Shines
The Book of John chapter 1 represents one of the most beautiful and foundational writings on the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the first few verses of the chapter, the Apostle John lays out before the reader the truth of Jesus' existence with God, as God, from the beginning. John makes it clear that in Jesus is the fullness of God's Word, and through Jesus, all things were created. The Apostle explains that God's Word became flesh and that because of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, all those who believe in Him are given the right to be called "children of God."
The chapter reveals other great truths about Jesus and the Good News. Also, it discusses the beginning of the Messiah's ministry here on earth. But I want to focus on one specific verse in the chapter. John explains that life was in Jesus and that this life was the light of all humans (vs 4). Then he writes verse 5, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
Jesus is the Light of the world. He is the Light sent into the world by our Father God. And He is the Light of Heaven and the New Earth to come.
Let's break this down. In Jesus is "life." We will consider this reference to life as existence. Without the life found in Jesus, there would be no existence for anything, but most importantly to us, no existence for all humankind. However, life was in Jesus, and that life secured our existence. The life in Jesus was the light of all humans. Much could be said about the life and light in Jesus Christ. But I would like to direct you to the grammatical transition used by John in verse 5.
As you read through the first several verses of John's book, all the references to the Word and the creation through Him are in the past tense - "was" and "were." But in the fifth verse, John changes the tense to present, "the light shines" and "darkness has not." Why? Obviously, the reference to actions in the beginning would have been past tense to John's contemporaries. Hence the author used "was" and "were." That would explain the past tense usage. But what about the present tense? That is simply because the light continued to shine into the darkness when John wrote the verse.
So John wrote verse 5 in the present tense because he felt that his readers needed to understand that the light of life found in Jesus continued to shine into the darkness in their times. But who are John's readers? Are we not benefactors of John's book today, over 2000 years after it was written? And do we not still read this verse in the present tense? The light of life in Jesus continues to shine. And if God holds off our Lord's return for 2 more millennia, will not the readers of John 1:5 read in the present tense in the year 4000 AD?
In fact, we know that the Word of God is eternal, and not one single aspect of His Word will fail or pass away. If this is true, John 1:5 will be in the present tense forever. Even when we have obtained perfection, sloughed off the corruptible, and received our eternal reward in the presence of our Heavenly Father, this truth of the life found in Jesus will be the light of all humans. Darkness will still have no part in it. Darkness will fail to overcome the light of Jesus forever. This light, the life found in Jesus, will shine forth and vanquish darkness throughout all eternity.
In his final book, Revelation, the Apostle John gives us one more insight into this light of life in Jesus Christ. "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there." (Rev 21:22-25) Our Lord Jesus Christ will shine the light of life over us as we live in the place He is preparing for us. In that place, there will be no darkness. There will only be light and life in Him who has given us our existence and secured our eternity. Praise be to Him forever and ever.