The Light Of The Word Series

“The Light of THE Word”

We’ve begun studying the prologue of the Gospel of John: The purpose of John, the Jewish evangelist, is to convince sinners of the true person of Jesus Christ. This Gospel is an evangelistic, salvation book. In John 20:31 John’s summary is: “That you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have salvation in His name.” He teaches that in order to have salvation, a sinner must believe in the true Christ.

We read from John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, (We find that “the Word” is Jesus and He was continuously, eternally existing- Jesus’ Eternality) and the Word was with God, (The Word was in continuous relationship with God- Jesus’ Person) and the Word was God. (Jesus WAS ALWAYS God- Jesus’ Deity.)

2 He was with God in the beginning. (This Person JESUS and no other always existed with God in the Person of the Son.)

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (Jesus is CREATOR God. We are part of the “Created” and He is the Creator.)

Last week we looked at the first part of verse 4: In Him was life, (Jesus eternally existed and He IS self-existent LIFE and He alone is able to share life, to create and distribute life.)

Today we continue: 4: “In Him was life, and that life was the Light of men.”

Jesus IS LIFE-GIVER and the LIGHT-BEARER

The LIFE, the Lord Jesus, is also THE LIGHT BEARER to men-He is the LIGHT to humankind. Last week we saw that the word LIFE (“zoe”) had a dual meaning: The PHYSICAL life of mankind came directly from God at Creation when “God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” We also saw that there is NO SPIRITUAL life apart from the Son of God: He breathes spiritual life into people who are DEAD in sin because HE IS eternal life. THIS LIFE-GIVER, the WORD of God, who is Jesus the SON, is also the LIGHT-BEARER to the human race: the Life is the same as the Light of men.

You can clearly see that the word “LIGHT” carries a dual meaning as well as the word “zoe” for life: We experience physical light as a result of Genesis 1:3 when God said (amar), "Let there be light’; and there was light.” Physical light is a great example of God’s general grace to mankind: everyone on the face of the earth experiences physical light as a result of God speaking it into existence, and what a glorious gift physical light is! Light brings illumination; we can SEE where we are going instead of stumbling around in the darkness. Light brings life and growth. Life thrives in the light.

Far more significant is the fact that Jesus shines in the SPIRITUAL darkness of this world as the very Light of the World. Jesus, as THE Light, is the revelation of the Life that is IN HIM. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world, whoever follows Me will not walk (dwell or live) in darkness,” —we’ll see that when we get to John 8. He is the life manifest, and the life manifest is called Light, He is the supreme metaphor of light against the darkness of the "fallenness" and sinfulness of the human race. The LIGHT is synonymous with the Truth and Godly Goodness. Jesus brought light to the dark chaos as Creator, and Jesus brings light to the darkness of sinful man as Redeemer Savior.

Later in John 12:46, Jesus says: "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” Light demonstrates illumination, knowledge, clarity, goodness and rightness. Light identifies with truth and The LIGHT is synonymous with the Truth, LIFE and Godly Goodness.

Back in Job 33: 28-30, Elihu came to Job with these words: 28 “He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, and my life shall see the light.’ Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.” Beautiful truth: God brings the light of life by redeeming sinners.

1 John 1:5 says: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” God is Light, the Light is the LOGOS, Jesus is the LOGOS/WORD, and He is nothing other than God, nothing less than God. He IS THE Light. (Jesus is not a created spirit-brother of Lucifer; He is not Adam or any other invention of man.) Anything other than the true light is darkness.