“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.