The True Light
John 1.6-13
Helen Keller tells of that dramatic moment when Anne Sullivan first broke through her dark, silent world with the illumination of language:
“We walked down the path to the well house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Some one was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motion of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten—a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that “w-a-t-e-r” meant that wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!”
The moment Helen Keller describes is that moment her world of darkness was shattered with the light of language. Although she was the same person physically, her life was transformed. She now had a way she could see and understand.
Spiritually speaking, people are living in a world of darkness. Some of you may recognize the words to the Simon and Garfunkel song from the 70’s entitled The Sound of Silence: “Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.” This is an accurate description of the way many people feel today—they are living in spiritual darkness. They are in need of spiritual illumination, a divine light.
Last week, we learned from the first 5 vv of John that Jesus Christ is the Originator of spiritual Light. The challenge of John’s Gospel as a whole is a call to believe on Jesus, so that by believing one can have life.
John begins by telling us who Jesus is: He is God. He is the Creator. He is Light and Life. Now, the apostle expands upon the truth that Jesus is the Light. And as the Light, He is the source of spiritual illumination. From our text, we examine 4 scenes regarding the Light:
I. The True Light Represented (6-8)
For John, the ultimate origins of the Messiah are in the Pre-incarnate Word who was with God and who was God. But when John begins the account of Jesus’ public ministry, he follows the Synoptics and takes us to the ministry of John the Baptist. In vv. 1-5, the Evangelist focuses upon the Word’s role in eternity. Now he turns to the Word’s relative place in human history, a story that begins with Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist. The Word, in whom exists the life that is the light of men, was first manifest in the public arena of history when a man called John the Baptizer bore witness of him.
Let’s observe what the text says regarding John the Baptist’s role:
A. “There came a man”
In contrast to the Word, who “was” in the beginning, John “came” into the world. Unlike the eternal Logos, John was born into the world. He was a created being.
B. This man was “sent from God”
The significance of John the Baptist is recognized in the fact that he was sent from God. He came with the authority of God Himself. As one sent from God, John is in the same category as Moses (Ex. 3.10-15), the prophets (Isa. 6.8; Jer. 1.4), and even Jesus Himself, who was sent from God. This man came by God’s own commission and with God’s own authority.
C. He was sent as a “witness” to the light.
The purpose of John was one: to bear witness to the true light. He was not the light but was sent to bear witness of the true light, and by his witness persons would believe in the light. Through his testimony, others would be delivered from spiritual darkness.
John employs courtroom language here: the Baptizer was a witness, a testimony, of the true light. What are the traits of a witness?
- a witness has seen/experienced something firsthand
- a witness is willing to testify to what he/she has seen/experienced
- a witness commits oneself to that truth. He/she is no longer neutral.
John is a witness of Jesus, the true light. He is a testimony of what he has experienced. He is willing to tell others (no matter what the cost—his own head). And he has committed himself to sharing what he has experienced.
This text is clear that the roles of the Logos and the witness are not to be confused. The apostle John reminds us, “He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness to the light.” Negatively, John was NOT the Light. Positively, he was a witness of the light. John was merely a witness, the voice of one crying in the desert. He was the preparer, the forerunner, the one who paved the way. John’s Gospel makes it clear that John the Baptist saw his role as subservient. He just wanted to point others to Jesus.
According to Acts 18.25 and 19.1-3, the disciples of John the Baptist continued to exist alongside the Early Church. Yet, John’s purpose was not to attract and maintain followers. Instead, he wanted to direct people to Jesus (as we see later in the chapter). He was not the light. He was merely a witness to the light.
* There is a temptation for us to view ourselves as more than just witnesses. Sometimes we want to believe that we have the authority of the light Himself, but we must be reminded that we are nothing more than witnesses, reflections of the light. Our role is to point others to Jesus.
What a privilege—to be a witness of the light. What an honor—to point others to the Light. We cannot bring light to the darkened souls of others, but we can direct them toward the light that can. We can reflect the true light. We can be representatives of the light.
II. The True Light Revealed (9)
In v.9, the apostle reminds us that the true light came into the world. For the first time, John refers to the incarnation (one of the great doctrinal truths of Scripture which we will examine in detail next week), the fact that God became one of us. The “true” (genuine) light has come into the world and enlightens every man.
What does this phrase mean, “the light enlightens every man”?
- Some suggest it refers to every “sort” of man.
- Some suggest it refers to natural revelation, that everyone is born with a conscience or can see the creation and realize there is a Creator.
- Others suggest it refers to the fact Jesus came into the earth and offered eternal life to all, though all will not receive his offer.
I believe that what is John means here is that God’s Son has come into the world, the true light has invaded the world and the light divides the human race. Those who live in the darkness respond in unbelief and run from the light. On the other hand, those who embrace the light become children of God (1.12). The light shines upon all and forces a distinction between the believer and the unbeliever.
The light has been revealed and each individual is forced to respond: belief or unbelief.
III. The True Light Rejected (10-11).
Left alone, these two verses are two of the saddest in the NT. V. 10 declares that the Creator came into the world he created and yet the world did not recognize Him. The world that He made (v.3) did not know its Creator. Notice John’s 3-fold use of the word “world” in this verse: He was in the world, He made the world, yet the world did not even recognize Him.
