What I find interesting about this Gospel writer is that he is fond of telling us who God is, or put another way what God is in his essence. In his first epistle he tells his readers that God **is** Light (1John 1:5), vis-à-vis light is not merely an attribute of God, but Light describes God’s essence. Light is what God actually is. In his Gospel narrative he tells us that God **is** Spirit (John 4:24). So, God isn’t merely a Spirit, rather, he is in his essence Spirit. Finally, and once again in his first epistle, he tells us that God **is** Love (1John 4:8, 16). Presently, however, I’m concerned with the idea that God **is** Light (1John 1:5), and, here in chapter one of his Gospel narrative, the context is that the one referred to in John 1:1 as the Word is also described as the true Light.
Earlier we were told that “in him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). We could also say with equal veracity that the light was the life of men. In other words, in the Word (John 1:1) was spiritual life, and that spiritual life was the light of men (John 1:4), and in this context the narrator isn’t speaking of all men, but all men who had covenantal dealings with the Lord under the Old Covenant. The Word was their spiritual light, and he was their spiritual life. In my previous study we came to understand that John the Baptizer was sent by God (John 1:6) to be a witness sent to identify the true Light (John 1:7), so he, too, could be numbered with the others of the Old Covenant, as one having spiritual life and spiritual light that had come to him through the work of the Word (John 1:1, 4).
In other words, John, indeed, had light, but he wasn’t the true, authentic, Light (John 1:8). The true Light, which had enlightened every man who had covenantal dealings with the Lord under the Old Covenant, was presently and continually unveiling himself to the whole world (John 1:4, 9). That is, he, who enlightened the fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and other leaders under the Old Covenant, was presently in the world and unveiling himself, not to a few, but the all—the whole world. And, John was sent to point him out, so all could see and believe the Light (John 1:7-8; cp. 1:29-37).
Nevertheless, although he was in the world, and the world was created by him, the world didn’t know him (John 1:10). Moreover, neither were they who should have been familiar with him any better off. Those who dwell in darkness have no understanding of spiritual truth. Simply put, the whole world is impotent, when it comes to understanding spiritual truth. In fact, the things of the spirit are foolishness to those who dwell in darkness (1Corinthians 2:14). I am reminded at this point of Genesis 1:2. Although God had created the heavens (space) and the earth (solid mass), darkness enveloped the whole of his creation, until God brought light into the world he created (cp. Genesis 1:3-4). Only after light was brought into the world did the Lord begin to put it in order and fill it with life. In the context of John 1:10-11, whether folks were completely ignorant of the Light or were instructed in his ways, no one recognized him or received him. Nevertheless, the whole purpose of light is to expel darkness, and for this reason the true Light came into the world (John 3:16-21), that Light would shine in the darkness in order that the light of life would shine in men’s hearts (John 1:4; 8:12; cp. 2Corinthians 4:6)
Therefore, as many as would believe him and receive him into their lives, to them was given the authority to become the children of God. Nevertheless, these children weren’t born into the family of God through a bloodline, meaning through natural inheritance; nor were they born into the family of God through the power of the flesh, meaning such a status wasn’t attained through human strength. Finally, being numbered as a child of God wasn’t a privilege granted through appointment by a patriarch, a king or anyone in human authority. Instead, those who were given the right or authority to become the children of God were granted that right by the hand of God, himself (John 1:12-13).
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