“This is the verdict.” (NIV)  Other translations render it “this is the judgment” (NASV, ESV), “The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this” (Amplified), “This is why people are condemned” (GW) The sense is that what follows is the explanation for man’s condition.

“Light has come into the world.” The Greek has the definite article “the” before light and we believe this to be very significant. In the Gospel and Epistles of John “the light” is Jesus Christ (see John 1:4-9; 8:12: 9:5; 12:46; 1 John 1:5). The Light coming into the world is at the very heart of the Gospel message.

“But men loved darkness instead of light.” Again we have the definite article in the Greek prior to both light and darkness precisely reading, “But men loved the darkness instead of the light.” This is a matter of fact statement that explains much about human nature and the response to the Gospel. Many people would prefer to live in the darkness rather than the light. This preference, a result of the fall, leads to moral troglomorphism, the inevitable regressive adaptation to living in the constant darkness of a sin-filled world characterized by features such as loss of sensitivity to sin and progressive spiritual blindness.

“Because their deeds were [are] evil.” For those of us living in the glorious light of Jesus Christ we marvel that anyone would choose darkness but many do. The awful consequence of moral nyctophilia is that the more one spends in darkness his eyesight for spiritual things is diminished and he increasingly becomes blinded.

“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:20). Many are unwilling to come into the light so they continue to live in the darkness. They fear that their deeds will be exposed. They become moral nyctophiliacs who love the darkness. When we come into the light our deeds are exposed we must deal with our evil deeds; confess, and repent.