“The Word” is Jesus Christ, who created the entire universe and existed from eternity, yet came to this earth in human flesh in order to save us.

 

“The Word” is Jesus Christ, who created the entire universe and existed from eternity, yet came to this earth in human flesh in order to save us.

 

 

 

 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1–5).

 

 

(1)   As I meditated on today’s passage, John 1:1–5, the first thing I wanted to understand more specifically was who the “Word” [ὁ λόγος (ho logos)], spoken of by the Apostle John, the author of the Gospel of John, is.

 

(a)    Here, the “Word” [ὁ λόγος (ho logos)] proclaimed by the Apostle John refers to Jesus Christ Himself. John uses the word Logos—a term found in Greek philosophical thought while also carrying the background of the Old Testament tradition—almost as a proper name, making a powerful declaration from the very beginning of his Gospel concerning who Jesus is.  The specific meaning and biblical background of this “Word (Logos)” can be explained in three ways:

 

1.      God the Creator, Who Has Existed from Eternity

 

Equality with God: John 1:1 declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The “Word” existed before the creation of the universe, even before the beginning of time. He enjoyed a personal relationship with God the Father (“was with God”), and He is Himself God in His very essence.

 

Creator of all things: As verse 3 says, all things were made through Him. This Word is not a created being but the One through whom everything in the world was brought into existence.

 

2.      A Declaration That Transcends the Boundaries of Old Testament Tradition and Greek Philosophy

 

Old Testament background: For the Jews, God’s “word” (Hebrew: dabar) was not merely a sound. It represented God’s active power and revelation by which He created the world (Genesis 1) and sovereignly worked throughout history.

 

Greek philosophical background: In the Greek cultural world of that time, logos referred to reason, the order of the universe, and the fundamental principle governing all things.

 

John’s intention: The Apostle John took this word, which was familiar to both Jews and Greeks, and declared, in effect, “The fundamental reality of the universe that you have been seeking, and the creative power through which God spoke in the Old Testament, is not merely an abstract principle but a Person.”

 

3.      The One Who Is the Source of Life and Light

 

John 1:4–5 says, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of mankind.”

 

This Word (Logos) is the One who gives true life and the knowledge of God—the light—to humanity living under spiritual darkness and death.

 

In conclusion, the “Word,” ho logos, spoken of by the Apostle John refers to Jesus Christ, who created the entire universe and existed from eternity, yet came to this earth in human flesh in order to save us (Jn. 1:14, the Incarnation).

(2)   Second, I became curious about the relationship between the Apostle John’s reference to Jesus Christ as the “Word” [ὁ λόγος (ho logos)] in today’s passage, John 1:1–5, and the seven “I am” [Ἐγώ εἰμι (Egō eimi)] declarations that Jesus makes throughout the Gospel of John:

 

“I am the bread of life” (6:35)

“I am the light of the world” (8:12)

“I am the gate for the sheep” (10:7)

“I am the good shepherd” (10:11)

“I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25)

“I am the way and the truth and the life” (14:6)

“I am the true vine” (15:1)

 

(a)   The vast and profound divine mystery contained in the “Word (Logos)” of John 1:1–5 becomes concrete and personally relevant to our lives through Jesus’ “I am” (Egō eimi) declarations.  In other words, these declarations reveal how the divine reality proclaimed in the opening verses of John becomes manifest in the incarnate Christ and is experienced by us as saving grace.  The relationship between these two concepts can be summarized in three dimensions:

 

1.      The Fulfillment of God’s Self-Revelation (The Manifestation of the “I AM” of Exodus)

 

Sharing the divine name: In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM” [Exodus 3:14; in the Greek Septuagint, the expression ἐγώ εἰμι (Egō eimi), “I am,” appears within God’s self-revelation].

 

The connection: Having declared in John 1:1 that the Word is God, the Apostle John records Jesus repeatedly saying “Egō eimi” (“I am”), thereby connecting Jesus’ identity with the divine self-revelation of the Old Testament. In other words, the seven declarations reveal in concrete terms who the divine Word is and what He means for us.

 

2.      The Concrete Expression of the Key Themes of John 1:1–5: “Life” and “Light”

 

The declaration in John 1:4—"In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind"—becomes embodied in concrete history and the reality of human life through Jesus’s "Ego Eimi" ("I am...") proclamations. [Definition of embodiment: A spiritual or divine being taking on a tangible physical body of human flesh and blood.]

 

The concrete expression of “life”: The “life” that was in the Word in John 1 is revealed through the seven declarations as the life that sustains us, raises us, and keeps us united with Christ.

 

“I am the bread of life” (6:35) → He sustains life.

“I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25)

→ He gives life that conquers death.

“I am the way and the truth and the life” (14:6)
→ He is the life through whom we come to God.

“I am the true vine” (15:1)
→ Those who abide in Him continually receive life from Him.

 

The concrete expression of “light”: The “light” that shines in the darkness in John 1 is explicitly identified with Jesus Himself:

 

“I am the light of the world” (8:12)
→ He is the light who guides those who are spiritually blind.

 

3.      The “Word of Creation” Is Connected to the “Work of New Creation”

 

The Word through whom all things were made: John 1:3 presents the Word as the One through whom all things came into existence.

 

The Word who restores broken lives: Jesus’ “I am” declarations reveal the saving work by which spiritually dead and broken humanity is restored and given new life.

 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (10:11) and the Gate for the sheep (10:7) who protects and gives them access to salvation. Through these declarations, the Creator reveals how He cares for His creatures and brings about His work of salvation and new creation.

 

Summary:

If the “Word (ho logos)” in John 1 explains who Jesus is—His identity and divine nature, the “I am” (Egō eimi) declarations throughout the Gospel show who He is for us and what He does for our salvation.  The majestic “Word” who existed in the beginning now comes near to us as the “bread” that satisfies our hunger, the “light” that dispels our darkness, the “resurrection” that conquers our death, the “good shepherd” who lays down His life for us, and the “true vine” from whom we receive life.

 

(i)               At this point, I especially wanted to understand more specifically how the “life” and “light” spoken of in John 1:4–5 are related to two of Jesus’ seven “I am” declarations: “I am the bread of life” (6:35) and “I am the light of the world” (8:12).

 

·        The “life” and “light” of John 1:4–5 proclaim the essential divine nature of the “Word (Logos)” who existed in the beginning, while the “bread of life” (6:35) and the “light of the world” (8:12) declarations reveal how that divine reality enters concretely into human history and life.  The great spiritual themes introduced by the Apostle John at the beginning of his Gospel are made concrete through Jesus’ own declarations. Their relationship can be explained in two ways:

 

a.      The “Life” of John 1:4 → “I Am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35)

(1:4) “In Him was life…”

(6:35) “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry…’”

 

From the source of life to the bread that sustains us: The “life” in John 1:4 (Greek: ζωή, zōē) refers to life whose source is in Christ, the One through whom all things were made and who gives spiritual life.  This vast reality of life is presented in John 6 through the familiar and concrete image of bread, the basic food that people must eat in order to live.

 

The gift of eternal life that surpasses the limitations of manna: The background of John 6 includes the miracle of the five loaves and two fish and the manna in the wilderness.  Physical bread—including the manna eaten in the wilderness—could satisfy physical hunger only temporarily, and those who ate it eventually died.  But those who believe in and receive Jesus, who is Himself the true source of life, receive eternal life.  He is the true bread from heaven who satisfies the deepest hunger of the human soul.

 

The central connection: The life that was in the Word from the beginning becomes life that human beings can actually receive and enjoy through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself becomes the bread of life for us, ultimately giving Himself for our salvation.

 

b.     The “Light” of John 1:4–5 → “I Am the Light of the World” (John 8:12)

 

(1:4–5) “That life was the light of mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

(8:12) “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness…’”

 

From the cosmic light of creation to the saving light revealed in history: The light in John 1 shines into a created world filled with spiritual ignorance, sin, and darkness. In John 8, Jesus identifies this light explicitly with Himself, declaring, “I am the light of the world.”

 

The connection with the Feast of Tabernacles: Jesus’ declaration, “I am the light of the world,” occurs in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles. Against the festival’s imagery of light, associated with God’s guidance of Israel in the wilderness, Jesus reveals Himself as the true light who dispels the deeper darkness of sin, spiritual blindness, and death and leads those who follow Him in the way of life.

