Christ is the true light in the world. The Holy Spirit had foretold his coming, hundreds of years before, through the prophets. The books of the Old Testament are full of references to the coming of Christ into our universe. Thus the prophet Isaiah said, "For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and his glory will be seen upon you" (Isaiah 60:2).
In our verse, the word "world" is repeated four times. For the evangelist John the meaning of this word is close to the meaning of darkness, for he writes, "The whole world has been put under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).
In the beginning the world was not evil, because God created it good. His beauty and goodness filled the universe. "And he beheld everything that he did, and indeed, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). God created man in his image and his glory was bestowed on the parents of mankind, who reflected the light of the Creator like a mirror.
But because of pride, all became evil and rebellious. They left God's fellowship in their hearts, because they opened themselves to the spirit of darkness. Distancing oneself from God always makes one evil, as David confessed in Psalm 14:1, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good."
The evangelist John however, witnessed to the fact that Christ came into this evil world, just as the sun rises gradually, dispelling the darkness before it. The light of Christ did not enter our world like a blinding flash of lightning. But he entered it gently, enlightening all people. That is, the Lord did not come as a judge and executioner. But he came as a Savior and Redeemer. All people need to be enlightened by Christ. Without this enlightenment, they remain in the dark. Christ is the true Enlightener, and no one else. Whoever accepts his enlightenment through the Gospel will change his character and become good and enlighten others.
Did you understand the meaning of this saying, "The Creator came into his world"? The owner entered his possession, and the king drew near to his people. Who will wake up and prepare for his coming? Who will study the truth about his coming, his constitution and his aims? Who is it that leaves his worldly and vain goals behind and approaches and welcomes the God who comes? Who is it that perceives this revolutionary and unique hour of time, in which God will come?
Thus, the Lord suddenly was present among sinners. He came without being noticed, small and quiet. He did not want to enlighten the world with his greatness, his power and his glory. But he revealed his humility, love and truth. Since the beginning of creation, being proud was the reason for the fall of mankind. So the Almighty presented himself as the Humble One. Even Satan wanted to be strong, glorious and clever, like God. But Christ appeared as a weak baby, lying in a disgusting manger. Thus, with his humility, his gentleness, and his obedience he won. He went down to the lowest levels of mankind in order to lift everyone up and save them altogether.
Listen, all you people! After this good news, we read a frightening and shattering word, which is that the world does not know the light and does not perceive it. It did not realize that the Son of God has come near and was present among them. People remained blind and foolish, in spite of their philosophies, their sciences, and their worldly genius. They did not recognize that God himself stood before them. They did not know their Creator and did not accept their judging Savior.
From this painful truth, we can deduce an important principle in the kingdom of God. It is that we cannot understand God with our brains and our human capacities alone. Every knowledge about the love of Christ is true grace and a gift from God. for it is the Holy Spirit that calls us through the Gospel, enlightens us with his gifts and keeps us in the true faith. So we must repent and not depend on the cleverness of our minds, or on the emotions of our souls. All of us need to open ourselves towards the true light, just as the flowers open up to the rays of the sun. In this way, faith in Christ creates true knowledge. This beginning faith is not from us, but it is the work of the Spirit of the Lord in all those who obey him.