John 1:4-5

⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood [or overcome] it.

V4-5 – In Him was life, the light of men, shining in the darkness, which has not understood or overcome it. John explains in his prologue that Jesus is life, and in Him is life, and that life, as the light of men, shines and neither understood nor overcome by the darkness of sin. This is a brief introduction to John 3:19-21, where we read that men love darkness and hate the light because their deeds are evil.

John has shown us that Jesus created all things. And here we see that He sustains all things. “In Him was life.” This applies to not only animate life, but also all that exists and does what it is supposed to do according to the will of God – that is, Jesus. Consider a rock. It glorifies God by doing what a rock is supposed to do. Consider a tree. It glorifies God by doing what it is supposed to do. And the same is true for humans. Paul says in Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” It is God who gives life, but this happens only through Jesus. John Piper says, “When John says, ‘In Him was life and that life was the Light of men,’ he probably means that Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh, is both the power to see spiritual splendor and the splendor seen.” This statement fits with an overall theme of John’s gospel – the battle between the spiritual and the physical, between faith and unbelief.

“That life was the light of men.” Calvin says that John is speaking of the light of understanding that humans have but that other creatures lack. There is a human spirituality that is not seen in other creatures, and this is a result of Jesus’ creation and sustaining of life. Again, we appeal to Paul from Acts 17:26-27: “From one man [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” God imparts His light to men that we might worship Him. Humans worship. That’s who we are. But we worship the wrong thing in the wrong way. By His grace, God grants us the ability and willingness to worship Him rightly.

Though our sinfulness has brought in darkness, the light still shines. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome or understood it.” At the end of v5 is a play on words: the Greek word can mean either “understand,” or “overcome”. It seems as if John has both these words in mind: the unbelieving world-at-large does not understand the marvelous gospel of grace; but they can never conquer the powerful truth of the Gospel. Humans still have a recognizance of God. But they deny Him (Romans 1). Humans have not understood Him, due to sin. But that sinfulness cannot overcome Jesus. Calvin says, “The light which was originally bestowed on men must not be estimated by their present condition; because in this corrupted and degenerate nature light has been turned into darkness. And yet [John] affirms that the light of understanding is not wholly extinguished; for, amidst the thick darkness of the human mind, some remaining sparks of the brightness still shine… The mind of man is blinded; so that it may justly be pronounced to be covered with darkness. For he might have used a milder term, and might have said that the light is dark or cloudy; but he chose to state more distinctly how wretched our condition has become since the fall of the first man. The statement that the light shines in darkness is not at all intended for the commendation of depraved nature, but rather for taking away every excuse for ignorance.”

What is this light? We can see it as both a spirituality (everybody is going to worship something or someone) and a moral conscience (everybody knows the general principles of right-and-wrong). The light is not, as some claim, the innate ability of mankind to co-operate with God in salvation. This light is not that grace. Calvin concludes, “Since man lost the favor of God, his mind is so completely overwhelmed by the thralldom of ignorance, that any portion of light which remains in it is quenched and useless. This is daily proved by experience; for all who are not regenerated by the Spirit of God possess some reason, and this is an undeniable proof that man was made not only to breathe, but to have understanding. But by that guidance of their reason they do not come to God, and do not even approach to Him; so that all their understanding is nothing else than mere vanity. Hence it follows that there is no hope of the salvation of men, unless God grant new aid; for though the Son of God sheds his light upon them, they are so dull that they do not comprehend whence that light proceeds, but are carried away by foolish and wicked imaginations to absolute madness” – ala Romans 1.

A summary of v1-5 might be best achieved by working through these verses backwards. The point is that the Light triumphs over darkness. Why? Because Jesus is the living Light. Jesus is the source of energy and power; He cannot be extinguished. He has purpose and motion; He’s dynamic and lacks no motivation. He grows and expands His presence. And He makes His people lights in the darkness (John 12:36). Furthermore, Jesus is the Creator Light. Nothing that has been made (matter, ex nihilo) came into existence apart from Him. And lastly, the Light is God. God, by definition, triumphs.