CHRIST THE LIFE

 

Christ the life, Creator of all things    John 1v3-5

3 “All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5  And the light shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.”  John now moves in thought from the eternal to the temporal and defines the material universe which is our habitation.  All things is ta panta which is all things without exception, all the planets, including earth, all human beings, all animals, all fish, all birds, all vegetation, all lands, all natural forces-even the invisible atoms that make up everything; they were all made by Him.  Macroscopically and microscopically, He made it all.  Made is ginomai which means “caused to be”, which infers creation, actual creation of something out of nothing, which is confirmed by Genesis 1v1.  All of the material universe is His by design, by construction, by subsistence, and by intention.  Without Him nothing exists, He is the essence of all life, the life source, nothing lives apart from Him.  He is also the light source, for the visible things of creation are a testimony to Him.  We know He exists, we know He is powerful, we know He is colourful, we know He is beautiful, for we see the evidence before our very eyes.  Paul writes this in Romans 1v19-20 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shown it to them.  For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seeing, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”  The visible things of creation (the Life) were to act as an understanding to men(the Light), so that God is fully known, as to His existence and nature.  In essence Christ is the life source and the light source of all existence.

In v5 he moves in thought from the past, was…was…was…was to the continuous present, the light shineth, and goes on shining, no matter the darkness does not comprehend it.  Comprehend is literally “take eagerly” and those in moral darkness don’t readily respond.  Jesus makes it clear in chapter 3v19 “This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.”  Clearly this is moral darkness, and the light of God in Christ will go on shining, will dispel the darkness for those who respond to it.  The light goes on shining but men don’t want it, they love the darkness of evil deeds.  It is well to understand the origin of the earth in which we are all tenants.  The wonder of Creation, all around us is the permanent testimony to the glory of God who made it all.  As the Psalmist beautifully put it "The heavens declare the glory of God, the firmament shows His handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech, night unto night shows knowledge.  There is no speech, nor language, where their voice is not heard"-Psalm 19v1-3.  The silent voice of creation proclaims loudly in the ears of all, the glory of the God who made it all.  As one anonymous poet has put it:

"What though in solemn silence all

Move round the dark terrestrial ball

What though no real voice or sound

Amidst the radiant orbs be found

In reason's ear they all rejoice

And utter forth a glorious voice

Forever singing as they shine

The hand that made us is Divine!

Says it all!

Next Christ the true light...