TLC Lesson 10 - The Light of the World

Introduction

Light is very important. Light from the sun is necessary for life. Light from God is necessary to give us spiritual understanding. Look at the pictures and let us learn about this Light and the One who can give it to us.

Picture 2. God Created all Things

Genesis 1:1 - 2:22; 1 Timothy 6:16

God existed before anything else. God is Light and He lives in light so bright that no one can approach Him. No one can see God and live. The Bible is God's Word. It tells us, "God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all." God created everything in heaven and on the earth. He said, "Let there be light," and there was light. He breathed the breath of life into mankind. God gives us spiritual life. It gives us joy, blessings and all that is good. Darkness and evil are the opposites of light. Satan brought spiritual darkness into the world. He caused people to turn against God. This darkness caused sorrow and spiritual death for all mankind. Men and women and children too, began to steal, lie, commit adultery, murder and do all manner of evil. These are the ways of Satan. God does not want us to follow the ways of Satan. He wants us to live in fellowship with Him. God had a plan to save His creation from Satan's power. That plan was to send His Light into the world again so that we might not die but live with Him forever.

Picture 12. Simeon Prophesies about Jesus

Luke 2:21-38

A long time ago, in the land of Israel, God spoke through a great prophet called Isaiah. God said, "I will make you a light for the gentiles, that you might show My Salvation to the ends of the earth." (This is written in Isaiah 49:6) God was talking about Jesus who would become God's Salvation for the people of the earth. We will now hear how Jesus became the Salvation for the people. About 700 years after Isaiah died, a baby was born in the land of Israel. His mother was Mary. She was a virgin. She had never slept with a man but she became pregnant by the Spirit of God. God told her to name the baby 'Jesus', because Jesus means 'Saviour'. Mary took the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present Him to God. A godly man named Simeon was there. He was waiting for God to send His chosen One into the world. When Simeon saw Jesus, he took the Baby in his arms. He praised God and said, "With my own eyes I have seen what You have done to save Your people, and foreign nations will also see this. Your mighty power is a Light for all nations, and it will bring honour to Your people Israel." Simeon knew that Jesus was the chosen One from God.

Picture 19. Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

God loved the people of this world so He sent Jesus to save them. Jesus grew to be a man. He healed the sick and worked many miracles in Israel. A religious leader heard about Him. His name was Nicodemus. He went to Jesus one night. Jesus taught him many things. Jesus said, "Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." When Jesus talked about the light which came into the world, He talked about Himself. Those who came to Jesus for help were saved from darkness, sin and Satan. Whoever believes in Him and obeys His Words shall have eternal life, but whoever rejects Jesus shall perish and not see the light.

Picture 34. Teaching about Light in the Darkness

Matthew 5:14-16

Jesus taught His followers many things. He taught them that those who follow Satan do evil. They walk in darkness. Those who follow God, do God's will. They walk in God's ways. They are the ways of light. Jesus said to His disciples, "You are the light of the world. People do not light a lamp and hide it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." When we follow Jesus and obey His Words we shine with His light. We also want others to be saved from sin and death, so we must show them God's ways. We find God's way written down in His book, the Bible. If we obey the Bible, which is God's Word, it will guide us in life. It is written, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (This is Psalm 119:105)

Picture 56. Jesus Heals a Blind Man

Mark 8:22-26

Jesus taught people about the light that He gives so that we will know how to live. As a sign of this, He gave light and sight to the blind. The people at Bethsaida brought a blind man to Jesus. He took him outside the town. Jesus touched his eyes, and said to him, "Do you see anything?" The blind man said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." He could not see clearly. Then Jesus touched the man's eyes again. Suddenly he saw everything clearly. Just as Jesus healed this man's eyes and made him see clearly, Jesus can help us to understand Who He is. He came to save us from a life of sin, darkness and eternal death. God's Word says, that people who believe in the Lord Jesus and follow Him, are "called out of darkness into His wonderful light." (This is from 1 Peter 2:9)

