By Pr Michael Kintu
John 1:1-5 states: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The main subject in the New Testament is Jesus Christ. John introduces Jesus as the Word that was in the beginning with God.
This Word which was God became flesh and dwelt among us. In Him was the life which was the light for all men (John 1:4).
Jesus came with the life of God in Him. This life He could give away to those who believed in Him (John 1:12).
When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, a mystery happens by faith where our lives are changed.
Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 affirms: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Something has changed so radically, that the old is gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
Jesus the light
The devil had always used darkness as a weapon against man because of the fall.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they legally opened the door for the devil to come in and torment them.
One of the chief weapons of the devil is darkness, which comes along with fear and death.
But the good news is that Jesus came to deliver people living in darkness and in the shadow of death (Matthew 4:13-17).
Jesus, who is the light brought hope and a new day for the people. He broke into the shadow of death, delivering those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:15).
He broke the hold of the enemy over our lives so we may live in liberty. Remember that he whom the son sets free shall be free indeed.
There was no other system known to man that could change this situation. This is why the Gospel of the Kingdom was called ‘good news’.
The Bible says in 3 John 3:8: “For this reason, the Son of man was made manifest, that He may destroy the works of the enemy.”
Basically, knowing Jesus as Lord means receiving liberty from darkness and oppression.
It can not get any better than this. Jesus fulfilled the scriptures: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Luke 4:18).
In verse 21, Jesus tells His listeners that the scripture in Isaiah (Isaiah 61) has been fulfilled in their presence as they listened to Him.
Live as children of the light
We cannot close our discourse without considering one of Paul’s admonishments to the Church in Ephesus.
Ephesians 5.8-14: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
“Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
“It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
“This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Jesus brought us a technology way superior to what our enemy was employing. This is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot stop it.
There is no way the enemy can take us back to that old life of torment unless we choose to give him the right.
The peace of God, His joy, and righteousness have taken over our lives (Romans 14.17). We are brand-new creatures, born in the liberty that God provides.
If you do not know this kind of peace and joy, it is time to invite Jesus into your life to be Lord and Savor.
Blessings!
The writer is the lead pastor at House of Revival Church, Kisaasi
