The Eternal King

The Coming King  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Intro

As I was working on this message at my front window
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything 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.
During the four Sundays of Advent we hope to bring four messages from God’s word that prepare us for our Coming King. The Christian purpose of the Advent season is to focus our attention on the great reality described in the verses we’re looking at today.
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. , "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.
During the four Sundays of Advent we hope to bring four messages from God’s word that prepare us for our Coming King. The Christian purpose of the Advent season is to focus our attention on the great reality described in the verses we’re looking at today.
The point of John’s writing, the point of Christmas is that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. That is where we need to get to before we leave this morning. I need to get there and you need to get there because we are living in a dark world.
A world where a bigger, faster stronger bird overcomes a smaller, weaker songbird and takes its life energy to sustain its own. That is not the way its supposed to be. That was not what either was created for. The songbird was made to sing. The hawk was made to soar and both were supposed to do be able to do both without taking from each other.
When this was written, a roman could who came upon a jew could force them to carry his load for a mile. It didn’t matter if it was a family. A dad and a mom and little children out getting the days portion of food. This was especially enjoyable to roman soldier. There were probably plenty who would not. But for decent roman soldier there were probably 5 who would relish the chance to humiliate the jewish family. That is a dark world.
Today, where this is still being written, a young man in Jefferson City wakes up on Thanksgiving day, knocks on the door of a 17 year old and takes the 17 year olds life as soon as he opens the door. And then shortly after this the same man less than 2000 from where I stand took the life of a single mom trying to raise her children. That is darkness. We live in darkness. This is a dark world.
Paul writes in :

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

It will do you or I no good to pretend that things are not as bad as they are. You and I are not going to get out of this alive. And we have little control of how or when we will actually exit. Our money, weather we have any or not, our position weather we have one our not, our reputations. Nothing we have is going to save us from our untimely death. Nothing, including our faith in Christ, promises that we will be spared from the evil of the days we live in.
Things are getting darker. How do we know that the light that John talks about, the one that shines in the darkness, will overcome the darkness? How do we know?
Because right now you may be facing darkness. It may be an overwhelming darkness. And you see no hope. And the answer is wait. Just wait the darkness out and it will get lighter.
Our hope is that the light
Advent is about waiting for the coming of a King. A king that will overshadow everything. How do we know that you can trust Jesus to overcome the darkness in you and around you.
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.
John gives us several reasons:
The point of this passage is vs 5:
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The initial reader needed to know this. You and I needed to know this. In the dark world we live in, is there any hope. Is there a light at the end of the dark tunnel I am in. John’s gospel answer’s that question. He says the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
How can we be sure?

Jesus has never not existed (vs 1-2)

The first reason the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it is that this light is eternal.
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. This is the biblical mystery that you and I hold onto: God the Father and God the Son are so unified that they are one God not two, and yet are both so distinct that they are two Persons not one.
But more importantly, as the eternal God, Jesus has never not existed. The first reason we can trust that this light overcomes the darkness is that this light is eternal.
He is uncreated. He doesn’t have a beginning and he doesn’t have an end. John is writing about this man who was born and died and he is making the point that Jesus is eternal.
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 the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Jesus is the first born because God’s line is made of second born men. The title, “I am the God of Jacob” means he is the god of the second born.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

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 the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The light will overcome the darkness because it has always been and will always be.
Matthew starts with an outrageous geneology. I love this geneology because it is incredibly vulnerable. It speaks of fallen messy ancestors. Liars, cheaters, adulterers, incestuous families. No one in their right mind would record this as the ancestry.com of a glorious, perfect and powerful king.
Mark begins quoting Isaiah, immediately tying John the Baptist to an ancient promise and then just charges right into the last three years of Jesus’ ministry as he lets John Baptist introduce this king.
Luke carefully begins explaining to the disciple Theophilus how carefully he has researched and gathered the data that supports this growing disciple’s trust in Christ.
John, like Mark begins with the beginning but where Mark started with Isaiah, John goes all the way back to the very first words of the Torah. The sacred text and he begins stepping through the creations story stomping on one explosive image after another.
Step through each land mine here.
It is like the best fireworks finale you have ever seen.

There is nothing Jesus didn’t make (vs 3)

All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
The second reason the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it is that this light created everything.
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.

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.

r of All Things 
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.
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. If you can make something out of nothing, you can always turn that something into nothing. And therefore the Creator always has the upper hand in his world. He will triumph.
Recently the wildly popular and purely fictional Game of Thrones series ended. But what were looking at this morning is the completely real Creator of Thrones.
And the powers of darkness know this.
Do you recall the story of Jesus’ encounter with the demon possesed man at Gadarene in ? When Jesus addressed the demons in the man 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!"
There are two important lessons we learn from this encounter between Jesus and the demonic world.
They were surprised by Jesus appearance. They were not expecting him this soon. Jesus first advent, his first coming was not anticipated.
They know a TIME is set for their destruction and their everlasting consignment to hell.
They know a TIME is set for their destruction and for their everlasting consignment to hell. (See .) They know the light will triumph.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it because the that life is the life through whom everything was made—including the angelic powers that fell into darkness.

The power for overcoming is in Jesus life (vs 4)

In him was life and the life was the light of men
The third reason the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it is that this light is a living light.
Energy and power because the Son has energy and power.

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Sons and daughters of the light look this way.
​​​
To jews who had to face the regular possibility of being forced to carry a roman soldiers goods for a mile were encouraged not to look at it as something they had to do. It was what they got to do. And they were encouraged to carry it two miles, not just one.
Simon of Cyrene who was forced to carry Jesus’ cross is an example of this oppressive practice.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
It looks like a Bernie, who when she gets sent to rehab, she doesn’t see it as an inconvenience, she sees it as an opportunity to tell more people about jesus. To meet new people and pray with them and for them.​​​
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Purpose and motion - not like a stationary lamp post or a lighthouse.
Grows and expands - he is the fountain of living waters. Like the rays of the sun or the streams of a river they flow out and expand.

12  Be appalled, O heavens, at this;

be shocked, be utterly desolate,

declares the LORD,

13  for my people have committed two evils:

they have forsaken me,

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed out cisterns for themselves,

broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Reproduces

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

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

To jews who had to face the regular possibility of being forced to carry a roman soldiers goods for a mile were encouraged not to look at it as something they had to do. It was what they got to do. And they were encouraged to carry it two miles, not just one.
It looks like a Bernie, who when she gets sent to rehab, she doesn’t see it as an inconvenience, she sees it as an opportunity to tell more people about jesus. To meet new people and pray with them and for them.
These are the reasons we can trust that the light will overcome the darkness.

Even darkness isn’t dark to Jesus (vs 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.
Light is triumphant over dark. The universe is not like nature. Light and dark are not balanced. Light overcomes dark. Hence the darkroom. If you have ever been into photography

Application and Invitation

So what? What is our response to all of this
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