"I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all"
That’s from Joni Mitchell’s song “Both Sides Now”. I love that song. If I’m not mistaken it was written sometime in the 60’s, but the reality of its message rings up to today. It speaks so much about what we feel about life, when we look at both sides – win or lose, ups and downs, blessings and trials. We just really don't know life at all.
Who of us can explain what happens in this world? Sure, we have “gold medal” moments (as I write this the hangover of Hidilyn Diaz’s Olympic gold win is still there). But we still have the covid-19 virus that has mutated to a delta variant! Our day may start good, but may end up at the opposite end. In reality, we really don’t know life at all.
Compare the lyrics of Joni Mitchell’s song to that of the words of our Lord:
The apostle John wrote:
John 1:4 NIV In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
Notice the certainty, the assurance, that God gives us when it comes to life. In Him, Jesus Christ, was life. Why? Look what John says before that:
John 1:1-3 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The Son of God was there in the beginning. Through Him all things were made. And when God made man, life came from the breath of God.
Genesis 2:7 NIV the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Imagine that "life" that was breathed into man! God is eternal, which means that the life breathed into man was also eternal!
And yet man rebelled against that life of God by disobeying their Creator in Genesis chapter 3. This is what brought death, and eternal separation from God. This is also what brought a curse to this life on earth. Because of this sin, man has lost his understanding of who God is, and is blinded to the life that God has for those who follow Him. Sin has blinded us from seeing God and His life.
But that’s why God sent His Son.
Jesus Himself said:
John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 9:39 NIV Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness. Never. Why? Because the Light of the world opens our eyes to our sinfulness, and makes us realize that we have rebelled against Him. He opens our eyes to who He is, and He makes us realize that we have been living apart from Him, all this time. Only through the life and death of Jesus the Christ do we have forgiveness of sin, and redemption, so that we are brought back to the "life" that was breathed into man in Genesis - life eternal. This now becomes our new hope - not just life in this world, but life eternally with God.
After Jesus had given sight to a man born blind, He asked this:
John 9:35-38 NIV Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (36) Who is he, sir? the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." (37) Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." (38) Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
This was the whole point of Jesus healing the man born blind. The Light of the world opened his eyes so that he would believe and worship Him. He opened the man's eyes so that he would see Him, know Him, and receive the life that Jesus restores - eternal life.
This is what He does up to today. He opens the eyes of the blind, that we may know Him, and the life eternal that He restores to us through His death on the cross.
Life’s illusions become clear when the Light of the world opens the eyes of our hearts that have been blinded by sin. Through the cross He has brought redemption and forgiveness of our sins, and for those who realize their blindness He is there that we may see. That same question He had to the blind man He also asks us – “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”.
"I’ve looked at life from both sides now. Life may have its illusions. But through the Light of the world I now know life eternal, a life that is not of this world. A life with God forever through the redemption and forgiveness of sin found in Jesus. I now know life."
May this be the new song of life that we sing in our hearts.
