Tag Archives: In Him was life

JOHN’S GOSPEL…LIFE AND LIGHT – 2

Bible Study, ,

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…

A LIGHT ON OUR WAY

Bible Study, ,

John 1:4-5 NIV
[4] “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The New Living Translation renders these verses…

John 1:4-5 NLT
[4] “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

Life and death, light and darkness… these are two of the great themes in John’s gospel.

In what sense is light used in these verses? Physical light reveals what our eyes can see. Spiritual light enlightens our understanding to see sprituaal truth.

The living Word, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, enlightens God’s truth to our understanding to enable us to “see” into the unseen realm.

Before the Holy Spirit could reveal spiritual truth to us, we were in “darkness”. What was this darkness? Darkness is the inability to perceive truth because sin produces unbelief which blinds and hardens the mind.

2 Corinthians 3:14-15 NLT
[14] “But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. [15] Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.”

Paul wrote that the Jews were unable to understand the gospel because a veil of unbelief kept the from” seeing” the truth. Only faith in Jesus can remove the veil.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NLT
[3] “If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. [4] Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

Unbelief is a veil of darkness that prevents people who are perishing from seeing God’s glory shining through Jesus.

How can we see the light?

Psalms 36:9 NLT
[9]”For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”

Psalms 36:9 NIV
[9] “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

God is the only one who can illuminate our spiritual darkness to give us understanding about who He is and what He has done for us.

Paul speaks of the “natural man”, the person who has no contact with the Holy Spirit, and who, therefore, cannot understand spiritual truth.

1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV
[14] “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV
[18] “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

What blinds their minds?

1 Corinthians 1:22-23 NIV
[22] “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, [23] but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…”

It was the death of Jesus on a cross that blinds the minds of the Jews, and a crucified “god” that the Gentiles reject as foolish…and yet, it is the death of Jesus on a cross that saves those who are perishing!

It is this very truth that demands supernatural enlightenment from the Spirit of God to believe and receive.

We can only, ever understand what is going on in the world when we “see” God’s place in the world and what He has done through Jesus to bring us back to Himself. The world is in chaos because of unbelief. Every form of sin is the fruit of unbelief. Darkness rules. Unbelievers are blind and deaf to God and His Word.

Jesus came as the Light to bring the light of truth and understanding to light up the darkness, and show us the way to the Father.

John 8:12 NLT
[12] “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Everyone hopes to go to heaven, even thinks they will go to heaven even if they ignore God’s way. All religions try to end up at some delightful “eternal bliss” conjured up by human imagination.

However, John connects three imperatives if we are to reach our desired haven, not a figment of our imagination but a declaration of God’s promise of eternal life with Him in His kingdom.

John 14:6 NLT
[6]”Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

The Way…this was the name given to the Christian faith in the early days of the church.

Acts of the Apostles 19:23 NLT
[23] “About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.”

“Way” has a multiplicity of dictionary definitions and applications, for example,

“the course traveled from one place to another : route,
“…asked the way to the museum”…

A “way” implies a road or path one follows to reach a destination.

First, John connects Jesus, light, life, and the Word.

John 1:1, 4-5, 14 NLT
[1] In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God….
[4] The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it….
[14] So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

So, when David declares,

Psalms 119:105 NLT
[105]”Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”….

…what is he saying?

Jesus is the path, and the light that illuminates the way to the Father. No one can access the Father and eternal life because of the barrier of sin. Jesus alone could remove the barrier because His perfect human life qualified Him to take our place in death.

Jesus rose from the dead to secure our forgiveness and restoration to the Father. Without the cross, distasteful as it is to Jew and Gentile, no one will access the Father.

Hebrews 7:24-25 NLT
[24] “But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. [25] Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”

Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT
[19] “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. [20] By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. [21] And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, [22] let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”