The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: Luke 24:36-48

“Jesus said to them again, ‘peace be with you.’”
John 20:21

The Peace-Giving Christ

The fact that human life is subdued by death is enough to put the whole world in darkness. Unless death can be overcome, we are all captive to the gloomy night of sin and despair. In his Gospel, John pointed to Jesus as the light that shines in the darkness. In Him was the life of God. By His death, He made this life available to people through faith. He was not overcome by the resistance and unbelief of His opponents. Rather, He was the light that enlivens everyone.
When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, he was ready to depart in peace because his eyes had seen God’s salvation, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” [Luke 2:32]. Peter called Jesus “the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead” [Acts 3:15]. Because He is the Life of the world, Jesus could raise the dead Lazarus to life again. Because He is the Light of the World, Jesus could make the man born blind see again.
Jesus is our life, our light. By the forgiveness of our sins, He gives us life to replace death. In that life, we now have the light that enables us to see how God does His work in the world. For our despair, He substitutes Hope.
We confess Lord, that sometimes we even love the night-time of our sin. Forgive us. Enlighten us so that we might live for you. Amen.

March 28, 1951