January 28, 2022 – Friday
John 3:19-21 NIV
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Comment.
Almost everyone knows John 3:16 which precedes these verses 3:17-18 as well. Let’s look at the three now: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Jesus is speaking prior to these verses, but these are words of the narrator, the disciple John. But John is not commenting on his own. Instead, he is adding emphasis to what Jesus said in verses 3:14-15, 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
So many know John 3:16, but not the preceding or following verses. They are well worth exploring to wrap your arms around the context of what Jesus said and what John said. Then we can take a look at our verses for today speaking of light and darkness along with truth and evil.
Verse 19 where Jesus is clearly the Light that has come into the world, and many people did not want His light because they loved (and love even today) their sins or evil deeds. Verse 20 tells us why those who live lives of sinful acts hate the Light; they fear coming into the Light and having their sins exposed and revealed as sin. Today there is a real effort to censor the words describing sin as the Bible describes sin and instead they seek to make sin normal, not a sin. Sadly, they do not realize at the end, their deeds will be exposed before God anyway.
What a difference for those who choose to live by the truth and come into the Light. Those still living in the darkness of their sins may condemn them, but their trust is God who sees everything as if in plain sight. God is even forgiving of sin for those who come to the Light of His Son, Jesus Christ. To make this clear, let’s repeat 3:16-18, 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. Forgiveness, mercy, and love are available from God to every one of us if we will but accept the gift of forgiveness for our sins.
Prayer: Father God, Your love, mercy, and long suffering while waiting for us to turn to You are beyond comprehension. So great is Your love, You gave us Your Son, so that He would pay the price for our sins. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek