How does Genesis 1:5 connect with John 1:1-5 about light and darkness? Setting the Scene Both passages open their respective books and frame all of history. Each begins with God’s creative, decisive word about light. Genesis records the very first instance of physical light, while John reveals the ultimate source and purpose of that light in the Person of Christ. Genesis 1:5 – The First Day Defined “God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” • God speaks; light exists. • Light is separated from darkness, giving order and rhythm. • The naming (“day,” “night”) underlines God’s authority and sovereignty over creation. John 1:1-5 – The Eternal Word Shines “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” • Christ (the Word) is pre-existent, co-equal with God, and active in creation. • Life and light are inseparably bound up in Him. • Darkness exists but is powerless to extinguish the Light. Threads That Tie the Two Passages Together • Same starting point: “In the beginning.” John deliberately echoes Genesis to show continuity. • Same creative agent: Genesis speaks of God’s word; John identifies that Word as Christ. • Light as revelation: Physical light in Genesis makes visibility possible; spiritual light in John makes truth knowable. • Separation motif: Genesis separates light from darkness; John shows an ongoing moral and spiritual distinction—darkness cannot overcome the Light. • Authority and ownership: Naming in Genesis and Christ’s creative role in John both affirm God’s absolute rule over light and darkness. Practical Takeaways for Today • Confidence in Scripture: The literal act of God speaking light into existence grounds the certainty that Christ now speaks life and light into souls. • Order in chaos: Just as light ordered the first day, Christ brings divine order into lives still shrouded in darkness. • Unconquerable hope: Darkness may be present, but it cannot prevail; the same God who spoke in Genesis now shines through Christ in John. • Daily rhythm: Recognize every sunrise as a reminder of the first day and every encounter with Christ as proof that the Light still shines. |
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