"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:4-5,RV)
The marginal rendering, "overcame," gives us the exact meaning of the text, and conveys a message of great comfort to the believer. Let us see what it is. Christ is the light of the world: "Then Jesus spoke again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
But His light is His life, as the text quoted states. The whole world was in the darkness of sin. This darkness was due to lack of knowledge of God; as the apostle Paul says that the Gentiles are "darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them because of the hardening of their heart." (Ephesians 4:18)
Satan the ruler of the darkness of this world, had done his utmost to deceive man as to the true character of God. He had made the world believe that God was like a man--cruel, vindictive, and passionate. Even the Jews, the people whom God had chosen to be the bearers of light to the world, had departed from God, and while professedly separate from the heathen, were enveloped in heathen darkness. Then Christ came, and "The people which sat in darkness sought a great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up." (Matthew 4:16)
His name was Emmanuel, God with us. "God was in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:19)
God refuted the falsehoods of Satan, not by loud arguments, but simply by living His life among men, so that all might see it. He demonstrated the power of the life of God, and the possibility of its being manifested in men.
The life which Christ lived was untainted by sin. Satan exerted all his powerful arts, yet he could not affect that spotless life. Its light always shone with unwavering brilliancy.
Because Satan could not produce the least shadow of sin in the life, he could not bring it within his power, that of the grave. No one could take Christ's life from Him; He voluntarily laid it down. And for the same reason, when He had laid it down, Satan could not prevent Him from taking it up again. Said He, "Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:17-18)
To the same intent are the words of the apostle Peter concerning Christ: "Whom God has raised up having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that He should be held of it." (Acts 2:24)
Thus was demonstrated the right of the Lord Jesus Christ to be made a high priest "after the power of an endless life." (Hebrews 7:16)
This endless, spotless life Christ gives to all who believe on Him. "As you have given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:2-3)
Christ dwells in the hearts of all those who believe on Him. "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." (Ephesians 3:16-17)
Christ, the light of the world, dwelling in the hearts of His followers, constitutes them the light of the world. Their light comes not from themselves, but comes from Christ, who dwells in them. Their life is not from themselves, but it is the life of Christ manifest in their mortal flesh. "For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." (2 Corinthians 4:11)
This is what it is to live "a Christian life." This living light comes from God in a never-failing stream. The psalmist exclaims: "For with You is the fountain of life; in your light shall we see light." (Psalm 36:9) "And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. ... And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that hears, say, Come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:1,17) "Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14) "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me." (John 6:53-57)
This life of Christ we eat and drink by feasting upon His Word, for He added, "It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)
Christ dwells in His inspired Word, and through it we get His life. This life is given freely to all who will receive it, as we read above; and again we read that Jesus stood and cried, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." (John 7:37)
This life is the Christian's light, and it is that which makes him a light to others. It is his life; and the blessed comfort to him is that no matter how great the darkness to which he has to pass, no darkness has power to put out that light. That light of life is his as long as he exercises faith, and the darkness cannot affect it. But all, therefore, who profess the truth of the Lord, have the confidence that can say, "Rejoice not against me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." (Micah 7:8)--Present Truth, August 25, 1892.