Let There Be Light - John 1:1-5

Introduction

Introducing yourself to new people as a pastor can be tricky. A few years ago, I was playing golf alone when I caught up to another guy playing alone. Instead of playing through, he asked if I just wanted to play with him, and I agreed. We played a few holes and were cutting up and having a good time. Now, of course, as golf is apt to make you do, when he hit a bad shot, he had some pretty colorful language for his game. And, some of his jokes were on the edge of appropriate, but I was thankful to have someone to play and was having a good time. Then, the inevitable question came: “So, what do you do?”

And, it’s not that I’m ashamed or embarrassed by what I do. It’s more that I just know what comes next. When I explained I pastored a church nearby, his complexion turned lighter, and his face immediately twisted. He said, “Please forgive me for everything that I said.” I tried to laugh it off and make him feel comfortable, but it didn’t help. When we finished the hole that we were on, he told me that he wanted to just practice and asked me to go ahead and play through.

But, those are the kinds of questions we ask when we’re getting to know someone, aren’t they? “What’s your name? What do you do? Where are you from?

God’s Word

Well, this is the approach that John takes to start off his gospel. He’s doesn’t start in Bethlehem or with a pregnant virgin. He starts way before that with a more formal introduction so that we can know who Jesus is, where He’s from, and what He’s come to do. So, as we move from the Old Testament to the New in the Big Story, this is where I want us to start. I want us to start by seeing Two Introductions of Jesus: (Headline)

Jesus is the “beginning.”

John 1:1–3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Genesis 1:1–3 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

John’s starts the same place that Moses does — “in the beginning.” If you compare the Greek versions, Genesis and John start off with the exact same words. It’s worth stating again at the beginning of the New Testament something that I told you repeatedly during our time in the Old Testament because John is such a clear example. The NT assumes that you know the OT and understands the OT as the context for everything that takes place. So, right out of the gate, here’s a copy and paste of the opening of the Bible to open the story of Jesus.

He is the “Word.”

So, Genesis 1 forms the context to help us understand Jesus’ introduction in John 1. John is telling us who He is and where He’s from. He didn’t just appear on the scene. Remember what happens immediately in Genesis 1? God creates the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. But, how? He speaks. Well, who is Jesus? Jesus is the “Word” from the beginning.

That feels like a strange, nebulous introduction to us perhaps, but it’s really a stroke of inspired genius in the writing of John. “Word,” or “logos” in the Greek, was a loaded term that is frequently referred to in both philosophical and religious writings of the time. And so, what John seems to be doing is threading the needle between multiple cultures so that all peoples are able to see the relatability and reality of Jesus. Bible scholar D.A. Carson helped me to see this. For example, the Stoic philosophers believed that the “logos” or “word” was “the rational principle by which everything exists and the essence of the rational human soul.” (Carson) They believed there was no god, only the “logos.” Philo who was a first century Jewish philosopher, and being influenced by Plato, he believed the “logos” referred to the ideal of God. The ideal world and ideal man from which all of mankind is derived. He didn’t believe the “logos” was a person, but the ideal of a person. And then, you had the religious, orthodox Jews whose Scriptures spoke in Genesis of a word so powerful it could fling galaxies, of a word in Isaiah 38 that could “come” to you, of a word in Proverbs 8 that could be personified.

So, who is Jesus? Well, He’s the Word! John 1:14: He’s the word become flesh! Have background in OT? Only familiar with current culture? Either way you can connect with Jesus. He’s the ideal of all of these worldviews and He’s an actual person. He’s your best case scenario and then some. He exceeds the standard of the Stoics. He is the rationality behind the creative genius of the world. He is the engineer and artist of the human soul. He is better than Philo could’ve philosophized! He is the ideal man born as an actual man. He isn’t impersonal or abstract. He is here in the flesh to be known and touched and loved. He is greater than the Jews could’ve predicted! Their God is revealed through his word and known through his word and creates through his word. And, Jesus is that very word with compassion, kindness, and love you can touch. He is the Word.

And, John is here showing how at home the gospel is in every culture by showing that the image of God in them has enabled each of them, some more than others of course, but each of them to have some conceptualization that can enable them to see Jesus in all of his wonderful glory as the Savior of all peoples.

And…

He is “God.”

