The Gospel of John describes this world as "dark". It is a spiritual darkness. Many have tried to conquer the darkness. Many try to light their own way or try to see through the darkness.
Hope begins with the eternal existence of the Son of God. John begins his Gospel not with the birth of Jesus or with his mission, but with his eternal existence. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and was God” (John 1:1). In the beginning, the Son already was there. When he was born as a man, he always has been. He has always been with the Father. He has always been God. Everyone and everything has a beginning, but not the Son. When he was born as a man, he always has been God from eternity. And from before the beginning of time Jesus had always been the Light. John records that he came and shone in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome the Light (John 1:1-14).
Hope is embraced with the pivotal confession that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah, God’s promised one (John 6:66-71). The word messiah comes from Hebrew/Aramaic mashiach, meaning “anointed one.” The Greek equivalent is christos, which derives from the word “to anoint,” chri. In the first century, “Messiah” and “Christ” were virtually synonymous (John 1:41).
Hope is available to people through Jesus’s mission to rescue sinners (John 1:29, 36). This is for all people (John 3:16; 10:16; 11:51-52).
Jesus, the Light, came into the darkness, into our darkness. He conquered sin and death by his death and resurrection. May God grant us eyes to see and hearts to receive the Light that shines forth from before the beginning.
“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,” (John 3:16).