The opening credits set the tone and establish a kind of expectation for a movie.
John’s gospel is a thing of beauty, and his opening prelude is haunting.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
I couldn’t get away from verses four and five yesterday.
4 In Him was life …
Naturally, because all things were made by Him and through Him. But it’s given in the past-tense. There is still life in Him, of course, so is it here referring to a specific time frame?
4 … and the life was the Light of men.
The writer can’t, then, mean natural life – animated, breathing life – can He? Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth and the Light. The “life” in verse four must be the eternal life that Jesus brought back to us who had forsaken it – the knowledge of the Holy, the way into God.
But then why should it be referenced in past-tense? Eternal life in Christ is still the Light of men. Is it, again, referring to a specific time frame? Jesus’ first bodily visit to Earth, maybe?
5 The Light shines in the darkness, …
Present-tense
The “life” was the Light of men, but, now, the Light still shines in the darkness.
Was that “life” His carnal life, that was the Light of men because He demonstrated holiness in the flesh? Was His bodily life the past-tense life that was Light because in it, and by it, He reclaimed our relationship with God that Adam forfeited?
And now, having surrendered – having poured out – that life on the cross, the “life” is past-tense, but the Light of that life – the result of it, and what it won – continues to shine?
The life that was has become the Light that is.
5 … and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Past-tense, because I’d guess the darkness comprehends it now. I’d guess that about the dawn of the third day, the darkness started to comprehend it.
But in the moment, in those 33 years when the “life” was becoming the Light, and darkness had opportunity to stop it, the darkness did not comprehend it. Satan wouldn’t have filled Judas’ heart to betray Jesus, wouldn’t have brought an innocent Man to death, if he had known what God was doing.
I could turn John 1 over and over all day.