John 1:4 – The Light of All Mankind

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” John 1:4

Life and death; light and darkness; God uses the contrast in His creation to reveal and explain Himself. When this verse speaks of the life that was in Jesus it is not only saying that Jesus was a living man, with breath in His lungs, but that He is also the source of all life (Phil. 6-8, Gen. 1:11-31). In His creation He has made plants and all the living creatures; including human beings (Gen.1:11-31). In His design He has required man and woman both to play a part in procreation, but He has determined each and every life that would exist (James 1:18). Each person is truly “knit [] together in [their] mother’s womb,…wonderfully made,” by God (Psalm 139:13-14).

Jesus, being life, is not only the explanation for the miracle of life itself, but Jesus is also the source of all things good in life, “every good and perfect gift is from above,” (James 1:17). But John 1:4 speaks to even more than all things good. It speaks to Jesus as the hope for mankind’s redemption and access to eternal life in Heaven. It is the hope of being called a “child of God,” in place of receiving the wrath of God that has been stored up against man due to stubborn “unrepentant hearts,” (John 1:12, Rom. 2:5). As the source of life, God demonstrates His love through His willing death, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Rom. 5:8). In receiving the gift of eternal life through Jesus; we escape death and eternal punishment.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6). In this He declares that He is “the life,” and that the only way to Heaven is through receiving His gift of redemption. This fact makes Him, “the light of all mankind.” (John 1:4). Like Moses receiving God’s direction from the light of a burning bush; we seek Jesus’s direction— our light (Exodus 3:2). Like the Israelites when they followed the cloud by day and the light of the pillar of fire by night; we are led by Jesus— our light (Exodus 13:21-22). Like the Israelites when they, “saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; his love endures forever;” when we come to know Jesus we fall on our knees and worship (2 Chron. 7:2). In each human heart darkness and light are at war. This fact will remain until the saved are freed from the presence of sin forever in Heaven. Until then, we must seek the light; we must seek to know Jesus and be purified by His grace. For “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 John 1:5-8).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for offering us life in you. Help us to live in your light; in true fellowship with you, and protect us from darkness while we walk this earth.