The Light of Men
From Pastor Shemalya
“In Him was life; and the Life was the Light of men.” John 1:4
This passage is lifted out of a very profound cluster of verses. John chapter one introduces the Word to us. It tells us a lot about Him: He was in the beginning, with God, and was God; NOTHING was made without Him and EVERYTHING was made by Him. (John 1:1-3)
Side note: The fact that He made EVERYTHING helps us to understand that we can see traces of Him in ALL of creation: “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” Romans 1:20. No one has a truly valid reason not to believe.
The Word showed up in His own creation, which was marred by sin (made dark at the helm of satanic powers), to bring light to the world, as He did at the beginning of creation when the earth was without form, empty, and dark (Genesis 1:1-3)–He began to speak and things changed. Expressly, in the end of the world, He came into death to bring us life as He declared with His own mouth, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10.
How in the world did He bring life? There are MANY ways to answer this question, but many of those ways are only the fruit of one profound truth. This truth can be discovered with a simple first step question: Where is life found? The answer to this question is found in our opening passage, “In Him […].” That's a great start! Our focus, then, is on the Word. Huddle close as we look deeper into this.
You will see the plan to give life hidden in the words of comfort spoken when He was preparing His disciples for His departure: He told them that He would not leave them comfortless (Strong-Lite G3737: orphaned, bereft of a teacher). All the while, when He was present, they were tasting life (and THAT being for the very first time), and that life dwelling within the Word (Jesus) brought them comfort–gave them security, guidance, and confidence as a parent would. But, soon and very soon, life would leave them in darkness (death) and confusion again. How frightening it must have been to think that the comfort and safety they felt would soon be taken away! He told them something that, upon studying this, I will never forget: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” John 14:16-17. Jesus was going to ask the Father to give them another One who would bring comfort (i.e life), but this time to stay forever. Not only would there be comfort (life) with them, but it would be inside them. Hmmmmm…. sounds AMAZING!! NOTE: Life Is given as an example of comfort in this writing, not that comfort means life, but that the life in the Word (Jesus) brought comfort.
He (the Word/Jesus) affirms them AGAIN and AGAIN: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you” John 14:18-20. He promises that they would see Him again: He would come back (not in a body, but in the form of the Holy Ghost–Spirit of Truth as stated in John 14:17) in a way that would no longer be seen by the world. But they (the disciples) who knew Him, because they had been dwelling and conversing with Him all along in the person of Jesus, would “see” Him again. The DAY that this promise would come to pass, a miraculous change would occur; they would be placed IN LIFE and would know EXACTLY what He was talking about. NOTE: This actually came to pass (as prophesied by the prophet Joel, by John the Baptist, and by Jesus) on the day of Pentecost–this is the DAY that marked the restoration of life and comfort (Acts 1:1-9; Acts 2:1-12, 14-17). They were baptized into life AND life was placed inside them. Lives today are still being restored this way–unto ALL who will believe.
I want to leave you with something to embrace. Notice that our opening verse tells us that the life that was IN HIM was the LIGHT OF MEN? This life provided light to those who were in darkness. Jesus, who is the Word, declared this of Himself: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life” John 8:12. NOW, you and I can better understand the command: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid…Let your light so shine before men…(Matthew 5:14-16).” The Word is Life, and Life is Light. Because Jesus (the Word) abides within us, we're able to shine.
Our Lord came as the Word made flesh to bring us life. Because He is showing up after the resurrection to abide forever, we have life MORE ABUNDANTLY.
The LIFE is the light of men…
