Life and light

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5) 

Jesus Himself is the eternal life we are privileged to embrace (1John 1:1-2). Those of us who believe Jesus as the Christ of God have life (that eternal life), and that eternal life manifests itself as the light of humanity.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men

1. Here “Him” refers to the Word-God (John 1:1)
   1. He has always been the source of life since “in the beginning” (John 1:1)
   2. Life has eternally been existent in the Word-God
2. The “Life” therefore refers to a number of things
   1. The eternal life God has provided in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23)
   2. The abundant life Jesus has come to give us (John 10:10)
   3. Jesus Himself as the light of humanity
3. Those of us who have Jesus the life will automatically encounter Jesus as the light as well
   1. God’s light will shine in our hearts regarding the Gospel (2 Cor.4:6)
   2. All darkness (blindness) inside us will fade away

The light shines in the darkness

1. Jesus as the light of humanity will dawn upon peoples living in the darkness (Matt.4:16)
   1. People’s sins are exposed to the light
   2. People’s hearts and minds are opened up to the Gospel
2.  Jesus as the light of the world will enlighten us about God’s will
   1. He will teach us God’s ways
   2. He will reveal to us the secrets of God’s covenant
   3. He will confide in us God’s glorious plans of salvation

And the darkness has not overcome it

1. The word “overcome” may be translated as “conquer”
2. The ‘darkness’ in Johannine theology can be taken as a reference to Satan and Satanic cohorts (1John 5:19)
3. Hence, the darkness includes Satan and his works against God
4. A sure and certain principle is that the darkness will never conquer Jesus –the life and the light
   1. Life in Christ Jesus will always triumph over and against death
   2. Light we have in Christ Jesus will always conquer darkness of all kinds
5. Wrong understanding of Christ shall disappear; enlightenment of who Christ actually is shall emerge instead