2 Jesus, the light of the world
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1: 3 – 5 [NIV]
Light and life are two great themes in John’s gospel. Jesus calls himself both ‘The light of the world’ [John 8: 12] and ‘The life’ [John 14: 6].
Jesus came to bring life. Through his death on the cross, he brought about forgiveness of our sins. Because of this, we have been reconciled to God and have been given new life. In the resurrection, Jesus was raised from death never to die again. All who believe in him also inherit this gift of eternal life.
And Jesus is light. He is our guide through life; and he is the sure hope for all who follow him.
In verse 5, John says that the darkness has not understood the light. The powers of evil cannot fathom why God should love sinful people so much as to give his Son for them.
But the word for ‘understood’ can also mean ‘overcome’. In this case, John is saying that the powers of evil have not managed to defeat the light. Jesus was crucified. He was publicly humiliated. To those present at the time, this looked as though it was a defeat of cosmic proportions. This was not what the Jews were expecting from a Messiah. His mission was at an end.
Two downhearted disciples said: We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. [Luke 24: 21]
But the cross was the victory. There sin and the devil were defeated forever.
On the cross, Christ wins through losing, triumphs through defeat, achieves power through weakness and service and comes to wealth via giving all away. [Tim Keller]
Thank you Lord Jesus for dying in my place on the cross. Help me to be a light for you in this world of darkness. Amen.
David Long
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