Sermon Tone Analysis

II. Jesus Christ, the Light of Believers (1:5–10)

Introduction:

This morning we talked about the introduction of this letter.

We established that John, who wrote the Gospel was the author of this letter.

We talked about the gnostics and that John wrote this letter to refute the arguments that God is spiritual and good, the material world is evil and God therefore has nothing to do with the material world.

John established his purpose to establish a relationship with God and thereby share the good news for our joy.

1.

The fact (1:5): “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.”

a. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

i. V5 begins with a truth.

Upon which John will build a way of life.

b.

Light is a theme throughout scripture as far back as

i.

The Bible contains many verses talking about light even by beginning and ending speaking of the light:

a) Begins with light In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.

b) To the last Chapter 22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

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.

c) I suspect that the light that ruled on day one and the light that burns eternal are the same.

ii.

Other passages throughout scripture

iii.

Old Testement

a) : Later God created two lights, the greater to rule the day, the lesser to rule the night.

b) The 9th plague on Egypt was the lack of light—darkness.

c) An important aspect of the tabernacle and temple holy place was the light from the candle that would represent the coming Messiah.

d) Israel was led through the wilderness by a pillar of fire at night that gave them light.

iv.

In the New Testament:

a) 14 “You are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 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.

16 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.

Of course that light comes from the Spirit of God dwelling within us.

b) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

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.

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

c) 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer.

Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you.

The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

d) 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light.

e) 1 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light.

f) 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

c. Apparently, a common 1st century illustration among believers as Paul uses this same division between darkness and light when talking about being unequally yoked with unbelievers in

d.

John speaks of God not as a light, or the light, but simply “God is light”

i.

It is God’s nature: morally pure,

a) Contrast to darkness as a moral state.

ii.

John is preparing for his next statements contrasting the co-existence of light and darkness.

iii.

John contrast the light that God is further by stating that in God there is no darkness at all.

iv.

The Gnostics argued that if God had dealings with a physical environment, then he would have to contain impurities.

John is rejecting this argument.

a) There are some today that are claiming that God possesses an evil aspect, but John can

e.

Later, John will state that God is love (v.4:8),

These two messages address important aspects of God.

i. God is light is a statement of morality

a) Contrast to darkness as a moral state.

b) Light implies integrity, truthfulness, and authenticity.[1]

c) Darkness stands for evil, sin, and impurity.

It implies deceit, falseness, and inauthenticity.

Light and darkness are ultimately incompatible, and, while in all human character and behavior there is gray, in God there is nothing unworthy, undependable, or morally ambiguous.

God is light.[2]

d) Heathens think of God as darkness, something that is not only unknown, but can’t be known.

In contrast to Christianity that knows that know only has God revealed Himself to us, but that He wants us to know Him and fellowship with Him

ii.

God is love is a statement of an attribute of God

a) A statement of Gods’s status of His relationship with His creation

f.

Light and Life are huge in the discussion of John’s gospel.

i.

a) The light is the source of life.

There was no life until after light on earth

b) shows that eternal life is dependent on light

c) , Jesus states “I am the light of the world”

2.

a.

Because God is light, there is in Him, no possibility of darkness.

i.

The two cannot dwell together.

a) One will overwhelm the other and overcome the other

3.

The fruits of the light (1:6–10)

a. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.