In the last chapter of the Bible we read:—

“I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” Rev. 22:16.

What does Jesus mean? In what way is He like the morning star? If we go back to the first three chapters of the Bible, and glance over the lessons that we have had, we shall see.

We have learned that, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.” “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good.”

And all things remained good so long as Christ, “the Light of the world,” was followed by man.

Christ Himself says, “I am the Light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of [My] life.”

As long as a person follows Christ and goes only where He goes, and does only as He does, he cannot go wrong; for His life is always right.

Because His life is so pure and bright, and so sure to keep its followers in the right way, it is called a light.

You know if a child walks in the day he does not stumble, because he has the light of ‘the sun; so if any child walk with Christ he will not stumble, because he has the light of Christ’s life; Christ’s life has power not only to show him the right way, but to keep him in the right way.

But if a child walks in the night he stumbles because there is no light with him, and likewise if he walks without Christ he stumbles into all sorts of bad ways, because the light of Christ’s life is not with him.

And that is what Adam and Eve did when they rejected Christ’s life and chose to follow Satan,—they stumbled and went entirely out of the right way, because they had turned away from the Light.

They so completely shut themselves away from Christ and the light of His life, and away from all that He had given them, that they were like children far from home and lost in the dark. They could not find a way back to their Father. And unless they did get back to Him they were lost forever, with nothing but death before them.

And that was not all. Not only would Adam and Eve be lost forever, but we, the children that they were to have, would be lost forever too.

Sad were their hearts when they realized what a foolish thing they had done. They had been carefully warned by their Father, but like willful children, they thought they knew enough to take care of themselves. Alas, they had found, as children generally do, that their Father knew best. What would they not give now if they could once more be in the light of their Father’s face, and enjoy the countless blessings of their lost home.

But not one thing could they do to save themselves. They had forsaken the Light and turned their backs upon the right way, and were completely surrounded with the dark, dark cloud of sin. They were without God and without hope in the world.

“Lost, lost, LOST!” rang through the Father’s house. The angel’s harps were hushed, and grief filled every heart. The children who had been so blessed and so beloved had disobeyed their Father and were lost!

To be sure it was their own fault that they were lost, but what father stops to think of that when his children are lost? “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” He must save them even though it takes His life! And He very well knew that nothing less than the light of His life could pierce the darkness of sin that surrounded them.

“Behold what manner of love!” Suddenly the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light sprang up!

Where did the light come from? From their Father! He gave His only begotten Son to come and save them! It cost Him His life to break through the cloud of sin and let the light of His life shine in. But He gladly did it to save them,—and to save us. In providing a way of salvation for them, He provide a way of salvation for us also, and for “every man that cometh into the world.”

Jesus says, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness.”

Then if we really believe that Jesus can save us, and follow the light of His life, it will cleanse us from sin, and lead us, like the morning star, out of darkness into the perfect day. It will lead us, as well as Adam and Eve, back to our lost home and into the marvelous light of our Father’s presence.

How sad it would be for a lost child to refuse to follow the light that his father had sent to guide him home. Yet is not that what we are doing when we refuse to follow the blessed Light that God has sent to guide us back to Him?

Then “O. . . , come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord,” let us follow “the Bright and Morning Star.”

1. 1. Who created the heaven and the earth? Gen. 1:1.
   2. When did He create them? Gen. 1:1.
   3. Who created the grass, flowers and trees, and the insects, birds, and animals, and all living things?
   4. How long was He in creating all things? Gen. 1; Exod. 20:11.
   5. How did He make them? Gen. 1; Ps. 33:9.
   6. What did He do on the seventh day? Gen. 2:2; Exod. 20:11.
   7. Were all the things that He made just as they are now? How were they? Gen. 1:31.
   8. How long did they remain good? Gen. 3.
   9. Why would following Christ keep man good?—Because He kept all of His Father’s commandments. Ps. 40:7, 8.
   10. What does Christ call Himself? John 8:12.
   11. What does He say those have who follow Him? John 8:12.
   12. In what way is His life like a light?
   13. What does a child do when He tries to walk in the night without a light? John 11:9, 10.
   14. What did Adam and Eve do when they tried to walk without Christ? Why?
   15. What were they like?
   16. Unless they got back to God, what awaited them?
   17. And if they were lost forever, what about us?
   18. Whose fault was it that they were lost? Why?
   19. Could they not do something to save themselves?
   20. Who only could save them?
   21. Was He willing to? Ps. 103:13.
   22. What only could pierce through the darkness of sin that surrounded them?
   23. What did those who sat in darkness suddenly see? Matt. 4:16.
   24. Where did the light coming from?
   25. What was the light? John 8:12; 12:46; Rev. 22:16; John 1:4.
   26. How much did it cost Him to let the light of His life shine upon them?
   27. In providing a way of salvation for Adam and Eve, what did He provide for you and me, and for every other person that cometh into the world? John 12:46; John 1:9.
   28. Will every one, then, be saved? John 3:19.
   29. If we follow Jesus, the Light, the Bright and Morning Star, where will He lead us?
   30. Would it not be very ungrateful to refuse to follow Him after He has given His life to save us?

   The Present Truth – April 26, 1894
   E. J. Waggoner

   Story in pdf  The Bright and Morning Star