THE LIGHT SHINES IN DARKNESS

John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Jesus is the light of the world (Jn 1:4). He is the “true light, which gives light to everyone” (v.9).

This means that he would be the one to drive away the darkness of the dominion of satan.

This means that the truth would prevail upon deception.

This means that what is hidden and secret, will be made known to all. Jesus is the light that makes sense of the world.

The darkness sought to put out the light from the time of his birth when Herod decreed the death of all boys of the same age in order to kill the Messiah before he could grow up and take Herod’s kingdom away.

The darkness overcame Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, bringing the influence of darkness upon the whole world.

But it did not ever overcome the light of Christ. The darkness never prevailed against him in his life, and it was defeated definitively by Christ’s death on the cross.

Jesus is the Way and Truth and Light (Jn 14:6). He has prevailed.

In the end, the light must win.

When God’s people walk in him, they walk in his light.

This is the main way to overcome the darkness in the world.

The Church is called to take the light into all the world (Mt 5:14) and to overthrow the darkness until Jesus finally returns and the victory of the light over the darkness is complete.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of John 1:5

#1 “The light…”

Jesus is the light. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isa 9:2).

#2 “shines in the darkness,”

Jesus, the light of God, came directly into the darkness of the earth, taking ground from satan as he healed the sick, raised the dead, and released the captives from demonic oppression.

Jesus brought the truth into the realm of lies and exposed the deceptions and plots of the evil one.

Jesus brought the revelation of God and his heart for the lost into the dark world of hopelessness.

In this dark, fallen world, or in mankind “sitting in darkness and the shadow of death,” with no ability to find the way either of truth or of holiness.

In this thick darkness, and consequent intellectual and moral obliquity, “the light of the Word” shineth

By all the rays whether of natural or revealed teaching which men (apart from the Incarnation of the Word) are favored with.

Note the present tense, indicating not merely the present point of time, but that the light has gone forth continuously and without interruption from the beginning until now, and is still shining

#3 “and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Satan has opposed Christ at every turn, but even when he thought himself the victor, moving Judas to betray Christ, the Jews to reject him, and the Romans to crucify him, he only played into the hands of the Lamb of God, slain since the foundation of the earth.

Some translations say “the darkness has not understood it.” In this case, though the meaning would be slightly different, the application is the same.

The light has come and prevailed over the darkness.

the darkness comprehended it not—did not take it in, a brief summary of the effect of all the strivings of this unincarnate Word throughout this wide world from the beginning, and a hint of the necessity of His putting on flesh, if any recovery of men was to be effected (1 Co 1:21).

The darkness of sin is deep. The moral condition which opposes itself to divine light is utterly dark

Psalm 18:28 “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.”

Job 29:3 (NKJV) — 3 When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;

Psalm 27:1 (NKJV) — 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 97:11 (NKJV) — 11 Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart.

Psalm 112:4 (NKJV) — 4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

Psalm 118:27 (NKJV) — 27 God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) — 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalm 132:17 (NKJV) — 17 There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.

Isaiah 42:16 (NKJV) — 16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.

John 1:5 (NKJV) — 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Acts 26:18 (NKJV) — 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

2 Corinthians 4:6 (NKJV) — 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:19 (NKJV) — 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;