Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 1:4

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men." — John 1:4 (ASV)

The term “life” (GK 2437, occurring thirty-six times in John) is uniformly used throughout the gospel. Wherever it appears, it refers either to the principle of physical life or, more often, to spiritual life. Frequently it is coupled with the adjective “eternal” (GK 173) to denote the quality and power of the believer’s life. The life was embodied in Christ, who demonstrated perfectly what eternal life is by his career (cf. 14:6; 17:3). Christ is the “life” that is the “light of men.” In him God’s purpose and power are made available to human beings. He is their ultimate hope.