The central connection: John 1:5 declares that the darkness did not overcome the light. John 8:12 makes this truth personal and practical: whoever follows Jesus will “never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  The light proclaimed at the beginning of the Gospel is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, and those who follow Him no longer have to remain under the dominion of darkness.

 

Summary at a Glance

 

The “life” and “light” of John 1:4–5 proclaim the divine reality present in the Word from the beginning. Jesus’ declarations, “I am the bread of life” (6:35) and “I am the light of the world” (8:12), reveal how this life and light come personally to spiritually hungry people wandering in the darkness of sin.

 

The One in whom life has always existed becomes the bread that gives us eternal life, and the One whose life is the light of mankind becomes the light who leads us out of darkness and enables us to walk in the light of life.

 

(3)   Third, I became curious about the relationship between the “Word” who was present “in the beginning” [ἀρχῇ (archē)], as the Apostle John says in John 1:1, and the words of Revelation 21:6, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last” [Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ, ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος (Egō eimi to Alpha kai to Ō, ho prōtos kai ho eschatos)].

 

(a)   The “beginning” [ἀρχῇ (archē)] in John 1:1 and the “Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last” in Revelation 21:6 are closely connected in that both proclaim the eternal divine sovereignty of God over the beginning and the end of all time and history.  When these passages are read together within the Johannine writings, they form a grand theological movement from creation to new creation, from the beginning of history to its final consummation.  Their specific relationship can be summarized in three ways:

 

1.      The One Who Was Present at the “Beginning” Brings History to Its “Completion”

 

John 1:1 — Archē, the beginning: Here, “the beginning” (archē) points us back beyond the creation of the material universe to the One who already existed when creation began.  The Word did not come into existence when time began; He was already there.

 

Revelation 21:6 — Alpha and Omega, beginning and completion: Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last.  The declaration “Alpha and Omega” expresses God’s sovereignty over the whole course of history, from its beginning to its consummation.  Revelation 21 places this declaration in the setting of the new heaven and the new earth, where God brings His redemptive purposes to completion.

 

The connection: The One who was there at the beginning is also the One who brings history to its appointed end.  The Word through whom all things were created in John 1 is connected with the glorious scene in Revelation 21 in which God declares, “I am making everything new” (Rev. 21:5).

 

2.      The Connection with the LORD God’s Self-Revelation in the Old Testament

 

The declaration in Revelation is deeply rooted in the way the LORD reveals Himself in the Old Testament. Isaiah 44:6 says: “I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no God..

 

The Apostle John declares in John 1:1 that the Word was with God and that “the Word was God.” Revelation likewise uses the divine language of the “Alpha and Omega” and the “First and Last” to express God’s eternal sovereignty.

 

The connection: The “Word” who was present in the beginning belongs within this divine identity and eternal sovereignty.  The God who stands before the beginning and beyond the end is the Lord of all history, and the Johannine writings present Jesus Christ as sharing in this divine glory and rule.

 

3.      The “Word of Creation” Leads to the “New Creation” of Redemption

 

In John 1:3, the Word is the One through whom all things were made: “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

Revelation 21, meanwhile, presents the new heaven and the new earth and contains the declaration: “It is done” (Rev. 21:6).  What began with creation reaches its final fulfillment in new creation. The history broken by sin is brought to its appointed consummation as God makes all things new.

 

The connection: The Lord who was present at the beginning and through whom life came into the created world is also the Lord who, at the consummation, declares: “To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Rev. 21:6).  Thus, the theme of life that appears at the beginning of John’s Gospel—“In Him was life” (John 1:4)—finds a striking counterpart in Revelation’s final vision of the water of life freely given in God’s new creation.

 

One-Sentence Summary

If the “beginning (archē)” of John 1 directs our eyes to the eternal Word who already existed when creation began, the “Alpha and Omega” of Revelation 21 directs our eyes to the sovereign God who encompasses all of history and brings His work of redemption to its final fulfillment in the new heaven and the new earth.

 

(4)   Fourth, I became curious about the relationship between the “Word” spoken of by the Apostle John in today’s passage, John 1:1–5, and the statements in 1 John 1:2 and 5:20 that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is “eternal life.”

 

(a)   The “Word (ho logos)” in John 1:1–5 and the “eternal life” in 1 John 1:2 and 5:20 are closely connected expressions used by the Apostle John to describe the divine identity and saving work of Jesus Christ.  The mystery of the “Word” proclaimed at the beginning of the Gospel of John becomes more explicitly connected with “eternal life” in 1 John.  This relationship can be summarized in three ways:

 

1.      Essential Unity of Identity: The One Who Was with God

 

The Apostle John begins the Gospel of John and 1 John with remarkably similar language.

 

John 1:1–2 → “In the beginning was the Word … He was with God in the beginning.”

1 John 1:2 → “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it … the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”

 

The connection: The “Word” in the Gospel of John and the “eternal life” in 1 John both point to the Son who was with God the Father and was manifested to us.  John therefore presents Jesus Christ not merely as someone who gives eternal life, but as the One in whom eternal life is personally revealed.

 

2.      Sensory Experience and Manifestation through the Incarnation

 

The divine “Word” who created the universe in John 1 became someone whom the apostles could actually see, hear, and touch.

 

John 1:14 → “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory…”

 

1 John 1:1 → “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

 

The connection: As John 1:4 declares, “In Him was life.” That divine life was manifested historically and visibly in the person of Jesus Christ through the Incarnation.  John testifies that the One whom he and the other apostles actually heard, saw, and touched was the very One who was from the beginning—the Word of life and the One in whom eternal life was revealed.

 

3.      Knowing the True God and Receiving Eternal Life (1 Jn. 5:20)

 

Near the conclusion of 1 John, 5:20 shows how the revelatory work of the Son leads us to the knowledge of the true God:

 

John 1:4–5 → The life in the Word is the light of mankind, and that light shines in the darkness.

1 John 5:20 → “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true.  And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

 

The connection: Jesus, the Word, gives us light and understanding so that we may know the One who is true.  Eternal life, therefore, is inseparably connected with knowing the true God and abiding in His Son, Jesus Christ.  John’s testimony reaches its climax in the confession that Jesus Christ is intimately and inseparably related to the reality of “the true God and eternal life.”

 

One-Sentence Summary

If the “Word” in John 1 emphasizes the divine origin of the One who was with God in the beginning and through whom the universe was created, the “eternal life” of 1 John emphasizes that this divine Word was manifested within human history so that He could be seen, heard, and touched, bringing salvation and eternal life to us.

 

(i)               Here, I wanted to understand more specifically what is meant by the statement: “The essence of the Word is life, and the essence of life is the Word; the two mutually permeate one another.”

 

a.      What Does It Mean to Say That the Essence of the “Word” Is “Life”? (Word → Life)

 

God’s Word is not merely written letters on a page or a sound that disappears into the air. Rather, this expression emphasizes that God’s Word is living and life-giving.

 

Life-giving power: When God speaks, His Word accomplishes His purpose and brings forth life. In the beginning, when God said, “Let there be light,” light came into existence.

 

The power that gives spiritual life: Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (Jn. 6:63).  When Jesus called to the dead Lazarus, “Lazarus, come out!” His word was not merely an audible sound; His life-giving authority raised the dead man to life.

Meditational application: When we read and meditate on Scripture, we do not approach it merely as information or written letters.  Through the written Word, we encounter the living Christ to whom Scripture bears witness, and the Holy Spirit uses the Word to nourish and renew our spiritual lives.

 

b.     What Does It Mean to Say That the Essence of “Life” Is the “Word”? (Life → Word)

 

The eternal life spoken of in Scripture does not simply mean living biologically for an endless period of time. Eternal life is fundamentally relational: it consists in knowing the true God through Jesus Christ.

 

Personal communication and relationship: The “Word” (Logos) communicates and reveals God. Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, makes the Father known to us.  Therefore, the eternal life He gives cannot be separated from a living relationship and fellowship with God.

 

The definition of eternal life: Jesus says in John 17:3: “Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”  Here, “knowing” God means far more than possessing intellectual information about Him. It speaks of an intimate, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

 

Meditational application: A person may be physically alive and healthy, yet apart from God remain spiritually dead. Conversely, when we abide in Christ and His Word abides in us, we experience the life that comes from fellowship with Him.

 

c.      Conclusion: How “Word” and “Life” Are Inseparably Connected

 

The Word reveals and communicates life, and eternal life is found in a living relationship with God through the One who is the Word.

 

This helps us understand why the Apostle John brings these two realities together in the distinctive expression “the Word of life” in 1 John 1:1.  In Jesus Christ, the Word—the revelation of God—and life—the eternal life found in fellowship with God—cannot ultimately be separated. Jesus is the incarnate Word who reveals the Father, and He is also the One in whom eternal life is found.

 

(5)   Fifth, as I meditated on today’s passage, John 1:1–5, I thought that it was closely related to John 20:31, which states the purpose for which the entire Gospel of John was written: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (Jn. 20:31).  What is the relationship between these two passages?

 

(a)   John 1:1–5, which stands at the beginning of the Gospel, and John 20:31, which states the Gospel’s purpose near its conclusion, closely correspond to one another and frame the message of the Gospel of John.  The great theological truths proclaimed at the beginning ultimately lead to the purpose explicitly stated near the end: that the reader may believe in Jesus Christ and have life in His name.  The specific relationship between these two passages can be summarized in three ways:

 

1.      The Identity of the “Word” and the Object of Our Faith Are One and the Same (Who He Is)

 

John 1:1, 14 → John declares that the “Word,” who existed in the beginning and who is God, became flesh and dwelt among us.

 

John 20:31 → John states that the first purpose of writing this Gospel is “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”

 

The connection: The “Word” introduced in John 1 as the One through whom the universe was created and who came from the Father is the very Jesus whom the reader is called to believe in as the Christ, the Son of God.  In other words, the magnificent declaration of Christ’s divine identity at the beginning of the Gospel provides the foundation for the faith to which John calls his readers near the conclusion of the Gospel.

 

2.      The “Life” That Is in Christ Becomes the “Life” Given to Those Who Believe (What He Gives)

 

John 1:4 → John declares concerning the Word: “In Him was life.”  Here, life is presented as residing in the Word Himself.

 

John 20:31 → John explains the second purpose for which the Gospel was written: “That by believing you may have life in His name.”

 

The connection: The life that John declares to be in Jesus Christ in chapter 1 is the very life that those who believe in Him are called to receive and possess in chapter 20.  Therefore, there is a beautiful movement throughout the Gospel: “In Him was life” (1:4)
→ Believe in Him → “Have life in His name” (20:31).  The life that is in Christ becomes the life of the believer through faith in Christ.  This reveals one of the central purposes of the Gospel of John: the life that belongs to Christ is graciously given to those who believe in Him.

 

3.      The “Light” That Shines in the Darkness Leads Us into the Life Found in Jesus’ Name (How We Live)

 

John 1:5 → John declares: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  From the very beginning of the Gospel, Jesus is presented as the light that shines in the darkness, a light that the darkness cannot overcome.

 

John 20:31 → John says that those who believe receive life “in His name.”

 

The connection: The One who shines as light in the darkness in John 1 is the same Jesus in whose name believers receive life in John 20.  Throughout the Gospel, John shows how Jesus, the true Light, enters the darkness of this world—sin, unbelief, spiritual blindness, and death—and gives life to those who believe in Him.  Therefore, believers do not possess life because they have overcome darkness by their own strength. They possess life because they believe in Jesus Christ, the Light whom the darkness cannot overcome, and receive life in His name.

 

One-Sentence Summary

 

If John 1:1–5 proclaims the glorious identity of the “Word,” Jesus Christ, in whom are life and light, then John 20:31 reveals the purpose for which the entire Gospel was written: that those who read it may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and through that faith personally receive and enjoy the life that is in Him.  Thus, the beginning and the stated purpose of the Gospel are beautifully connected: “In Him was life” (Jn. 1:4) → “That you may believe” (20:31) → “That by believing you may have life in His name” (20:31).

