Jesusthe Light of the World

“When Jesus spoke again to the people,

he said ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever

follows me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.’ “

John 8:12 (NIV)

Jesus identified himself as the Light of the World. He made a promise to those who would follow Him. What did Christ mean? Sin and its evil world has always been equated with darkness.

During vacations of the past, my husband and our son and I visited three different cave attractions. On each of these three tours, the guide demonstrates the phenomena of total darkness by turning off all the lights. Those who take these tours have probably never experienced absolute darkness. People are afraid to move. Children yell or cry.

I think of these tours when I think of John saying, “The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:5 NIV) The voices of the children remind me of people injured by sin. The return of light in the caves makes me think of Jesus’ presence in the world.

Jesus The bread of Life

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the

bread of life. He who comes to me

will never go hungry. And he who

believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35 (NIV)

After Jesus fed the 5,000 the people couldn’t find Him. When the people caught up with Jesus, they asked him how he had gotten to that place. As usual, the Lord saw through their words and saw their hearts. He knew they only wanted Him because he gave them physical bread.

His response“I am the Bread of Life” told them they misunderstood what Jesus meant.

Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins and to show us how to live. Through the Holy Spirit, He sustains us.

William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible (John Vol1, pps 216217) explains Jesus’ name as reflecting His character.

Emmanuel God With Us

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord

said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with

child and will give birth to a son, and they will

call his name Immanuel which means, God with us.”

Matthew 1:2223(NIV)

The prophet Isaiah predicted it. Matthew tells us the circumstance of Mary, a virgin being with child is fulfillment of prophecy. An angel tells Joseph not to end their engagement.


What does it mean, “God with us”? Matthew Henry’s commentary give us some phrases to help us understand.

1. God in our nature God became human ,with all the frailties, weaknesses, and emotions.



2. God at peace with usGod forgave our Old testament forebears for not taking Him seriously.



3. God in covenant with us.Our Heavenly Father agreed to protect, guide and bless us if we honor and worship Him.



God, the maker of the universe, chose to give sinful, selfish, and unfaithful us a part of Him to be with us. What more can we ask?

JesusHis Name

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him

the name Jesus, because he will save his

people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

The angel told Joseph not only the circumstances of what happened to Mary but also what to name this child. The angel’s message was from God. God Himself gave His Son the perfect name. Whenever we hear of an impending birth, we want to know what the parents will name the baby.

Each person’s name has a meaning. Jesus’ name carries a specific meaning. The angel told Joseph that this child ‘will save people from their sins.’

Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins. That was God’s purpose. He told stories illustrating people’s need to find peace, to love others, and to love God.

He works according to the Father’s plan even today.

Thank You, God. for Your Son

You gave us your Son to save us from the grasp of the enemy. You chose to give your son to us. For this we come to you with humbleness and thank You.

He showed us how to love and treat our fellow man. He showed us

how to live. He walked and talked with Your people. He healed the sick, the blind and the lame. When Your Son taught, he spoke words of love and kindness. He made people feel worthy.

Over two thousand years later, He still does these marvelous deeds. Thank You for your gift.

Thank You, God, for Life

You, came so we would have life to the full. Thank you. You are the Author of life. When we were still in the womb, You saw us, You formed us. You breathed life into us. Thank you for doing this for each of Your children. You gave us health.

Thank you for our well being, no matter what we face. Please let every one of Your children learn to value life, no matter how small. Help us to teach our children the value each life has.

We are so grateful for all You do for us. We honor you for your many deeds and gifts You bestow upon us.

Thank You, God, for our Soldiers

Thank You for our military troops, our soldiers, sailors, marines and air men. These men and women surrender part of their lives to defend our nation and our way of life. Certain military personnel make a career of this. Their families give up having them close and are proud of them. We, as a nation, show gratitude to the veterans who have served us in the past. We thank You, Lord, for protecting them while they are overseas instituting and preserving freedom. Please continue your watch care over them. We ask special mercies to those families whose loved ones have give their lives for our freedom.

Thank You for our Missionaries, Your soldiers. Those who dedicate their lives to serving you on the mission fields work to spread the Gospel to those who have yet to hear about You. They face personal hardships and endure cultural differences because they believe You have called them. Please continue to bless and protect them.