John 1:5-13

Introduction

John moves is rapid fashion to describe Jesus in the first 4 verses

v.1-3 - He is the Word

In this narrative on the life of Jesus, where John wants people to believe that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God so that they can be saved, his first description of Jesus is: He is the Word.

Why?

Greek philosophy viewed the term “word” abstractly that speaks of creative power and wisdom. John personifies Jesus as creative power and wisdom.

The Jews understood the term “word” as power and revelation. Therefore, John says that power and revelation has been incarnated in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

He is life. There are 3 Greek words for life:

Physical life

Inner life

Uncreated God life. A life that is uncreated and indestructible.

Much like English, in Biblical Greek, verbs are important. Verbs move the sentence along by providing action to the subject. Therefore, understanding a verb is important in knowing what the subject is doing.

John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Aorist or Imperfect.

John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

He is the Light

John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

The word “was” is the same - This means that even before men were created, He was the Light.

At this 3rd description of Jesus, John pauses for several verses to expand on Jesus being the Light.

Why?

2 Corinthians 4:4–6 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

John 3:19–20 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Jesus being the Light helps us to see that He is the Life and the Word

Our text.

He is Hope

John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 11:9–10 “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.”

John 12:35 “Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.”

John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

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

Even during the darkest periods of human history, the light shines:

Calvary

7 year tribulation.

He Lights every man that comes into the world

John 1:9 “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

Every person knows who the true God is.

Two things happen:

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

People bury this knowledge with layers of unrighteousness.

Therefore, people are without excuse.

However, they still need the Gospel to be saved.

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

True Light

John 1:9 “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

“True” is an adjective that describes the kind of light Jesus is.

The very idea that John had to insert “true” in from of “light” speaks of there being many false “lights” who proclaimed themselves to be the light.

Today, there are “lights” philosophically, religiously, politically, environmentally, and relationally. Therefore, how does a person know they have the “true light?”

John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

“deeds” - works

“evil” - hurtful

John 3:21 “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

John 5:35 “He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.”

John 1:6–8 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”

People rejoiced for a short season because he exposed the religious leaders.

Do we rejoice in the Light

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Have you been born again? John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

What did Jesus mean by being born again?

The Spirit of God must regenerate

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

John 3:8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:14–15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:19–20 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

Creative Light

John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

There has never been a time when God’s presence has not been in the world.

The world was made by him

The world came into existence by Jesus Christ.

John is making a point. John has described Jesus in 3 ways

John 1:3 “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

The world was made by him. He is the light of the world. He has lighted every man that has come into the world, He is in the world, but the world did not know Him.

This creative Light is either rejected or received:

The word “know” is not intellectual information but relational information.

They made a conscious decision not to have a relationship with the world.

Spurgeon: “This is a sad verse. He was a stranger in His own house. He was unknown amongst His own handiwork. Men whom He made, made nothing of Him.”

John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

“Receive” - No association with Jesus.

Why?

Jealous

He corrected them

They feared Rome.

John 1:12–13 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

“But” - A game changer

Receive and believe - “Receive” could be viewed in two ways:

Reception - received what was offered.

Authority - To accept or recognize someone’s authority.

Why authority?

The other two times “receive” and “believe” are mentioned together in John’s Gospel the idea is authority.

John 5:43–44 “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?”

John 13:19–20 “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”

John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

‘Believe on His name” speaks of authority.

Why?

If the receive based upon a good quality takes away from the context.

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

John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

Kent Hughes: to call someone to become sons and daughters of God takes the Gospel. “The Gospel is like the core of a nuclear reactor. When it is let loosed with all its power and creativity, you never know what it will do. Unfortunately, Gospel, even in Christian circles, is often used in a pejorative sense. When we here the word, we think of an out-of-tune piano and one more verse of “Just as I am.” We forget all about its power. We forget that when it is rightly loosed and rightly used, it is the supreme social force, as history has shown again and again.

God authorized them to become sons and daughters of God.

James 1:18 “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

John Bunyan’s last sermon, he preached on John 1:12 - You that are called born of God, and Christians, if you be not criers, there is no spiritual life in you: if you be born of God, you are crying ones; as soon as He has raised you out of the dark dungeon if sin, you cannot but cry to God

1 John 3:1–2 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

God’s will.

Conclusion

John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:13–16 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

We're an anchor for those who are hurting We're a harbor for those who are lost Sometimes it's not always easy Bearing Calvary’s Cross We've been ridiculed By those who don't know Him And mocked by those who don't believe Still, I love standing up for my Jesus 'Cause of all that He's done for me That's why I am not ashamed of the gospel The gospel of Jesus Christ No, I am not afraid to be counted And I'm willing to give my life See, I'm ready to be all He wants me to be Give up the wrong for the right No, I am not ashamed of the gospel No, I am not ashamed of the gospel Of Jesus Christ