Light of the World (John 1:1-18)

 

Light of the World (John 1:1-18)

 

How many fatalists does it take to change a light bulb?

What does it matter? It’s going to go out anyway!

 

How many smart New Yorkers does it take to change a light bulb?

Both of them, although they may need a third to yell, “Hey, I’m working over here!”

 

How many chiropractors does it take to change a light bulb?

Only one, but it takes 3 months of visits twice weekly.

 

The terror attack in New Orleans and the bombing in Las Vegas around New Years has been on my heart and mind a lot this week. And the phrase from John’s prologue that keeps speaking to me is…

 

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. (Jn 1:5)

 

This verse gives me hope in such dark times as these days. John uses the word, skotia, to describe ignorance of God, wickedness, shameful secrecy, and the want for light. John uses the word eight times, 6 of those times it is metaphorical, where darkness represents a spiritual absence of divine knowledge.

 

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the age of the messiah in terms of dark and light.

 

The people who walked in darkness

    have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness—

    on them light has shined.

 

For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:2,6)

 

And speaking of the restoration of Israel and our ultimate hope in the kingdom of God, Isaiah writes,

 

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
² For darkness shall cover the earth
    and thick darkness the peoples,
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will appear over you.
³ Nations shall come to your light
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

 

The sun shall no longer be
    your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
    give light to you by night,
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory. (Isa 60:1-3, 19)

 

John uses light and darkness to describe the dawning of Christ upon a world stumbling about, due to a lack of hope. Jesus speaks of himself as the light of the world. He urged his disciples to walk in His light while the light is still with them. I interpret this to mean to heed his voice and follow his teachings. Jesus said that if we love him, we will obey his commands, specifically the command to love one another. By loving one another, the world will see the light. The world will comprehend that God, in fact, sent Jesus to the earth to save us. Those who do not believe remain in darkness and that darkness will be their ultimate calamity.

 

John opens his gospel with a prologue that plays off of the creation story in Genesis one. I thought it would be illuminating to compare the two passages.

 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

² Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. ³ God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light! ⁴ God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness.

 

John uses many of the same words in his prologue. Both Genesis and John begin with the phrase, “in the beginning.” This is John’s clue to all familiar with the creation story that he is talking new creation. In the beginning was the Word.

 

The Word is a Greek concept. Logos (The Word) was the rational thought that brought order to life. The waters covering the earth in Genesis 1 are an expression of chaotic forces. God speaks His word of command and brings order, and therefore life.

 

The first of God’s creations is light. Not the sun, or moon or stars. They are not made until the 4^th day. God’s presence brings illumination. His light is the very foundation for everything that is created thereafter.

 

John says that the Word was with God at the beginning. Proverbs 8 says that Wisdom was the first of God’s works and Wisdom was with God at the beginning. Similar to the Greek notion of the Word, Wisdom is knowledge of God’s right ways which lead to life.

 

When there were no deep oceans I was born,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
²⁵ before the mountains were set in place—
before the hills—I was born,
²⁶ before he made the earth and its fields,
or the top soil of the world.
²⁷ When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he marked out the horizon over the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he established the clouds above,
when he secured the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he gave the sea his decree
that the waters should not pass over his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
³⁰ then I was beside him as a master craftsman,
and I was his delight day by day,
rejoicing before him at all times, (Prv 8:24-30)

 

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians

 

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, ²³ but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. ²⁴ But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1Co 1:22-24)

 

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

 

The word that started it all came from God’s mouth, “Let there be…” The Word was from God, with God and is God. And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. He set up His tabernacle to dwell with humanity. The Word put on human flesh. Jesus of Nazareth is the creative power of God and the wisdom of God, the Word that brings order to chaos and life to the dead.

 

Genesis 1 tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, which is a way of saying God made everything we see here on this planet and everything out there among the far reaches of space. And John gives us the same.

 

All things came into being through him (The Word/Jesus Christ), and without him not one thing came into being. (Jn 1:3)

 

What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. (Jn 1:4)

 

Any time John mentions life, he is talking about everlasting life, eternal life, ongoing, continuous, abundant life. Jesus said that he came to the world that we might have life and have it in abundance. The Word became flesh that we might have a fulfilling life that transcends death. And we receive this gift of abundant and everlasting life through belief.

 

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes… the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life. (Jn 5:21, 24)

 

Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12)

 

John even defines eternal life. From Jesus’ high priestly prayer during his last night with his disciples before his crucifixion he said,

 

Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. (Jn 17:3)

 

To know God through knowing Jesus is eternal life. And what is it to know? It is to experience Jesus personally and comprehend the meaning of His life sacrificed for you.

 

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome,

 

 

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. (Rom 10:9-10)

 

Saved from death which means eternal life!

Saved from darkness and a miserable life of stumbling.

Saved from emptiness, meaninglessness, and vanity.

Saved from hopelessness, ignorance and evil.

Saved by seeing the light of the world, Jesus.

 

The former soldier who plowed his truck through a crowd of people in New Orleans, and the decorated Army veteran who detonated an explosive device and shot himself in Las Vegas, both of these men, decided to harm others as they resigned themselves to death. Both are casualties of darkness. I think they saw the world as dark and it filled their hearts with hatred. Their minds were darkened and their hearts became hard. They decided to leave this bitter, dark world behind, and take a few people with them, to make a statement. Both were acts of desperation. The media will continue to ask why and who’s to blame. We know why. Darkness. Darkness in the mind and heart is ignorance of God. In the darkness, there’s an absence of light. There is no life-giving hope through the knowledge of God.

 

But hear again the good news! The light shines on in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Just as the Spirit of God hovered over the darkness and spoke the Word of command, “Let there be…”, God comes near to us in all of our dark times and brings light. The light of the world Jesus Christ, is with us. There’s always hope. For Light and Life conquer darkness and death.

 

May you be filled with the light of Christ. And may His light in you conquer the darkness.