 

(6)   Sixth and last,  as I meditated on today’s passage, I wanted to receive the lesson that John 1:5 teaches us: “καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν”
(kai to phōs en tē skotia phainei, kai hē skotia auto ou katelaben) “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

 

(a)    John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [overcome] it,” powerfully declares both the reality of the conflict between light and darkness and the ultimate triumph of the light.  When we examine the original Greek, we can draw three important spiritual lessons for our lives today.

 

1.      The Continuing Presence of the Light: The Lord Continues to Shine into the Darkness of My Life Even Now

 

The Greek word translated “shines” is φαίνει (phainei), which is in the present tense.  The light’s shining is therefore expressed not merely as something that happened once in the past, but as a present reality: the light shines in the darkness.

 

Lesson: There are times when deep darkness—suffering, illness, discouragement, and other trials—comes into my life and everything around me seems dark. Yet the spiritual reality is different. Jesus, the true Light, continues to shine.  Even in the darkness of our circumstances, His light has not ceased to shine.  The darkness may be deep, but the Light is still shining.  Therefore, when I cannot see the way ahead, I must remember that the darkness does not mean that Christ’s light has disappeared.  The Lord remains the true Light who shines in the darkness.

 

2.      The Powerlessness of Darkness: No Darkness in This World Can Ever Overcome Jesus Christ

The Korean Revised Version translates κατέλαβεν (katelaben) as “did not comprehend.”  The Greek verb καταλαμβάνω (katalambanō) can carry the sense of grasping, seizing, or taking hold of something, and in this context it has also been understood as “overcome.”  This explains why English translations render the verse in different ways, including “the darkness has not understood it” and “the darkness has not overcome it.”

 

Lesson: Darkness attempts to resist the light.  In the history of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the forces of darkness ultimately went so far as to crucify Him. Yet even the cross could not extinguish the Light. Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  Just as darkness in a room cannot extinguish the light simply by being dark, the darkness of sin and death cannot ultimately overcome Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ has already conquered.  Therefore, no matter how dark my circumstances may appear, I should not measure the power of Christ’s light by the depth of the darkness around me.  The decisive truth is that darkness cannot overcome the Light.

 

3.      The Need for Spiritual Discernment: I Must Guard Against Becoming So Accustomed to Darkness That I Reject the Light

 

The verb κατέλαβεν (katelaben) has also been understood in the sense of “comprehend” or “grasp.”  Read in this sense, the verse points to humanity’s tragic inability to recognize the true Light even when He comes into the world. This theme becomes explicit in John 1:10–11: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.”  John later develops the same theme in John 3:19: “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

 

Lesson: Even though I believe in Jesus, there may still be areas of my life that I would rather keep hidden in darkness—sin, anxiety, resentment, hatred, or other things that I do not want exposed.  Instead of hiding in the darkness, I must bring these things into the light of Christ.  I must allow His light to expose what needs to be exposed, cleanse what needs to be cleansed, and guide me in the way I should walk.

 

Applying Today’s Word to Myself

 

“Lord, today I will honestly expose the dark areas of my life to Your light.”

Driving out the darkness within: If there is darkness weighing upon my heart today—anxiety, worry, hatred, or discouragement—I should not struggle with it alone.  I should bring it before the Lord, who is the Light, and pray: “Jesus, shine Your light into this area of my life. The darkness cannot overcome You.”  Then I should entrust it to Him in prayer.

 

Walking as a child of light: Because darkness cannot overcome the Light, I should live today as one who reflects the light of Christ.  Through a warm word to someone I meet, an honest action, an act of love, or a gracious deed, I can become a channel through which the light of the Lord is reflected to others.  No matter how dark the world may appear, I want to live today reflecting the light of Jesus Christ, the true Light whom the darkness can never overcome.

 

(i)               Here, I was reminded of the contrast between “light” and “darkness” that the Apostle John makes in 1 John: “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:5–7).  And: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.  Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.  But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them” (2:9–11).  What is the relationship between these passages, and what lessons do they teach us?

 

·        The contrast between “light and darkness” proclaimed by the Apostle John in John 1:5 is closely connected with the concrete, everyday Christian life described in 1 John 1–2.  In the Gospel of John, the contrast between light and darkness primarily reveals who Jesus is and how His light confronts the darkness.  In 1 John, that same contrast is applied to how those who believe in Him should actually live.  In other words, the light that shines in the darkness in John 1 must be reflected in the believer’s daily walk, fellowship, and love.

