Look Out Below! Series

LOOK OUT BELOW!

John 1:6-13

S: Jesus as Light

Th: Christmas: It’s About Jesus

Pr: RECEIVE THE LIGHT.

?: How do we come to the place of reception?

KW: Responses

TS: We will find in John 1:6-13 three responses to the encounter of Jesus as the light.

INDUCTIVE

The ____ response to Jesus as the light is…

I. REVELATION (6-8)

II. REJECTION (9-11)

III. RECEPTION (12-13)

RMBC 12/17/00 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL Notebook: Surprise (baby’s got a present)

Lisa Turner’s birthday was coming up and was excited to see what special thing her husband was going to do. She secretly hoped for breakfast in bed or a bouquet of roses. When the day arrived, there was no breakfast in bed or a bouquet of roses. In fact, it seemed her husband had completely forgotten. That afternoon, her husband handed her the baby and said, “He’s got a present for you.” She cringed. She knew this meant the baby had a messy diaper. Though it irritated her that she had to change diapers on her birthday, she grabbed the baby and diaper wipes, and prepared for the worst. To her delight, she found in the perfectly clean diaper a string of pearls—a wonderful present from her laughing husband.

Well, that was a wonderful surprise, even if it was a bit unorthodox.

Do you like surprises?

There are some surprises that are just plain fun.

There are others that just leave us shaking our head.

TRANSITION:

For example…

1. The crude environment of the birth of Jesus is certainly a surprise.

Doesn’t it seem at least a little bit absurd that the Creator of life would be born in this coarse setting?

I don’t mean to be rude by this line of questioning, but is that the way you would have planned it and done it?

Would you plan the birth to take place among animals?

Would you plan the birth to come to fruition in a damp, foul-smelling stable?

Would you plan for the birth to be announced to some second-class citizens watching their sheep and then have them be the first visitors?

I would not have planned it that way.

I would not have expected that.

2. We were not, though, left in the dark about His coming (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Micah 5:2).

It was communicated!

Note these verses we mentioned two weeks ago in our study:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

We were clued in on some very essential information.

We were told that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

We were told that the Messiah would come from a virgin.

And we were told, several times, that the Messiah would be nothing less than God Himself.

He was coming to rescue His own people.

This baby that we celebrate at Christmas is this very same Messiah.

He was named in the Hebrew, “Y’shua.”

In the Greek, it came out as “Jesus.”

3. Last week, we saw that Jesus shows us the way as the “light-bearer” (Luke 2:29-32)

When the old man, Simeon, saw Jesus in the temple as an eight-day old baby, he immediately knew who it was.

He knew that this baby was the hope of Israel and all mankind.

He said:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

It was Simeon’s testimony that this baby was going to show the way to live.

People were going to be able to see, for this baby was the light.

He was the light-bearer.

In our continuing study of the gospel of John, we are going to see today how you and I can respond to Jesus.

So…

4. We will find in John 1:6-13 three responses to the encounter of Jesus as the light.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first response to Jesus as the light is as REVELATION (6-8).

(6) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (7) He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. (8) He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.