John 1:4-10

-I can remember a time, when Kendra and I were very much organized during Christmas time. I’ve always loved this time of the year, the excitement, the lights, now you have to be careful not to get too commercialized in it, but it is an exciting time. There was a time that I had lights for the house, different trees and bushes in the yard. I had made Hope, Peace, Joy, Love signs for the yard. We had boxes specifically for ornaments and Christmas decorations. Let me tell you how it is now that we add four kids to the mix. There are no lights on the house, nor trees or bushes. We do have a Christmas tree up and we have located some of the ornaments, at least the important ones, we do have some of the Christmas village houses out, but thats about it. We are not as organized with our Christmas celebration as we once were. Good news, God is organized, He has planned out and prepared everything, specifically as we look at this text God had every detail planned for the Divine light of the gospel to go forth into the world.

-John was very intentional here, John had already clarified that Jesus is the Eternal Son of God, Now in this text we see that it was the plan before the foundation of the world that the Eternal Son of God would be the light

-seven times John mentioned Jesus as the light

-Why describe Jesus as light? He exposes the darkness of sin, he shows the way of salvation, did you know that light travels at 186,000 miles per second? Light is powerful and makes things visible, Jesus is the all-powerful light that makes salvation visible

The effect of the light is not just to make people see, but to enable them to walk.

John Stott

Light of Life

-Apart from Christ is only darkness, He alone is the light

Charles Spurgeon - You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything but Christ

-The way John explained Jesus as the light is that He is the light of life

John 8:12 ESV

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 12:46 ESV

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

-Jesus came not to shed light on moral issues, not to reveal the path to doing good deeds, feeding the poor. helping the elderly, those are a result of the life in Christ, Jesus came to bring life

Ephesians 2 - those who were dead in their trespasses and sins have been made alive together with Christ

We cannot miss the fact that we need new life in Christ, everything else is meaningless. Paul called it dung in Philippians 3 - he mentioned all his religious accolades and said it was dung compared to knowing Christ

Light to be Proclaimed

-There was a man sent from God

1st we must see how detailed God was in the plan of redemption, He had John the Baptist set aside to be the one to proclaim the coming of the Savior, you may say well how do you know this was God’s plan all along?

Isaiah 40:3–5 ESV

3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

-his parents zechariah and elizabeth were unable to have children, his birth was a miracle - his birth was an appointment

-John preached to let the people know that Messiah had come, that they needed to repent and prepare their hearts. He even baptized people in the Jordan river, which was really a baptism they would do to Gentiles

-known as the last Old Testament prophet, had not been one for nearly 400 years

Jesus said none had been greater than John Matthew 11:11

Matthew 11:11 ESV

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

-Notice v. 7 - came to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

John 1:29–34 ESV

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

But there is also the truth that every preacher, believer is to bear witness to the light

It does not take a professional to bear witness about the light that has come

Let us go all the way to Bethlehem and notice some of the first to bear witness about the light

Luke 2:8–18 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Matthew 5:14 ESV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

We are to bear witness to the light, it is not about us, it is about Christ who is the light

This may seem petty, but it always bothers me with preachers who label their ministries with their own name, it is not about any minister it is about Christ

Light to the Nations

The Jews had long awaited the Messiah, but the Messiah is not for the Jews only

Isaiah 9:1–3 ESV

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

-gives light to everyone, what does this mean?

-everyone - to each kind, does not mean every person will see the light of Christ, but that Christ came for the nations

-Christ revealed Himself as the light, because was in the world

-When Christ was in the world, who did He try to show the light to?

-Disciples, religious leaders, average Jewish person, Samaritans, in other words to every kind

-Christ coming into the world, dying and rising again was only the start of it

The book of Acts really shows the gospel going forth to the nations

Matthew 24:14 ESV

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The book of Acts flows just in that manner - gospel goes forth in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of earth as it ends in Rome

-Christ came into the world as the light of the gospel, to reveal our access to God

-Do you know the light of the gospel? Is God by the Holy Spirit drawing you to salvation?

-As a follower of Christ are you bearing witness about the light?