John 1:4-5 PODCAST
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. ~ John 1:4-5
Jesus is the originator of life and light. John tells us "In him was light." We do not naturally and automatically access this life that is in Jesus ... it is in a static relationship with Him that we access this life. The Greek word that John uses here for "life" is Zoe which is the type of life that brings with it God's transcendent views of this life.
Jesus Christ, Himself, is life! Plants and trees have life because He gave it to them. Animals have life because He gave it to them. Mankind has life, and Jesus Christ is the source of it. Jesus Christ is life and the giver of life.
He is also the light and the giver of light. The light that John is identifying here is understanding and wisdom. His point is: Jesus Christ is the source of understanding of reality. He is the basis of the knowledge of truth. He is the answer for those seeking what is really real. The Gospel of John is about the Lord Jesus Christ. How to know Him. How to find life through faith in Him.
We live in a dark world that has little understanding of reality. It is only in the light of the Lord Jesus that we see life as it really is. Yet, the world is shackled in darkness. And, this darkness allows pride, the idea that we do not need God, to fester. The farther we progress in time, mankind regresses to anarchy and violence. This is darkness.
In v.5 we read: "the darkness has not overcome it (the light)." Overcome means that it cannot get hold of the light, it cannot control it, it cannot possess it, it cannot comprehend it. Darkness and light cannot exist together. In this sense darkness is the opposite of the truth, it is the lie which will always be contrary to God's definition of things.
I'm sure you notice that in John 1:1-4, John uses exclusively past tense verbs. In the beginning was the Word. In him was life. The life was the light of man. But now, in v.5, John says "the light shines in the darkness." All of a sudden he switches to the present tense. The emphasis of the verb tense is really something like “the light is shining in the darkness.”
The Word, the Logos is here, now. He is involved right now in our lives. The Word is not just something in the past. The Word is now. But He is not just now. He is revealing Himself to us and the darkness is trying to hide Him from us.
As a result of His involvement in our lives, we have been given and are being given a story with Him. This is the essence of the Christian life, our interaction with the Word, the One who defines life for us as we allow Him.
This pre-existent Logos is a case in theology. Speculating on the origin of life is philosophy. Now, we have light versus darkness, this is conflict. Conflict gives us a story. And, like the four parts in any good story, we are receiving His story. Included in this story is the plot, the conflict, the climax and the resolution. Every day, due to the fact that the darkness and the light factors in, we are receiving this unfolding story that God has chosen to include us in.
So John tells us that this Logos is in opposition to the darkness in our world. John lets us know that this is a story worth listening to because it is a story where the hero wins out in the end. The darkness may try to overpower it. The darkness may try to overtake it. But the darkness will not win. The light will prevail.
History, as we know it, isn’t just happening neutrally. We live in the midst of a conflict. On one side is this Logos who is the light and the life of man. On the other side is the darkness that pervades the world.
Life is not the only a thing out there. There is death as well. Jesus is the light, but there is darkness. Life comes from Jesus, but death is powerful as well. And so at the end of these verses, we find out that the Logos isn’t just a philosophy.
There is darkness and there is light. And, there are no bystanders in this conflict. This is a battle between light and darkness and it is happening today. The light shines today because the darkness surrounds us today.
This battle happens as we face temptations to turn our backs on the truth and give in to the selfish desires of darkness. This battle happens as our world struggles with a changing world that is trying to figure out how to make sense of life.
It is into this conflict that the One who was before anything else was, wades in. He is the light that shines in the darkness. He is the source of life and existence. He is engaged in a conflict with death and darkness. And He is the one that will eventually emerge as the victor.
The other gospel writers start their gospels with the birth of a man. Over time, their stories make it clear that Jesus is the God-man. John, on the other hand, begins his gospel with the truth about the Logos who is literally the all-in-all. He is God himself. He created everything. He is the source of life. And finally, He is here now, ready for the daily conflict that we all face and He is poised to win every battle. Herein is zoe experienced.