Picture 57. Peter's Confession of the Christ

Mark 8:27-38

The followers of Jesus saw Him healing the blind man outside Bethsaida. They were amazed. Most people thought that Jesus was a great prophet. They did not understand that He was the Son of God. They were spiritually blind. They were like that blind man before he could see clearly. Peter was a follower of Jesus. One day Jesus asked him, "Who do you say I am?" Then God gave Peter spiritual sight so that Peter understood. He knew who Jesus was. Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." 'Christ' means the Chosen One of God. (This is also written in Matthew 16:16)

Picture 65. Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

John 9:1-16

Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life." (This is written in John 8:12) The religious leaders in Israel did not believe Him. A man was there who was born blind. The people thought that blindness came because of sin. But Jesus said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be seen in his life." Then Jesus worked a miracle. He made that blind man see. The man saw light for the first time in his life. Only God could give sight to a man born blind, so the man knew that Jesus was from God. However, the religious leaders would not believe it. They were spiritually blind. They said, "This man is not from God."

Picture 58. The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ

Mark 9:1-8

Near the end of His life, Jesus told His followers that He must suffer and die. (He said this in Mark 8:31). They could not believe it. Would anyone kill the Son of God's Jesus took three of His closest followers up a mountain. There He was changed before their eyes. In Matthew 17:2 we are told, "His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light." He was shining with the light of God. Two prophets named Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the mountain. They had lived many years before Jesus came to earth. They talked with Him about His coming death. Jesus's followers saw all this and they believed that He had come from God.

Picture 107. Jesus Led Out to be Crucified

John 19:16-30

Those religious leaders falsely accused Jesus. They stirred the people up against Him. They condemned Him to death. The soldiers took Jesus to a place called Golgotha. They made Him carry a big wooden cross. There they nailed Him to the cross and waited for Him to die. Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. A great darkness came over the land for three hours. Then Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" And He gave up His spirit and died. When the captain of the soldiers saw this, he said, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

Picture 110. The Women at the Tomb

Matthew 28:1-7

Two followers of Jesus laid His dead body in a cave. A great stone was rolled across the entrance. Guards were there to watch it. On the third day after Jesus died, an amazing thing happened. An angel appeared. He shone like lightning. There was a great earthquake. The angel rolled back the stone at the entrance to the tomb and he sat upon it. The guards were so afraid that they fell down like dead men. Just then some woman came to the tomb. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Go quickly and tell His disciples, "He is risen from the dead"."

Picture 118. Jesus Ascends into Heaven

Acts 1:6-12

There was no doubt that Jesus had come alive from the dead. For forty days He appeared to many of His followers. One day He stood on the mountain called the Mountain of Olives outside Jerusalem. He said to His followers, "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses to the ends of the earth." Jesus lifted up His hands to bless them. Then they all saw Him rise up to heaven . The disciples went back to the city and met together to pray. After ten days the Holy Spirit of God came upon them. They went out and spoke about Jesus everywhere . They said, "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." (This is written in 1 John 1:7) Jesus shows us the way out of darkness into His wonderful Light. When He died on the cross He cleansed us from all our sins. When we are free from sin we can have fellowship with God and with all people who believe in Jesus. (We can learn more from 1 Peter 2:9)

Picture 120. Jesus Will Return

Revelation 1:5-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 1:9

Jesus is more than just a man or a prophet of God. He said, "When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One who sent Me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness." (This is written in John 12:44-46) Jesus is the exact image of God. Jesus reveals God to us. He is God! So forsake Satan and all other gods. They cannot save you. Do not continue in their ways of darkness which lead to stealing, murder, lies, adultery and death. Instead we should follow the Lord Jesus and love one another. Jesus lives in heaven today but one day He will return to earth. We must be ready because no one knows which day that will happen. But we do know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. He gives Light and everlasting Life to everyone who believes in Him.