You can’t know the answer to something until you know the problem. Before we look at what John 1 has to say about light, I want you to understand what Scripture says about our spiritual condition. We are all born with a sin nature. Ephesians 2:1 says we are “dead in trespasses and sins” apart from Christ. You may have heard salvation described something like this: “I was drowning in a sea of sin and Jesus came by in a boat, threw out a lifeline, and pulled me onboard and saved me.” That sounds good, but it’s not the gospel. The gospel is that you weren’t just drowning in a sea of your sin, but you were dead, floating face down, and Jesus walked on the water, came to you when you could not come to Him, picked you up, carried your dead body back to the shore, and breathed eternal life into your lungs. John 1:4, our theme verse for this week, says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Jesus came into the world to bring light and life because we all came into the world spiritually blind, dark, and dead.
The Light Revealed
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created” (John 1:1-3). Everything God wants to say to man is found in Jesus Christ. He is preexistent and coexistent with the Father. He created all things and all things are held together by the power of His word. He wasbecause He is,and He isbecause He was. There never was a time He did not exist. You cannot know God apart from Christ, as Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus said, “Me and my father are one.” God did not create Jesus, Jesus always was.Immediately after John explains this, he says Jesus is light and life (v. 4). “That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it” (v. 5).Your concept of God will make or break your faith.When you hear a noise in the dark you are afraid. As soon as you turn on the light, you have courage and confidence. You may be going through things that are dark and scary. God will be your light in your darkest hour. He will be your confidence and you do not have to fear. Darkness cannot overcome light. The devil tried to overthrow God but could not. In the end, Light wins and darkness loses.
The Light Rejected
Verses 10-11 say that when Jesus came, He was not recognized or received by the world. John 3:19 says, “…people loved darkness rather than the lightbecause their deeds were evil.” Jesus is the true light. There is light in none other. There are fake lights in the world, but Jesus is not merely alight, He is the light. What a joy to be a preacher of the gospel, to preach the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He is the truth. Whatever I read in Scripture to you about Jesus is true. You will never be tricked or deceived. The world is deceptive, but Jesus is true. Each person must decide for themselves what to do with this truth. Either you receive His light in your life or reject His light and stay in darkness. Ultimately, those who reject Jesus will spend eternity in a place called Hell, separated from God.
The Light Received
“But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name” (v. 12). Light will change you if you will receive it. Saul is an example. Saul was not a godless man. He was a devoutly committed religious person. However, he was on the wrong path. He was on his way to put men and women in prison for following Jesus. While he was on his way he was blinded by a light. That light changed Saul to Paul, murderer to missionary, church hater to church planter. He had no idea all that God had in store for him at that point! When the light gets in you, it changes you. God has a way of turning our lives around. He can stop you in your tracks and turn your life around. Nothing could have stopped Saul but the light of God. God knows what it takes to bring you to your knees. Stop fighting Him. You can’t fight the light. The light shows things as they really are. It shows all imperfections. Jesus came to bring the light down close to us, so we can see what we are really like on the inside…dark and dead. The good news is that Jesus is light and He is life to all who receive Him!