The Light has come into the world
John 3:19-21 These words of Jesus encourage self-examination and provide a call to embrace the truth and Light of Christ for our transformation and salvation.
Nicodemus Visiting Christ by Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1899.
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
John 3:19-21 NASB1995
Just about every Christian knows John 3:16 by heart, the verse in which Jesus, talking with the Pharisee Nicodemus, provides the Jewish leader with the core of the Christian belief — “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Before this verse, Jesus explains the meaning of being born again to Nicodemus, who is quite confused! (Somewhat off-topic: the wonderful streaming series The Chosen in Season 1, Episode 7 brings this entire conversation to life. You will cry…) Nicodemus came to Jesus in darkness, not wanting to be seen with Him in public because of his high position in the hierarchy of the Jewish rabbis. When we get to verse 19, Jesus uses the imagery of darkness and light to further explain the evil of humanity and the Light of God.
Jesus tells Nicodemus “that the Light has come into the world.” Light is often used to denote instruction or the gaining of knowledge; here it is used in the meaning of the instruction that comes from God. The word was also used by the prophet Isaiah to describe the Messiah or the Christ, so Jesus is reaffirming to Nicodemus that He is the Messiah.
Nicodemus must have felt quite ashamed when Jesus spoke these words in verse 19: “men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” By coming to Jesus at night, he had avoided the light of day. Like a burglar using the darkness of night to cover up his deeds of darkness, Nicodemus had come in secret to talk with Jesus. In John 3:2, he admits that “we know that you have come from God as a teacher.” So the words of Jesus had to hit Nicodemus quite hard, as he has just demonstrated that he has “loved the darkness” of the night by not visiting this Teacher in the light of day.
The Pharisees used the darkness of their system, filled with false doctrine and superstition, to try to convince the general Jewish population of their zeal for God. Jesus further convicts Nicodemus with the words “does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed,” knowing that the Pharisee will feel in his heart and mind that much of what he has done and supported in his life has been hypocritical and evil.
The last verse must have been a true Godsend to Nicodemus: “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” Jesus is reassuring Nicodemus that by coming to Him, he is doing the right thing, practicing the truth, and beginning to “see the light”.
The Entombment by Antonio Ciseri, 1883
The entire conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus had a profound effect on the Pharisee’s life, as he became a staunch defender of Jesus. In John 7:51, Nicodemus argues to the other Sanhedrin (who want Jesus to be executed without a trial) that “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”, being one of the few to come to the defense of the Christ. After the Crucifixion (as cited in John 19:38-42), Nicodemus provided the expensive myrrh and aloe used to anoint the dead, and assisted Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial in the tomb.
A tremendous amount of profound insight into both human nature and spiritual truth is packed into these three verses of the synoptic Gospel of John. With the coming of Jesus came a form of judgement that distinguished between those who love the Light and those who love darkness. Those who love darkness reject the Light (truth and righteousness) because they are comfortable in their ways and do not wish to be exposed of their wrongdoing. The Light of Jesus Christ is essential to salvation, and only through embracing the light can one be saved from judgement.
All people have the freedom to choose between the Light and darkness, and it is a choice with eternal consequences. The Light exposes the deeds of darkness, not meant to shame a person but to bring them to repentance and transformation. And finally, the verses are an invitation to all who read or hear them to step into the Light of Jesus, live by truth, and practice a lifestyle of godliness.
As happened with Nicodemus, these words of Jesus encourage self-examination and provide a call to embrace the truth and Light of Christ for our transformation and salvation.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Your will is to save guilty sinners like me from eternal judgement and punishment. Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem my sin and that of the world, so that whoever believes in Him will have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. I pray that those who have not yet embraced the Light of Jesus will realize their need for a Savior, turn to Christ today, and be saved. I ask this in the holy name of Jesus, AMEN.