What did Jesus mean when he said that he was the light of the world? Are believers also the light of the world? The first analogy that comes to mind is the lighthouse. The lighthouse is the perfect metaphor to describe the Christian life. The lighthouse is a tall tower built on a solid base with a beam of light that helps with the navigation of the ships towards the coast or the mouth of the port. The very purpose in building a lighthouse is in close comparison with the life purpose of the believer through Jesus Christ.
The lighthouse is a tall tower that is usually built on an island or cliff. They are built near the sea; but, placed on a solid base above sea level. The lighthouse is used as a shelter for lost ships for orientation and safety purposes. The attributes of the lighthouse are similar to the hope we have in our Savior. Jesus Christ came as a refuge to a sin-sick, dying world. We receive salvation by calling on the name of Jesus Christ. This is the only name by which anyone can be saved from eternal death. His very name is a strong tower because the righteous can always rest in the safety of his love and strength (Psalm 61: 3). We have to keep our eyes above our circumstances and stay focused on our faith in Him. Our God is the truth. He is our Rock who is unable to change. We have a solid foundation in God through Jesus Christ who gives us the assurance of eternal life (1 John 5: 11-12).
The lighthouse has a beam of light that rotates through the water in a unique pattern that allows ships to stay focused on their destination and avoid dangers near shore. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Once we accept Him as Lord and Savior in our lives, we have that same “light” within us. We have been sanctified or set apart by his good works to a lost world. Because of the “light” that is now in us, we have become a peculiar people (1 Peter 2: 9). Our pattern of life must be based on the life that Jesus Christ exemplified when he lived on earth. We must live our lives in such a way that the unbeliever is drawn to the “light” in us and seeks salvation through Jesus Christ. When we allow our light to shine, it helps others not to continually stumble into the darkness of this world. Our lives should illuminate the eternal hope we have to serve a loving God and deter a dying world from the danger of being eternally separated from Him.
The lighthouse is in operation twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. It is important that it is a constant operation to be a guiding light for ships on the high seas. It is imperative that ships have constant guidance towards shore and can avoid hazards near the mouth of the harbor. Jesus Christ is our guiding light. He lights the way to our heavenly Father and has given us that same “light” to shine before humanity. In everything we do; Like our speech, actions and circumstances, we have to let the good works of Jesus Christ illuminate the darkness of this world through our lives. Jesus is the light of this world; and as his disciples, we are also the light of the world. We must always exemplify the “light” inherited through Jesus Christ. The Lord is the light of our salvation and is the only escape from the world of eternal darkness and the way to our heavenly Father (Psalm 27: 1).