Three Phases of the Son

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

Genesis 1:3

“For the Lord God giveth them light:” Revelation 22:5

This classic piece has been refreshed an brought out of retirement. May it serve you now as it did 20 years ago.

The Bible says that “God is light, and in him is no darkness.”¹ God let His light shine through the darkness first of all in creation, because light is the most vital element to life. God is called “The Sun of righteousness.”²  Science explains that the sun is a star, and hence, Jesus is the “Daystar.”³ The sun passes over our heads daily, unnoticed, much as God in His goodness is taken for granted. Today, I would like you to take notice with me of the Lord Jesus as the “light of life.”⁴

First is the morning daybreak.

Jesus comes with pow’r to gladden, When love shines in,
Every life that woe can sadden, When love shines in.
Love will teach us how to pray,
Love will drive the gloom away,
Turn our darkness into day, When love shines in.

The sun awakens. 

The sun shining through my window not only opens my eyes, it energizes my body. No alarm clock can rouse my body like those warm sunbeams. The brightness compared to my slumber is invigorating. Before a sinner has trusted in Jesus, he abides in darkness. Then, Jesus reveals himself to the darkened sinner, compelling him to “Awake!”⁵

It dispels. 

It really is darkest just before dawn. Nothing chases away the shadows like the sunshine. The night noise all fades into singing birds. All the artificial lights flicker off. The creatures of the night retreat from the day. The Saviour is the “Light of the world”⁶, and he has no fellowship with “the unfruitful works of darkness.”⁷ He separates the evening from the morning. He cannot be substituted, and sins cannot be hid from His flaming eyes. “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.” (Malachi 4:2) The morning is the right time to embrace the sin-removing light of the Lord Jesus Christ. Won’t you accept Him today?

Then comes the high noon hours

How the world will grow with beauty, When love shines in,
And the heart rejoice in duty, When love shines in.
Trials may be sanctified,
And the soul in peace abide,
Life will all be glorified, When love shines in.

The sun warms. 

Your spirits are lifted as the morning sun ascends higher and higher. On a sunny day, you feel like your possibilities are endless. The clear shining sun gives you a view of the horizon, of adventure beyond what you’ve experienced. “He must increase, I must decrease.”⁸ When Christ is lifted up, He lifts you up. “And I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me.”⁹ Walking in the Light of His presence fulfills your longings, fuels your desires, and focuses your gaze into the future He has prepared for those that love Him.

It nourishes. 

Rays bouncing through the atmosphere create climates and humidity. Winds, weather, and seasons all have their time and place because of the sun. Plants synthesize nutrients by bathing their leaves in the enhancing sunlight. A tree brings forth fruit because of the nourishment of the sun. “The sun shall not smite thee by day–“¹⁰ when life spikes at its hottest trials, know that the Son is producing fruit in you. When rain falls softly, or bitter snows rake harshly across the fields, remember it is from Him who blesses you also with clear skies and fair breezes.

At last falls the eventide, the twilight

We may have unfading splendor, When love shines in,
And a friendship true and tender, When love shines in.
When earth’s vict’ries shall be won,
And our life in Heav’n begun,
There will be no need of sun, When love shines in.

The sun beautifies.

 All the glory of the early and mid day kneel in honor to the colorful majesty of the sun in its latest hour. Many a photographer will wait a long time just to capture a few copies of the splendor of the beautifying sun. And so, Christ, in the closing moments of a believers life presents Himself as “altogether lovely.”¹¹ Here the unseen effects of trust in Christ, and the observed blessings of faith in Him collide, and explode for all to see. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (Revelation 14:13) The storm clouds THEN become a backdrop, not the focus. Jesus Christ is all there is to see as the evening Son.

It concludes. 

How sad to see the day go, and the sun retreat, when we have not done all that we could do. Unfinished business and unforgiven sins make us long for a new day. Reminisces about the morning and noon hours are saddened by what was left undone. O may our concluding thoughts ring with a shout of accomplishment and not with tears of regret!

Many times I stand at the top of my small lot and speculate of what was done, and what there is left to be done. If I was to surmise in the same way, my whole life; if I was to feel my last sunrise, experience my last summer day, all that would matter to me, is Jesus. I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when life’s fleeting days shall end. Beautiful life with such a Friend! Beautiful life that has no end! Let the twilight fall: I trust in God. “Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)

Darkest sorrow will grow brighter, When love shines in,
And the heaviest burden lighter, When love shines in.
’Tis the glory that will throw
Light to show us where to go;
O the heart shall blessing know-- When love shines in. 

Originally written in the spring of 2012. First republished February 22, 2015. Last edited January 25, 2026.

1. 1 John 1:5 ↩︎
2. Malachi 4:2 ↩︎
3. 2 Peter 1:19 ↩︎
4. John 8:12 ↩︎
5. Ephesians 5:14 ↩︎
6. John 8:12 ↩︎
7. Ephesians 5:11 ↩︎
8. John 3:30 ↩︎
9. John 12:32 ↩︎
10. Psalm 121:6 ↩︎
11. Song of Solomon 5:16 ↩︎
12. When Love Shines In by Carrie Ellis Breck, 1902 ↩︎