And, John doesn’t pull up. He drops a bombshell that the early church spent centuries unpacking. This is where our creeds and confessions come from. He says, to be clear: This person, this “Word”, this “Logos” was “with God.” This is deep, intimate language. By saying “with God,” John is saying, “That He was close with him, knowing of him, in relationship with him, family to him.” And, He wasn’t just “with God.” He “was God.” That is, He’s not just close to being God; He is from God.

This mystery is profound, and it’s an introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity. Now, I’m not going to share with you an illustration because illustrations of the Trinity are the straightest line to being a heretic. We worship one God who exists in three distinct persons— God the Father (referred to here as “God”). God the Son (referred to here as the Word). God the Spirit (to be introduced later in the book). Each has their own role within the economy of the Trinity, but each are co-eternal and possess the same essence. The Father didn’t create the Son or the Spirit. They all always existed together in perfect community with one another (“with God”). (MODALISM)They aren’t all different manifestations of God in different ways at different times. The coexist together (“with God.”) (PARTIALISM) They aren’t all 1/3 God. They are all equally God (“was God”). (Arianism) One of them isn’t more God than another (“was God.”) In fact, John goes to great lengths to dispel the heresy that Jesus is just a god created lesser than THE God as the JW’s and Mormon’s profess, that He’s more than just a prophet as the Muslim’s confess. He clarifies so that there is no room for misinterpretation in verse 3: “All things were made through him” (He’s the creator), and “without him was not anything made that was made.” (He is uncreated himself.)

And, here’s John’s point right out of the gate. You see, in the pages ahead, Jesus is going to offer a woman who life had chewed up and spit out living water. He’s going to deal gently with a woman caught in the act of adultery that she is free and to sin no more. And who met with those women? God did. God in human flesh. He’s going to care for them and forgive them himself. Jesus is going to say: “I am the Bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the true Vine. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one gets to the Father except through me.” How can He say these things? He’s God! He’s God in human flesh.

You see, a man alone can’t handle my burdens. I’m proof of that. A man alone isn’t enough to pay for my sins. A man alone can’t heal my broken soul. A man alone can’t change my sinful desires. A man alone can’t transform my future. A man alone can’t be with me always. But, Jesus can!

So, John wants us to understand right out of the gate that

He is “Lord.”

John’s going to work to prove it. But, this is the starting place for his worldview, and He’s insisting that it’s the only starting place for your worldview if you want hope. You see, this is what He’s establishing when He says: “All things were made through him.” John is saying that all of creation, all of humanity, all of you find your origin in Jesus. He designed you. He made you. He assigned purpose and meaning to you. So, He is your Lord and the Lord over everything that you see and will see and can’t see. And, this is the starting place for discovering how you fit into this whole thing and how you can flourish and how you can enjoy God forever.

In 1859, Charles Darwin published his bombshell book title “The Origin of Species” where he laid out his hypothesis that all things came to be through chance and mutation over time. And, it’s contribution to the formation of worldviews in calculable. Where our worldview begins determines where it ends. Behind much of the deconstruction and Exvangelical movement is a desire to rethink the truth about God and my origins so that I can justify my behaviors and wants. If we believe that Darwin is right and we are the result of a lucky mutation, then we become humanists aimed only at advancing the evolutionary cause of our species. We can do whatever we want because there’s no accountability, but there’s also no real hope that we matter beyond gene pool. But, if John is right, and our origins are in Christ, then our mission becomes the advancement of the hallowing of his name until we get to enjoy him forever. It completely redefines our humanity.

So, the hope that you have is that Jesus is Lord. The rest that you have for an anxious mind is that Jesus is Lord. The endurance that you have to keep going when you just want to quit is that Jesus is Lord. You aren’t an accident. And, this isn’t an accident. And, this isn’t all. Because Jesus is Lord. Find your beginning in him, and He’ll see you through to the end. That’s Jesus’ message, and that’s John’s point.

And, that’s what brings us to John’s second introduction here. He starts by telling us who He is and where He’s from, but then He pivots to help us understand what He came to do. Jesus isn’t just the beginning….

Jesus is our “new beginning.”

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.”

