Week 42 John 1
A couple of days ago I was thinking about the person John called The Word. John said that in him was life. It didn’t make any sense to me to think that in The Word was life meant that “The Word was alive”. It more likely meant something like “The Word Embodied Life”. Or “The Word was the Origin and Source of Life”. A different version said: life itself was in him. Which I think sounds about right.
So anyway when John said that life itself was in him (i.e. in The Word) he added and this life gives light to everyone. When I read that it sounded like the light flooded everything and everyone. John the Baptist said that the true light gives light to everyone. It sounded like the light illuminated everyone…like flipping a switch.
But John says not quite: although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came.
The Word’s light was available everywhere to everyone. But it was a bit like ultra-violet light – definitely there on the spectrum but not always easily detectable.
John’s gospel seems interested in that question: the light is shining…but who’s seeing it? Some of the characters do: Nicodemus. The Samaritan Woman. The Nobleman. The Blind Man. Eleven Disciples.
But about the others John says: the light from heaven came into the world, but they loved darkness more than the light.
Note: quotes from John 1:4 9 10 3:19 (NLT)