The Light of the World
The Light of the World
John 1:1-5
April 27, 2008
Let’s start again with a reading from Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God Day-by-Day. This one’s entitled, Abide in the Vine
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.”—John 15:5
There are those who feel that they must be constantly laboring for the Lord in order to meet God's high standards. Jesus gave a clear picture of what our relationship to Him ought to be like. He is the vine, the source of our life. We are the branches, the place where fruit is produced. As we receive life from Christ, the natural, inevitable result is that fruit is produced in our lives.
In our zeal to produce “results” for our Lord, we sometimes become so intent on fruit production that we neglect abiding in Christ. We may feel that “abiding” is not as productive or that it takes too much time away from our fruit production. Yet Jesus said that it is not our activity that produces fruit, it is our relationship with Him.
Jesus gave an important warning to His disciples. He cautioned that if they ever attempted to live their Christian life apart from an intimate relationship with Him, they would discover that they ceased to produce any significant results. They might exert great effort for the kingdom of God, yet when they stopped to account for their lives, they would find only barrenness. One of the most dramatic acts Jesus ever performed was cursing a fig tree that had failed to produce fruit. Are you comfortable in abiding, or are you impatient to be engaged in activity? If you will remain steadfastly in fellowship with Jesus, a great harvest will be the natural by-product.
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, "My Mommy looked back once, while she was driving," he announced triumphantly, "and she turned into a telephone pole!"
Another Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?" A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw
up."
The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head, for a moment, before starting his sermon. One day,
she asked him why. "Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages, "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."
"How come He doesn't do it?" she asked.
Art Linkletter was right, kids do say the darndest things. But, like these children often, we have biblical misconceptions, too. We’ll deal with one of them shortly, but first let me give you some background information on the book of John as we continue with this series of messages that will take us right through the book from chapter one through to chapter twenty-one.
The book of John, the fourth of the gospels, is thought to have been written by John from his hometown of Ephesus somewhere around the end of the first century AD. John and his brother James, who was martyred for his faith in 44 A.D., were the sons of a successful fisherman, Zebedee, and according to Mark 1:16-20, John and James were among the first four disciples chosen by Jesus to follow Him. Jesus renamed James and John the “Sons of Thunder”, possibly because of their impetuous temperaments (Mk.3:17; Luke 9:54).
It is believed John died of old age on the island of Patmos where he had been exiled in the last decade of the first century, possibly for religious reasons. There is solid evidence that John also wrote the three epistles in his name as well as the book of Revelation. John, who called himself “the disciple Jesus’ loved” (John 21:20,24) was an eye witness to the life of Christ, probably the youngest of Jesus’ apostles, and he is also considered to be one of Jesus’ inner circle – along with Peter and James (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33)
The central theme of the book of John is to prove that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the unique Son of God. No other Gospel has as explicit and precise a purpose as his (John 20:31). Along with John’s excellent recollection of events in the life of the Savior, he presents a Spirit-inspired interpretation with the goal of encouraging his readers to accept God’s life, and to enjoy that life He provides through belief in Jesus.
Chapter 1, which we started a couple of weeks ago, contains in seed form most of the themes of the book. Last time we looked at Jesus as the Word of Life and today as the Light of Life. John displays an intense conviction of the centrality of the Person of Christ. For the activity of Christ is only believable and understandable through the fact He is the Messiah, the Son of God, God Himself. John also contributes greatly to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as the parakletos – the helper. (John 14:16). John records Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and to know Him is to have life eternal. (John 1:29). Elements of eschatology (endtimes prophesy) are also present in the book of John, including the themes of judgment and resurrection and the coming age. In this book, the departure of Christ and the promised coming of the Holy Spirit tie together the realization and anticipation of the eternal life every believer enjoys through faith in Christ.
It is probable that John wrote after the other gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – and that he was aware of them. As John did not set out to give the life story of Christ as the other Gospels did. He set out to supplement the other Gospels with theological and philosophical interpretation of the Person and work of Jesus, especially suited to his Greek audience. He has few parables, building his Gospel on seven key miracles. He speaks much on eternal life, the Holy Spirit, and the deity of Jesus; he emphasizes events in Judea and south while the other gospels focus on Galilee and north. John focuses on Jesus’ ministry to religious intellectuals while the other gospels emphasize Jesus’ ministry to the common people. John provides our only information concerning the length of Christ’s public ministry.
So, let’s begin by turning to the book of John, chapter 1, and I’ll start by dispelling a common misconception found in verse 1. Let’s look at it together now: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God
In the beginning was the Word and the Word is Jesus. Jesus is the Word John is talking about in this verse, so let’s read it once more, this time substituting Jesus for His other name – the Word: “In the beginning was Jesus, and the Jesus was God
Everything we are and believe as Christians depends upon this: that Jesus Christ is God as well as Jesus Christ is man. Fully God, fully human. Everything depends on this. Now let’s look at verses 2 through 5: He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The goal of the Bible and the goal of God in becoming human and the goal of this gospel of John are all the same. And these goals are found in John 20:31, "These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." So if my messages are going to be faithful to John's purpose in this gospel, my goal must be to help you believe in the Son of God and have eternal life. That is the direction you should pray for me.
