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I thought about starting this post with a clever story, but I realized God did that already.
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.
John 1:1-5
We all know what light is—an element that reveals something. We remember where light came from—”And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) But what does it mean that Jesus’ life is the light of all mankind? Jesus even took it one step further when he described himself as light.
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
Light: The Basic English Dictionary Definition
noun: the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible
verb: make (something) start burning; ignite
adjective: having a considerable or sufficient amount of natural light; not dark; alternatively, (of a color) pale
We take all these literal meanings, and that’s how we end up with the metaphorical meanings of light such as describing someone as light, saying you see light in their eyes, or they bring light wherever they go.
Now, of course, in Scripture, you’ll see many uses of this word in a literal fashion, but seeing the context we’re dealing with in John and how he explains Jesus as light signifies that this is not the literal version of light.
Light | phōs
Strong’s G5457
to shine or make manifest
God is light because light has an extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality (this makes me think of the definition above as “pale” but in the idea of softness)
of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it
that which is exposed to the view of all
mind, knowledge, power of understanding moral and spiritual truth1
These metaphorical definitions given in The Outline of Biblical Usage and Strong’s dictionary are so…illuminating to me. See what I did there?
This short beginning in John 1 is a potent retelling of the gospel if you consider what John is portraying here.
Jesus (Logos/The Word) was with God at the beginning of Creation.
Jesus is one with God.
Jesus entered into darkness (the world of sin) to shine light on how He created us and this world.
Jesus entered darkness (death) and defeated it with the light within Him to give us eternal life that we couldn’t gain for ourselves.
What is the Light of Jesus?
Jesus manifested in our world to walk life with us just as light does day in and day out like the sun and moon, but it was so much more brilliant than just light for the people who physically walked with Jesus in the first century. Because Jesus is God and is light, the power of His illumination reaches all of us today through truth and knowledge.
Jesus came to expose moral and spiritual truths to all, and through His life, we now know the light offered to us that carries us through the darkness of life and into eternal light with Him.
This is a gorgeous idea in concept, but there are two ways to look at this:
Jesus’ light is far superior than our finite minds can comprehend, so we trust that His way is higher, and the light we have now is the path toward a future of no more darkness. While we still face darkness here on Earth, we know we have the light with us, but one day we will have no more darkness.
Why didn’t Jesus conquer all darkness on earth if He is light and has the power to do so?
When I see the character of God revealed, manifested, and illuminated throughout all of Scripture, I see one truth rise above the rest. God deeply desires to partner with humanity in all things. God is above all and far more powerful than we can even understand, but He consistently invites humanity to be a part of His redemption story.
These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
We will face darkness in this world, but God is partnering with us through the sacrifice of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit to illumine truth and light even in that darkness. It’s a revelation of the promise of Jesus fulfilled in our lives today but also only a taste of what eternity with God will be like in the future when that darkness is completely swept away because we know (because of the light of Jesus) that God is victorious in the end.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
—In the past, Jesus came as a baby, the light of the world. He defeated the darkness of death’s eternal grip.
—Presently through the Holy Spirit, we receive guidance through and out of dark seasons.
—In our future, we look forward to the promise of an eternity of light where darkness will end and God has the final say.
As mentioned, I will be releasing an audio version each week with these word studies throughout the summer. Hope you enjoy!
Strong’s G5457 | Blue Letter Bible
Love this!! So rich and such a reminder of who God is.