John 1:1-13 New Century Version
John Tells About Jesus the Son Who Reveals the Father
Christ Comes to the World
John Tells About Jesus the Son Who Reveals the Father
Christ Comes to the World
1 In the beginning there was the Word.[a] The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.3 All things were made by him, and nothing was made without him.4 In him there was life, and that life was the light of all people. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered[b] it.
6 There was a man named John[c] who was sent by God. 7 He came to tell people the truth about the Light so that through him all people could hear about the Light and believe. 8 John was not the Light, but he came to tell people the truth about the Light. 9 The true Light that gives light to all was coming into the world!
10 The Word was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to the world that was his own, but his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They did not become his children in any human way—by any human parents or human desire. They were born of God.
That's so good. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. He is just so awesome. Everything was made by Him. In Him is life and the life was light. Anyone who knows me, knows I like lighthouses. God has taught me so much about the lighthouses and light and darkness. I just love this Scripture because it reminds me of His light and how He can shine a light through us so other people can see Jesus in us. I love that it says the "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overpowered it." If you have ever gone for a walk on the beach at night, you have seen how dark it can be at night out in the ocean. Just think how some people are out in the world at night out in the darkness - not knowing Jesus or His light. We need to bring them in safely just like lighthouses would bring in ships safely.
There are two principle functions of lighthouses. One is to warn of danger like rocky edges or reefs and the other is to guide the ships into the harbor. In the earlier times coal was used but it required a lot of care to keep its fire bright. Candles were used too although they were not quite as bright as the coal fires. The flame from the candles were steadier than the ones from the coal. I found it interesting that sometimes they used as many as seven candles and used reflectors to make it more visible. Later on as brighter lights were needed, burning oil was the next step. A Frenchman invented a hollow circular wick in 1781. This design made the light even brighter. Eventually the Fresnel lens came into place which allowed even more light and also allowed lighthouses to be more visible over much longer distances. A lighthouse has a lamp and a silver reflector (silver stands for redemption) mounted together with the reflector placed behind the lamp. Then the reflector would be adjusted to help focus the light. The light is to help bring ships into safety. This is just so good! Jesus lives in us so His light shines through us. He is the reflector and He adjusts things in our life so He can shine through us, make the light brighter and we can bring people into the safety of God's Kingdom. Let us all think about this today, reflect on it and let Jesus shine through us!
