Day 6, Read John 1:4-9

There is another title of Christ in John 1 that speaks of His splendor.  He is the Light of life.  Consider several truths which John affirms.

·        Life was “in” Him (in the Word), v4.  Life was not merely “from” or “through” or “by” Him; it was “in” Him, meaning it was inherent to Him.  As Paul would say, the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  This life is the vitality that is characteristic of humanity and which is ours from the Creator.

·        That life was the Light of men, v4.  The life was the enlightenment or consciousness of mankind and involves man’s ability to reason, his role of dominion and his ability to choose.  This is what differentiates humans from animals and the rest of creation.  Man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27) and God is light (1 Jn. 1:5).  

·        The Light shines in the darkness, v5.  This statement presumes darkness so that we have moved from creation (Gen. 1-2) to a world with sin (Gen. 3).  The light shines in the darkness through man’s conscience (Rom. 2:14-15) as well as in history.  The Old Testament records historical events in which God was shining His light in the darkness.

·        The darkness did not overtake the Light, v5.  The word sometimes translated “comprehended” is better understood as “overtook” or “apprehended”.  It implies a hostility between the Light and the darkness, with the darkness unable to put out the Light.  Jesus spoke of this in Jn. 12:35: “A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.”  When man comes to the limits of godless philosophy he is confronted with the reality of who he is and that his answers without God will not satisfy.  At the same time, whenever man has tried to destroy the Light he has failed.  Both in Biblical history and in recent history this has been seen to be true.

·        This Light is the true Light, v9.  Not John but Jesus is this true Light.

·        This Light enlightens every man, v9.  Every man retains something of his likeness to God.  There is something within man that cries out for what only God, the Light, can satisfy.

·        This Light came into the world, v9.  Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world” (Jn. 8:12).  And He called men to “believe in the Light, that you may become sons of light” (Jn. 12:36). 

This is a great statement concerning the Word who became flesh, Jesus the Messiah.  Matthew Henry, concerning this passage, said, “If, when God gave us natural life, that life was in His Son, how readily should we receive the gospel record, that He hath given us eternal life, and that life too is in His Son!”.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12)