The Light of the World

Introduction

1. The Apostle John is most likely the author and he was writing to mostly Jewish audience.

-External evidence maintains the Evangelist was none other than the apostle John, the son of Zebedee. That evidence, such as it is, is virtually unanimous. Even if Irenaeus, toward the end of the second century, is amongst the strongest, totally unambiguous witnesses, his personal connection with Polycarp, who knew John, means the distance in terms of personal memories is not very great.

-this preacher is not just a preacher. He presents himself as an eyewitness, a reliable intermediary between the events themselves and the people who now need to hear them. Nor is he alone: he is conscious of the continuity of Christian truth and especially of the Spirit’s role in equipping him for this task.

2. Possibly written between 55-95 AD

3. The purpose & structure of the letter;

-Different from other gospels

-The audience is certainly Jewish

John 20:31

Key Points

1. John describes Jesus as divine.

“In the beginning” is clear call back to Genesis.

The Greek word used for “word” is the the “logos”. It was most likely chosen because it’s Hebrew counterpart because it refers to the revelation of God (“the word of the Lord”)

The word “logos” was also used in the early 1st century writings to describe God’s activity in the world.

It doesn’t come right out and say it at first, but John will make it clear by the end of this passage that Jesus is the Word.

-(In the beginning) Was the Word

The Word existed before creation began

God’s word in the OT was were associated with the power to create and to put into order that which was chaotic. What was in the beginning? Creation of course.

In short, God’s ‘Word’ in the Old Testament is his powerful self-expression in creation, revelation and salvation, and the personification of that ‘Word’ makes it suitable for John to apply it as a title to God’s ultimate self-disclosure, the person of his own Son

-As the Word, with God

This best translation of the the words “with God” is “toward God”. This indicates a deeply interpersonal relationship

-As the Word, is God

There are no words to describe how profound this is. Jesus doesn’t just have the qualities of God, He is God.

John doesn’t use the word trinity but could it be any clearer that he (and the early church for that matter) knew it to be true that there was more to God than “God the Father”.

Jesus as God is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith.

2. John describes Jesus as fully human

-Jesus came in the flesh (vs. 14)

This is another essential theological points of the Christian faith.

The Gospel according to John I. The Prologue (1:1–18)

The Word, God’s very Self-expression, who was both with God and who was God, became flesh: he donned our humanity, save only our sin. God chose to make himself known, finally and ultimately, in a real, historical man: ‘when “the Word became flesh”, God became man’ (Bruce, p. 40).20

-Jesus dwelt among us

Literally he tented or tabernacled among us.

This is clearly a call back to the 40 years the Jews spent in the desert. As they moved from place to place God’s presence rested on the tabernacle that they hauled around with them. The same presence that was with them in the desert was with them now, in the flesh.

-Finally this passage reminds us that Jesus is the one and only.

That is to say, there can be no “Jesus and Caesar”, “Jesus and Buddha” or “Jesus and anything”

3. John describes the purpose of Jesus’ mission

Light and Life words that are commonly used in religious talk as symbols of goodness . John uses them to specifically communicate the idea of salvation. By contrast darkness is used to symbolize wickedness and evil.

-Shine in the darkness (vs. 5)

Simply put Jesus has come to destroy destroy wickedness and evil.

-Give the right to become Children of God (vs. 11-12)

He came to his own, they did not receive him. But those who did receive and believed, they have a new identity.

They are born again (this will come up again in chapter 3)

-Show humanity what grace & truth looks like (vs. 14c & vs. 17)

We must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it come to the Moses and the Law. The Law is not wicked the issue as far as I can tell is the misuse of Moses and the Law.

Coming into the world full of grace & truth Jesus demonstrates the proper application of the law as it was intended.

Truth hates sin. Grace loves sinners. Those full of grace and truth do both.

Randy Alcorn

The Grace and Truth Paradox (2003)

Randy Alcorn

Now the interesting thing about this is, the church struggles with this. We try to balance them out but look at what it says about Jesus, in him was the fulness of both. Ans so we Jesus had an encounters with sinners he didn’t damn them to hell but he did’t pat them on the head and say “it’s OK”.

Rather he said “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Implications & Application

1. There are some who live in the darkness and do not know it. They have never heard of or experienced the light that is Jesus.

This should create in us a sense of urgency.

What kinds of people could this be?

2. There are some who hate or ignore the light and choose to stay in the darkness.

This is slowly becoming the new normal in Western Civilizations. Indifference or indignation.

What would cause someone to be indifferent?

What would cause someone to be indignant?

3. There are some who acknowledge the light but still play in the shadows.

This to me looks like someone who knows about Jesus, maybe even loves him, a bit. But has not “believed” or “received” Him in the sense that John describes.

Or it could be that you never been able to surrender 100% of yourself to Christ.

4. There are those who have said I want nothing more to do with the darkness. I want to live in light. 

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light,as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus says to shine for the world. Shine your light into the darkness; that’s where it is really needed. Spend less time in your own well-lighted-all-Christian world and more time there in the darkness!

Chuck Swindoll

Conclusion

So where are you on this list? Are you somewhere in the darkness? Are you playing in the shadows? Is there a piece of yourself you’re unwilling to surrender?

And if you are in the light I want you to think seriously about how you are going to let that light shine.