John 3:19-21

“And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” vs. 19

The contrast between light and darkness was an important one in the gospel of John. In his prologue he describes the Word as the light of the world, a light which darkness was not able to overcome. In this section he tells his readers that even though the light is in the world, people have loved darkness rather than the light. We can see the truth of what he says in our own experience. It we’ve ever tried to get away with anything, whether it be an act of vandalism or petty crime, we’re much more likely to do it in the dark. Somehow we believe that the darkness will give us cover…and sometimes it works. Because people know this, some are tempted to stay away from Jesus. They’re afraid that their sin will be exposed in the light of his presence…and it is. But by staying away they miss out on the forgiveness and cleansing that he has for them. Because the light not only exposes evil, it brings amazing healing. It doesn’t hurt us to take a hard look at our sins and frailties…especially when the light is good, and Jesus is certainly that! In him we experience the fullness of God’s love and discover the joy of living as God intends. In him we find peace and are freed from fear…we never have to be afraid of being caught!

Thought for the Day: What sneaky things have I done in the dark?