The Christmas Light
Text: Jn. 1:6-13
Introduction
1. Illustration: History records for us an interesting footnote. It was during the dark winter of 1864.
a. At Petersburg, Virginia, the Confederate army of Robert E. Lee faced the Union divisions of General Ulysses S. Grant.
b. The war was now three and a half years old and the glorious charge had long since given way to the muck and mud of trench warfare.
c. Late one evening one of Lee’s generals, Major General George Pickett, received word that his wife had given birth to a beautiful baby boy.
d. Up and down the line the Southerners began building huge bonfires in celebration of the event.
e. These fires did not go unnoticed in the Northern camps and soon a nervous Grant sent out a reconnaissance patrol to see what was going on.
f. The scouts returned with the message that Pickett had had a son and these were celebratory fires.
g. It so happened that Grant and Pickett had been contemporaries at West Point and knew one another well, so to honor the occasion Grant, too, ordered that bonfires should be built.
h. What a peculiar night it was. For miles on both sides of the lines fires burned. No shots fired. No yelling back and forth. No war fought. Only light, celebrating the birth of a child.
i. But it didn’t last forever. Soon the fires burned down and once again the darkness took over. The darkness of the night and the darkness of war.
2. The good news of Christmas is that in the midst of a great darkness there came a light, and the darkness was not able to overcome the light.
a. It was not just a temporary flicker. It was an eternal flame.
b. We need to remember that there are times, in the events of the world and in the events of our own personal lives, that we feel that the light of the world will be snuffed out.
c. But the Christmas story affirms that whatever happens, the light still shines.
3. At this time of year we need to talk about...
a. Proclaiming the Light
b. Rejecting the Light
c. Receiving the Light
4. Let's all stand as we read together John 1:6-13
Proposition: Jesus is the true Christmas light and if we want out of the darkness we need to accept Him into our lives.
Transition: First, let's talk about...
I. Proclaiming the Light (6-9).
A. To Tell About the Light
1. Last week we talked about Jesus being the Living Word. Today we will talk about Jesus as the light of the world.
2. John begins by telling about John the Baptist. He says, "God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony."
a. At the time that John was writing this Gospel there were still some who were following John the Baptist instead of Jesus.
b. Therefore, John wants to point out that there is a great difference between the two.
c. Notice that it says, "God sent a man," referring to John the Baptist, but he has already referred to Jesus as "and the Word was God."
d. Jesus was in the beginning, but John came into existence.
e. However, John made it clear that John had a distinct and important mission: that of a witness, to tell about the light.
f. He was sent not to draw attention to himself, but rather to point people to Jesus. His mission was to testify concerning "the light."
g. We could understand light to mean goodness in general, except that John has already identified Jesus as the light he was referring to.
h. The reason the Baptist was sent was to identify Jesus so that "everyone might believe" in Him.
i. The word "believe" here is a continuous verb indicating that John's purpose was to bring people to the point of decision, to an act of faith (Morris, 81).
j. This is the first time we see the word for "witness" in the Gospel.
k. This word is important because it communicates what happens as the Word enters the world.
l. As if in a courtroom, evidence and witnesses will come forward to verify the truth of Jesus' case (Burge).
3. John continues saying, "John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light."
a. What does John mean by "the light?"
b. He is not talking about a lamp, torch, or even the light of a campfire.
c. He is referring to a "light that illuminates a person's darkened soul (Practical Word Studies in The New Testament).
d. He is not talking about an outer light, but rather an inner light.
e. He is not a talking about a light that is external, but one that is eternal.
f. He is not talking about lighting up a room, but rather about lighting up a life.
g. Throughout his ministry people kept pressing the Baptist to claim to be the Messiah.
h. However, he always rejected this assertion, proclaiming that there was One coming who was greater than himself.
i. Furthermore, the Apostle also asserts this by saying "John himself was not the light."
j. While he points out the greatness of John, he also shows his obvious limitations.
k. He makes it clear that he came not to be the light, but to point out the light to others.
