Series: Light And Life [#1]
THE BEGINNING
John 1:1-18
Introduction:
What a week. Between the politics and busyness that comes with the Holidays; it has been a bit frustrating. I cancelled a subscription to Christianity Today magazine and their weekly newsletter this week that I have had for years because they are behaving like the rest of the media. I have been reminded of something very important- I need to stop being distracted by things that don’t matter and focus on Jesus Christ. Without the birth of Jesus, there would be no Easter; and without Easter I would have no hope. It is very important that we focus on the truths of Jesus Christ. We need to remember our beginnings.
John 1:1-3 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The truth is…
1. Jesus is God.
When John wrote this Gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit, he was dealing with a group of people called the Gnostics. The Gnostics believed and tried to convince others that they had a direct connection to God that no one else had. They believed that God gave them deep truths that no one but them had access to. They were so busy being the most spiritual and most knowledgeable that they completely missed God in the flesh- Jesus.
John 1:1 begins like Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning.” When the heavens and earth were created in the beginning, Jesus was there. The Word- Jesus Christ has been here since the beginning. The Word has always been with God and is God. Everything and every person has been created by Jesus. Jesus is God. Jesus is the Word, God in the flesh. Jesus was here way before He came to this earth in the form of a baby.
John 1:4-13 (NIV)
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The truth is…
2. Jesus is life.
All life comes from God. Jesus is life. Jesus’ life is light to a world of darkness. He’s the light, and darkness has no chance against Him. Jesus destroys the darkness. There are 4 different responses to the light that people have.
? John testified.
This John that testified about Jesus was John the Baptist. He was a humble man. God sent him to prepare the way for Jesus. His job was to testify about Jesus being the true Light. Although, Jesus was about 6 months younger than His cousin John; John knew that Jesus had actually been here forever.
? Some people live in darkness.
How do you live in darkness with Jesus lighting up the world? If you’re in a dark room and someone turns the light on, how do you not recognize the light? If you’re blind, you don’t see the light. If you don’t have the ability, the capacity to see it- You don’t see it. You’re blind; and the Bible says if we’re without God in our lives we’re blind. We need the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, help us to see.
? Some people do not receive the light.
This says He came to His own- The people who already had the Word and it wasn’t that they just didn’t recognize Him- They didn’t receive the light. That’s different. If I don’t see it all I don’t have the same accountability. If there’s a light over the corner and I don’t receive it, the only way I can do that in a dark room is I have to turn away from it. This says Jesus came to His own people, people of the Old Testament, that God had taught all the Laws to, all the great things that He wanted to do and instead of accepting Him as the promised one, many rejected Him. They didn’t accept Him.
John 1:14-18 (NIV)
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
The truth is…
3. Jesus became flesh.
This is what Christmas is about. Jesus took on flesh and lived among us on this earth. In order for Him to save us, He had to become us. Through Jesus, we are offered grace. This is the only way to be saved. Salvation comes through Jesus living a perfect life, becoming sin on the cross, and arising from the grave on the 3rd day. God’s presence in our lives is possible through Jesus.
Conclusion:
Christmas is about Jesus becoming flesh so that through His grace and His truth, we can be saved. We need to stop trying to destroy darkness in our own power and let the Light of Jesus be our victory.
