John 1; Light ~ 20221225 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
12/25 Christmas Sunday Morning; John 1; Light; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20221225_advent-light.mp3
Luke records the prophecy of Zechariah:
Luke 1:78 ...the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Matthew records the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah:
Matthew 4:16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
Life and Light in the Beginning
The gospel of John begins this way:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Word, who is himself God, yet is distinct from the Father, who eternally existed with his Father, who is the Creator of all that is, he is the source of all life. And the life that is in him is light to all people. His life brings light in the darkness, a light that will conquer the darkness.
In the beginning, when darkness covered the surface of the deep, and the Spirit was brooding over the waters, God spoke, and his divine Word brought light into existence.
The divine Word has life in himself, and that life is light, a light that overcomes the darkness.
Light Enters and Overcomes Rejection
John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
The true light was coming into the world, and John was sent ahead by God to point people to the light, so that they would believe.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
This is treasonously wrong. He, the divine Maker, the divine Light entered into the world he had made. But the world that he made did not know him. His own people that he had come to, refused to associate with him. This is treasonous, this is hopeless, this is messed up, this is broke. But even into this mess, he brings light and hope. The darkness is deep and strong, but it will not overcome the light.
John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word, the Light, comes giving gifts. Some did receive him. Some believed. But this didn’t happen because of human will or effort. These are the ones who were born of God, born of God’s will. God brought life and light and belief out of death and darkness and rejection. He adopted these ones. He gave them new life, the freedom to become his children. This is truly the greatest gift.
God Incarnate
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word, this God who was with God and who was God, God who already existed in the beginning, became something he had not been. He became flesh. The Creator entered in to his creation. God incarnate, God with flesh on, God with us. He pitched his tent among us. The glory of God dwelling in an earthly tabernacle.
We learn something here about this God who was with God from the beginning, who is himself God. We learn that he is as an only Son from the Father. He is the only-begotten, the utterly unique one-of-a-kind Son. The Son has always been with the Father, in relationship with his Father. The Father is God and the Son is God. But the Son is not the Father and the Father is not the Son. “Neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance” (Athanasian Creed). He is the only Son from the Father.
Glorious Grace and Truth
The Son shares the glory of his Father, and he allows this glory to be seen by becoming flesh and living among us. His glory is displayed in an overflow of both grace and truth. Grace, that free and overflowing giving that is never earned or deserved, yet always balanced with absolute truth, perfect integrity, never looking the other way or pretending something is what it isn’t.
John 1:15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)
This one came after John. The announcement came to Mary when her relative Elizabeth was in her sixth month (Lk.1:36). But John says the one born later is greater; he ranks higher, because he existed prior. He was, he existed. He arrived six months later, but he always was.
John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
He came giving gifts. He entered this world full, complete, whole, when we were needy, fractured and empty. He is the abundant giver; we receive from his generous hand. Grace; unearned, undeserved favor and kindness; given freely to those who have no qualities that merit that favor. It is not just grace, he gives grace piled up on top of grace, heaping, overflowing, lavish, rich, excessive, free.
The law was given through Moses. The law is absolute, harsh, exacting. Justice is meant to be blind. It doesn’t matter how much your story tugs at our heart strings; you commit the crime, you do the time (Prov.6:30-31). The law brought death to transgressors. But mercy triumphs over judgment (Jas.2:13). The law exacts punishment. Grace extends mercy to those who deserve only judgment. His overflowing fullness pours out on us grace upon grace.
Here the divine and eternal Word, the true Light who gives light to everyone is finally named. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus; YHWH is Salvation, because he shall save his people from their sins (Mt.1:21). The Christ, the promised long expected Messiah-king. The one who will finally rule with truth and grace. He is the true word, absolutely. We know what grace is because of Jesus. He is the true light that breaks in to our sinful hopeless darkness with grace; undeserved kindness. Grace upon grace.
God Makes God Known
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
No one has ever seen God; God is immortal, eternal, invisible (1Tim.1:17; Col.1:15); God is spirit, not physical (Jn.4:24). No one has ever seen the Father. The one-of-a-kind only-begotten God, this one who is, who has always existed in intimate relationship with his Father, this God has made the Father known. Jesus has exegeted God, he has unfolded his true character and nature, put his glory on display in flesh and blood. The only begotten God has brought to light the character and nature of the Father.
Jesus is Life and the Light who came into the world to give true light to everyone. He came that we might receive him. He came that we might believe.
John 3
John 3 picks up this theme of the incarnation as light coming into the world. In verse 13 Jesus claims to be the only one who descended from heaven,
John 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Light has come, the only-begotten one-of-a-kind Son of God was sent into the world as the light, to save us, but we love darkness because our deeds are evil. But he came to overcome our darkness, so that whoever believes in him has eternal life, whoever believes is not condemned, whoever believes comes into the light so that the darkness is exposed, and it is clear that any truly good works are ‘not I but Christ who lives in me’ (Gal.2:20; 1Cor.15:10).
Believe in the Light
Jesus says in John 8
John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jesus says in John 9
John 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Jesus says in John 12
John 12:35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” ...
John 12:44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
Light has come into the world. Believe in the light, that you may not remain in darkness, but become sons of light. Allow Christ to overcome your darkness. Receive from his generous hand grace upon grace.
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2022.12.25 Christmas Sunday
John 1 – The Light
The Word was in relationship with God
The Word was himself God
John 1:1-2, 14-15, 18
The life of the Word is the light of the world
John 1:4-5
The Light entered the world he created,
but the world did not know him
John 1:8-11
Life and Light overcome rejection
John 1:12-13
Incarnate God
John 1:14
God’s glory displayed in grace and truth
John 1:14-16
Grace: God’s unearned undeserved favor and kindness
The only-begotten God makes God known
John 1:18
God sent his only Son as light to save the world
John 3:15-21
Believe in the light
John 8:12; 9:4; 12:35-36; 44-46
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org