Revive Our Hearts

Dana Gresh: What comes to your mind when you think of Jesus? Many people picture the baby in the manger. Or your mind's eye might fast forward 33 years to his undeserved execution on a Roman cross.

Guest (Male): It is finished.

Dana Gresh: Those are true scenes from the earthly life of Jesus, and aren't you thankful? But as Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth reminds us,

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: Christ didn't start when he became a baby here on this earth. He always was. He is everlasting. And not only did he exist everlastingly in eternity past, but he will exist everlastingly in eternity future. He will exist forever. He never began to be. He will never cease to be. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Dana Gresh: We'll talk about Jesus's ongoing ministry in this episode of the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. She's the author of Consider Jesus. It's October 26th, 2026. I'm Dana Gresh. If you're walking through the Revive Our Hearts 2026 Bible reading plan with us, today we're in Luke chapters 15 and 16, which include that familiar story Jesus told us about two lost sons. One who left home and wasted his inheritance, then returned broken to his father. The other son never left home, but was even more lost and hard-hearted. It's one of the several parables Jesus told.

And if you'd like to jump in on reading through the rest of the Bible with us, you can sign up at reviveourhearts.com/bible2026. Now, speaking of Jesus, his ministry didn't stop when he died on the cross and was resurrected. He's still working. He's still active in human history, and we're about to hear he's still the light of the world. This week on Revive Our Hearts, Nancy will help us look at a few aspects of Jesus's ongoing ministry. It's part of this month's focus as we fix our eyes on him. Here's Nancy explaining what it means that Jesus is the light of the world.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: Alfred Edersheim has written a really helpful resource many years ago called The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. And in that book, it's actually a massive volume. I've seen it in two volumes. He gives a lot of the background into the culture and the life and times of Jesus and helps us understand some things that were going on in that period of Judaism that we may not be aware of. And he explains that there was an important ceremony that had been developed during the Feast of Tabernacles. It was not prescribed in the Old Testament, but it was one that the later Old Testament Jews had developed.

And it took place during the Feast of Tabernacles. It was a ceremony called the illumination of the temple. It involved the lighting of four huge golden oil-fed lamps that were in the center of what was known as the court of the women. This wasn't a place where only women could go. It was called that because women were not allowed to go any further into the temple than the court of the women. This court was also called the Treasury. When you read in the scripture about people putting their coins into the the horns trumpet-shaped uh receptacles, that was in this room, the court of the women, the Treasury.

That's going to be important in just a moment. You'll see why. But here were these four giant menorahs or candelabras that were placed in this court of the women during the Feast of the Tabernacles. They were 75 feet high. They were huge. And every night during this celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles, four young men from priest families would climb ladders up to the top of these candelabras. They would fill the golden bowls with oil and light the lamps. As they did, the people would commemorate how God led his people in the wilderness with the pillar of fire.

They would remember back to those days. So, these four huge candelabras would be lit each night after dark. They would light up the temple area brilliantly. And then the light from the temple, because these candelabras were so tall, that light would pour over the temple walls and light up the whole city. This was a symbol of the Shekhinah glory of God that had once filled the temple. And it was a reminder to these Old Testament Jews of that great light that the Old Testament promised would come to people who live and walk in darkness. This is the day after the Feast of Tabernacles.

And the lights have been lit for the last time for that annual celebration. And Jesus stands in the court of the women in the Treasury. You see that in verse 20 of John 8 near these massive candelabras that had been lit each night for days. And he says, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. He's saying in effect, you have seen these lamps lit and their light dispelling the darkness of the temple and of this city. But I am the light of the world.

Yes, this light of the temple is magnificent, but it eventually goes out. The one who follows me will have light, not just an occasional annual blaze of light, but will have light forever. That was an audacious claim if it wasn't true. Jesus was claiming to be the fulfillment of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah. He was claiming to be I am the God of the Old Testament in human flesh at work in the world. He was claiming to be the source of life and light. He alone I am the light of the world.

He was saying there is no other light for this world. He was claiming the exclusiveness, the uniqueness of himself and of the gospel. And he said, whoever follows me will have light. You see, the Jews had followed that pillar of cloud and pillar of fire that led them during the Exodus. And they had to remember back to that how they'd followed that cloud, and now Jesus says, I'm the light. Follow me. To follow him is to believe him, to give yourself completely to him. It's following him with all your heart. Jesus says, if you don't follow me, you will walk in darkness.

Verse um 46 of John chapter 12 says, I have come into the world as light so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. Now, what does light do? Light reveals. It reveals what the darkness conceals. I couldn't see you, and you couldn't see me if we didn't have light in this room. And without light, we can't distinguish details. Without any light, we would stumble. We would run into things. We would get hurt. Light enables us to see things that have been there all along, but that we were oblivious to because we were in darkness.

