by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Living in the Light of Christ

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5 English Standard Version

The season of Epiphany comes at a great time in the earth’s rotation around the sun. Light is once again beginning to shine. The days are slowly getting longer. The dread of darkness is giving way to the hope of light.

The season of Epiphany is about hope, hope for ALL people. If God can call Magi from the east to kneel in worship before the toddler Jesus, he can call anyone including you and me.

Do you sometimes feel that the darkness is winning or even has won the battle for your life? The darkness of sin can make us believe that every day is groundhog day, every day is the same as the previous day. Your hope for a new beginning that came with a new year already seems to be fading. The new year looks much like previous year.

It is easy to lose hope.

Just as the days are getting longer creating in us hope for summer, so the light of Jesus, the baby born for us, the One who experienced all that life has to throw our way, creates hope in us that the darkness will not overcome us. This hope is based on the fact that darkness overcame Jesus on his cross.

“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed.”
Luke 23:44-45a (ESV)

Yet, even the darkness that consumed Jesus as he died was devoured in the light of his resurrection. Darkness could not destroy Jesus and it cannot destroy you. May you bask in the light of Jesus’ victory this Epiphany. May you trust the One who loves you and will never leave you even when it seems the darkness is winning.

The light of Jesus always shines. It always dispels our darkness.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado