"In Him was life, and the life was
the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the
darkness
apprehended it not." John 1: 4, 5 (RV).
The marginal rendering, "overcame," gives us the exact
meaning of the
text, and conveys a message of great comfort
to the believer. Let us see what it is.
Christ is the light of the world. See John
8:12. But His light is His life, as the text quoted states. He
says, "I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
The whole
world was in the darkness of sin. This darkness
was due to lack of knowledge of God; as the apostle Paul says
that the Gentiles are "darkened in their
understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance
that is in them because of the hardening of
their heart." Eph. 4:18.
Satan, the ruler of the darkness of this
world, had done his utmost to deceive men as to the true character
of God.
He had made the world believe that God was
like men--cruel, vindictive, and passionate. Even the Jews, the
people whom God had chosen to be the bearers
of His light to the world, had departed from God, and while
professedly separate from the heathen, were
enveloped in heathen darkness. Then Christ came, and "The
people
which sat in darkness saw a great light, and
to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did
light spring up." Matt. 4:16. His name
was Emanuel, God with us. "God was in Christ." God refuted
the falsehoods
of Satan, not by loud arguments, but simply
by living His life among men, so that all might see it. He
demonstrated the power of the life of God,
and the possibility of its being manifested in men.
The life which Christ lived was untainted
by sin. Satan exerted all his powerful arts, yet he could not
affect that
spotless life. Its light always shone with
unwavering brilliancy. Because Satan could not produce the least
shadow of sin in the life, he could not bring
it within his power, that of the grave. No one could take Christ's
life
from Him; He voluntarily laid it down. And
for the same reason, when He had laid it down, Satan could not
prevent Him from taking it up again. Said He:
"I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh
it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it
own, and I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received of My Father."
John 10:17, 18. To the same intent are the words of the apostle
Peter concerning Christ:--
"Whom God hath raised up having loosed
the pains of death; because it was not possible that He should
be
holden of it." Acts 2:24. Thus was demonstrated
the right of the Lord Jesus Christ to be made a high priest "after
the power of an endless life." Heb. 7:16.
This endless, spotless life Christ gives
to all who believe on Him. "As Thou hast given Him power
over all flesh,
that He should give eternal life to as many
as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might
know
Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom Thou hast sent." John 17:2, 3. Christ dwells in the
hearts of all
those who believe on Him. "I am crucified
with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself
for me."
Gal. 2:20. See also Eph. 3:16, 17.
Christ, the light of the world, dwelling
in the hearts of His followers, constitutes them the light of
the world. Their
light comes not from themselves, but comes
from Christ, who dwells in them. Their life is not from themselves,
but
it is the life of Christ manifest in their
mortal flesh. See 2 Cor. 4:11. This is what it is to live "a
Christian life."This living light comes from God in a never-failing
stream. The psalmist exclaims: "For with Thee is the fountain
of
life; in Thy light shall we see light."
Ps. 36:9. "And he showed me a pure river of water of life,
clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of
the Lamb." Rev. 22:1. "And the Spirit and the Bride
say, Come. And
let him that heareth say, Come. And let him
that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely." Rev. 22:17.
"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and
drink His
blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth
My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will
raise
him up at the last day." John 4:53, 54.
This life of Christ we eat and drink by feasting upon His Word,
for He
added, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth;
the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you,
they are
Spirit, and they are life." Verse 63.
Christ dwells in His inspired Word, and through it we get His
life. This life is
given freely to all who will receive it, as
we read above; and again we read that Jesus stood and cried, saying,
"If
any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink."
John 7:37.
This life is the Christian's light, and
it is that which makes him a light to others. It is his life;
and the blessed
comfort to him is that no matter how great
the darkness through which he has to pass, no darkness has power
to
put out that light. That light of life is his
as long as he exercises faith, and the darkness cannot affect
it. Let all,
therefore, who profess the name of the Lord,
have the confidence that can say,"Rejoice not against me,
O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness,
the Lord shall be a light unto me." Micah 7:8.
