2“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John wove several themes into his gospel about Jesus, the Son of God, themes which help us better to understand the person of Jesus. In the first glimpse we have of the Son of God, John tells us that He is both life and light. 

Life and light are inseparable. Where there is light, that is always life. We can see this in the natural world. Animals, plants, and people need light to flourish and do so in the most unusual of places.  Where there is light, things grow. 

First, let’s examine the meaning of “light” in the Bible. Hebrew people didn’t think and speak in abstract concepts. For example, they would not ask, “What is light?” or “What does light look like?” They would ask, “What does light do?”

Light does many things but, in the context of God’s Word, light exposes and light reveals. 

What does light expose? Light exposes what we cannot see in the dark. In a dark room, we would trip over obstacles but, when we turn on the light, we can see where those obstacles are and avoid being hurt. 

The same is true in the spirit realm. Without the light of truth to show us what and where the obstacles are, we constantly trip over and hurt ourselves by the wrong things we think and do. Even worse, Jesus said…

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Outside of Jesus, people live in “darkness”, doing what they please, following their own wicked natures, and causing chaos and destruction around them and to themselves. Solomon said that even a child left to himself, without the light of truth, discipline, and teaching, will disgrace his mother. 

“A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ 

Before Jesus came, God’s light was in the world through His Word, but no one had ever obeyed or ever will perfectly obey God’s Word. The entire human race has gone its own way, living in the darkness of unbelief and disobedience. 

Light also reveals…

No other human except Jesus has ever lived the life God intended for His human family. Jesus was the first and only perfect Son. He not only obeyed God’s Word. He IS God’s Word in person. He came to reveal the truth of God’s Word in the world by living in perfect obedience and submission to the Father…as our example…and as His gift to us when we believe in Him and by teaching and example..

God’s own people tried to extinguish the light by putting Jesus to death. They failed because He walked out of His tomb alive! 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God’s light has been given to us in His Word and in His works…

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭105‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—”…

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…but most clearly in Jesus. 

Jesus invited His people to follow Him so that they could also have real life by living in the light of obedience to God’s Word. 

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Faith in Jesus rescues us from the darkness of Satan’s realm, where we lived by our own rules, and transfers us into the realm where Jesus rules in justice, righteousness and peace. 

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ NIV

Our response to Jesus is to follow Him by living as He did , in obedience to God’s Word and…He enables us to do this by the power of His Spirit in us. 

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭13‬, ‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, Jesus is the “light” of truth by which we “see” clearly and follow towards our destiny…God’s forever family in  God’s eternal realm.

To be continued…