John 1:3-5 - The Life and the Light
The Gospel of John - That You May Believe • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from:
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
Exordium
Exordium
Beloved in Christ,
I invite you to open Holy Scripture to John 1:3-5 this morning.
Earlier this week, a child and I were discussing the difference between “knowing Christ” and “loving Christ.” It prompted me to reflect on a neighbor I had during my time in seminary. One day, I struck up a conversation with a neighbor. I told him that I was a student at Liberty attending the seminary. At this point, he disclosed that he had studied different religions, but did not consider himself overly religious. As we talked, it was clear that he had in fact studied Christianity, even knowing much about Jesus, but he did not love Christ. He knew of Christ, but his heart had not been captivated by Jesus.
As I mentioned last week, John’s Gospel begins with a glorious eruption looking to the glory of Christ Jesus as the Eternal Word. It is evident that John knew Jesus and loved Him. How can you not love Christ when you view Him so highly? How can our love not grow for Him as Scripture shows us His preexistence, His presence with the Father, and the reality that He Himself is God? I pray that your hearts are stirred as we look to the glorious riches of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Especially in these verses, as we discover that the Word mediated creation is the true light and life, and has overcome the darkness. Let us not simply learn more of Christ, but let our love grow in depth and breadth for Him.
My thesis for these verses is that true life and true light are only found in the Word, who mediates both creation and new creation. His mediation of new creation comes through His victory revealed in His death, burial, and resurrection.
John 1:3 - The Word Mediates Creation
John 1:3 - The Word Mediates Creation
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In John 1:1-2, we discussed the truth that the Word existed before the beginning of time. We sat in the unfathomable reality that the Father and the Son enjoyed perfect union and communion in eternity past. Now, as John writes, creation itself was mediated by the Word. I’m sure many of us have read Genesis 1 and thought, “Wow, it’s amazing to think that God created the universe.” Yet, if we pair Genesis 1 with John 1:3, our understanding of creation deepens. “Wow, God created everything through the Word, the Son of God.” If we travel back to Genesis 1, we can see the creative power of God at work.
On day 1, God created light from the darkness. The light He called Day, and the dark He called Night. Day 2, God created the separation between the sky and the sea, and called the expanse Heaven. Day 3, the waters were gathered into one place, which He called Seas, and dry land emerged, which He called Earth. Vegetation and trees then sprang up from the ground, reproducing themselves, filling the dry land. On Day 4, the Sun, Moon, and stars were placed within the panorama of the universe. Day 5, fish and great sea creatures were created to fill the seas, and birds to fill the skies. Then, finally, on Day 6, land animals, and then the crown jewel of all creation, humanity.
How many of us have read Genesis 1 on January 1 as our yearly Bible reading plan begins? Do you see Christ in that chapter? Do you see Christ in creation? Do you marvel at the creative power of the Word? Do you see that God speaks, His Word goes forth, and action immediately happens? The Living Word is on every page of the written Word.
If not, hear how Scripture testifies to this truth. Psalm 33:6-7:
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.
Colossians 1:15-16:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Through the Word, Christ, the heavens and the earth came into existence. As we discussed last week, this claim is counter-cultural. However, the only way to believe this truth is by faith. As Hebrews 11:3 says:
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Do you believe that the Word of God created the universe out of nothing? If so, it is because God has given you faith to believe this. We cling to this truth by faith, for it is impossible to please God apart from faith.
Yet, we must press deeper and further into creation. Recall what Paul wrote in Colossians 1:15-16: all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, were created by Christ. So, it is not merely the physical that has been made through Christ, but also the spiritual beings who live in the spiritual realm. This means that every angel and every demon was created through the Son. Satan himself owes his existence to the Word of God, the very one whom he sought to murder.
Can you even imagine the hate that Satan has for Christ Jesus, that before the Last Supper, he filled Judas’ heart with the malicious intent to kill the very One who created him? The details are captured in Luke 22:3-6:
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.
We may look at these verses with disgust. How could Satan bring himself to this point? Yet, we all too quickly forget that it was our sins that put Christ Jesus on the cross. We are guilty of His death because we transgressed against the Law and the Lord, and we desperately needed a Savior to save us in our floundering. Yet, despite our rebellion, transgression, and treason, the Word of God, who mediated creation, willingly went to the cross for you and for me.
Notice how John writes about the Word’s mediation of creation in this verse. He writes about it in the positive and the negative. First, the positive - “All things were made through Him.” The “all things” at the beginning of the sentence is meant to be emphatic; it’s meant to draw attention. Now the negative - “Without Him was not any thing made that was made.” The point is clear: in creation, the Son’s fingerprints are on all aspects. Everything that was created came through the Eternal Word of God. Even today, we owe our existence to Him.
