The Light of the World (Pt. 1)

The Light of the World

Nate Ginsterblum / Youth Group

Who is this Man? / John 1:1-14

Have student read passage, add to flow of evening

Introduction:

Context/Background

The author is the Apostle John

John was a fisherman with his brother James and His father Zebedee before becoming a disciple

John is known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” probably because of his special relationship to Jesus

John followed Jesus closely and was the only disciple at the cross watching Jesus as He died

John along with his brother James were nicknamed by Jesus, “Sons of Thunder” This seemed to be because of their intensity and insane zeal. One time, a group did not receive Jesus and John and James asked Jesus, “Do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them? Luke 9:54

John wrote the gospel of John but also wrote 1John, 2nd John, 3rd John and Revelation

The gospel of John in unique from the other 3 gospels (M,M,L,)

(M,M,L) are called the synoptic gospels (Which means, from a common perspective

M, M, L, Start with genealogies and include much more details and timelines.

The gospel of John is not only shorter but does not include a genealogy, but rather, starts all the way: The beginning of time

*Read John 1:1-5 [ Jesus is God ]

In this first passage John is making something crystal clear

Notice verse 1. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God…

Doesn’t this seem like odd language? Imagine saying, In the beginning of my life I had two parents, my mom and my dad. And my mom was with my dad and my mom WAS my dad.

But the Bible is saying that this Word was in the beginning with God and was God.

Basically, in the beginning, God was with God

The idea here is pointing towards something called the trinity - Explain

The author is making it crystal clear here that this “word” is God!

2. Not only this, but verse 3 shows that everything in the world was made through the word

The question becomes: Who is the Word?

I know the Bible is called “The Word” but how can the word be a person?

John seems to be pointing back to genesis to the creation story. When he says, “In the beginning, was the word.” It reminds us of “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

How did he do it? He spoke it into existence (through His word!)

In Genesis 1, God said, “Let there be light, and there was light”

3.  What the author is saying is that the one who spoke the word of creation into existence, and who said “Let there be light” this Word was a unique person of God who existed from the beginning

To further drive this home, In Genesis 1:26 God said “Let us make man in our image”

3. Verse 4 says, “In Him was life and the life was the light of men”

Does this sound familiar?

In Genesis, God spoke not only life into existence through his (Word) but the first thing He spoke into existence was light!

God said, “Let there be Light”

So John is now saying here that the God who created light and life itself is the very embodiment of Life and Light

Without God, there is no life and no light, only darkness…

But God is not just speaking to a physical light, like a lightbulb, but also a spiritual light and darkness

(Which leads me to verse 5)

4. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it”

Darkness in the bible refers to sin and corruption. (All wrongdoing)

In the creation story, God spoke light and life not only physically into the world but also spiritually

In the Genesis story, you will see how many chooses to disobey God (as we all have which leads to darkness entering the world

John is simply stating that spiritual darkness, although it is great in the world, has NOT overcome the light

And we will see why that is!

II. Read with me verses 6-9

We see that this creation that God made by speaking into existence (with his word) is in need of light

Not a physical light (the sun) but the world needs a moral light, a spiritual light to see

*Insert story about darkness and light giving vision*

So we see that a light is entering the world, and there is a man named John who is coming to prepare the way

John was like a person who knew what the Light was and how to point people to it to find sight

2. Verse 9 says “The TRUE light, which gives light to everyone was coming into the world….”

We can begin to see what is happening…

The one who created the universe, and who spoke it into existence, the one who eternally existed with the Father, who is not only the word but IS GOD, is now coming into the world: And his name is Jesus Christ

The creator of the universe decides He needs to bring hope to the world and so He decides to become a human.. Now read with me verses 10-14

V.14 Says the “Word became flesh”... John the baptist who is preparing the way for this “Light” or “Word” said that Jesus was Him of whom the prophets and the law wrote about

Jesus is the word, and Jesus is God

3. In these verses we see here that God’s own creation, the people he made and loved so much, not only didn’t recognize him, (As God) but rejected Him…

Story* Bought Ollie out of a pig pen… many times while taking him out the collar comes loose and he runs away from me… I call his name and looked the other way, almost got hit by a car

Even though I love Ollie and saved Him out of that pig pen, He still doesn’t receive me when I call him but decides to run from me

God says that is what He own people did to him, although He created them and wants to offer them His light (So that they can see) they rejected Him

III. Look with me at verse 12 to see what Jesus offers to the world

John says that to anyone who would “receive him” and “believe” in His name, He would give them the right to become children of God!

If you believe in Jesus, and believe that He is the light of the world, you will be born again as a “New Creation” Not by your own doing, but by God

Being Born again means you are not the same person

God came into the world because there was darkness, (which is sin)

Sin is all wrongdoing in our life

By receiving Jesus, who is the light, our darkness is exposed, we see our sin for what it is and God’s light comes and brings life

When we trust in Jesus, we are forgiven of our sins, and born again by Jesus Light

You see all the wrong doing in your life (every sin, secret or not) God will not hold it against you or punish you for it if you trust in Him

How? Because Jesus ultimately died on the cross where he punished in your place so that you could be free of your sins

But you might be wondering, why does this matter for me? Nate how could possibly know what I’m going through

Coming to the Light means freedom… When you admit the wrong you’ve done and how you feel you don’t measure up there is a huge relief knowing that you’re forgiven

Fear has to do with punishment… I grew up never feeling like I was enough

I never measured up for my parents and always felt like a failure and not enough of a man

I was afraid… of what people thought about me, and I was afraid of failing

The Bible says, “Anyone who fears has not yet been perfected in love, because fear has to do with punishment.”

Before I trusted in Jesus for the first time, I was always afraid.. Fear has to do with punishment

When we are afraid of being punished, or judged by others, we are living in bondage to the enemy

The enemy wants us to build our identity around pleasing our parents and our peers

But God says, I love you so much that I died for you and carried all of your fear, and performance to the cross, he says “I accept you” and you can finally be “Free!”

When I learned this… and truly believed it, I was forever set free

I was set free from the fear of punishment, I was set free from feeling judged, and I felt a HUGE burden come off of my shoulders

See God wants us to be free, and that is the freedom He offers to you today

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only son that whoever would believe in Him, shall not perish, but shall have eternal life.”

All you have to do to be saved, forgiven, and born again, is to look to the Light, Jesus Christ and trust in Him and the loving work he has done for you and He will forgive you and free you forever

Pray

Conclusion… Story of a dream in the church I grew up in….

After I came back

Exegetical Idea:

God came into the world as a man in order to shine light on darkness and offer the world a chance to be born again.

Homiletical Idea:

Jesus, who is the light of the world, came not only offering hope to His people, but for every one of you he offers you an opportunity to be born again