4. He goes on to say, "The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world."
a. The Apostle speaks of Jesus as the "true light," and that He gives light to everyone.
b. According to William Barclay, other lights "were flickers of the truth; some were faint glimpses of reality; some were wil o' the wisps which men followed, and which led men out into the dark and left them there" (Morris 83).
c. However, Jesus is the real light. He is the light that shines in the darkness that can never be extinguished.
d. There is nothing artificial or shadowy about the light of Christ. Jesus came to bring light to everyone, and the rest of the New Testament is clear about this witness.
e. JOHN THE BAPTIST was bearing witness not to an abstraction or a hope, but to a reality. The "true light" was coming.
f. Christ is the real light of humanity who was about to enter the world.
g. The text should be understood to mean, not that he had already illumined everyone, but that his function would be to give the light of truth to all whom his ministry would affect, whether in greater or lesser degree (Tenney).
B. Christmas Proclamation
1. Illustration: Eusebius, a scholarly church historian of the early fourth century, evidently made a considerable study of the literature available to him, and came to this conclusion about the star: "The star was new and a stranger among the usual lights of heaven, a strange star, not one of the many known stars, but being new and fresh."
a. A recent writer, Robert McIver, has spent 3 decades researching this subject. In his book, Star of Bethlehem - Star of Messiah, published 1998, he cites star records from ancient Chinese and Korean astronomers who both noted such an unusual new star about the time of Christ’s birth.
b. He also discusses paintings in the Roman catacombs, as well as coins from various countries which depict an unusual star about this time.
c. He even notes possible interpretations, but it is at least an interesting coincidence, if nothing else, that such indications of an unusual new star at about the time of Christ’s birth can be found all over the world.
2. Christmas affirms the great truth that Jesus is the Light of the World.
a. John 12:46 (NLT)
I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
b. Until Jesus came into the world we all lived in the darkness of sin, death and the grave.
c. We were a people without hope and with out a future.
d. Since Jesus came into the world we no longer have to walk in darkness.
e. We can walk in the light and truth of the Gospel.
3. Christmas affirms the great truth that Jesus has called us out of the darkness.
a. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
b. Jesus has not only come to bring us the light, but He also calls us out of the darkness.
c. He tells us that there is a new and better way.
d. He tells us that we do not have to stumble in the darkness.
e. He tells us that there is a way out of the empty lives we have been living.
f. He beckons to us, "come out of the darkness and into my wonderful light."
4. Christmas reminds us that we are to be reflections of the light of Jesus.
a. Philippians 2:15 (NLT)
"...Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."
b. If Jesus is truly living in our hearts people will see His light shinning through us.
c. They will see the brightness that comes when a person is sold out and living the truth of Jesus in their life.
d. They will see someone who has chosen to walk consistently in the light.
e. They will see the light of Jesus beaming through us and into the world.
Transition: However, the unfortunate reality of life is that many are...
II. Rejecting the Light (10-11).
A. Rejected Him
1. From the time that Jesus came until our present day people have been rejecting Jesus.
a. Whether it is the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day, or our post-modern, post-Christian culture we live in today, many throughout history have rejected Jesus.
b. They have doubted his claims in spite of His miracles and the truth that He lived out everyday.
c. People have thrown out the Scriptures that tell about Him and all that He said and did.
d. They have rejected the One who came to save them.
2. John makes this clear when he says, "He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him."
a. Another key term we need to come to grips with in order to better understand both the prologue as well as the rest of John's Gospel is the word "the world."
b. Again it is a word that John uses frequently in the writings. Of the 178 times it appears in the New Testament it appears 78 times in John's Gospel, 24 times in his letters, and 3 times in Revelation (in case you are as bad at math as I am that is 105 times).
c. There are two ways that he uses it; one has to do with all of creation, and the second refers to all those who are in opposition to Christ.
d. In this verse he uses it both ways. The first refers to the world He created, and the second to all that rejected Jesus.
e. Those that rejected Him did so in an ugly and inconceivable way when they came face to face with the Living Word (Morris, 112).
3. This verse also tells us three things about Jesus.
a. First, "He came into the world," and it implies that it wasn't just a casual visit, but that He came and stayed.
b. Second, is that the world owes its existence to Him, and it points back to verse 3.
c. Third, Jesus was rejected by the very world He created and came to save.
d. When he says they "didn't recognize him," it is not talking about an intellectual recognition, but about a failure to know Him intimately, to know and love as a friend. The world consistent reaction to Jesus is one of indifference (Morris, 85).
