“4 In Him was life, and the life was the
light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:4-5
John moves
now from creation in general (John 1:3) to the most significant element of
creation – people. “In Him was life, and the life was the light
of men” (John 1:4). Christ created you and me so that we could enjoy a personal
relationship with Him. The word “life” in the Gospel of John can refer to physical life (1:3) and
spiritual life (1:12). Most often it refers to eternal life in the gospel of John
(3:15-16,36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 39; 6:27, 40, 47, 54, 58, 68; 10:28; 12:25, 50;
17:2-3). Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and His Son,
Jesus Christ personally in a forever relationship (17:3). Jesus was God’s way
of meeting us where we were to take us where we could never go.
Before we come to know Jesus Christ, we are merely existing. We get up, eat breakfast,
go to work, come home from work, eat supper, watch TV, and go to bed. Then we
repeat the same cycle the next day. That is merely existing. We don’t start
living until we enter a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by believing
or trusting in Him alone for eternal life.
When the
Bible says, “the life was the light of men” (1:4), it is referring to
the hope (light) that Christ’s message of eternal (life) brings to people in
darkness. Also, when we enter a relationship with God (life), we become aware
of God’s holiness and righteousness (light). Life is the foundation for growth
in the light (cf. I John 1:5-10).
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
did not comprehend it” (John 1:5). John contrasts the light of God with
the darkness of sinful humanity. The word “comprehend” can also mean to “overtake.”The darkness of this world cannot
overcome or extinguish the light of Jesus Christ. The contrast between light
and darkness represents spiritual conflict. The light of Christ will overcome
the darkness of sinful people.
Remember, John
is writing this gospel after the resurrection of Jesus. He knows that Jesus
Christ could not be overcome by the spiritual darkness of this world. He is the
winner. The light shines (continual) in the darkness, and the darkness cannot
overcome it. A single light penetrates fifty miles of darkness. Darkness cannot
overcome light.
Why should I believe on Jesus? Because He is the eternal God (John
1:1), the Creator God (John 1:3), and the
only source of eternal life (John 1:4-5). Because He is the only source
of eternal life. He gives forgiveness instead of fear… grace instead of guilt… cleansing
instead of condemnation… mercy instead of misery… life instead of death… hope
instead of despair.
One thing we
will be constantly reminded of in John’s gospel: the message of Jesus
demands a response: a response of belief or unbelief. Ninety-nine times in
the Greek Majority Text John uses the word “believe.” The biblical meaning of the word “believe” conveys
absolute certainty.
Will I believe or trust in Christ alone to get me to heaven or will I reject Him and
spend eternity separated from God? To reject Christ is to turn from God
Himself, the Creator of the world. To deny Christ is to continue in spiritual
darkness and death forever. Only Jesus offers everlasting hope. Do you have a
personal relationship with the Creator God… the only One who guarantees eternal
life to those who believe in Him (John 11:25-26)? If not, why not begin a
never-ending relationship with Him today.
Simply take
Christ at His Word when He says, “I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall
live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).
Jesus is not asking you to go to church or to clean up your life because He
never said whoever goes to church or cleans up his life shall never die. He is
not asking you if you pray or meditate every day because He never said whoever
prays or meditates every day shall never die. Jesus is asking you, “Do you
believe in Him?” because He said “whoever… believes in Me shall never
die.” If your answer is “Yes,” Jesus guarantees you a future
resurrection of your physical body which will never be subject to disease or
death. And He also guarantees you life that never ends.
The word “believe”
means to trust or depend upon. Just as you trust in a chair through no effort
of your own to hold you up off the floor, so Jesus now invites you to trust in
Him alone through no effort of your own, to save you from an eternity separated
from God and to give you everlasting life. Will you believe or trust in
Jesus Christ alone as your only way to heaven? If so, you can tell God this
through prayer. But remember, praying a prayer is not what gets you to heaven.
Only believing in Jesus gets us to heaven. This prayer is a way of telling God
you are now believing or trusting in His Son alone. You can say this to God:
Prayer: “Dear Jesus, I come to you now as a
sinner. I cannot save myself. Nothing I am or do makes me deserving of heaven.
I believe You died for me on the cross and rose from the dead. I believe You
alone are the Resurrection and the Life. I am now trusting in You Jesus (not my
good life, my prayers, or my religion) to save me from hell forever and give me
everlasting life. Thank You for the salvation from hell and everlasting life
that I now have. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
When you believed in Jesus, the Bible
says you can “know” that you have eternal life. “These things I
have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:13). The Bible does
not say you may “think” or “hope” that you have eternal life. It
says you can “know” with absolute certainty that eternal life is yours.