Well, Jesus has come to reveal God to us. When we were in darkness, we couldn't see God. Uh 2 Corinthians 4 tells us God who said, let light shine out of darkness. Where did he say that? Genesis 1 That God has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. Where? In the face of Jesus Christ, the light of the world. But light doesn't just reveal God to us. Light reveals ourselves to us. It exposes our hearts, the sin, the hypocrisy, the motives, the things we wouldn't be aware of in the inner recesses of our hearts if God didn't shine the light of Jesus to show it to us.

We can't claim to be walking in the light if we're living in darkness. The light of Jesus reveals the way that we should go. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It gives us guidance. The light of Jesus reveals obstacles and pitfalls in the way. When you have light, it's easier to get where you're going, right? So, light reveals, but light also energizes. You know, living in Michigan, we have this perma cloud here, right? And Michigan winters long nights, short days. And do you start to feel sluggish during the winter?

And we look forward to spring coming when we will have more energy because there's more light. There's this connection between light and life. And you've heard the term photosynthesis, which literally means put together synthesis by light, photo put together by light. Photosynthesis is that process used by plants to convert light energy, mostly from the sun, into chemical energy. I've just told you more than I know about this, but I love Google. That process of photosynthesis releases oxygen into the air for us to breathe. And it supplies the energy that is necessary for all of life on earth to survive.

So, the vitality of our life support system depends on plants and their photosynthesis, processing that light energy. Well, I don't understand all that, and I don't understand all this, but I know it's true that as the light of the world, Jesus is our life support system. He's what gives us energy and life. Light reveals, it energizes, and it transforms darkness. It penetrates the darkness. It triumphs over darkness. It overcomes darkness. Light dispels darkness. Light is more powerful than darkness. And darkness has no power over light. When you turn on the light, darkness has to flee.

And the darkness cannot put out the light when the light has been turned on. Now, for centuries, generations, millennia, people have tried to extinguish the light of God's word and of Jesus, the light of the world. The Pharisees tried to extinguish his light. The Romans tried to extinguish the light. They tried to suppress the truth, and people are still trying to do that today, but they could not extinguish his light. It 's an inextinguishable light, the light of the glory of God. And our culture cannot, try hard as it might, cannot put out the light of God and of Jesus.

Our world today is in moral and spiritual darkness. There's injustice, oppression, hopelessness, despair, cruelty, moral insanity, hatred, broken lives, broken relationships, broken homes. There's a lot of darkness. There's darkness in our own hearts, isn't there? And not just outside there, but within us things that other people don't see and know. The light has come into the world. His name is Jesus. And he lives in us. And that's why he could say you are now the light of the world. Let your light What's that light? It's Jesus. Let it shine before others so that they may give glory to your father who is in heaven.

We read in Revelation chapter 1 about this lampstand that John saw in his vision. And what is the lampstand? It's the church. Church that is to be the light in the darkness. Paul says in Philippians 2 we are to be children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life. God has called us not just to survive in this world, but to be light that pushes back the darkness in your marriage, in your home, in your community, wherever you live and go in the supermarket, in the bank, in your workplace.

God wants to shine the light of Jesus through us till the darkness is pushed back. Well, Jesus is the light of the world. He's the star come out of Jacob that we read about in Numbers 24. He's the son of righteousness risen with healing in his wings in Malachi 4. He's the one that John saw in Revelation 1 whose face was like the sun shining in full strength. He's the bright and morning star we read about in Revelation 22. He's the sunrise or the day spring, depending on your translation, in Luke 1 that has visited us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

That sunrise, that day spring visited us when he came to this earth. He penetrated the darkness. And one day he will return. And there will be one final great sunrise. And then there will be no more sunrises. We read in Revelation 21 about the new Jerusalem. This city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it. For the glory of God gives it light. And its lamp is the lamb. The lamb the light of the world. And the gates of that city will never be shut by day. And there will be no night there.

Can you imagine it? No more darkness no more night no more artificial light no more perma cloud but eternal brilliant glorious light. The light of the world. His name is Jesus. And in the meantime, as we walk in this dark world, he lives in us. And he wants to shine through us to give this world a glimpse of who God is. Wants us to walk by that light, walk in that light. We no longer walk in darkness. We walk in light. God wants through us to shine the light of Jesus into this world.

Dana Gresh: A powerful reminder from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth on one aspect of Jesus's ongoing ministry. He is present tense the light of the world. By the way, you can hear more from that message when you visit the link we've provided in the transcript of this program at reviveourhearts.com. Nancy will be back with more in just a moment. I'd like to remind you about the devotional from Nancy titled Consider Jesus. She wrote it to be used in the month of December as we meditate on the son of God who took on flesh, lived among us perfectly, gave his life to save his people from their sin, was raised in power, ascended to the father, and will one day come again.

