#1 THE FACE OF THE SUN 8-19-26
The sun rises each morning and spreads its light across the earth. Darkness retreats. Shadows disappear. Things that were hidden become visible. The sun does not have to announce its arrival. It simply shines. Its light reaches across the fields, through the windows, over the mountains, and into the darkest places. The face of the sun reminds us of the glory of the Son of God. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
Light reveals what darkness conceals. When the rays of the sun enter a dark room, we suddenly see what was there all along. The light did not create the furniture, the walls, or the dust. It simply revealed them. In the same way, Christ shines into the human heart and reveals us as we really are. His light exposes sin, but it also shows us the way home. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). We may hide from the light, but we cannot change what the light reveals.
The rays of the sun also give life. Plants reach toward the light. Seeds grow because of the warmth and energy of the sun. Creation depends upon its light. Without the sun, the earth would become cold, dark, and lifeless. Jesus is the source of spiritual life. He is not merely someone who shows us the way to life. He is the Life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). The soul that comes to Christ finds what sin could never provide. He gives forgiveness to the guilty, hope to the hopeless, peace to the troubled, and life to the dead.
Yet the same sun that gives life can also burn. Its rays can warm the body, but prolonged exposure can cause serious injury. The sun is beautiful, but it is not something to be treated carelessly. There is a spiritual lesson here. Jesus is gentle and merciful toward the repentant sinner, but He is also holy and righteous. The Christ who saves is the Christ who judges. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). We should never separate the love of Christ from the holiness of Christ. The hands that were pierced for our salvation are the hands by which He will one day judge the world.
The sun can also bring healing. Its warmth can comfort the body, and its light can help restore what darkness has weakened. The Bible gives us an even greater picture when it speaks of Christ as “the Sun of Righteousness” who rises “with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2). There is healing in the presence of Jesus. He heals the wounds caused by sin. He restores the broken heart. He lifts the fallen. He brings the wandering soul back into fellowship with God. His light does not merely expose our darkness. It drives the darkness away.
There is another beautiful truth about sunlight. We do not have to manufacture it. We simply receive it. The earth does not create the sun. The flower does not produce the light toward which it turns. The light comes from above. So it is with salvation. We do not save ourselves. We turn toward Christ and receive what He freely gives. “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). The Christian life begins when we stop trusting in ourselves and begin resting in the One who is the Light of the world.
One day, the sun itself will no longer be necessary. The Bible tells us that in the eternal city, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:23). The light that we see in the sky is only a faint reminder of a greater glory. The sun is a servant. Christ is the Savior. The sun gives physical light, but Jesus gives eternal life.
So look at the face of the sun and remember the face of the Son. Let its brightness remind you of His glory. Let its rays remind you of His grace. Let its warmth remind you of His love. Let its power remind you of His judgment. And let its rising remind you that darkness never has the final word when the Light has come.
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Father, thank You for sending Your Son into our dark world. Help us to walk in His light, receive His life, trust His grace, and live in reverence before His judgment. May the light of Christ shine through our lives so brightly that others may see Him in us. Amen.
BDD
