"Let There Be Light"

“Let there be light” Genesis 1:1-3, Jn 1:1-13 WBC 14/9/03am

INTRO

I get some atrocious stuff sent by email: Man of the year photos.

- after all this darkness, need some light!

This creation story- mean so much, says so much

- given in the context of the Babylonian creation story, enuma elish, that was the prevalent story of the day

o that said : ‘chaos rules’. The God’s don’t care

- sets the record straight

o God rules. He spoke into the darkness, chaos, and created the light. And there is only one of Him and He DOES care

Besides God’s caring being seen in making the world GOOD- His intimate caring is seen even in the concept of ‘light’

- because, to the Jewish reader, light was synonymous with God’s presence

o so, in saying ‘let there be light’ and later creating US, God is showing His intention of His presence being WITH US

 see it explicitly in Gen 2 & 3 with God, the light, walking in the garden with Adam

So- what happened? The world is SO beautiful but there’s such darkness too. People’s lives can be so dark

- I think it’s deeper than we can ever understand… and God knows that

- So He tells us what we need to know in this story:

• something went wrong. Using the free will people had been given- somebody turned out the light

• it was Adam: he welcomed the darkness in… set the modus operandi for all of us:

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort

from the thought that even God’s omnipotence did not extend to

His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created

Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was,

"Don’t."

"Don’t what?" Adam replied.

"Don’t eat the forbidden fruit." God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit?" "Hey, Eve .. . we

have forbidden fruit!"

"No way!"

"Yes, way!"

"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.

"Why?"

"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, (wondering

why He hadn’t stopped creation after making the elephants). A few

minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and was

He ticked!

"Didn’t I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God, as our first

parent, asked?

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?" said the Father.

"I don’t know," said Eve.

"She started it!" Adam said,

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them, God’s punishment was that

Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus, the pattern

was set and it has never changed! But there is reassurance in

this story. If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give

children wisdom and they haven’t taken it, don’t be hard on

yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you

think it would be a piece of cake for you?

• but before you get hung up about who Adam was- I tell you: He is US! He is you, me

o WE, by nature and choice, go against what God wants… and then wonder why it’s so dark. And the world is polluted by others’ darkness, as well.

Aargh! Does it just end there? Impotent God or what that He just let’s His plans be thwarted… just like that. And His prized creation live in darkness.

No way. The solution is in here, as well. In verse 3. But also in ch 2 & 3.

- God foreknew the darkness would come. We’d blow it

o And predestined the solution. Sent the solution before the creation of time. Sent it… Him… in the words “let there be light”

LIGHT RECEIVERS

Do any of you keep fish? Goldfish?

- what happens to a goldfish that’s kept in the dark (besides die!)?

o they lose their colour

People need the light as well.

- in fact: we were designed for it. Destined for it… Him

- people can be pale, dying- and not knowing what they’re missing… or not willing to accept the ONE thing, one person who can ‘lighten their darkness’.

o Or thinking they already have the light by default

That’s such a swiz! Cheats people of what they could, should have

- tricks people into an enforced satisfaction with a glowing wick rather than a huge arc-light

There’s a passage that echo’s, amplifies and clarifies the Genesis passage. Listen to it.

JN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

JN 1:3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.