The light shines in the darkness

John 1:1-5

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. 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 all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Light versus dark. Darkness verses light. So much of our lives revolve around light and darkness; we live in the light, thrive in light and can be scared of the dark. A little child will ask for a nightlight because the darkness is scary; we can’t see our way in the dark, nor can we tell if there’s danger lurking. Our days are determined by the sun rising and setting, by light and dark. The Bible also talks about light and dark. God is the creator and source of light. Genesis 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.” God called the light day, and He made it so that light would nurture and feed plants but also give life and healing to them and to us. Sunshine brings warmth and comfort whereas the night can be cold and lonely. John 3:19 says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” We hide in darkness, and we seek the cover of darkness to hide our sins. But our passage is actually telling us something more; John is calling Jesus our light; this is not his own idea, but something he learned from Christ. In John 8:12 we can read, “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’.” We know that God created life, but God and His word are also the source of light; Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” What does this mean? God’s light exposes our darkness. Man is naturally inclined to do evil and we selfishly seek to fulfill the wicked desires of our hearts. God’s word gives us His law and by this we can see how sinful we truly are. His word sheds light upon the darkness in our hearts and lives. 1 John 1:5-7 says, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” So, how do we, as sinful human beings, walk in the light if we are prone to darkness? Simply put, God’s light brings us His grace, in salvation, through Christ Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit. The word of God gives us His law and when we hold our thoughts and actions up against the law, we can see that they are sinful and wrong. His word brings the good news of salvation and, by the Holy Spirit we are born again, into the light. When we are born again, we become part of His light. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus tells us “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” When you are born again, you will want to share the light, and the good news, with others. When we truly know how great the darkness was, we are thankful for the light, and this should be reflected in all we say and do. Light is good, it is life-giving, healing, warming, and a source of good, therefore, our lives should reflect this. We ought to be loving, patient, kind, warm and good. Live your life in the light of Christ and His word. Reflect the goodness and grace God has given us and turn from the darkness in your heart. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33). 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness', has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Seek God, seek to know and understand His word and when you do, by the work of the Holy Spirit, your life will reflect the light of life.

Prayer: Gracious Father, God of light, we praise You and ask You to remove our darkness and, by Your grace, fill us with Your light. Make our lives to be a reflection of the Light of the world so that others may come to glorify You. Fill us with the desire to live and walk in Your light and forgive us when we succumb to darkness and temptation. We thank You for this gift of grace, in Jesus name alone, Amen