The Light of Men

[00:00:05] Amen. [00:00:07] Amen. [00:00:13] Well, let's pray for the preaching of God's word. [00:00:19] O heavenly father, we thank you for the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to see the truth of your word, the importance of your word, that your word is light and life. [00:00:40] It's a guide for our path and our steps. And so I pray your holy spirit would indeed, as you have so faithfully done through these last centuries upon centuries, bless the reading and the preaching of your word. [00:00:59] And I pray for the unction of your holy spirit. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. [00:01:07] Well, continuing with the text that we started previously, our sermon text is John, chapter one. And I will be reading verses four through nine, and our emphasis will be on verse four. [00:01:24] Hear now God's word from the gospel of John, chapter one, beginning in verse four. [00:01:31] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. [00:01:52] He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. This is the word of God. Amen. [00:02:05] You may be seated. [00:02:17] Light. [00:02:19] Well, that's actually one of the things that people, young and old, seek after light that shows us out, away from the darkness of our lives, our problems, our hurts, our disappointments. [00:02:39] People actively seek after light that shows them the way to life, light that reveals the kinds of things that we sense we know we're missing in our lives. Light that illuminates the path to attaining the kind of life that, deep down, we're searching for. [00:03:04] In fact, searching for light that shows the way to a better life, to even happiness, is a significant way in which even many young people who are hurting use the Internet. [00:03:18] One example of that use of the Internet to find light, to find hope, to find deliverance from what's ailing us is that of young teenage girls who are hurting. [00:03:32] There are a number of influencers on the Internet who present themselves, in a sense, as light, showing hurting, confused, troubled young ladies a way to finally, supposedly attain wholeness and happiness in life. [00:03:51] And the particular light. I say that with quotes. In this case, the supposed light that these particular influences are presenting to young ladies is that of going down the path of transitioning to becoming transgender instead of remaining as a girl, becoming a boy, becoming male. [00:04:15] But in reality, those influencers, their light is actually darkness, something that appears too much of our society is in denial regarding just to say it so briefly. Ultimately, transitioning is a path of danger. [00:04:38] Dangerous hormones, puberty blockers, causes great damage even to one's in certain internal organs, negatively impacts brain development along with the pain and the suffering of irreversible surgery after surgery after surgery in an attempt to play God and recreate ourselves. [00:05:09] And these young ladies will spend hundreds of hours online listening to these influencers who are sort of presenting themselves as light, leading them down actually a path of darkness. It's tragic. That's just an example. [00:05:27] In the midst of such darkness, here's the hope that this text, penned some 2000 years ago, so relevantly presents to us even today, the very life that humanity has always been looking for, whether young or old, came to earth 2000 years ago. [00:05:54] Jesus Christ, his life, is truly the very light that we've all been searching for. That's what we learn here in verse four of John, chapter one. In him was life and the light. And the life was the light of men. [00:06:15] Christ's life is the light that shows us the very life that we need, the very life that he brings. [00:06:27] All over the globe, people are searching for again. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [00:06:37] Christ's life is a desperately needed beacon of light and hope in the midst of the darkness of our world, in the midst of the troubles that we all experience in life. [00:06:53] His life is the light that points to deliverance and redemption from what really is wrong with us, from that which truly ails us at the deepest roots of our very being. Christ's light so beautifully shines in the confusion and the darkness of our troubled lives, and it radiates hope in this struggling world. [00:07:21] And this discussion here of light and life actually brings us to the very purpose for which John wrote this gospel. I think I brought it up. Was it maybe last week near the end of the gospel, chapter 20, verse 31, John tells us why he wrote this gospel. John 2031, he says, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. [00:07:54] That's it. That's what we're looking for. That's what people are scrolling down on their phones, on the Internet, looking for, right? Life, that you may have life in his name. [00:08:07] And two wonderful truths about John's gospel are encapsulated in chapter 20, verse 31, the purpose behind John writing this gospel. First of all, please realize this entire gospel, from beginning to end, is all about Jesus, who, again, going back to verse four in chapter one. In him was life. [00:08:32] That's the thing we're searching for. That's the thing we need so desperately. This