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Scripture Reading: John 1:5, 9-11; 12:35-36
John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” The darkness did not overcome it is rendered as “the darkness did not take it” in the Chinese Union Version. The word overcome has several meanings in Greek. First, it denotes to take, to receive, and to understand; once a thing is understood, it can be received. Second, it denotes to seize, as a policeman seizes a criminal.
Third, it denotes to conquer. Therefore, in one sense, this sentence means that the darkness did not take the light or seize the light; in another sense, it means that the darkness could not overcome or conquer the light.
John 12:35 says, “The light is still among you a little while. Walk while you have the light so that darkness may not overcome you.” The phrase so that darkness may not overcome you is rendered as “so that darkness may not come upon you” in the Chinese Union Version, yet the Greek word for come upon is the same as the Greek word for overcome in 1:5. Come upon in the Chinese Union Version does not adequately convey the meaning of this phrase; it should instead be rendered as “so that darkness may not overcome you,” or “so that darkness may not conquer you,” or “so that darkness may not seize you.” In 12:36 the phrase believe and obey the light in the Chinese Union Version is better rendered as “believe into the light.” By believing we enter into the light so that we may become sons of light.
In this chapter we will focus on the matter of the light shining in the darkness. The light that shines in the darkness is the Word, that is, the God who spoke Himself forth. If God remained hidden, He could not be light to men. If electricity cannot find an outlet for its expression, there will be no light. However, when electricity finds an outlet, it is expressed as light. The light that we see is electricity, but it is no longer hidden; rather, it is manifested. Light is electricity coming forth; it is electricity being expressed. Similarly, if God had remained hidden in eternity, He would not be light to man. However, since He is not only God but also the Word, He has come forth. Furthermore, His speaking to man is His speaking of Himself to man, His speaking of Himself to be with man, and His speaking of Himself into man. Such a spoken God is light to man. We need to see several points concerning this matter.
First, God does not desire mere outward worship or service; He desires that we would receive and express Him as the shining of light. According to man’s natural religious concept, God is so mysterious, authoritative, dignified, and great that He can only be worshipped. This is not a bad concept. In fact, if everyone in human society lived according to this concept, society would be much better than it is today. Nevertheless, God does not want a relationship based on our worship and service to Him as a great, but distant, God. He wants a deeper, more profound, and more subjective relationship with us. Thus, He presents Himself to us as the Word. He speaks Himself forth to be with us, to be among us, and to be in us so that He may be light in us. Whenever we contact this God, we are inwardly filled with light. When He speaks Himself into us, He enlightens us, and He makes us living. He gives us life, and He makes us living and shining. He is begotten in us as life, and He shines in us as light.
The Lord Jesus said, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (9:5). The Lord Jesus is signified as light. The electricity that shines in the meeting hall does not need our worship or service. The electricity shines so that we may be under its shining. If we turn off the lights in the meeting hall, we will be in darkness and chaos. The light that shines in the meeting hall causes everything to be calm and orderly. Under the light our situation is proper, orderly, and calm; this is the issue of shining. In addition, light manifests and restricts everything. Loose and unrestrained people have no light; instead, they are living altogether in darkness.
Second, the light shines in the darkness. John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness.” Verse 9 says, “This was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” The true light enlightens every man in the world. Since the true light enlightens every man, the darkness into which the light shines must refer to men in the world. Men in the world are not only dark but darkness itself. The God who speaks Himself forth also shines in the darkness, in men who are darkness itself. Every unsaved person is darkness itself, and even every saved one still is darkness to a considerable degree.
Darkness in verse 5 does not refer to outward, visible darkness but to spiritual darkness. In a simple sense, spiritual darkness involves the absence of any spiritual feelings. The light that shines within a Christian causes an abundance of rich, keen, and fine feelings. Regrettably, some brothers and sisters can go for days, weeks, or even months without having any spiritual feelings. Even if we have a routine of rising early to pray and read the Bible, going to work during the day, and going to a meeting at night but have no rich, keen, or fine feelings, we are in spiritual darkness.
Other Christians, however, are full of spiritual feelings. As soon as they rise in the morning, they feel that they have been loose with their words and loose in their attitudes. When they pray and read the Bible, they feel that they have not been absolute in paying a price to follow the Lord. They feel that they have followed their own preferences related to finances and clothing. In addition, they feel that their intentions and motives are not simple and pure. These feelings prove that there is light shining within them. Furthermore, their words are able to shine into others when they fellowship with others.
It is possible for a saint to have no feelings or to be full of feelings. Those who have no feelings are in darkness, and it is easy to be affected by their darkness. When we listen to such ones, it almost feels like darkness is seizing and conquering us. The more they speak, the more darkness envelops and floods over us. With others, however, we sense the shining of light as soon as we contact them. Everything they speak conveys a sense of light, and their speaking even brings us into the light. The more they speak, the more their light shines forth upon us and even conquers us. Their speaking causes us to become shining.