We begin today with verses 1–5 and I think I can make the point of these verses clearest by treating them in reverse order. Here's what I see. In verse 5 John says, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." (Some translations say, "have not understood it." But an other place John uses this Greek word is in John 12:35 which says, "Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you.") This is what I would call the "invincibility of light." It is not overcome. Here’s an experiment you can try some time. Find a large totally dark room and light a birthday candle in the middle of the room. Within a short time, your eyes will adjust and you will be able to see, not well mind you, but see, well enough, the whole room. Light is like that, it pierces darkness. There is no better analogy for Jesus than “He is the Light of the world.” (John 8:12) John makes more references to light than do any of the other gospel writers (twenty three times in all). Jesus pierces the darkness. So you could label verse 5: "Light is triumphant over darkness."
But why is this the case? Why does darkness not overcome the light? How can we be sure that light will go on and completely overcome the darkness? This is what verses 1–4 are written to answer. They give three reasons why the light will triumph over the darkness. So let's focus for a moment on the conflict of light and dark in verse 5 and then look at the three reasons in verses 1–4 why light will win.
When John says in verse 5 that "the light shines in the darkness," he means that the Word has become flesh. Jesus has come into a dark world and is the light of the world. In John 8:12 Jesus says, "I am the light of the world." Right here in verse 9 it says, "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not." So it's plain that Jesus is the one spoken of. He is the light in verse 5. He is the one who shines in the darkness.
The darkness is the world of evil and unbelief and death and judgment. John 3:19 says, "This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil." So darkness is the power of evil and unbelief.
This makes a tremendous difference.
So what verse 5 is saying is that Jesus Christ, the light of the world has entered into the darkness of evil and unbelief and lostness and death, and this darkness does not overcome Jesus. Now that makes a tremendous difference to those of us who believe in Jesus. In John 12:46 Jesus says, "I have come as light into the world that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." So believers have passed from darkness to light. John 12:36 says, "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of the light." When you believe in Jesus, not only do you leave the darkness and enter the light; you actually join the family of the light—you become children of the light. Paul said, "Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).
So it makes a tremendous difference to us if the light triumphs, or the darkness overcomes it. And that's what verse 5 makes clear: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The light will triumph and that means Jesus will triumph and all those who believe in him, the children of the light, us, will triumph. We need to hear this today in Canada, because darkness is gaining ground on numerous fronts in our land.
More and more often we read stories that ten years ago would have been unthinkable. Two weeks ago Time magazine reported that a pair of lesbians, Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart, were called as co-assistant pastors of St. Francis Lutheran Church in San Francisco. Michael Hiller, another pastor at the church said, "This is not an issue of morals . . . it's an issue of justice."
Study such declarations carefully. They embody the spirit of our age. When justice is divorced from morality, when rights of individuals are separated from right and wrong, the only definition you have left for justice is the right for every individual to do as he pleases. And the end of that road is anarchy and barbarism and darkness; the darkness of this world that threatens to smother all light
We are moving fast in that direction as a culture. But I will stake my life on the truth of John 1:5. The light shines in the darkness—Jesus shines, the gospel shines, the church shines—and the darkness will not overcome it. How can I be sure?
How Can We Be Sure of Light's Triumph?
John gives me three reasons.
First, consider verse 4: "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." This means that the light that shines in the darkness is the light of LIFE (John 8:12). The life of the Son IS the light of the world. The first reason the light will triumph over the darkness is that it is life. It is living light. What does that mean?
Well, if the life of the Son of God IS the light that shines in the darkness (which is what verse 4 says), then there are at least four things we can say about this light.
1. First, the light of life has energy and power because the life of Jesus has energy and power. It is the power of God unto salvation says Romans 1:16
2. Second, the light of life has purpose and motion. It is not static like a lamppost or a lighthouse on the shore. It plans and moves. It shines now here, now there. It is alive with the life of Jesus because Jesus is alive (Acts 1:3)..
3. Third, the light of life grows and expands. That is the way the life of the Jesus is. His life is a fountain of life (Psalm 36:9). Once the rays start coming out of this light, they extend farther and farther and farther. That is why the Christian church grows. That ragtag group of disciples who fearfully ran from the cross did not start a worldwide movement because they, in themselves, were so great. Their greatness came from the Light – Jesus – who came to live in them in the form of His Spirit.
