I took a photo of the "supermoon" this week, convinced it would serve well as a scripture eCard image. When I looked at this image on my computer screen I thought of the gospel of John, who often refers to Jesus as "The Light."
When I looked up John 1:4-5 in the NASB, however, I was reminded of my confusion about the phrase: "...and the darkness did not comprehend it."
"Does that mean those who walk in the darkness do not comprehend the gospel?" I asked myself. Time to visit Blue Letter Bible for a word study.
There I found that another definition of the word translated in NASB as "comprehend" was "overcome" or "overtake: to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain."
A citation of another Scripture with the same word (katalambano) led to John 12:35: "So Jesus said to them, 'For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes'."
I now see the meaning of John 1:5 more clearly. The word "comprehend" as translated in the NASB did not mean "understand." It means "overtake."
The Light -- Jesus Christ the Messiah -- will never be "overtaken" by the darkness of Satan, our sin nature and this fallen world. The Light is life! Death and sin were defeated at the cross so that all who believe might have life eternal, "cleansed by His blood" and made righteous in Him.
Thank you, Jesus, for Your obedience to the Father and His plan that made the way for us to have our sin debt forgiven so we can be co-heirs, righteous in Your righteousness! As the song says, "The cross meant to kill is our victory!"
Christ is risen! He lives in the hearts of His children. He intercedes for us at the throne of the Father. And He will return, first to draw His bride the church to Him in Heaven, and then to rule and reign for 1,000 years on a New Earth (Revelation 21:1-27 and Isaiah 65:17), and into eternity.
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