The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
I was thinking about this verse from John's gospel the other day. It struck me afresh that it uses the past tense - the darkness has not overcome it. All of us face uncertain futures and it seemed odd, maybe even unhelpful, to be talking about the past rather than victory ahead. It kind of left me hanging - the darkness has not overcome it - yet.... Great about the past, but what about what lies ahead?
But the truth is that darkness has already done its worst, already got as dark as it can. The darkest moment of history is in the past - and light won. It made me think of John - as he sat writing those words, decades after Jesus had gone to the Father, I wondered what dark moments he had in mind that the light had won over?
At the start, he was known as a 'son of thunder', dark mood clouds had circled over him, perhaps leading to anger, to despair and Jesus had patiently shone until the light won. From son of thunder to beloved of Jesus. From angry young man to the compassionate disciple. From ambitious zealot to the carer of Mary. In his personal life, John had many times of darkness, many opportunities for darkness to 'take possession' of him (the literal translation of 'has not overcome'). Yet each time his testimony was simple. It was tough, it was challenging, it looked dark. But the darkness didn't win, light did.
And of course John was able to reflect on more than his own life. He could track back the entire history of his people. When Terah stopped heading towards the land of promise because of the darkness of his grief, light won and Abraham completed the journey. When the darkness of slavery threatened to overwhelm, even though it took 400 years, light won and Moses led the people out. When the darkness of disobedience threatened to take possession of God's plan, even though a generation would die on the wrong side of the Jordan, still light would win and Joshua would lead the people in. When the darkness of the people's hearts led them to ask for a King, even though it broke God's heart, yet, through a man after His own heart, light would shine to the nations through Israel. Even when justice required that darkness be allowed to exile the people, the light of an obedient few, Daniel and his friends, would leave a legacy that would shine for 400 years. When the darkness of rules had replaced the light of relationship, when legalism threatened to take ownership of people's hearts, Magi would see light and come to Bethlehem.
And in that context John wrote of the one they came to see
But the truth is that darkness has already done its worst, already got as dark as it can. The darkest moment of history is in the past - and light won. It made me think of John - as he sat writing those words, decades after Jesus had gone to the Father, I wondered what dark moments he had in mind that the light had won over?
At the start, he was known as a 'son of thunder', dark mood clouds had circled over him, perhaps leading to anger, to despair and Jesus had patiently shone until the light won. From son of thunder to beloved of Jesus. From angry young man to the compassionate disciple. From ambitious zealot to the carer of Mary. In his personal life, John had many times of darkness, many opportunities for darkness to 'take possession' of him (the literal translation of 'has not overcome'). Yet each time his testimony was simple. It was tough, it was challenging, it looked dark. But the darkness didn't win, light did.
And of course John was able to reflect on more than his own life. He could track back the entire history of his people. When Terah stopped heading towards the land of promise because of the darkness of his grief, light won and Abraham completed the journey. When the darkness of slavery threatened to overwhelm, even though it took 400 years, light won and Moses led the people out. When the darkness of disobedience threatened to take possession of God's plan, even though a generation would die on the wrong side of the Jordan, still light would win and Joshua would lead the people in. When the darkness of the people's hearts led them to ask for a King, even though it broke God's heart, yet, through a man after His own heart, light would shine to the nations through Israel. Even when justice required that darkness be allowed to exile the people, the light of an obedient few, Daniel and his friends, would leave a legacy that would shine for 400 years. When the darkness of rules had replaced the light of relationship, when legalism threatened to take ownership of people's hearts, Magi would see light and come to Bethlehem.
And in that context John wrote of the one they came to see
In him was life,and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
And his gospel would poignantly tell of that most darkest of times - when the light of the world was extinguished, when supernatural darkness fell over the earth for three hours. When the one who was light. who called light into existence at the foundation of the world, absorbed into His own being every darkness in history. Despair, loneliness, hatred, sickness, violation, abuse, false imprisonment, demonic possession, death itself.
And at first light on the third day, he seals the story. The darkness has at no point, not ever, not even for the briefest moment, overcome the light. Jesus, light of the world is alive, death and darkness could not hold him even then.
It means that there is no act of darkness that has happened to you or that can happen to you, that light has not already defeated. Darkness takes your job, eroding confidence and raising anxiety. Light has already defined who you are and guaranteed provision. Darkness creates misunderstanding and a break of relationship. Light already exposed truth and forgiveness flows, deepening the relationship. Darkness brings sickness and perhaps even death. light has already guaranteed resurrection.
There will have been dark times, there may yet be dark times ahead. Nobody, including John would suggest that is anything but painful. By the time he wrote his gospel, his best friend and all of that first group had been murdered. He himself was in exile and close to the end of life. He wrote this.
And at first light on the third day, he seals the story. The darkness has at no point, not ever, not even for the briefest moment, overcome the light. Jesus, light of the world is alive, death and darkness could not hold him even then.
It means that there is no act of darkness that has happened to you or that can happen to you, that light has not already defeated. Darkness takes your job, eroding confidence and raising anxiety. Light has already defined who you are and guaranteed provision. Darkness creates misunderstanding and a break of relationship. Light already exposed truth and forgiveness flows, deepening the relationship. Darkness brings sickness and perhaps even death. light has already guaranteed resurrection.
There will have been dark times, there may yet be dark times ahead. Nobody, including John would suggest that is anything but painful. By the time he wrote his gospel, his best friend and all of that first group had been murdered. He himself was in exile and close to the end of life. He wrote this.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.