Well, John is
beginning to unfold more and more of this masterpiece statement of faith. He first introduces this entity as the
Word—with and equal to God. This Word is
present and responsible for all that is created at the beginning of human
history and beyond. Secondly, he
describes this “Divine Verb” as light and life—a reference to creation. This ever-present light and life is
unrecognized and misunderstood by the prevailing darkness that it invades. Sin blinds creation to the light. But the
light is there for everyone to enjoy and employ in order to see clearly and
escape the darkness. It is the only
Light, in its ultimate and truest sense.
Now John
introduces the notion that this Light was actually in our world, not only
during creation but at a point in history when he (a person) is seen by beings
that have the ability and opportunity to see the light. The first time the light appears, darkness
dissipates into the dawn of creation.
The world literally comes to life until sin enters and once again casts
the world into darkness! This time,
apparently, he comes into the very world he had created millennia previous,
only to be unrecognized by the creation he once breathed into existence.
What a sad
picture is coming into focus. It would
be as sad as imagining my children failing to recognize me. I cannot imagine the sorrow that would invade
my soul to see my children in such a state that would cause them to either be
unwilling or unable to recognize me. I
imagine it might be similarly painful to see me in a similar state of
Alzheimer’s, unable to recognize and relate to those I once loved. How the heart of God must have been broken to
see a world totally ignore or misunderstand his heart. And when he chooses to revisit his creation
and pour out his Light once again on this world darkened and dank by the
ravages of sin, the result, it seems, is almost identical to before. They don’t
see it. They don’t recognize it. They
are blinded to the light, not by it. Now
what? Stay tuned.
1 comment:
On my first reading of the John 1: 6-13 paragraph, my yellow highlights include:
Verse 6:
“man sent from God” … this is plainly spoken. I have been exposed to the Bible for 5 decades, but now this plainly spoken, “obvious” phrase feels different. If … no since God sent this man, am I also “sent”?
Verse 7:
I AM sent … to witness (tell the truth; the whole truth; so help me GOD) … the truth being whatever it is of which I AM a direct witness. What did I see, hear, touch, taste, experience? If I share that … others will likely be drawn to believe. I am the evidence … not what I do or don’t understand about the 2300 days and the Day of The Lord etc. etc. THOUGH, as I come to understand, the 2300 days and the Day of The Lord etc. etc become a part of my truth – whole truth-authentic personal witness. [Sigh…deep breathe … burden lifted].
Verse 9:
Light given to everyone? Really? Every full term birthed human has light? Some rays that push away darkness in everyone?
Don’t laugh—well, maybe just a little: scanning the brain for junior high school science lessons on light. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: White light is dispersed by a prism into the colors of the optical spectrum. The visible spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to (can be detected by) the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called visible light or simply light.
So, I can witness to The Light that I see … which could in fact be different than the wavelengths or visible light that You see. The scientist Newton divided the spectrum into seven named colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The picture illustration has “color” on the spectrum that I would call black…I think Newton considered this color a dense version of blue or indigo or violet. Many species can see light with frequencies outside the "visible spectrum," which is defined in terms of human vision.
Why I am perseverating on this concept, is that it tells me, if what you see is different than what I see, but both views are a part of the spectrum of light, than are both views “truth”?
Verse 10:
Fabulous…this “true Light” = “the Word” = the Creator of Planet Earth (verse 3.) THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT … make it easy and clear to me! Loop back and given an explanation.
Verse 11-12: Who are His “own” that opted out of being family, so others, who do what family does (believe in each other) became “the children”?
Brain tired. Stomach hungers. Bye
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