October 25, 2023 – Wednesday
John 3:20-21 NKJV
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
John 3:20-21 NIV
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.
Comments
Our verses today end Jesus’ words to Nicodemus. And verse 20 is a continuation of what we read in verse 19, 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. Today you may think this is no longer true as so many involved in sin do so publicly and flaunt their sin before the world. Paul in Romans 1:32 describes what we see today about them for they, 32 knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
But that would be a misreading of verse 20, (NKJV) 20 Foreveryone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed or (NIV) 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. They hate the light and will not come to the light because the light is God! Two verses from John 1 provide this information, 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. The Him is Jesus and He is the source of life. It also helps to understand a basic truth between light and dark. They are often thought of as opposites, but that is not true. Darkness is not the opposite of light, but the absence of light. You cannot create darkness; you can only remove light. It is much like life and death, also often treated as opposites. Instead, death is the absence of life.
But what of those who do not choose to live in the darkness. Verse 21 speaks to them, 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. Later in John 8:12, Jesus would make this even clearer after telling the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more, 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” When Nicodemus heard of this, he would likely remember what David had written in Psalm 27:1a, 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? Nicodemus knows without a doubt that Jesus has said He is the Christ, the Son of God, and now he will have to reconcile that with all that he has seen and heard.
Bottom Line: Like Nicodemus we all have to deal with the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ and the Son of God. He has brought the light of salvation to all of us.
Prayer: Father, You have provided such great evidence that Jesus is who He said He is. Help us to open our hearts to let His light in so we may follow Him to the end of our days. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Still writing and working for the Glory of God