gospel is all about Christ, Christ, who is life, Christ, who is light. And second, John's focus is on Jesus so that one might come to faith in him. And by believing in him, through believing in him, we might gain life, true life, eternal life, the life that we need and that keeps slipping through our fingers. That's why this gospel was written. [00:09:04] So, on the one hand, the purpose of John's gospel is evangelistic, that you may believe, and that by believing, you might have life in his name. In other words, John wrote this. Beloved christians just love John's gospel, this beautiful gospel, as a sustained argument to woo, even to win people over to faith in Jesus Christ, that by believing you might have life, do you hear this life in his name? [00:09:41] But at the same time, if John's gospel is evangelistic, if it's written for the non believer, where does that leave all of you who believe? [00:09:52] Well, let me tell you John's gospel. It's the word of God. It is also for the believer everything that John has recorded here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the evidences, the testimonies, the miracles, Jesus very life, John has recorded all of this to buttress and sustain and strengthen the faith of the believer so as to more and more establish us in our faith in Jesus Christ. So it's for both. It's a wonderful evangelistic book. I suspect there are those of you here morning who either came to faith through John's gospel, or when you meet an unbeliever, you tell them to read John's gospel. [00:10:34] It's a very common book to tell nonbelievers to read. But again, it's also for those who believe. And so this raises a very important question for us all. Do you read John's gospel merely as an evangelistic text? You know you're reading something, John 316, and you think, there, that's what my friend needs, rather than applying it to yourself. [00:10:57] Do you read it merely as an evangelistic gospel or book, or do you also read it to nurture and strengthen your own faith in Christ? [00:11:08] So the purpose in John's writing this gospel is so that you might believe. But at the same time, it's utterly critical regarding who and what you're placing your faith in. [00:11:22] It's utterly critical who and what you're placing your faith in. Note the precision with which the apostle John writes there in chapter 20, verse 31, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you might have life in his name, it's critical who and what you believe. [00:11:48] If Jesus were just one of the many billions of people on the face of the earth, if he's just one of the many, again, as an example, the influencers on the Internet, then why should you follow him? [00:12:02] Why should you place your faith in him? [00:12:05] After all, a mere human being, just one more person among billions. [00:12:12] They can't save anyone. In fact, all they really do, ultimately, when you really examine it, is point you towards more darkness, away from the light, away from the life. And so John, here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, labors long and hard to present that which makes Christ so incredibly unique, special in terms of his ability to save from death, from God's judgment regarding our sin, as well as save us too. Life, real life, true life, everlasting life, the life that just seems to always be slipping through our fingers. [00:13:01] Consider also here in John chapter one, verse three, all things are made through him. And without him was not anything that was made. Gotta get that right. And without him was not anything made that was made. [00:13:17] We've covered this and think about the implications of this. The one who came to save us from our sins and to bring us true life, the one who came to restore us to God, is the one through whom all things came into existence. [00:13:36] The implications of that are profound. [00:13:39] Let me tell you. The very fact that Jesus, the light of the world, is the eternal creator, makes him powerful to save, powerful to give us true life. In fact, life comes from him, doesn't it? The fact that he's the creator gives him the power to make things right on an unbelievable, a mind boggling skill. [00:14:06] Furthermore, in verse one, we're told that the word, now that's Jesus, was with God. Do you remember this as well? This means that God the Father and Jesus Christ, as well as the Holy Spirit, are not cold, impersonal forces. [00:14:25] They are persons. And thus, even before time began, there was a relationship amongst the Holy Trinity. There was love. [00:14:37] That's something so many hurting people are desperately needing and desperately seeking. There's always been love. So an essential part of God's innermost being, then, are qualities that we look for in life, like love, relationship warmth, and the Holy Trinity. Even before the world was brought into being, were communicating with one another, talking, interacting, enjoying one another, going even further. Then in verse four, we read in him, speaking of the word, speaking of Christ. In him was life. [00:15:17] You see, God, who is a relational being, loves to love and loves to enjoy others. And so God made us in his own image so we could enjoy him and know him. And he sent his only begotten son to die on the cross for us