John 1:4 - True Life and True Light
John 1:4 - True Life and True Light
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
I have the same routine almost every morning. I wake up, prepare the coffee, and feed the animals. Then I write out the portion of Scripture that I am reading, and then read two books. One of those books is specifically a theology book. Now, I am particular about which theological books I read in the morning. I do not simply want one that fills my head. I like these books not just to fill my mind with theological truths, but also to move my heart and affections to love Jesus more. Reading and studying theology for the sake of theology misses the chief aim of studying theology. Theology and doctrine are not the end goal, but they point us to the great reality: Christ Jesus. John 1:4 is rich in theology and also points us to the glorious riches of our beloved Lord and Savior. My prayer is that we would marvel at the Son in this verse. We would see that in Him was life and that life was the light of men, but also that if you are in Christ, you have both the life and the light that Christ freely gives.
These verses are slightly complex because there is debate over what it means that the Word “was life.” Does this refer to the life that was given to humanity in Genesis 2:5-7 and Genesis 2:21-22?
5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Is John referring to this physical life in creation, or is he referring to spiritual life that we see in multiple places in Scripture? John 5:24:
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
1 John 5:11-12:
11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
So, our first question is what type of life John is referring to in this verse? Scholars are almost evenly divided: half believe this refers to physical creation in the Garden of Eden, while the other half think it speaks to spiritual life. There is no doubt that there are reasons for both. In our passage, John writes about creation; however, in every other place in John’s Gospel, “life” consistently refers to spiritual life. Yet, I do not believe there is a need to take an “either/or” mindset, but instead a “both/and” approach.
I believe, with both the words “life” and “light,” John is drawing in those who read these verses. For the Greeks, there is nothing intrinsically moral regarding “life” and “light.” They would have viewed life and light as phenomena in creation. Life was given to humanity in creation, and light was brought forth in the sun and the moon. However, we know that we cannot separate the physical and the spiritual. Take a moment and think about the Second Coming of Christ. When Christ wins the final victory and we are ushered into the new heavens and the new earth, we will not merely be spirits floating around. We are promised that we will have glorified bodies. The physical will remain, but will be glorified, just as it is with Christ. Jesus is not in the heavenly temple as a spirit, but truly has a perfected body.
Thus, I believe that John is, in this verse, by using “life” and “light,” bridging creation, the physical, with new creation, the spiritual. John 1:3 is very clear that the Son mediated creation. Furthermore, new creation is mediated by the Son. We can come to John 11:17-26 with hearts of gratitude, thanksgiving, and joy:
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
The question every person must face is, “Do I have this eternal life?” This morning, has new creation come to your heart? Is Christ your’s? Is He altogether lovely to you? Before the foundations of the world, this life was in Christ, and it can be your’s if you would come to Him, repenting and believing, causing the light of Christ to fill your soul.
For those of us in Christ, do we joyously live into eternal life right now? Yes, we will undoubtedly spend eternity with Jesus, but do you know that you possess eternal life right now? To know God through Christ is to know eternal life. Also, do we look forward to the full possession of eternal life? There will never be a dull, boring moment when we walk with Christ for all eternity. Our joy will be filled, and we will always be satisfied. There will never be a time when we will not know the perfect love of our Savior. One day, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 will become a reality to our souls’ delight:
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Death is no longer our fear, for we have been given life by the One who has always possessed life, Christ Jesus, the Word, our Redeemer.
Now, we come to the last portion of this verse, “and the life was the light of men.” Here is the beautiful transition to new creation. For John, and all of Scripture, there is a connection between spiritual life and spiritual light. Those who have life in Christ have the light of Christ. Those who have the light of Christ also have the life that Christ alone gives.
Let’s take a minute to think about this truth in our own lives. Before Christ redeemed us, we walked in death and darkness. Our lives were full of trivial pursuits whose end led us to death and eternal darkness. We pursued the supposed joys that the world could offer, only to find ourselves unsatisfied with the murky water she gave us to drink. Yet, in that darkness, the light of Christ broke through. He gave us life as the Holy Spirit regenerated and illuminated our hearts, enabling us to see the glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus. In a moment, we were transferred from the kingdom of death to the kingdom of life. In the blink of an eye, we went from living in the kingdom of darkness to living in the kingdom of light. Christ, the light of men, lighted up our own hearts.
Yet, Christ as our light did not last for just a moment, but He lights up our path for a lifetime. John expounds on this in John 8:12:
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.”
A group of family and friends once rented a cabin in the woods for vacation. All of them arrived during the day, except one of the men. The cabin had a large window. When you looked out that window, you could see the beauty of God’s good creation. The man was told about the brilliance of the view, but all he saw was his reflection as he peered into the darkness. He awoke the next morning, walked out into the main room, looked out the window, and his breath was taken away. His eyes took in what his family and friends told him about the day before. The glory of creation was evident, and it was marvelous to behold.
Likewise, Christ, as our light, lights up the path by which we are to walk—the pathway of righteousness and holiness. Before salvation, we had no idea how to walk in holiness. This pathway was dark to us because we could not even begin to comprehend how to walk in the light. After all, we were enemies of the cross. However, He came and lit up our souls. Yet, He does not leave us by the roadside upon our salvation. The Holy Spirit indwells us so that we might mortify our sins by His power. Listen to Galatians 5:19-23 and hear in what specific ways Christ helps us to walk in the light versus in the darkness:
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
This is the goodness of Christ. He doesn’t leave us to group about blindly, but He makes known to us how we are to walk in His Word. Christ is our eternal life and our great and present light.
