John 1:4-5 Lest
we miss the point, the Word of God has life in Himself. This comes up again in
John 5:26, and is the basis for Jesus' promise that He gives eternal life.
(John 5:24, 6:27, 6:47-54). Life here is the Greek zoe (the animated
vitality of life), not biological life or that by which life is sustained (bios),
not mere existence, or the ability to
grow, reproduce, act, and change. (see John 17:3)
The
Word has eternal spiritual life and shares it with His children. This life
enlightens every man. We see a small picture of this in the mount of
transfiguration in which Jesus physically glowed before His disciples. (Matthew
17:1-9; Mark 9:1-9, Luke 9:28-36) This
light shows each individual what is the essence of life.
The
fact of darkness is that it is simply the absence of light. Darkness cannot
overcome or even comprehend light. The Greek word katalambano variously translated as apprehended,
overcome, or comprehended, has multiple meanings: to seize; to possess; to
grasp. In the physical realm, this is straightforward. Light simply eliminates
darkness by its presence. In the spiritual realm, the forces of darkness appear
to have some ability to fight against the entrance of light. But we have it
here on good authority that darkness cannot overcome the Light. In fact, the
forces of darkness do not even comprehend the light. The ability of light to
bring life to men is simply beyond comprehension the forces of darkness.
Two
familiar Jewish metaphors are not alluded to. Psalm 119:105 compares the light
of God’s word to a lamp to the path – picture walking at night and using a flashlight
to be able to see where you are about to step. Psalm 119:130 points to the
light of God’s words as giving understanding. John’s understanding is that the
light of the incarnate Word is life in and of itself.
John 1:6-8 John
the apostle introduces the ministry and role of John the Baptist. He was sent
by God for one purpose and that was to bear witness to the light. At the time
John wrote his gospel record, perhaps 40-60 years after the events, it seems
unlikely that anyone would have mistaken John the Baptist for the light of the
world, but for the record, John the apostle states the obvious. The role of
John the Baptist is further explained by Jesus Himself is that he was the
prophet Elijah as foretold by Malachi (Matt 17:10-13). Malachi had stated that
the role of Elijah would be to restore the hearts of fathers to their children
and the hearts of children to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). Bearing witness to
the light included the baptism of repentance that John the Baptist offered to
those who came to him. This included some disciples of John, who later followed
Jesus. (See below)
John 1:9-10
John recapitulates that the Word enlightens every man. See discussion of verse
3 above. No one, regardless of where or when they live or lived or what they
are exposed to, is without the light that the Word brings. But the key
statement introduced here, is that although the Word created the world,
personally and in detail, the world did not know Him. The creation myths of
innumerable pagan religions are perhaps a better reach towards the truth of
where everything came from than the ignorance masquerading as science that the
modern world embraces. But none of them recognize the Truth as revealed in
Christ, that He is very God and it was by His action that the universe came
into being.
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