John 12:44-50: a reflection

In some of his last public words, Jesus makes clear that he came not to condemn but to save. I have come as a light into the world, he says, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I don't judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Jesus came as light, to save; his purpose in coming was not condemnation but salvation, to bring people out of darkness into light. He came to save the world, not to judge it. This is a comforting truth about why Christ came: not to condemn us, but to save us, to be light for whoever believes. Christ came to save the world, not to condemn it. Jesus came as light, to bring us out of darkness. Christ's purpose in coming was salvation, not condemnation. He came to save, not to judge.

Notice how Jesus describes the purpose of his coming: to save, not to condemn. He came as light into the world, so that whoever believes in him need not remain in darkness. And he says plainly that he did not come to judge the world but to save it. This is the heart of why Christ came. We can sometimes think of Christ chiefly as one who comes to judge and condemn, and shrink from him in fear; but Jesus himself says his purpose in coming was to save, to be light, to bring people out of darkness. He came in mercy, seeking to save. There is a real judgment, and Jesus speaks of it, for those who reject him and his word; but his coming into the world was not for condemnation but for salvation. This draws us toward him rather than away: he came to save us, to be our light, to bring us out of darkness. We can come to Christ not in dread of a condemner but in trust of a savior. Christ came in mercy to save, not to condemn. Jesus comes as light and savior, not first as judge. His purpose toward us is salvation; we can come to him in trust. Come to Christ as savior and light, not dreading a condemner.

That is worth resting in, for Christ came to save the world, not to condemn it, to be light for whoever believes and bring us out of darkness. We can think of Christ chiefly as a condemner and shrink from him in fear; but Jesus himself says he came not to judge the world but to save it, as light into the world so that whoever believes need not remain in darkness. His purpose toward us is salvation. When you are tempted to dread Christ as a condemner, remember that he came to save, to be your light. Rest in the truth that Christ came to save the world, not to condemn it, coming as light into the world so that whoever believes in him need not remain in darkness, and saying plainly that he came not to judge the world but to save it; for we can think of Christ chiefly as one who comes to judge and condemn, and shrink from him in fear, but his own words reveal that his purpose in coming was mercy and salvation, to be light and to bring people out of darkness, so that though there is a real judgment for those who finally reject him and his word, his coming into the world was not for condemnation but for salvation, and this draws us toward him rather than away, since we can come to him not in dread of a condemner but in trust of a savior who came to be our light and to save us.