NATIVITY By Mike Herron

formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.’ (Heb 11:3 NLT) There are exceptions in the act of creation. Christ the Word was uncreated as well as the eternal attributes of God such as His love, wisdom, truth, mercy, holiness and power. The eternal life that is in Christ would not be eternal had it come into being in the creation. In the Kingdom of God, the natural order of things is reversed. In our physical world, light is the source of life. In God’s Kingdom the Life that is in Christ comes first and gives light to each person. There are two aspects as to what this ‘light of all mankind’ truly is. One is that ‘the light of humans is a capacity for love and understanding given to every human being…as is physical birth is a source of light to every human.’ 3 This is ‘natural, animated life’ that is given to all mankind. But this verse is also referring to the eternal life that comes through believing in Jesus Christ. We receive animated life when we are birthed into existence and we receive the light of grace when we are called unto salvation. The aspect of eternal life is not concerned with length but with quality. ‘ My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.’ (Jn 10:10 NLT) Both light and life are equivalents for salvation in John’s gospel and we enter into this life by believing in Christ. Life (Zoe) occurs more than fifty-four times in this gospel and light, twenty-one times making them major themes for understanding salvation. ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’ (Jn 8:12 NLT) Life and light are meant to attract us to Christ. Light as it is used here is referring not to the rays that diffuse, but to Jesus who is its source. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.