Darkness

“Our son used to live in Maricopa, AZ and we would drive out there, at least once a month. I would drive most of the time on the way up, as early as possible to get in front of the LA traffic. On the way home, we would leave early in the evening, as it was about a five hour drive. There were two stretches of just a four lane highway, and nothing but the desert and stars in the sky between Phoenix and Blythe and Blythe and Indio. I used to play my CD’s of worship music and although I'm not a fan of the Hillsong church and their false teaching, they have a great song called, “All I Need Is You.” The chorus says, “All I need is You Lord, all I need is You!” The bridge says, “You hold the universe, You hold everything on earth, You hold the universe, You hold, yeah You hold.” There is a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, that says, “When it is dark enough, men see the stars!” 

John chapter one is one of the best chapters in all the Bible, and it is also one of the most misquoted and mistranslated chapters too. John begins with, 

“In the BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, and the Word WAS WITH GOD, and the WORD WAS God. “HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING with God. All things were made THROUGH HIM, and WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANY THING MADE that was made.” (ESV) (Emphasis added)

Who is the Word? Jesus is the Word as we will see as we read on. [Now there are those cults and false prophets who will say that instead of was; they say the original text says “a” but for today’s post, I won’t focus on that, as I am writing a few posts on the false prophets and their cults they started.]

Since the beginning Jesus was, is, and is to come, as John says in his other letter, Revelation. There is NOTHING that exists that was not made without Jesus. Too many sadly think that Jesus was created, or only appeared at the virgin birth, but that is not what the whole Bible teaches. “He holds the universe!” John continues in verse four and five, 

“In HIM WAS LIFE, and THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MAN. The light SHINES IN THE DARKNESS, and the DARKNESS HAS NOT OVERCOME IT.” (ESV) (Emphasis added)

There are so many verses in the bible, a lot of sentences, and many impactful words, but none more so, in my opinion, than these twenty five. Many people go to John Three sixteen, and though those words are awesome and the whole gospel in those sentences, none mean more to us as humans than John One, verse four and five. When we think about darkness, many think about a lot of different things, from no lights, blindness, a state of mind, drugs, or sin. Listen to what Genesis one says, 

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and DARKNESS WAS OVER THE FACE of the deep. And the Spirit of God was HOVERING OF THE FACE of the waters. And God said, “LET THERE BE LIGHT,” and there was light. (ESV) (Emphasis Added)

There was darkness before God created the light that removed the darkness, but only later, we see the darkness of sin come and take over the earth and humans. John was reminding us that though darkness was what kept humans from God, that Jesus came into this darkness, and His light was the light of man, whom He came to save. The darkness may fill the earth and sin is still something we deal with, but John reminds us that the DARKNESS has not overcome it. 

The old saying is, “You can only go up, after you hit rock bottom,” but that isn’t always true of faith and belief in God, because sadly too many see darkness and would rather stay there, than to believe in God. I have hit rock bottom, sadly a few more times than I wish to remember, because I was happy in my darkness. I had heard of Jesus, and was even “supposedly” a “Christian,” but it wasn’t until I truly saw the “darkness” that I could see Jesus (the stars). 

John was the only disciple to stand at the cross when Jesus was crucified, because he didn’t care that darkness was hanging His Lord and Savior, holding nails meant for us. He had seen Judas betray Jesus with a kiss and later hang himself because he couldn’t escape the darkness. He had heard of Peter denying Jesus after Jesus had predicted he would, but knew his friend had wept bitterly, rather than stay in darkness. John knew Jesus had come to shine the True Light of life for everyone, but he also knew that not everyone would receive the gift of life through the light of Jesus. John continues in verse nine, 

“The TRUE LIGHT, which GIVES LIGHT TO EVERYONE, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, YET THE WORLD DID NOT KNOW HIM. He came to His own, and His OWN PEOPLE DID NOT RECEIVE HIM. But to all who did receive Him, who BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, He GAVE the right to become children of God, who were born, NOT OF BLOOD NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH NOR THE WILL OF MAN, but of God. (ESV) (Emphasis Added)

The many times that we drove that highway and saw God’s creation through the stars and beauty all around, I sang the song, sometimes in tears because I knew I had failed my God. It wasn’t until I realized that even in my darkness, Jesus never failed me. 

John knew this as he wrote this book, remembering how hope was not lost, even though Jesus had died, because verse five of his first chapter said, “the darkness could not overcome the light” Before the creation of time, before the fruit was eaten from the forbidden tree, Jesus loved us so much, He planned to come and give His life for the people He loved. He did it for the whole world, as it says, for those who believed in His Name, He gave them the right to become the children of God. John writes in First John four nineteen, 

“We love because HE FIRST LOVED US.” (ESV) (Emphasis added)

This is not us being robots or predestined as many falsely teach, but it is true love, in that God allows us to choose Him or not. So my question is, what darkness are you experiencing? Is it a sickness, a broken marriage, a prodigal child, a lost job, the economy, the false promises of politicians, war, or pestilence? Jesus is here for anyone who needs to see the light, to remove the darkness of this world, but ultimately sin, but you have to receive His free gift by repentance. John says in First John one five, 

“This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL” (ESV) (Emphasis added)

When we become born again in Jesus Christ, we overcome, not by anything we do, but only by what Jesus did. John writes in First John Five beginning in verse four, 

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (ESV)

“All I need is Your Lord, is You!” I pray you know this and come to Jesus before it is too late, and the darkness overtakes you!” Jose Barajas