“did not recognize” carries the meaning that they did not embrace Him. They did not know and love Him. Instead, they rejected Him in indifference. The world missed its great opportunity.
Even sadder is v.11, where we discover that He came unto His own people, that they did not receive Him. Not only did the world as a whole reject Him, but even His own people rejected Him. When he came to his homeland, the home folks, they too rejected him. He did not come as a stranger or alien. He came to his own. They should have recognized him, yet they did not receive him.
It is one thing to be rejected by those who do not know you. It is something else to come to your own people and they too reject you. They turn their back on you. They do not believe on you.
The immediate context here refers to the Jewish people who would not receive Jesus as the Messiah, but as a whole, the context refers to all who reject Jesus. The Creator has come into his created world, and the world has rejected Him. People flee from the light, they reject it, because they would prefer to live in the darkness. He came unto His own, and they received Him not. He was rejected by His own people.
* This truth is evident even today. God reveals Himself to the world, yet they reject Him. God has spoken thru His creation. He has revealed Himself in His word. He has sent Jesus Christ as the Savior, yet people reject Him. They turn in unbelief. Why? B/c as natural sinful persons, we love darkness rather than light.
A G.E. ad raised the question, “What was Thomas Edison’s biggest blunder?” The ad reveals that Edison rejected the theory of alternating current developed by Charles Steinmetz. The ad then concludes by stating that Steinmetz was almost refused admission at Ellis Island as an unfit immigrant. One of the men most responsible for the electrification of America was almost turned away at its gate.
That would have indeed been a great tragedy, but a greater tragedy takes place all the time as people turn away Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. They reject their own Creator. The True Light is rejected.
IV. The True Light Received (12-13).
By themselves, vv. 10-11 would be very grim, but vv.12-13 informs us that there is a remnant of those who believe. The end of the story is not the tragedy of rejection but the grace of acceptance. While the majority rejects, some believe. Some receive the Light.
John says that some identify with the name. In the OT, the name represented the very essence of who a person was. The Israelites were commanded not to take the name of the Lord in vain. Why? B/c the name of God represents who He is. To take the name of the Lord in vain is to take for granted who God is, to dishonor God Himself. The misuse of God’s name brings judgment, but embracing/receiving the name brings the hope of life. Therefore, to identify with the name of Jesus is to believe on Jesus for who He is. It is to embrace a person. It is to place your faith in who Jesus is—the Messiah, the Son of God who came to offer life.
Notice the promise here: to those who embrace Jesus, they are given the right to become children of God. Those who believe are granted the privilege to join the family. They are brought into the family of God thru the new birth.
Observe in these verses what the new birth is not:
- The new birth is not of blood. That means it is not by inheritance, not by human ancestry. You cannot get into the family of God by being raised in a Christian family. You can be in a family where everyone is a Christian except you, and that does not make you a Christian. You can grow up in Christian home, attend church all your life, be involved in Christian activities, and yet not be a genuine believer. New birth is not of blood.
- The new birth is not of the will of the flesh. It is not by determining to live a Christian or good life that one becomes a Christian. You cannot make yourself a Christian. You cannot study Christians, act like them, go to their church, sing their songs and go thru all the Christian externals and become a Christian. It is not be positive thinking or clean living that you become a Christian. It is not by the will of the flesh, but by the new birth.
- The new birth is not of the will of man. It is not the efforts of others that make you a Christian. No pastor, priest, bishop, or pope can make you a Christian. You do not become a Christian through a ceremony, by reading a creed, by standing up, sitting down, coming to an altar, or getting baptized. None of these things make you a Christian. It is not by the will of others.
Then how do I become a Christian? If I am not born a Christian or if external performance does not make me a Christian or if outward effort does not make me a Christian, how do I become a part of the family of God?
To be born of God, to have a new origin from God, is the result of God’s gift of life made possible to those who receive the Lord. It certainly does not come as a result of human relationships, achievements, or determinations. It is a gift given thru faith.
You become a Christian thru the will of God. Here we find the inception of grace by God. To those who believe in His name, to those who place their faith in Christ alone for salvation, to those God gave the right to become children of God. Becoming a Christian is not an external act but an internal embracing of Jesus.
Becoming a Christian is a change in status. The sinner is given the right to become a child of God. To be a child of God is to be placed in an intimate relationship with God Himself. The True Light received brings illumination to the darkened soul of sinful humanity.
Conclusion:
1) If you are a Christian, are you being a witness of the Light?
We are not the light, but we are witnesses of the Light. How can I be a witness?
- Testify as to what you have experienced.
- Take a stand for the truth. We are no longer neutral or hostile. We are called to a commitment to the truth of God.
The word witness is the same word from where we get the word martyrer. It is one who is willing to give their life for what they believe (as John did). As Christians, we are to be that committed to the truth of God.
Remember, we are not the light, but we are witnesses of the light.
2) Have you rejected or received the Light?
Once again, the Gospel of John forces us into a choice: belief or unbelief? Have I embraced who Jesus is? Have I placed my faith in Him?
I am not asking you how long you have been in church, or the status of your parents, or how good you are. I am asking you, have you truly believed in Jesus as Savior and Lord? Have you received Him?
Old Rattle Bones Story—do not reject the very one who sacrificed his life for you. Receive Him today. There is spiritual light for the dark soul.