4. Fourth, the light of life begets offspring. John 12:36, "Believe in the light, that you may become sons of the light." How else could the church have grown as it has grown if disciples did not make the disciples who make disciples? What are you willing to do to make sure the light keeps on and on and on?
So the first reason the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it is that this light is living—it has energy and purpose and growth and reproduction. It is not a static thing, like a stoplight that might be ignored. The light that shines in the world today is the very life of Jesus the Son of God.
To which someone might say, "So what? Maybe the powers of darkness are just as strong as Jesus?" That leads us to the second reason we can be sure the darkness will not overcome the light.
Second, the Light Is the Life of the Creator of All Things
It's given in verse 3: "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." Now the "him" in this verse is the same him as in verse 4: "In him was life and the life was the light of men." So the point is this: the energetic, purposeful, growing, reproductive life that shines in the darkness is the life of none other than the One through whom all things were made. The life that shines in the light is the life of the Creator.
So we know that the powers of darkness are not as strong as this life because this life created the powers of darkness. "Without him was not anything made that was made." And no created thing is more powerful than its creator.
Someone might say, "Isn't the atom bomb more powerful than the men who created it? Can't the atom bomb destroy its maker?" The answer is that there is an infinite difference between, on the one hand, making a bomb out of materials that exist already and which are controlled by laws you did not write, and, on the other hand, creating out of nothing the very materials of the universe and the laws that control them. Can you make something out of nothing? No, but you can always turn that something into nothing. The Creator always has the upper hand. He will triumph. He is our Light – the Light of the World!
And the powers of darkness know this, because when Jesus came to the Gadarene demoniacs in Matthew 8:29, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" "Before the time!" They know a TIME is set for their destruction and for their everlasting consignment to hell. They know the light will triumph.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it, first, because the light is the light of energetic, purposeful, growing, reproducing life, and, second, because that life is the life through whom everything was made—including the angelic powers that fell into darkness.
That leaves one last reason for why we can be sure that the light will not be overcome by the darkness. Not only is the light a living light, and not only is the life of this light the life of God's Word through whom he created all things, but this Word, this life, this light, IS GOD! And God Almighty cannot be overcome.
Verse 1: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." "The Word was with God" means that they are distinct Persons and can fellowship with one another. But "the Word was God" means that they are one God, not two. We hold fast to the biblical mystery: God the Father and God the Son have such a unity that they are one God not two, and such a distinction that they are two Persons not one. I’m going to take a rabbit trail here. Our care group in town has just finished studying the “Truth Project”. One of our sessions went into some detail about the trinity and I want to read directly from that lesson: “it is possible that someone may wrongly begin to perceive the persons of the trinity as separable beings. They are not! One must never lose sight of the reality that God is One – one in essence and being. He exists in three persons, yet each is fully and wholly God. All this is mysterious, yes, but not so mysterious that we can’t comprehend its reality. I do not understand how the flesh and spirit within me are joined. I do not understand how my wife and I are “one flesh”. I do not understand how the Spirit of God can dwell within me. Paul calls these “profound mysteries”. Yet, not understanding, I believe. End of rabbit trail. Let’s get back to our message for today.
The practical point is this: the light cannot be overcome by the darkness because
1. the light is alive—it's the light of life; and
2. through this life—this living Word—all things were made; and
3. this living Word IS God.
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 anything made that was made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
At the beginning of this message, we listened to some wee stories from children suffering under misconceptions about Bible stories and prayer and God. I the said I wanted to dispel a misconception you may have about Jesus. Did I achieve what I set out to do? Do you see how Jesus is the WORD and the LIGHT OF THE WORLD? You will hear a lot more about light and darkness in this series of messages in the book of John since, as I told you, John talks a lot about Jesus as the Light. Think of yourself as that wee birthday candle in a very large dark room. And that is what you are here in Cut Knife – a light shining in a dark place. Do not despair of the darkness surrounding you.
So be of good cheer. Christ has overcome the world of darkness (John 16:33). And I says again, "Believe in the light that you may become sons of the light" (John 12:36). Take the offensive this spring. Raid the darkness. It cannot overcome you. You are the children of light.
Let’s continue our spiritual checkup that we began two weeks ago, for, as someone has said, `The unexamined life is not worth living.'
· Do I live day by day in conscious dependence on the Lord?
· Does the need for revival have much place in my prayer life?
· Have I hurt or wounded anyone and not yet apologized?
· Do I give myself to God, then draw back when I realize just how much is involved?
· How do I feel about undertaking this spiritual check-up — challenged, bored, unconcerned?
· Do I grieve when I hear the name of Christ blasphemed, or have I grown insensitive to such things?
· When my non-Christian friends ask me about my interests do I take the opportunity to share;
· How long is it since I last shed tears over the condition of the world and the Church?
· Am I fighting a losing battle with evil thoughts?
· When did I last undertake a spiritual fast
