John 1:1-5-8 (Are you afraid of the dark?)

Read Text: John 1:1-8

Intro:

Before we get into the text.

We can quick review the same questions we should always ask when we read any book of the bible:

Who is writing it?

Who is the audience?

And why?

John 20:30-31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Pray

Intro/Hook: Are you afraid of the dark?

Last time I preached, I covered a large body of text, verses 1-18.

And to be fair, I had to speed through it.

With the help of Pastor Jackson, I saw afterward that I sped over some deep and dynamic themes that John addresses here.

So, this morning we are going to take a closer look at the theme of Light and darkness in this shorter passage.

John uses the images of light and darkness in other parts of this gospel and his letters in connection with many other authors throughout the bible.

And it is no mistake here John is referencing back to Moses’ book of Genesis, specifically chapter 1 our first bible reading this morning.

It is clear when John uses those famous first words in scripture, “in the beginning” that he is talking about the creation account.

And last time we established that it is through none other than Jesus Christ that all things were created.

But then in verse four, John starts to pick up the theme of life, light, and darkness.

John 1:4-5 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

If we understand here that Jesus is the Son of God, God himself, then we also understand what John means when he says, “in him was life.”

If Jesus made everything in the creation, that means he is the source of life. x2

Yet, we must also remember John is not just writing another account of the creation of the world and all life.

But, rather he is setting the stage for the recreation that comes through Jesus.

John is telling us about the recreation of the world through the redemptive work of his Son.

Indeed, John’s special focus here is on the recreation of men through the light of men.

Just as man was the crown of creation in the beginning, so man is the central focus of redemption.

So again, in picking up this language of creation, John brings special focus to light and darkness in the new creation.

And it is natural to ask here, why is John talking about light and darkness?

Well in bringing up light and darkness, we are brought back to creation.

Before anything was formed in the beginning, as the Spirit of God was levitating over the face of the deep,

What was covering our unformed world? What covered the face of the deep?… Physical Darkness right?

John bring us into the pure darkness of the formless creation.

I know in a world of electric lights and torch apps on our phones, it is really hard to imagine pure darkness.

Even if you grew up in the village in the country side like I did, even there you have the moon and stars to give light.

But, have you ever been in pitch black darkness? In a dark room at night without windows?

When you were a child and you had a door closed on you alone in a dark room, were did you suddenly become very afraid?

Well, my theme question then this morning is, are you afraid of the dark? x2

This question goes beyond merely physical darkness. Specifically in our passage, John is not speaking about physical darkness,

He is talking about a darkness that is less obvious, but far more scary and dangerous.

John is talking about spiritual darkness.

A darkness that does not cover the sun, the stars, and even portable torches in our pockets,

but a darkness that has covered the hearts of men since Adam’s fall.

since then we live a dark world, and in order to appreciate the light we must first talk about the dark.

And the picture of physical darkness from the creation story helps us understand the wickedness of our dark hearts.

Think about the kinds of things we and the rest of humanity practice in the dark.

When do the witch doctors come out to make goat sacrifices to spiritual forces and false gods? Is it at dawn?

When do most murders happen? In broad daylight?

David said in Ps 11:2 “for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;”

When do the young men without sense come out to meet the adulterous in the street? Is it in the morning or half past noon?

Proverbs 7:6-9 tells us when- “For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.”

When do men and women go out to the dance club to hook up? with the rising of the sun?

Men, when are you tempted to look at the blue movies on your computer or your phone.

It’s typically at night behind a closed door where you think you are hidden from the light of day...

King David sent for Bathsheba late in the afternoon.

When do thieves come out to climb in your roof to steal?

Job 24:16 says“In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light.”

When do people take just into their own hands?

Apparently, sometimes if a thief is caught stealing in Uganda, they have gasoline poured on them and they are burned alive.

by the way, this is not true justice.

Where does pride manifest itself?

The sin of pride will not ordinarily make itself known.

But it rather shrouds itself in an outward appearance of light through good deeds.

This was the tactic of the self-righteous pharisees and those who practice faithless works today.

It’s no mistake that Satan cloaks himself with as an angel of light to hide the black abyss of his true nature.

Have we seen strong strong connection between darkness and sin yet?

To be sure, physical darkness is not only all bad in the bible, in fact Psalm 18:11 says “He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.” Darkness is apart of his creation and he can manipulate it to his purposes.

However, we can’t miss its meaning in John’s use in this passage when he describes the darkness of our sin fallen world.

Paul even shows how far the darkness of sin goes.

He says in Ephesians 5:8 “for at one time you were darkness,”

Paul is saying with John that without the work of God, you are identified as darkness!

All of you, body and soul, your whole person is darkened by sin to such an extent that you have become darkness!.......

Surely, we have great reason to be afraid of the dark, as it sticks to our very being.......

Perhaps, you can present the argument that if we just seek to live ethically and be a good person in our own strength we have a chance of overcoming the darkness!

Well I would counter this argument from scripture and explain how infinitely helpless we are before the powers of darkness.

In our own strength, we are ready lost the war against darkness, all in Adam serve the darkness including you!

You are a slave to darkness!.....

However, there is good news even for those who are most acquainted with the blinding darkness of sin and its enslavement.

Just as God spoke light into existence over the dark, formless and void creation in the beginning,

It pleased him once again to speak The Light over the darkness of our souls in the recreation!

Surely Jesus is the Word that God speaks as light to us in these last days.

Consider the fulfilment of the prophesy in Isaiah 9:

Jesus says in Matt 4:16 “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.””

Later on in John’s gospel, we Jesus directly declares himself to be the light of the world.

John 12:46 “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

If there is anyone here who is not a believer, and you have understood the darkness of this world and that you yourself are darkness.

I call you as a preacher of the gospel, approved by the church to look to the light that has come into the world!

Believe in Christ! You don’t have to dwell in the despair of darkness,

He promises that if you follow him, the light, you will have the light of life.

Jesus the light and life entered our the dark shell of the fallen creation

He came as one of us and lived in the dark with us.

And yet he was not overcome by the darkness.

Even in entering the darkness of death and the grave his light was not put out, it was not quenched!

He burst forth from the power of darkness and death walking out of the grave!

He has gone now into heaven and is seated in unapproachable light!

dear nonbelieving friend, look to Christ the light of the world.

If you are a believer in Christ and you have the light of men, and yet you struggle hard against the powers of darkness.

Do not be afraid! He has removed you from the kingdom of Darkness.

Returning to Eph 5:8, Pauls says, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord,

therefore, walk as children of as children of light!

Jesus preached in the sermon on the mount in Matthew -Matt 5:14-16 ““You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We must remember, though we are now translated into light, we are never walk in our own light.

We remember God’s promise to us in the dark from Psalm 23:4

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Dear believer, if you are struggling with the darkness of sin or the consequences of sin in this life,

We must never try to cast it out in our own strength, but by the light of Christ

He is the lamp to our feet and a light to our path!

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

Paul says, ““When anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.”

Jesus overcame the darkness through the light of the gospel by enduring the power of darkness for us.

And now in the light of Christ, we don’t have to be afraid of the dark even in the darkest hours of our souls.

And it has please God to show us the end of the story as prophesied by Isaiah 60:19, and by John in Revelation.

Is 60:19 “The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”

Rev 22:5 “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

Surely, just as the story of creation started God speaking light as the first notable created thing.

The true story of scripture ends with the removal of all darkness in the dwelling of God, where the church will dwell shine forever by the light of Christ.

Let us pray

Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”