Have you ever read the book of John, chapter 3 and wondered, "What is this light that came into the world? Was it a big spotlight? Was it the sun? Was it an explosion? What was it?" Let's look at this key word (mentioned 5 times in three verses) at it's source to find the answer.

John 3:19-21

"19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Using a Strong's exhaustive concordance of the Bible, you are able to find out the following about the word "Light" used in the book of John, chapter 3, verses 19-21.

1. The Greek word is PHOS (pronounced "foce").
2. It is used 70 times in Scripture.
3. It expresses "light as seen by the eye".
   1. Literally it means "light-bearing".
   2. Metaphorically it means "reaching the mind".
4. You learn that light requires an organ adapted for its reception (such as an eye, or a camera), if there is no functioning organ than light is useless, and man is naturally incapable of receiving spiritual light because he lacks the capacity for spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14).
5. Apart from the uses of the word "light" as a natural phenomena, it is used in Scripture 17 different ways, including:
   1. The nature of God (1 John 1:5)
   2. Salvation (1 Peter 2:9)
   3. Righteousness (Romans 13:12)
6. It is used in John 3:19 as "The Lord Jesus as the illuminator of men".
   1. (It is used in this way also in John 1:4, 5, 9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 46; and Acts 13:47)
   2. This tells us that Jesus is the light of mankind. He brings the light (salvation) to those who need it because they're in darkness (sin).
   3. Without the light (Jesus), people will remain in the imperfection and sinfulness (darkness) that we cannot avoid. We are doomed to the darkness without the light.

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