Being in darkness causes us to feel nothing; it causes us to be numb, to be without a feeling of thirst or hunger, and to have no sense of need or conviction. In such darkness it is easy to feel good about oneself. In contrast to being in darkness, however, the light causes us to have many feelings. It fills us with a sense of thirst and hunger, and we have no ground for feeling good about what we are in ourselves. Instead, we feel that we are unacceptable, that our words are inaccurate, that our attitude is improper, that our thoughts are unholy, that our motives are impure, that our love is impure, and that we are full of mixture in spiritual matters. Such persons are in the light, and the light is shining within them.
Being in darkness not only involves the loss of spiritual feelings but also the stillness of death. Light produces vitality. Wherever there is light, there is vitality. Those who are inwardly living are full of light and those who have the stillness of death and dejection are in darkness. A brother may be quiet, but quietness is different from the stillness related to death. A Christian who is lacking in spiritual vitality is in darkness, and this darkness is related to the stillness of death.
A meeting that lacks vitality is a meeting in darkness. I once joined a bread-breaking meeting that was scheduled to start at 7:30 in the evening, yet as the time approached 7:30, no one rose up to select a hymn. Everyone was still and quiet. At 7:40 the stillness and quietness made me almost cry. There were many seated in the meeting hall, but they were all so still, and they did not look at each other. Everyone sat in complete silence. This is what I call the stillness of death. Such deathly stillness is related to darkness. If we have light, we will weep when we encounter such situations, and we will not allow the meeting to be still for even a few minutes. We do not have to follow a set practice of selecting a hymn; instead, we can pray, “Lord, have mercy on us so that we may be made alive. People in death cannot praise You. Lord, do enliven us.” Such a prayer can enliven us with the shining of light. Light produces feelings related to life and vitality. Darkness can also hinder us from preaching the gospel in a living way or from fellowshipping freely with a brother or sister. If we have the shining of light, we will be full of inward feelings and vitality. Then in our meetings, in our preaching of the gospel, and in our fellowship with others, we will be full of life.
Third, darkness does not overcome the light. In one sense light is very strong; it is capable of driving away darkness. However, in another sense light is very weak; it can easily be blocked by anyone who does not receive it. Hence, whether or not the light shines on us depends on whether or not we receive the light. The morning sunlight is able to break through the darkness, but one can either receive it or reject it. For example, after we rise up in the morning to pray and read the Word of God, we often receive an inner sense from the Lord. If we ignore this feeling, we will not receive the light that overcomes darkness. Likewise, when we fellowship with a brother during the day and the light in his words shines into us, we should receive it rather than closing ourselves to his speaking. When we close ourselves, we reject the light and remain in darkness. We can also reject the light that comes to us in a meeting. The speaking in the meeting may stir up a certain feeling within us. When we begin to consider the cost of responding to and receiving this speaking, however, it is easy to reject the light. Such rejection causes us to re main in darkness.
Genuine Christians should be in the shining of light every day. God is light, and He is shining in us. Thus, we should be full of feelings. However, we often reject this light; that is, we ignore our inner sense of life. When we reject the light, we are in darkness. Our original condition is one of darkness, and the more we preserve this condition by rejecting the shining of the light, the more we become numb and dead. The light shines in the darkness; it shines in our dark being. Whenever the light shines in us and we receive even a little of its shining, the light overcomes the darkness and changes our situation by enlivening us.
Many of us pray and read the Bible every day. While it is difficult to feel nothing when we pray and read the Bible, I am afraid that we reject many of the feelings that we receive. When the light shines in the darkness, we must receive it so that the light can overcome our darkness. If we respond to the shining of the light every day, we will be full of light, and everyone who touches us will feel bright and shining as well.
The light is very strong; it is capable of driving all darkness away. However, it is also very gentle; it can be easily rejected. There is no difference in the light that we receive and the light that we reject; it is the same light. However, there is a difference to us if we do not receive the light. We can be either bright, living, and full of feelings when we receive the light, or we can be dark and dead when we reject the light.
Fourth, the darkness cannot seize the light. However, we must seize the light. When God’s light shines within us, it often does so little by little. There is a flash here and a manifestation there. We need to learn to be in fear and trembling lest we neglect the light. Once the light shines and we have a feeling from the Lord, we should seize it immediately. If we do not seize it, the light will fade. Hence, some brothers and sisters carry a notebook with them to write down the feelings that come from God’s speaking and shining. Then they pray according to these feelings. If we do not seize the light, the light will fade and make no further impression on us. Many of us have had the experience of light shining upon us in the morning but fading by the time we fellowship with others at night. Therefore, we must seize the light and fix our eyes on the light. Even when we read the Bible, it is good to briefly write down the light and feelings that we have received. The shining we receive will be a supply of life that enlivens us.
Fifth, the darkness cannot conquer the light. The darkness of man cannot conquer the light. Man may reject the light, but man’s rejection does not negate the light. Man has no way to conquer the light. As long as the light is of God, man has no way to conquer it. The light that shines on us today will come to shine on us tomorrow; it will shine on us this month, and it will shine on us in the following month.
Our Lord Jesus has been shining on the earth for two thousand years. Many people reject Him and resist Him, yet they cannot overcome Him or conquer Him. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. We may reject it, oppose it, or ignore it, but it is still shining. The light is shining on man because the darkness cannot overcome or conquer the light. Thus, even if some do not receive the light, others will receive it. Hence, John 1:12 says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God.”
