Light has Sprung up | Matthew 4:16-17

Matthew 4:16-17 “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Light is the first thing God established on this earth. Jesus said He was the light of the world. He called the church a light. So what’s the connection between God and light?

The Revelation of Light

Have you ever been trying to find something in a dark room? What’s the first thing you do? You turn on the light, and suddenly the thing you were looking for was right under your nose the whole time. Or have you ever seen sunshine coming through the window and in the beam of light, dust particles floating in the air? They were totally invisible everywhere else, but the light revealed something you would have otherwise never seen.

So it is with God. When Jesus came, He revealed the truth of the Scriptures that had been right under their noses the whole time. He revealed the sinfulness of the Pharisees’ self-righteousness, that could only be seen in the light of His true righteousness. Do you remember the woman at the well’s testimony? What convinced her that He was the Christ and compelled her to call men to come was that He knew all that she had ever done: “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29). Let me ask you, do you remember when His light showed you the truth about yourself? That your righteousness was filthy rags?

Of course, not everyone creature loves light. Most men do not, because it reveals their sinfulness. John 3:19 tells us that “this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

The Responsibility of Light

Our verse speaks of the light springing up, and from that time He began to preach repentance. The light comes and what it reveals is sinfulness on our part and spotlessness on His part. It makes crystal clear that I am much dirtier than I ever presumed to be. From here a man has two options: repentance or rejection, and as John 3:19 says, there is condemnation in the rejection of His light. Some believe the light and repent, but many more refuse Him.

What is at stake? The kingdom of heaven. When light comes, it reveals that eternity is what you have to gain or lose. This kingdom He spoke of was an eternal kingdom, and those who rejected Christ and His light would have no part in the soon-coming kingdom of eternal light. Rather, they would remain in darkness for all eternity, separated from the light of God in hell. But as many as would believe and repent, they would be in the kingdom of heaven, where “the Lamb is the light!”

Lastly, I’d point out that this was the exact message John came preaching: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” There are other lesser lights that lead us to the light of the world that ought to be heeded. The light of Scripture leads us to the light of the world. The light of creation leads us to Him. The light of conscience, the light of gospel messengers, and many more lights, like John, are echoing the truth that Jesus is the light and we are living in the shadows. So respond to the light and “repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”