Genesis 1:1–3 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

A lot has happened since Genesis 1 by the time we get to John. AND BECAUSE OF THAT A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE, TOO. Sin has come, and so you’ve been to funeral you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.. Brothers begin murdering brothers, and the people who are supposed to protect you harm you instead.. Women are being abused and objectified. Children are being left parentless. Cancer has come. Wars are common. Disability is typical. Childlessness has come. Poverty has come. Tears have come. The whole face of the earth was meant to be covered with the glory of God but instead it seems like evil and dread and fear cover the face of the earth. In many ways, we’ve been taken back to Genesis 1:2 where “the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.”

Darkness hits home with us, doesn’t it? We can feel it closing in, can’t we? But, in Genesis 1, we’re reading with the anticipation that Almighty God is going to interrupt the darkness with the shout of his voice: “Let there be light!”

Darkness has “spread.”

And, that’s the anticipation that John is building into our bones as we read the beginning of his gospel here. Darkness has spread. His audience is occupied by Rome. They have no prospects of victory against them. Death and despair are everywhere they look. They are supposed to be a righteous people set aside by the favor of God, but instead it appears as though they are covered in darkness instead. That is, the scene is very much like it is in Genesis 1:2. The darkness is hovering over the deep once more awaiting the shout of almighty God. And then, the Word COMES and with him comes — just as in Genesis 1 — “life” and “light.” So, in Genesis 1 we’re witnessing Jesus’ creation when He makes all things. In John 1, we’re witnessing Jesus’ new creation when He makes all things new. Oh, brothers and sisters, redemption has arrived and with it a new beginning!

Life has returned to defeat death forever and to spread over the face of the earth. You could summarize all of Jesus’ ministry that way. You see, everything that lives requires light, doesn’t it? Light creates the conditions conducive for life. That’s what Jesus has come to do. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” That is, He came as the Source of life to bring life, and He’s doing by turning on the lights of men and women to see the truth about him and his kingdom. Wherever his light shines, they will see his kingdom and in his kingdom, they will find life.

And, here’s what John wants us to see. This is what we have to see if we’re going to endure the tears of life with hope. This is what we have to see if we’re going to find any joy and peace in the difficulties we face. Because Jesus is the Word of God and his Word never fails, because Jesus is the God of gods himself and no man or power or principality can thwart him, because Jesus is the Lord over all of history and all of the cosmos and all of the sufferings that we know, our assurance is that Jesus’ mission will be accomplished. He will do what He has set out to do. He will overcome the darkness with light. He will extinguish death with life. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Darkness has “lost.”

Notice there’s a shift in verb tense in verse 5. “The light SHINES,” and the darkness HAS NOT OVERCOME it.” You see, the darkness tried to defeat the life, but the light still shines and the darkness has already lost. The cross was such a magnificent failure for hell that it actually overcame it forever and secured my hope and yours.

You see, light is always invincible against darkness, and darkness is always vulnerable to light. Light can always overcome darkness, but darkness can never overcome light. There can be a light bright enough to extinguish all darkness, but there is no darkness deep enough to stop the dimmest light.

But, here’s our trouble: It doesn’t always feel like it right now, does it? My goodness, everywhere you look, it feels like darkness is gaining ground. And, it’s easy for us to doubt whether the darkness has lost and Jesus has won because of what we see. The population percentage who identifies as LGBTQ has doubled in the last ten years. The fastest growing religious segment in American society are those classified as the “nones,” as in they have no religious affiliation. Tiktok is filled with deconstruction stories of young adults who grew up in the evangelical church and have abandoned it in their youth. We’ve become more vulgar and more sexualized and more desensitized to evil. Oh, it feels like darkness is gaining ground and that it will overcome Jesus and his church.

But, isn’t it when the darkness sets in that you can see the light more clearly? Isn’t it the darkness that deepens your love and dependence upon the light? Isn’t that that what causes you to cherish and treasure the light? The world around us may get darker for a while, but for Christians, it serves only to draw us nearer to our Overcomer. Because we know “The light SHINES, and the darkness HAS NOT OVERCOME it.” Because we know that as darkness hover over the earth that we are merely awaiting the shout of heaven that says: “Let there be light!” And, this time when He comes the sun will be bleached out of sight by his eternal glory that will illuminate all of the New Heaven and the New Earth forever. Oh, come Lord Jesus. Come.