How does John 1:4 connect with Genesis 1:3 about light? Setting the Scene • Genesis opens with a formless, empty world cloaked in darkness. • John opens with eternity, introducing the pre-existent Word who steps into that darkness. Light Spoken Into Existence: Genesis 1:3 “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” • First recorded words of God—His voice brings light out of nothing. • Light appears before sun, moon, or stars are created (vv. 14-18), underscoring that light originates directly from God Himself. Light Personalized: John 1:4 “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” • The Word (v. 1) is not merely with God; He is God. • Life is inherent in Him, and that life manifests as light to humanity. Key Connections 1. Same Source • Genesis: God’s spoken word produces light. • John: The Word, a divine Person, embodies light. → Both passages affirm that light—whether physical or spiritual—comes only from God. 2. Creative Power • Genesis light dispels physical darkness, inaugurating creation. • John’s light dispels spiritual darkness, inaugurating new creation (see John 8:12). 3. Revelation of God • Physical light makes creation visible. • Christ’s light makes God knowable: “The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world.” (John 1:9) 4. Continuity of the Word • The “God said” of Genesis = the Logos of John. • 2 Corinthians 4:6 echoes both: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts …”. Supporting Passages • Psalm 36:9 — “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” • Colossians 1:17 — “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Takeaway for Today • The same literal light that shattered primeval darkness guarantees that Christ can pierce any personal darkness. • Because His life is light, receiving Him means stepping into the original, God-given brightness designed for creation—and for us. |
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