 

a.      The Central Connection: The Light Revealed in Christ Is Expressed in Our “Fellowship” and “Love”

The character of God and the life of those who have fellowship with Him (1 Jn. 1:5–6): John 1 declares that the Word is God and that in Him is the light of mankind. First John 1:5 states the truth even more directly: “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.”  Therefore, if we truly have fellowship (koinōnia) with God, who is light, we cannot claim to belong to Him while deliberately continuing to walk in darkness—sin and falsehood.  John says: “If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth” (v. 6).  Thus, genuine fellowship with the God who is light must affect the direction in which we walk.

 

The evidence of light is “love for one another,” while the evidence of darkness is “hatred toward one another” (2:9–11): In John 1, darkness does not comprehend or overcome the light.  In 1 John, the Apostle applies the imagery of darkness very concretely to our relationships with one another.  He says: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness” (v. 9).  Conversely: “Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light” (v. 10).  John therefore brings the lofty theological truth of light and darkness down into one of the most practical areas of Christian life: how I treat my brother or sister.

 

b.     Three Lessons for Us

 

① Faith Is Not Merely an Idea; It Is a “Walk”

 

First John repeatedly uses expressions such as “walk in the light” and “walk in the darkness.”  This is very important.  I may say with my lips, “I believe in Jesus. I am in the light.” But if the actual direction of my life is toward darkness—falsehood, persistent sin, and hatred—my confession and my conduct contradict one another.  Christian faith is not merely intellectual agreement with certain truths. It is a life in which I actually walk in the light of the Lord.  Therefore, I must ask myself: Am I merely saying that I am in the light, or am I actually walking in the light?

 

② Love for My Brother or Sister Is Concrete Evidence That I Am Walking in the Light

 

We may be tempted to measure our spiritual condition primarily by spiritual knowledge, religious activity, or extraordinary experiences.  But John gives us an exceedingly practical test: How am I treating the brother or sister beside me?  If I remain consumed by hatred toward another person while claiming to walk in the light, John warns that I am still walking in darkness.  Hatred blinds us.  First John 2:11 says: “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.  They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”  This is a sobering warning.  Hatred not only damages my relationship with another person; it also blinds my own spiritual eyes.  By contrast, loving my brother or sister is concrete evidence that the light of Christ is being reflected through my life.  Therefore, one of the clearest places where I must examine whether I am walking in the light is my relationships with others.

 

③ When We Walk in the Light, “Cleansing” and “Fellowship” Take Place

 

We do not walk in the light because we are already perfect.  Rather, walking in the light means that instead of hiding our sins and weaknesses in darkness, we come honestly before God who is light.  First John 1:7 says: “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”  Two precious blessings are mentioned here.  First, we have fellowship with one another.  When we stop hiding behind falsehood and begin walking honestly before God, the walls between us and others can begin to come down, and genuine spiritual fellowship becomes possible.  Second, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.  Walking in the light does not mean claiming that I have no sin. Rather, it means bringing my sin into God’s light, confessing it honestly, and depending upon the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, the Christian life is not a life of pretending that there is no darkness within me.  It is a life of continually bringing that darkness before Jesus Christ, the true Light, so that I may receive His cleansing grace and continue walking in His light.

Final Application of Today’s Meditation

 

“If I have seen the true Light, the Word, I now want to reflect the light of His love through my life.”

 

Beginning with John 1:1–5 and continuing into the teaching of 1 John, the final practical application I want to hold on to is the practice of love.  Is there someone in my family, church, or community toward whom I still harbor hatred, resentment, or bitterness?

 

if so, I should not simply leave that darkness unattended.  I must bring my heart before the Lord who is light, confess and repent of the darkness within me, and ask Him to cleanse me through the blood of Jesus Christ.  And then, by His grace, I want to take one small step of love and forgiveness toward that person.  The light that shines in the darkness is not merely a theological truth for me to understand.  It is the light in which I am called to walk.  Therefore, because Jesus Christ, the true Light, has shone upon me, I want to walk in His light by loving my brothers and sisters today.