John 1:4-5 4In him was life, and that life was the light of humanity. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Another quality of Jesus as the Word from God is that he is the source of life. Verse 4 echoes verse 3 but extends the idea of creation. There is some question about the verse division and the Greek sentence. “That which came into existence” (ho gegonen) could go with either verse 3, as many English translations take it, or it could go with verse 4, as the Greek New Testament interprets it. That which exists came into this being through the Word, who was life itself.
Life (zōē) can be interpreted in several ways. First, there is the obvious existence of all things, as described in verse 3. In the larger context of John’s Gospel, life takes on a deeper and more profound meaning. Life has an eternal quality. There is more to our existence than the 70-90 years most people physically live. God offers a new creation through Jesus, the living Word. This new birth begins in this physical lifetime but continues for eternity. Jesus is Life (14:6) and grants life to all who put their faith in him. The theme of life will be significant throughout this Gospel.
Another description of the Word comes next with the metaphor of light. Light and its counterpart of darkness are further images that provide insight into major themes of this book. Life and light are images in many religions. For John, these images are personal and experiential. The first thing God created was light (Genesis 1:3). Light gives life to all that exists on earth. Without light and how it is produced by the sun and other stars, the universe would be a black void. John is not specific here about what type of light he means. In a way, it does not matter because Jesus as the Son of God brings physical light into existence as the creative Word. But on the whole, John seems more interested in his Gospel on the light of salvation, as verse 5 implies.
The metaphor of darkness illustrates the human problem that the Son came to overcome. Light and darkness are not two equal forces. Light always outpowers darkness. It only takes a small amount of light to be visible in the darkness. The word often translated as overcome (katelaben) has a wide variety of meanings, which makes interpretation a bit challenging. The basic meaning is “to seize,” with the extension of overcoming. It can have a metaphoric meaning of seizing one’s mind in the sense of surprise or understanding. Both ideas fit this verse, but since John is describing the awesomeness of the Word, the first sense is more likely.
There is no such thing as a “dark light” that overcomes the light. This metaphor powerfully illustrates an essential spiritual truth. John uses darkness in his writings to illustrate the human problem of sin and evil (3:19; 8:12; 12:35, 46; 1 Jn. 1:5, 6; 2:8, 9, 11). People live in darkness and do not realize their spiritual blindness. When the light exposes the darkness, the forces of evil fight back because they are losing one of their victims. Jesus as the Light of the world (8:12) brings the revelation of new life. The Light shines in the darkness of the world and offers an escape from the fear, doubt, pain, and sorrow that troubles people. He brings healing to the spiritual blindness of ignorance, deceit, and rebellion.
For older posts, click here.