Advent Day 2: John 1:1-5

Read John 1:1-5.

Ponder

• How do you see the metaphor of light and darkness in this passage? 

• What’s the connection between light and life? Darkness and death? 

• How have you experienced Jesus as light in the darkness in your life? 

• Think about how sin blinds us to the truth. How have you seen Jesus bring light into that darkness, in your own life or in the life of someone else? 

• Jesus didn’t come to make us better people, but to redeem or buy us back from sin. Why is it important then that his light cannot be overshadowed or overcome? Explain.

Meditate

Last winter, a friend of mine had to have eye surgery. For weeks after the surgery, he had to sit in darkness as much as possible, keeping his eyes closed to aid in healing. Those were days of voice texts and phone calls, guided trips to the grocery story and wearing sunglasses in brightly lit restaurants. 

For my friend, in that season, darkness was healing—but spiritually speaking, darkness is rarely a good thing. 

In Scripture, darkness is often used to symbolize what our lives look like without Christ—void, formless, without purpose. Sin, I’m sure you’ve discovered, also often blinds us to the truth. When we’re lost in our sin, we can’t recognize the beauty, glory and truth of Jesus. It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that any of us experience the spark that illuminates the truth and calls us to salvation. 

But even as believers, sin has a way of sneaking in and blinding us to the truth. When we’re focused solely on our needs and wants. When we believe we’re right and everyone else is wrong. When our actions are fueled by selfishness and self-preservation rather than a spirit of generosity and unity. When possessions, power, money or reputation become the things we live for rather than a desire to honor and glorify God. 

Sin has a way of blinding us to what’s really important and what truly matters—and even as believers, we can fall victim to the enemy’s lies and deception. But when the Holy Spirit—through God’s Word, his church and his Spirit—opens our eyes, it’s time to repent and turn away from the things that dim the light of Christ in our lives. 

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot overcome the light.