John 1:4 – In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Salvation and deliverance is through Jesus Christ, no other name can one be saved by. Jesus is the light that shines in darkness. His light draws people that are in darkness to Him.

In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Jesus Christ. Light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which call men to accountability. Why is the life that was in Christ “the light of men”? Because death brings eternal darkness, and only Christ’s eternal life planted in us will keep us alive in His new kingdom for eternity. Jesus Christ is eternally alive because He is God. He came to earth to offer mankind the hope and light of His eternal life. It can’t be bought, only received as a gift. Jesus gives it only to those who want it, those who want to live the way God’s citizens will live in His future eternal kingdom.

From the beginning of time God had a desire to a have people who would delight themselves in Him, a people who would love Him with their entire beings. He desired sons who would bear His image and His likeness. As He cherished this great desire within His heart, He developed a plan that would be born into His family. He sent Jesus into the world to destroy the works of Satan, to redeem us from sin and to bring us into a position as His own sons, with His life flowing through us. When we respond to the drawing of the Holy Spirit and surrender our entire being to Jesus Christ, we are given the power and the rightful claim to become a son of God. Humans are dependent on God for life. Our existence, physically and spiritually depends on God’s sustaining power. In contrast, the Son has life in Himself from all eternity. The life Jesus Christ is also the light of men. This image conveys the concept of revelation. As the light, Jesus Christ reveals both sin and God to humans.

John 1:5 – And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.

Could have been translated “apprehended it not”; it means that Satan, even though he tried with all his might, could not stop the Light. Today it shines all over the world. Christ entered this dark world to give it spiritual light. The darkness didn’t understand the light neither could it thwart its power.

“The darkness comprehended it not” means the darkness of evil never has and never will overcome or extinguish God’s light. Jesus Christ was the Creator of life, and His life brings light to mankind. In His light, we see ourselves as we really are, sinners in need of a Savior. When we follow Jesus, the Light, we can avoid walking blindly and falling into sin. He lights the paths ahead of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness of sin from our lives. Christ entered this dark world to give it spiritual light. The word comprehend can mean to take hold of or to overpower, to understand. Therefore, this verse means that darkness did not positively take hold of our understand the light, or that darkness did not negatively take over the light. Humans did not appropriate or understand the light, nor did they overtake or overpower it. Although Satan, his forces as well as those that doesn’t believe cannot thwart its power. Jesus is life and light; those who accept Him are “sons” of light. As the creation of light was the beginning of the original creation, so when believers receive the light, they become part of the new creation.

John 1:6 – There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

This is John the Baptist, who was the cousin of Jesus. John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias, and Elisabeth. His birth was foretold in their old age by an angel. He preceded our Lord’s by six month’s. He dwelt alone in barren region west of the Dead Sea. His dress was that of woven camel’s hair, his food was locusts and wild honey. When he emerged to preach the baptism of repentance for the remissions of sins, crowds gathered because of his preternatural birth.