {the} day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  Walking in the light requires that we remain alert and sober.
	"I am the light of the world," Jesus instructs in John 8:12, "he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  But we are expected to follow Jesus and not walk in darkness.
	"But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles," Jesus warns in John 11:10, "because the light is not in him."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  If we do not walk in the light, we will stumble.
	"For a little while longer the light is among you," Jesus tells His followers in John 12:35-36.  "Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.  While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  We must be careful to assure that the darkness does not overtake us.  If we walk in the darkness, we do not know where we are going.
	"I have come {as} light into the world," Jesus states in John 12:46, "that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  We must believe in Him before we can see this light.
	"But arise, and stand on your feet," Paul recalls the words of Jesus in Acts 26:16-18, "for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; delivering you from the {Jewish} people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  We must open our eyes if we are going to see the light.  Otherwise, we cannot avoid walking in darkness.
	"Therefore do not be partakers with them," Paul cautions in Ephesians 5:7-8, "for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light"
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  We must make a choice.  We cannot walk in light and darkness at the same time.
	"For this reason also," Paul expresses in Colossians 1:9-14, "since the day we heard {of it}, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please {Him} in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  Satan's domain is one of darkness, but the kingdom of Jesus is one of light.
	"And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you," 1 John 1:5-7 reveals, "that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and {yet} walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
	Jesus comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.  If we walk in this light, His blood cleanses us of our sins.
	"On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you," 1 John 2:8-11 adds, "because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.  The one who says he is in the light and {yet} hates his brother is in the darkness until now.  The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.  But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
	Jesus is light.  Yet He comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.

	Jesus is the living bread and living water.
	"'I am the bread of life,'" we read in John 6:48-63. "'Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.'  The Jews therefore {began} to argue with one another, saying, 'How can this man give us {His} flesh to eat?' Jesus therefore said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever.'  These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.  Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard {this} said, 'This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?'  But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, 'Does this cause you to stumble? {What} then if you should behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'"
	In John chapters four and seven, Jesus makes reference to Himself as the source of living water.  So Jesus is the living bread and water.  Yet He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst.
	"And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights," we find in Matthew 4:2, "He then became hungry."
	"After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished," John 19:28 records, "in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I am thirsty.'" 
	Jesus is the living bread and water.  Yet He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst.  He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst for those of us who are hungry and thirsty.
	"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," the Lord preaches in Matthew 5:6, "for they shall be satisfied."
	"Now on the last day, the great {day} of the feast," we read in John 7:37, "Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.'"
	Jesus is the living bread and water.  Yet He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst.  He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst so those of us who are hungry and thirsty might be filled.
	"He who believes in Me," Jesus offers in John 7:38, "as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'"  
	In John chapter four, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman who has come to a well to draw water.
	"Jesus answered and said to her," John 4:10-15 notes, "'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.'  She said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?  You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?' Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.'  The woman said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw.'"
	Jesus is the living bread and water.  Yet He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst.  He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst so those of us who are hungry and thirsty might be filled.  We would do well to follow the example of this woman in our response to the Lord's offer.
	"Do not work for the food which perishes," Jesus encourages in John 6:27, "but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, {even} God, has set His seal."
	"And he showed me a river of the water of life," John records in Revelation 22:1-2, "clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve {kinds of} fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
	Jesus is the living bread and water.  Yet He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst.  He subjects Himself to hunger and thirst so those of us who are hungry and thirsty might be filled.
	Jesus is light.  Yet He comes to a world of darkness so that those of us who live in darkness might walk in the light.
	Are you hungry and thirsty?  Are you walking in darkness?  Perhaps you need to open your eyes and see the light of the truth so that you can obey it and be set free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."