Mensa Otabil - In Him Was Life
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John verses 4 and 5: «In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.» It is very interesting as you read John chapter 1 that he starts talking about the Word, but pretty soon he personalizes the Word and gives the Word a personality, calling the Word «Him.»
John is not just talking about the Word as information or just as knowledge; he is talking about a personality that is embodied in what is called the Word. In Him was life. This Word of God is life, life in all its manifestations, life in all its fullness, both physical and spiritual. The spiritual life we do not see exists because He is life. The material life that we see exists because He is life. Even the part of material life that we do not see exists because He is life. Anything that has the ability to exist and reproduce does so because He exists, and anything that exists and is manifested does so because He gives life to all things that have life. He says that this life that is in Him is not just that which makes us alive; it also gives us light.
In other words, it gives us some quality of brightness. It makes us better people; it makes us people with conscience; it makes us people with meaning — people who live a life of purpose, the light of God that shines over all men. You know, many times we say that there are people who are in darkness, and when we say people are in darkness, we don’t mean that there is no sun shining in their lives or that the light is turned off in their lives. No, when we say people are in darkness, it means that they are not seeing clearly the purpose of life, that they are not seeing things clearly, that they have been blinded, and they are not able to perceive the reality of God.
There are many people who live in God’s world but do not see God, who live in God’s creation but cannot see the Creator, and they are in the dark. But Christ is the light that shines in the darkness. The passage says the light is not us in existence, but it shines, it moves, it manifests, and it shines in the darkness. That’s what Jesus Christ came to do; He is the light of God, the light of the world that shines in the darkness of our world so that we can behold our Creator as He is and honor and worship Him as such.
Then John says something very interesting: «The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it.» The darkness does not understand the light. Isn’t it true? Darkness doesn’t understand the light, but on another level, it also means that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome the light. So, even when people don’t understand the light, they cannot stop the light. If people say, «Oh, you know, there are people who say, 'Well, there’s no God, '» that doesn’t stop God from being God.
«Oh, I don’t believe in Jesus Christ;» He is still Jesus Christ; He is still the light of the world. The darkness does not understand it, but it cannot stop it; it cannot overcome it. That is the overpowering presence of the light of God, which is in the life, which is in the Word, which is in God. Out of God, there is the Word; out of the Word, there is life; out of the life, there is light. May that be your light today.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, darkness cannot stop the brightness of Your light. Use me as Your light in this dark world. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.