The sun/Son is the light of the world, yes? (Joh 8:12) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. God communicates His Son’s light-bearing quality by likening Him to the actual sun. There’s one thing the sun does that we want to focus on. It rises in the morning.
Inspiration
We are so blessed that every morning, Jesus rises with us ready to demonstrate fresh mercies. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lam 3:22-23)
After a troublesome day, we can awaken with fresh hope, greeting the morning with praise to God. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. (Ps. 59:16)
Because Jesus rises in the morning, we begin each day from a position of strength when we grasp on to His mercies. Start each day meditating on His loving kindness, and end the day with praise for His faithfulness in showing those loving kindnesses (Ps. 92:1-2). (For more on grasping His loving kindness, read my book Ditch Depression Devotional.)
Doctrinal
God pictures Jesus as the rising sun throughout the Bible. Jesus rose again in the morning, for starters. But there’s even more richness from the sun’s/Son’s “rising” angle when you trace it through scriptures.
- Prophetically, before Jesus was even born, the Bible says And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isa. 60:3)
- In the Psalms, God paints Jesus as the rising sun on the canvas of His creation. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. (Ps. 19:4-6)
- There’s the prophesy in Mal. 4:2—also before Christ’s birth—that stumps Bible scholars. Read this: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. It’s not a mistake. Here, the Son is the Sun.
Definition
Perhaps we should have started here. But we will end here. What exactly is that big bright ball in the sky we’ve been talking about? It’s a star! In star terms, Jesus is called the morning star and the day star.
Let’s leap to the end of the Bible. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16b). When you read through the Bible, you see Jesus in many lights.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts (2 Pet 1:19)
Now look at this. Please pay attention.
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! (Isa 14:12, New International Version)
It appears that Jesus fell from heaven in this version. But now read the King James Version of the same verse. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isa 14:12)
The NIV is pretty blasphemous here, replacing the fallen “Lucifer” (the devil) with the “morning star” whom we have learned is Jesus. Satan did say in Isa. 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. He got his wish in a backward way in the NIV Bible—taking Jesus down with him. (By the way, other newer translations say what the NIV says).
Some choose to read the NIV and the like because they think these are more readable. I’m thinking accuracy is the more important benchmark. Read here for more on why we choose the KJV.
Jesus is the light of the world, the morning star and the day star. He rose, and He is coming again. Learn more about Him from studying His word, taking a faith-based approach. If you’re reading the wrong Bible, you can’t believe everything you read.
Tell me what you think.
Jody
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