It's glorious news anytime of year, but certainly including the Christmas season. The devotional by Nancy Consider Jesus is available to you as a thank you for your donation to Revive Our Hearts. Be sure to ask about it when you contact us with your gift. To do that, go to reviveourhearts.com or call us at this number 1-800-569-5959. Thank you so much for your support. All this month, we've been looking at a beautiful range of truth about who Jesus is and what he does. Today through Wednesday, we're thinking about his ongoing ministry. Did you know that one of the names of Jesus is eternal father?

That's true. We read that name of Jesus in a verse we often hear around Christmas time. Speaking of the coming Messiah, Isaiah said, For a child will be born to us. A son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named wonderful counselor, mighty God, eternal father. There it is. Prince of Peace. Here's Nancy helping us understand this aspect of Jesus's ongoing ministry and the implications to us, his children.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: Christ never had a beginning, and Christ will never have an end. And that means that his reign as the king will be eternal. Isaiah 9 goes on to tell us in verse 7 of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end because he is the everlasting father. He's eternal in his person. He's eternal in all his attributes. And he is eternal, thank God, in his ministry to us as believers. The scripture tells us that this same savior, this same Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith. What God has begun in us, he will continue, and he will bring to completion.

Aren't you glad? No matter what I do, no matter how I fail, he is my priest who ever lives and intercedes for me in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God. So, he is everlasting. And then we see that he is a father. Now, this is not to confuse him with God the father. God the father and God the son have distinct roles, but there is a sense in which Jesus Christ is a father to us. He's the father of eternity. He's the father of the Christian faith, but also in a personal sense, he fathers us.

And when you think about a mighty God, a powerful warrior, a champion, you think of someone who is to be revered someone who is to be respected. And that's true of Christ. But as the king of our hearts and as the king of his church and ultimately as the king of this world, he rules with compassion and tenderness and kindness as a father cares for his children. So, yes, he's the mighty God. Yes, he's to be revered. Yes, we should tremble before him, but he is also a father. He loves those he rules as his own children.

Psalm 103 describes the father heart of the Lord Jesus. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. He's a tender compassionate caring father. And can I say that whether your earthly father was a great dad or is a very poor and weak example of a dad or maybe you never even knew who your father was at all, we have in the Lord Jesus and in our heavenly father a father that far surpasses all earthly fathers, even the best of them.

You may feel let down. You may feel alone. You may feel orphaned. You may never have had a real father. You may feel like there's no one who really cares for your soul. I want to assure you on the basis of God's word that the Lord Jesus cares for you. He's concerned about you. He loves you. He's committed to what is best for you. He is a father to those who fear him and trust him. And then he is the everlasting father. The son given to us is an everlasting father. That shows the greatness of the son who was born in that manger on that first Christmas.

And it shows the humility of the everlasting father once again that the everlasting father would stoop to step into time and to become one of us. The fact that he's an everlasting father means that he will love you forever. Once you are his child if you are his child, he will always be your father. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. You are eternally secure because he is the everlasting father. Charles Spurgeon wrote a little piece on this text in which he talks about what it means that he is an everlasting father.

Let me just read some of those words to you. He said, he is an everlasting father to all those to whom he is a father at all. In other words, if he is your father, he's an everlasting father. If you have entered into this relationship so as to be in union with Christ, you are his child and you will forever be. There is no unfathering Christ, and there is no unchilding us. I love that. No matter what I do, if I am truly his child, there is no unfathering Christ, and there is no unchilding us.

Spurgeon goes on to say he is everlastingly a father to those who trust in him. This morning, you may have come here in trouble, but Christ is still your father. This day, you may be much depressed in spirit and full of doubts and fears, but a true father never ceases, if he be a father, to exercise his kindness to a child, nor does Jesus cease to love and pity you. He will help you. Go to him, and you shall find that loving friend to be as tender as in the days of his flesh. Is he your father?

If not, he can be. Right now, you can trust him. Repent of going your own way, repent of your sin and say, Lord Jesus, I trust you to be my savior. I want you to be my everlasting father. And if he is your father, everlastingly throughout all of eternity, he will never cease to be a father to you.

Dana Gresh: Again, that's Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth sharing some comforting truth from God's word. Remembering that he relates to us like a tender father toward the children he loves dearly really does change your perspective on life's difficulties. Both of the segments we heard today are from a larger series Nancy taught covering many of the names of Jesus. Light of the world and eternal father are just two of more than 30 she talked about. You'll find a link to the longer series The Wonder of His Name within the transcript of this program at reviveourhearts.com. I hope you'll check it out.

Well, of course, there are other ways Jesus is still at work today. We'll continue exploring that tomorrow on Revive Our Hearts as we keep fixing our eyes on Jesus. Please be back. This program is a listener supported production of Revive Our Hearts in Niles, Michigan, calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.