JESUS, THE LIGHT OF MEN

By Rune B. Hansen

In the old testament, on the very first pages of the Bible, we read in the Genesis account:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good…” (Gen. 1:1-4).

Later in the text, God says, “Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness” (v. 26).

The original word used (in Hebrew) for God in Genesis 1 is “Elohim,” which is a plural word (and fits with God’s own, later usage of “US,” and “OUR”).

This must be puzzling to many Jewish people, because after all, there is only ONE GOD, correct?

However, it is not puzzling to the believer in Jesus.

There is a passage in the gospel of John that resembles the Genesis account a whole lot. It goes:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5).

The Word spoken about here is Jesus. He is God’s eternal Word, through which everything that is has come into being. God spoke the world into being by His Son, The Eternal Word of God. There was a collaboration in creation between the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

In Christ Jesus there is LIFE and LIGHT. Eternal life is found in Him, and only in Him. That life, as the text in John 1 said, is “the light of men” (v. 4).

When Jesus was but a small child, it was said of Him, that He would be “A LIGHT TO BRING REVELATION to the gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

Later in His life, when He was teaching about Who He was, He said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

There we have it again: LIFE and LIGHT.

Interestingly enough, in Matthew’s gospel, we read about those that follow Christ, and have Him as their light: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).

And so, we see that Jesus, in being the life and light of God, and in being God Himself (part of the triune God of Israel), both IS LIFE AND LIGHT, but also gives (or places) that very LIFE AND LIGHT in the believer of Him.

When we turn from our sin and believe on the Lord Jesus, He then washes us clean (through baptism) and grants us NEW AND ETERNAL LIFE AND LIGHT as a gift (that is, the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO BECOMES OUR LIGHT WITHIN, AND GUIDES US).

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US is that LIFE AND LIGHT that we can receive, carry with us, and that produces the life He wants for us and through us.

Christ WAS and IS THE LIFE AND LIGHT OF MEN; from the beginning (and before) and into eternity.

HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE LIFE AND LIGHT THAT CHRIST IS, AND WANTS TO GIVE?

If you want to know how, or to know more, there are several resources on the website, such as in the section: Christianity 101. You can also reach us through the contact page.

You can also have a look in the Bible yourself – start, for instance, w. the gospel of John (mentioned above).

Blessings in HIS name.