John 1:9

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

               It is really interesting how John distinguishes, here, between the light and the true light. There have been other lights you can consider such as the prophets or even the law given to Moses to be light. John is making sure that the reader knows this true light is different, it is the source of all these other lights. What is the difference between light and “the true light”? John explains next that the true light gives light to everyone. A comparison that can be made is a lamp that lights a room compared to the Sun. In the same way the sun provides light to our entire solar system where a lamp can only light a small space, Jesus came to give light to the whole world and not on a case-by-case basis. This comes after John mentions that John the Baptist is proclaiming about the light. It is to help make a difference between the illumination John is giving and the illumination Jesus gives. John was building anticipation for Jesus who is coming and setting the stage, giving background into who Jesus is and showing that there is someone proclaiming Him to be coming and now explaining how different this is than anything else that has come before.

               This light becomes available to everyone when Jesus comes. It does not just go to one person but all who acknowledge the light. This, too, seems to be a difference in what came before in the Old Testament. God was revealed through His chosen people, but now with God on earth, The True Light, this illumination, will be available to all and “every person” does not mean only those living at that time! It stands for all time, throughout the rest of history.

               What this means to us as Christians is to seek the true light daily. We must never be complacent in our position but actively seek out Jesus as He actively seeks us. We can do this through His Word, making sure to spend time reading every day. If we don’t, we run the risk of not being able to see His true light which can cause trouble with sin or just general depression. As we actively seek His light, the world becomes clearer, and our troubles tend to fall away. As we do this, we need to pray, too. This will help not only illuminate our lives but also illuminate our path going forward as we navigate the pitfalls of this life. He is the true light, and we will never find where He wants us to be without seeking Him.

               Also, to those who are not believers the light is there. The true light is not selective and cannot be hidden. Do you feel blind? Confused? Jesus is there to help illuminate your path and show you what He wants you to do. He is the true light not just because He gives light but, as we have learned in previous verses, He is the Light. He is saying to you that you do not know where you are going because you need to seek Him first.