After Darkness, Light.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
500 years ago, out of Geneva Switzerland, after decades and centuries of oppression and abuse from the Roman Catholic church, a popular refrain could be heard: “post tenebras lux” (out of darkness, light.) The reformers felt that after all these years in darkness, the light had been revealed. Well, this morning, I want to re-appropriate that motto and reflect on the Christmas story from the gospel of John who originally coined this phrase, so to speak.
First, a few things about the Gospel of John.
The last time I preached, it was from the first letter of John. John’s letter’s weren’t written too long after his gospel. Many scholars think that these were written within decades of one another. Needless to say John’s gospel, in addition to being evangelistic, was also written to combat improper theology, specifically centered around the identity of Christ. We can see this in John’s purpose statement located in John 20:30-31.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
While we see John’s purpose statement late in his gospel, these opening verses establish the themes that are used consistently throughout the book to explain the nature, personhood and deity of Christ. Hopefully, as Pastor Aaron read these verses this morning, your ears were tuned to repetitive terms. Christ was referred to as
The Word (4 times)
Life (twice) Jesus is the source of life, not just from a standpoint of creation, but also from the standpoint of re-creation.
Light
7 times in the prologue Christ is referred to as light. This morning I want to focus on how Christ is light and what that means to, not just early believers, but to us, separated by 2000 years of history.
How does light overcome darkness
Light reveals Christ’s nature
Light gives us hope.
Light Exposes Darkness
Light Exposes Darkness
Look with me in verses 1-5.
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 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.
Now John opens his gospel in the same way that Moses opens the book of Genesis. We’ll talk about the Word later, but for now I want to focus on light and how it exposes darkness.
Darkness in the Literal Sense
Darkness in the Literal Sense
Phos (photosynthesis, photography, photon)
Darkness is the absence of light
In what sense is John referring to this light in the literal sense?
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. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
Light illuminates, it reveals, it repels darkness. Darkness and light are incompatible.
Darkness in the Spiritual Sense (Light exposes sin)
Darkness in the Spiritual Sense (Light exposes sin)
The ‘darkness’ in John is not only absence of light, but positive evil.
Look at John 1:10
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
Light exposes darkness or sin. This theme is consistent throughout the book of John Look how John further fleshes out darkness in his Gospel.
16 “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.
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.
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. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
I can’t speak with more emphasis here, we must understand the depth of this darkness. We understand that men are sinners. It has almost become cliche or rote: We easily quote Romans 3:23,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
but do we reflect on the magnitude of that statement? of that darkness? Romans 3:11 tells us that there is no such thing a seeker friendly church.
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
That is sin. That is spiritual darkness. That darkness is truly profound. That is what the light exposes.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Just for reference, God proclaimed this judgment on man prior to the giving of the law.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Light Reveals the Nature of Christ
Light Reveals the Nature of Christ
Not only does the light reveal who we are, sinners, but it reveals, to us, who Christ is.
Look at John 1:9-10
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
we see that Christ was coming into the world; the world that He made.
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 any thing made that was made.
(ho Logos) not (a logos) 4 times
(John re-appropriating a greek, philosophical understanding of “Reason, “logic.”
Word of God (speech)
How did God create? The power of His speech---The Word.
Who is Jesus? He is God. It was only a few weeks ago that Pastor Aaron preached on Col 1:15.
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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
The Light gives us Hope
The Light gives us Hope
Given the depth of our depravity, our sin, our spiritual darkness, Christ is our only hope for deliverance.
because the Christ that created, that spoke the world into existence, who upholds all things by the power of His word is the same Christ that redeems us, that reconciles us, that gives us the right or privilege to become children of God.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Look with me again at John 1:5
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
A popular false teaching in John’s time was that of a dualistic universe with a battle between light and darkness. The gnostics would say that there is an ever present and unending battle between these two forces. But John is talking about creation here and not describing a dualistic universe. He is describing the asymmetric victory of light over darkness.
In other words, the darker the dark, the brighter the light. Christ, the word made flesh, the light of the world has overcome the darkness. That is why we can say, after darkness, light.
I can’t think of a more promising text than John’s gospel to speak to hope in this season that we are in.
What if you are here this morning and that hope in Christ is foreign to you. Maybe you feel like you are in a dark place with no hope. Or maybe you just don’t really understand who Christ is. I would encourage you to continue reading the book of John, but I would also encourage you to reach out to one of the pastor and let us help you.
Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own,1
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—2
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.3
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,4
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.5
He also watches over me in such a way6
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;7
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.8
Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life9
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.10