And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. - John 1:5

Satan lies! He lies every time he speaks. He lies today, and in particular, he lied to Adam and Eve in the Garden. He told them that they would become like gods knowing good and evil. What he did not tell them is that sin would blind their ability to truly see and understand who God is.

John confirms this in his gospel when he reports that God came in the flesh to earth and the world did not know who He was. The natural man, because of sin, can no longer truly understand who God is and so men, looking with their natural eyes, saw Jesus as a just another poor man from Nazareth.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. - John 1:10-11

The Creator of the world could not be recognized by His own creation! And not only that, the Jews, who had the law and the prophets concerning the Messiah, could not recognize Jesus for Who He was. Sin blinds the natural man so deeply that, even with God-given prophecy, he cannot see Jesus as God.

The Apostle Paul describes this condition perfectly:

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. - 1st Corinthians 2:14

Without the grace of God man is hopeless to understand God much less seek Him. But thanks be to God, He gives His children grace for grace.

As we will see next time, Jesus is not only the source of natural life, He is the source of spiritual life for the elect of God. He gives them the ability to see and and know Him!