Sunday 10th December
Read John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (NIVUK)
By the time we reach the end of the passage we could easily read these verses as a comment upon the moment of creation, when light was spoken into being and darkness overcome. Yet John is such a subtle author that there is ambiguity in his words. Our translation has ‘not overcome it’, but this could also be translated as ‘not understood it’ (v5b). The truths described by John are such that truths the world is blind to – it is a spiritual darkness. Deliberate and depressing.
It is perhaps why John, after one of the more famous passages describing new birth (new creation) speaks of God sending His Son into the world to bring life (John 3:16) but follows with this observation.
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-21) (NIVUK)
The darkness has not understood it all – it is terrified. There are consequences for staying in darkness though – and they are dire indeed. How do we know if we have understood the light?
“Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 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.” (1 John 2:8-11) (NIVUK)
