<p>1:5 <em>This light shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot understand it</em>- As noted on :4, &quot;the light&quot; was the life lived within the mind of the Lord Jesus during His mortal life. But He shines on, in that those who follow Him in turn have His life and light within them, and thus become &quot;the light of the world&quot; just as He was. It is true in Him as well as in us, that we are the light that shines in the darkness (1 Jn. 2:8). But &quot;the darkness&quot; refused to understand it. Judaism therefore was &quot;the darkness&quot;; John saw no common ground between true Christianity, and those who rejected the Lord Jesus as the total and defining light of their path. They were in darkness; for not following Him means walking in the darkness, stumbling around with no ultimate sense of direction (12:35). And that is the Lord's opinion of all non-Christian religion. Those who preferred the darkness did so because they didn't want the light of the Lord's perfect character to reveal their sins (3:20,21). The darkness refers to hating ones' brother (1 Jn. 2:9,11), and Judaism hated their brother Jesus, as well as being characterized by bitter hatred amongst themselves, as witnessed by the various opposing sects within Judaism. To walk focused upon the life and character of the Lord Jesus means we are walking in the light, and hatred of our brethren will not characterize that walk. This is a sober warning to those who name the name of Christ but hate their brethren in Christ. They are clearly not focused upon Him and His light, having refused to receive His Spirit.</p><p>The allusion is clearly to how the light shone out of the darkness at creation. The Lord Jesus is therefore &quot;light&quot; to us in the sense that He illuminates. The initiative is His; we are the subjects of His action. This is the grace / gift of the Spirit. Paul understood the illumination of the light as something happening within the hearts of believers: &quot;God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ&quot; (2 Cor. 4:6). I have to emphasize- this is His action, performed by grace upon the hearts of His people.</p>