Post by M.R. Hagerty on Jan 31, 2023 12:34:27 GMT -7
John Chapter 1 continued
2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John reveals to us that the Son was in the beginning and the very Actor who we see creating in Genesis chapter 1. The mention of all things being made through Him is to exclude the idea that certain things might have come about independent of God.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
That life was in Him means more than biological life. It means fullness of life as intended by the Creator. This was lost at the Fall and Jesus proclaimed that the purpose of His coming was to renew what was lost,
”. . that you may have life and that abundantly.” This is indicated by the qualifier, “and the life was the Light of men.”
The relationship of light to life is to highlight an awakening, a distinction from darkness that draws men out into it and toward righteousness. So in this one verse we see telescoped the ideas of the creation of man in innocence, his fall into darkness, the shining of light in that darkness, and the renewal of life by receiving the Light that has always been in Christ first as Creator, then as Savior.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
While John the Baptist is chronologically out of place here, his message about Jesus and the Light must accompany what John the Apostle is saying here because these words will not make sense at the point where the Baptist’s ministry is described.
“sent from God” is an important phrase because we are given immediate knowledge that John was a messenger commissioned by the Almighty to both reveal and exhort. He is mentioned here in the discussion about beginnings because he adds to the discussion about Light.
In John’s Gospel, light is an important theme. It is a useful picture of the state of affairs. Man and his world are in darkness, plagued by man’s evil and its consequences. There is an expectation among men for some light from God to shine in that darkness, some glimmer to give one hope that God still exists and has not left man destitute. The Baptist came to bear witness to the light that John the Apostle is now also proclaiming.
2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John reveals to us that the Son was in the beginning and the very Actor who we see creating in Genesis chapter 1. The mention of all things being made through Him is to exclude the idea that certain things might have come about independent of God.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
That life was in Him means more than biological life. It means fullness of life as intended by the Creator. This was lost at the Fall and Jesus proclaimed that the purpose of His coming was to renew what was lost,
”. . that you may have life and that abundantly.” This is indicated by the qualifier, “and the life was the Light of men.”
The relationship of light to life is to highlight an awakening, a distinction from darkness that draws men out into it and toward righteousness. So in this one verse we see telescoped the ideas of the creation of man in innocence, his fall into darkness, the shining of light in that darkness, and the renewal of life by receiving the Light that has always been in Christ first as Creator, then as Savior.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
While John the Baptist is chronologically out of place here, his message about Jesus and the Light must accompany what John the Apostle is saying here because these words will not make sense at the point where the Baptist’s ministry is described.
“sent from God” is an important phrase because we are given immediate knowledge that John was a messenger commissioned by the Almighty to both reveal and exhort. He is mentioned here in the discussion about beginnings because he adds to the discussion about Light.
In John’s Gospel, light is an important theme. It is a useful picture of the state of affairs. Man and his world are in darkness, plagued by man’s evil and its consequences. There is an expectation among men for some light from God to shine in that darkness, some glimmer to give one hope that God still exists and has not left man destitute. The Baptist came to bear witness to the light that John the Apostle is now also proclaiming.