John 1:5 - The Word is Victorious
John 1:5 - The Word is Victorious
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
As we come to this last verse this morning, we come face-to-face with the incredible power of Christ’s victory. Notice the verbage in the first part of this verse - “the light shines (present, active) in the darkness.” Another way this could be translated is that “the light shines on, or is shining in the darkness.” For John, there was an understanding that the light had not faded. The light continued to shine as he wrote this sentence and these words. The light continues to shine today in our world as well. The Gospel light is not like black ice that cannot be seen. Right now, the light of Christ and His Gospel radiates like a brilliant star lighting up a galaxy.
This is the grace of God. Christ, as the true light, is not hidden under a basket. It is not tucked away in a cabinet that has been unseen for decades. In God’s grace, the light of Christ is revealed in His Word. We should be entirely grateful that we live in a country where the Word is able to be read and the Gospel can be preached freely. As I studied this week, I researched the question: “How many homes in America have Bibles?” The answers were astounding. Anywhere between 80% and 90% of homes in America have a Bible. If you were to distribute all the Bibles in this nation evenly among households, every home would have between three and four Bibles. Yet, the data is also clear that the majority of Americans do not read their Bibles. In an ironic twist, we are a nation privileged to have the written Word in spades, yet it is largely ignored. A nation with tremendous access to see the Light, yet spiritual eyes that are blinded, so the Light is ignored. A brilliant star shining the glory of God, yet eyes stricken by the disease of sin and unable to see Christ’s glory. The Light shines on, and thanks be to God that He caused us to know the grace of Christ. The truth of John 3:19 remains true today:
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
The light has come, yet people still love the darkness. This may be your story today. You sit in the midst of darkness, in the midst of the works of the flesh from Galatians 5. Know that the grace of Christ is greater than the darkness that fills your heart. Know that Christ’s love far surpasses any gift the darkness has to offer you. Know that you can come to Him today, and He will gladly receive you.
We come to the final clause in our verses this morning: “the darkness has not overcome it”- the Light/the Word/the Son of God/Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus is victorious over the darkness! How could our hearts, souls, affections, and minds not be moved when we think about this truth? How can we sit with faces blank, hearts cold, affections unstirred when we hear that Christ is risen, He is risen indeed?
Can you imagine the scenes that occurred after the Last Supper? Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ was arrested while with His disciples, whom He loved. He endured a mock trial at the hands of wicked men. He was brought before Pontius Pilate, who condemned him to die. Jesus’ own people cried out for Him to be crucified. He was beaten, mocked, and maligned. The crown of thrones was placed on His head. His hands and feet were nailed to the wooden cross. He was raised up and took the wrath of God for our iniquities. He breathed His last breath and gave up His life. This death was a real death. Christ did not enter a deep sleep like Sleeping Beauty. He was really dead.
Could it be that the enemy thought he had defeated Jesus? The One promised to bruise my head is now in the grave. A body cold to the touch. Little did he realize that this was the plan all along. Christ’s death on the cross was not a defeat, but a glorious victory, for He redeemed His people by being the sacrifice for their sins.
Friday, Saturday, and into Sunday, His body was covered with a burial cloth. There was no heartbeat. There was no breathing—a holy silence in the tomb. Yet, on that Sunday morning, the burial cloth fell off. Jesus’ heart began to beat again. Air filled His lungs as He breathed in and exhaled. He arose and walked out of that dark tomb victorious. Death could not hold Him. Darkness could not overcome Him. Christ, the Light of the world, brings eternal life to mankind. This is the pinnacle of all history!
Yet, if the Light has overcome the darkness, then why is there so much darkness in our world? Don’t we see the darkness every time we turn on the news or log on to our social media? Depravity is on full display, and it seems as if it is only becoming greater with each passing day. Sexual immorality is praised. Murder is celebrated. Dishonoring parents is the standard. How is it possible that the Light overcame the darkness when the world is so dark?
This is the time between the First Advent and the Second Advent. We know that Christ is ruling in His heavenly Session at this very moment. Yet, darkness still pervades this earth. Satan is still at work, blinding the eyes of unbelievers. These unbelievers have hearts that are darkened toward Christ, and they love their sin, rebellion, and treason. Therefore, we live in an era when the Kingdom has been inaugurated, but not yet fully consummated.
Doesn’t this tension that we live in cause our hearts to long for the day when the Kingdom is consummated? Don’t we so desire to see Christ face-to-face? Don’t we look forward to the day when the battle is over and Christ has won the entire war? Doesn’t this in-between period make our souls long for Revelation 21:22-23?
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Oh, there will be a day when all is made right, and we walk with the Light, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word, forever.
Closing
Closing
John’s prologue is a glorious explosion of Christology. You cannot read John 1:1-18 and not be moved if you belong to Christ. The scope, depth, and breadth of His writing about Jesus causes the heart to desire Him so passionately. He is the eternal Word who was always with the Father, and is Himself God. The Word is the mediator of creation and new creation. In the Word is eternal life and light. Glory be to the Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son: Jesus our Lord and Savior.