4. Not only did the world in general reject Jesus, but even His own people rejected Him. John says, "He came to his own people, and even they rejected him."
a. The focus of revelation has been Judaism, the spiritual birthplace of the Messiah.
b. And the great irony of this Gospel's story is that even here, where readiness and receptivity should have been keen, there was only rejection (Burge).
c. When Jesus came into this world, He did not come to a people to whom He would have been foreign.
d. We can see this in the story of His birth.
e. Matthew 2:4-6 (NLT)
He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
f. He came to a group of people who should have recognized and embraced Him. He came to Israel, who for thousands of years had been promised a Messiah.
g. They had prophecy after prophecy that gave specific instructions about who and where He would come. Yet they still don't not accept Him.
B. Rejecting Jesus
1. Illustration: Song writer Mark Heard, in his song "Nothing Is Bothering Me," said, "Jesus is knocking but don't let Him in. He might come in like a thief and steal away your sin."
2. The reason the world rejects Jesus is they love their sin more.
a. John 3:19-20 (NLT)
And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.
b. People reject Jesus because they are afraid to let go of their sin.
c. They love their sin or they wouldn't do it.
d. They reject Jesus because He requires that they change their evil ways.
e. They don't want to give up control of their lives.
f. In His first sermon Jesus didn't just say believe, but "repent and believe."
g. A request that people cannot deal with.
3. In the end, people will pay a high price for rejecting Jesus.
a. Hebrews 2:3 (NLT)
So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?
b. Jesus paid a high price for our salvation; giving up everything including His own life.
c. It is a salvation that He paid the price for and all we have to do is accept it.
d. IF we reject that and chose to follow our own way we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
Transition: However, there is a great benefit in...
III. Receiving the Light (12-13).
A. Believed Him and Accepted Him
1. Despite the previous verse, John does not want to leave us with the impression that no one responded to Jesus. Most people didn't, but there were some who did, and it is them that John now focuses his attention.
2. He says, "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."
a. He begins by making a very important point. He says "to all who believed and accepted him."
b. Both of these elements are crucial, especially in our society today. There are many people who walk around saying, "Oh, I believe in Jesus," with their mouths, but their actions show something completely different.
c. John combines two crucial elements; believing and accepting. You cannot simply believe that Jesus existed, or even believe that He is the Son of God, without accepting Him into your life and giving Him control in your life.
d. If you believe in Jesus without following Him it means nothing. It takes both believing and accepting.
3. John then stresses the results of these actions by saying, "he gave them the right to become the children of God." There are three crucials elements here as well.
a. First, He gave. It is a gift. We can only believe and accept Christ by His grace.
b. Second, the right. He is not talking about power but status. Notice he doesn't say "to be," but "to become." There is not only a status, but a change of status.
c. Third, children. When we believe and accept Jesus as Savior we "become children of God." People that say, "We are all God's children," are mistaken. We are all God's creation, but only those who believe and accept Jesus are the children of God (Morris, 87).
4. John says that the result of accepting Jesus is "They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."
a. John indicates that when someone believes and accepts Jesus they are reborn, or born again.
b. He points out that this is a spiritual rebirth. He says its not a physical birth that results from sexual desire or plan, but rather it is birth that can only come from God Himself.
c. They can be born into God's family in no other way.
B. Accepting Jesus
1. Illustration: When someone offers you a gift, it is not really yours until you receive it.
2. We become God's children only by accepting Jesus.
a. John 3:3 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
b. We cannot do it by being good enough.
c. We cannot do it by being good to others.
d. We can only do it by accepting Jesus.
3. We demonstrate we have accepted Jesus by believing and confessing.
a. Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
b. Believing is only the first step. It is an important step, but it is not the only step.
c. We also have to confess that we have accepted Jesus into our lives.
d. We have to tell someone!
4. When we accept Jesus we become a new person.
a. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
b. The things that used to be important to us no longer matter.
c. The only thing that matters is serving Jesus.
d. It is not only a change of status it is also a change of heart.
e. It is a change in priorities.
f. It is a change inside.
Conclusion
1. The good news of Christmas is that in the midst of a great darkness there came a light, and the darkness was not able to overcome the light.
2. Christmas is about...
a. Proclaiming the Light
b. Rejecting the Light
c. Receiving the Light
3. How about you?
a. Have you accepted the light?
b. If you have, are you proclaiming the light?
