Arise and Shine

The Resurrection of Christ is the central theme of Christianity and also more importantly sets apart Christ above all other self-proclaimed gods!! All those who claimed to be an incarnation of God or something likewise are all buried and their graves are collecting dust. But we serve the One who has an open tomb and is Alive!! Glory to Him for He has risen!! The Life after death story is a mystery to the World, but is an eager expectation for the Saved. The Holy communion we take part in not only reminds us of the Passion of Christ, but also our imminent reunion with Him!! (Matthew 26:29)

We all know that Christ rose from the dead during the early hours of the first day of the week, and we could liken this to the Sun rising and shining its light on to the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5) but also He added that after Him we are the ones who should carry the flame and be the light of this world. For Jesus Himself said that we are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

The Bible tells that we were once living in our sins and were a part of the Kingdom of darkness, but through the shed blood of Christ, we were delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of His beloved son, who is the light of the world (Colossians 1:13). We see in John 12:46 that He came into the world as a light, so that no one who believes Him should stay in darkness.

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8).

In the above verse we read that we were darkness. It doesn’t say we walked or stayed in darkness but we ourselves were darkness, such was our state – we were utterly inside out darkened because of our evil deeds.

But we can take heart that now Jesus has risen from the dead and has shined on us and pulled us out from the domain of darkness into His marvellous light!! What this means is that the Sin (Darkness) has no hold on us for the light of God is always shining on us. So also the Aaronic blessing God instantiated for the Jews also had a line – “May the Lord make His face shine on you” (Numbers 6:24-26). So we should walk as children of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5) and give no room for the darkness (sin) to take hold on us.

Many of us, though after being saved are slumbering and being ignorant of the power that God has bestowed on us. We have all closed our eyes to the light of God and so Paul says like this in Ephesians 5:14b, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

So let us not close our eyes but be awakened to His light and rise up, for the Bible urges us – “Arise, and shine for your light has come and the glory of the LORD rises upon you!!” (Isaiah 60:1), and be the beacon of light for the people living in darkness to show them the way to the shore of Christ!!

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