A light shines in the darkness
Mark Landrum
Mark Landrum has been faithfully reaching out to Michael, a Jewish man who is open to the Good News of Jesus and happy to study the New Testament. Michael was particularly struck by the passage they looked at recently, as Mark reports.
I meet regularly with Michael, a Jewish man, in a local Sydney café. There, we eat Israeli food together and talk about life and God. Recently, I asked him about what was keeping him from receiving Jesus as his Messiah; was it what his wife or parents would think? These are often major issues that keep Jewish people from coming to faith, even if their parents or grandparents are no longer alive, so I was glad to hear him express very clearly that this would not stop him from receiving Messiah.
Michael always listens attentively as I share the Good News with him. He has a good understanding of the gospel and can clearly articulate it, but he has not arrived at the point where he has taken the message to heart. At the moment, he only has an intellectual understanding. Unfortunately, he is also influenced by various unbiblical New Age philosophies, which can be an obstacle.
At a recent meeting, we were talking about various difficulties and trials going on in Michael’s life. I decided to steer the conversation to a more uplifting topic, so we turned to the passage of Scripture I had prepared to read with Michael.
It was John chapter 1, focusing on verses 4 and 5, which say:
‘In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’
Michael closed his eyes, as he often does to enhance his focus when I read the Scriptures out loud with him. At that moment, a light suddenly beamed straight through the café window and caught Michael’s face.
The timing of the flashes of light coincided with me reading: ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’
As we arrived at verse 14 – which explains that the light being referred to is Jesus – Michael expressed his sincere appreciation for the passage.
I am looking forward to telling Michael more about Jesus, the Light of the World, as we continue to meet.
As Mark continues to open the Scriptures and share the gospel, please pray Michael will soon come to know Jesus, the Light of the World, for himself.