Joh 1:4, 3:36 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 4. In him was life . The evangelist had just affirmed that by the Logos or Word the world was originally created. One part of that creation consisted in breathing into man the breath of life , . God is declared to be life , or the living God, because he is the source or fountain of life. This attribute is here ascribed to Jesus Christ. He not merely made the material worlds, but he also gave life . He was the agent by which the vegetable world became animated; by which brutes live; and by which man became a living soul, or was endowed with immortality. This was a higher proof that the "Word was God," than the creation of the material worlds; but there is another sense in which he was life . The new creation , or the renovation of man and his restoration from a state of sin, is often compared with the first creation ; and as the Logos was the source of life then, so, in a similar but higher sense, he is the source of life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins, . And it is probably in reference to this that he is so often called life in the writings of John. "For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself," ; "He giveth life unto the world," ; "I am the resurrection and the life," ; "This is the true God and eternal life," . See also . The meaning is, that he is the source or the fountain of both natural and spiritual life. Of course he has the attributes of God. The life was the light of men . Light is that by which we see objects distinctly. The light of the sun enables us to discern the form, the distance, the magnitude, and the relation of objects, and prevents the perplexities and dangers which result from a state of darkness. Light is in all languages, therefore, put for knowledge --for whatever enables us to discern our duty, and that saves us from the evils of ignorance and error. "Whatsoever doth make manifest is light," . See . The Messiah was predicted as the light of the world, , compared with ; . See , "I am the light of the world;" "I am come a light into the world." The meaning is, that the Logos or Word of God is the instructor or teacher of man-kind. This was done before his advent by his direct agency in giving man reason or understanding, and in giving his law, for the "law was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator " ( ); after his advent by his personal ministry when on earth, by his Spirit ( ), and by his ministers since, . (f) "In him was life" (g) "the light of men"

John 1:4

Verse 4. In him was life. The evangelist had just affirmed Jn 1:3 that by the Logos or Word the world was originally created. One part of that creation consisted in breathing into man the breath of life, Gen 2:7. God is declared to be life, or the living God, because he is the source or fountain of life. This attribute is here ascribed to Jesus Christ. He not merely made the material worlds, but he also gave life. He was the agent by which the vegetable world became animated; by which brutes live; and by which man became a living soul, or was endowed with immortality. This was a higher proof that the "Word was God," than the creation of the material worlds; but there is another sense in which he was life. The new creation, or the renovation of man and his restoration from a state of sin, is often compared with the first creation; and as the Logos was the source of life then, so, in a similar but higher sense, he is the source of life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins, Eph 2:1. And it is probably in reference to this that he is so often called life in the writings of John. "For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself," Jn 5:26; "He giveth life unto the world," Jn 6:33; "I am the resurrection and the life," Jn 11:25; "This is the true God and eternal life," 1Jn 5:20. See also 1Jn 1:1,2, 5:11, Acts 3:15, Col 3:4. The meaning is, that he is the source or the fountain of both natural and spiritual life. Of course he has the attributes of God.

The life was the light of men. Light is that by which we see objects distinctly. The light of the sun enables us to discern the form, the distance, the magnitude, and the relation of objects, and prevents the perplexities and dangers which result from a state of darkness. Light is in all languages, therefore, put for knowledge --for whatever enables us to discern our duty, and that saves us from the evils of ignorance and error. "Whatsoever doth make manifest is light," Eph 5:13. See Isa 8:20, 9:2. The Messiah was predicted as the light of the world, Isa 9:2, compared with Mt 4:15,16; Isa 60:1. See Jn 8:12, "I am the light of the world;" Jn 12:35, 36, 46 "I am come a light into the world." The meaning is, that the Logos or Word of God is the instructor or teacher of man-kind. This was done before his advent by his direct agency in giving man reason or understanding, and in giving his law, for the "law was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator" (Gal 3:19); after his advent by his personal ministry when on earth, by his Spirit (Jn 14:16,26), and by his ministers since, Eph 4:11, 1Cor 12:28.

(f) "In him was life" Jn 5:26, 1Jn 5:11 (g) "the light of men" Jn 8:12

John 3:36

Verse 36. Hath everlasting life. Has or is in possession of that which is a recovery from spiritual death, and which will result in eternal life in heaven. Piety here is the same that it will be there, except that it will be expanded, matured, purified, made more glorious. It is here life begun--the first breathings and pantings of the soul for immortality; yet it is life, though at first feeble and faint, which is eternal in its nature, and which shall be matured in the full and perfect bliss of heaven. The Christian here has a foretaste of the world of glory, and enjoys the same kind of felicity, though not the same degree, that he will there.

Shall not see life. Shall neither enjoy true life or happiness here nor in the world to come. Shall never enter heaven.

The wrath of God. The anger of God for sin. His opposition to sin, and its terrible effects in this world and the next.

Abideth on him. This implies that he is now under the wrath of God, or under condemnation. It implies, also, that it will continue to remain on him. It will abide or dwell there as its appropriate habitation. As there is no way of escaping the wrath of God but by the Lord Jesus Christ, so those who will not believe must go to eternity as they are, and bear alone and unpitied all that God may choose to inflict as the expression of his sense of sin. Such is the miserable condition of the sinner! Yet thousands choose to remain in this state, and to encounter alone all that is terrible in the wrath of Almighty God, rather than come to Jesus, who has borne their sins in his own body on the tree, and who is willing to bless them with the peace, and purity, and joy of immortal life.

(n) "He that believeth" Heb 2:4, Jn 3:15,16 (o) "wrath of God" Rom 1:18