“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” – John 1:1-5 (NLT)
John begins his gospel narrative addressing the authority and purpose of Jesus coming to earth. With echoes back to the Genesis story, John emphasizes that the Word is God. God spoke and creation came into existence - through His word and His breath everything was created, therefore His Word is Life.
Since the beginning of time, sin has been the barrier that separated us from our Creator, leaving us bound to darkness under the helm of satan’s lies. But the greatest darkness could never stop the Light from breaking through to bring us everlasting Hope. Jesus is that Hope, fully God and fully human, He came into the world as light in order to drive out the darkness. In Christ’s death He defeated the darkness, so that all who would believe in Him would be able to live in the light of His resurrection. For God is Sovereign above all, He has no equal, and what He has ordained will prevail.
We’re all apart of God’s great story, where from the foundation of the world a Lamb was destined to be slain to bring salvation to those marked by darkness. The Light of the world – Jesus – Hope incarnate, the embodiment of Grace and Truth. Truth exposes our need for a Saviour – unveiling to us how our lives are marked by sin. Grace makes a way back to the Father – the acknowledgement of Christ’s blood as payment for every single one of our transgressions. Hope is offered to all but forced on no one. Hope is a choice.
In a few short sentences, John summarizes the Advent season, that even in a world full of darkness - which is ever-present around us today - the light of Jesus shines bright. We have the privilege, as His followers, to bear the light of Christ into the world.
How are you determined to bring the life-changing Light of Jesus into the darkness this Christmas season?
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