to give us life. [00:15:43] Through his death and resurrection to everlasting life, he sent his son to restore us to the quality of life for which we were originally created, which is to know and to know this forever and ever. The sheer soul filling joy of eternal fellowship with our God and our savior. This is what Adam and eve lost in the garden. There's the root of our problems. They lost it through their sin, through their distrust. They lost it in the garden. And this is what we keep searching for. [00:16:17] And this is what Christ has regained for us. [00:16:23] You know, sometimes when I talk about these truths and these messages, there's a part of me that's always thinking, I don't know, perhaps. And for some reason I have a special burden for young people, teenagers and so forth, that they might be thinking, well, this is for my parents, this is for adults, you know. No, it's for every age, whether you're three years old or eleven years old or 16 years old or 88 years old, this is great gospel truth for all ages. So all ages, I would encourage you to pay attention. [00:17:08] Now, this then brings us to verses four and five, which speaks of light and darkness, light which we need. Darkness, which is a real problem in this world. Again, four and five in him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness. That's this world. The light shines in the darkness, which is this world, which is under Satan. [00:17:35] The light shines in the darkness and the darkness, here's good news. Has not overcome it. [00:17:41] Has not overcome it. We really need that. So what does the light do? [00:17:45] Why did God create light? What purpose does light serve? Well, one of the primary purposes of light, of course, is to show the way, to reveal, to illuminate. Think of a dark room. What do you do in a dark room? You stumble around, you trip around, you grope your way until you flip on the light switch, and then you can finally see your way forward. [00:18:12] With this in mind, consider what Jesus declared over in chapter eight and verse twelve. He said, I am the light of the world. [00:18:22] There it is. That's where we need to be going is to Jesus. [00:18:28] I don't know if I could say this, but maybe he should be our influencer. Would that be a proper way to say it? [00:18:37] Jesus, I'm the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. This is the real thing. [00:18:46] You see, Jesus is indicating that the natural state of fallen men and women and children is that of walking or living in a state of darkness, spiritual darkness. So with that in mind, consider that Jesus is the light of men. [00:19:06] He's the light of men as well as the light of the world. Jesus very life illuminates. It reveals what we need, finally to see. So what is it that Jesus life reveals? [00:19:18] Chapter 14, in verse nine, Jesus declares, whoever has seen me has seen the father. [00:19:26] Now, don't get lost here with this. The life that he reveals, part of it is, again, whoever has seen me has seen the father. This really is something amazing here. This is something wonderful. Whoever has seen me, whoever has seen Jesus has seen the father. People complain all the time that they can't know God, that they can't know anything about God. But Jesus reveals God to us. He reveals the father to us. It's an incredible thing. [00:19:57] Do you know God the father? Do you know what he's really like? If you want to know what God is really like, look at Jesus. [00:20:05] He's the light of men. [00:20:07] He's love. [00:20:10] He's the very person with whom we were created to know and love and be in fellowship with. And part of the reason of our struggles in life is because we're disconnected from God. We're alienated from God. We're always moving away from God. But it's in him who is life. And we were created in his image to know him and love him and live in his warmth and under his commands. [00:20:40] Our lives are lives of stumbling and groping around in the darkness. [00:20:47] And we keep grasping after things. [00:20:52] And some of them may be helpful, let's be honest about this. But they never truly satisfy. [00:21:01] They never truly deliver us from what's wrong with us and what the light of Christ is shining in the darkness of our hearts. What this light does so beautifully is reveal the way to true life. [00:21:19] Christ reveals the way of deliverance from all the darkness, from all the pain, from all the confusion and hurt, the sin and depravity of our own hearts. [00:21:30] Christ's life, his light, floods us with hope and a way forward and deliverance. Jesus really is the way and the truth and the life. [00:21:45] Now one might ask, so where does this light that John is speaking of shine? Look at verse five. The light shines in the darkness. It's the gospel. [00:21:58] We send missionaries out all over the world. [00:22:02] In fact, if you think about where we live, we're roughly halfway around the world from where the gospel message started, that this world of darkness where, where men and women and young people are alienated from God and under the rule and the deception of Satan. The light shines in the darkness, in the darkness of this world, in the darkness of our own heart and hearts, in confusion and sin. Christ's light shines into the darkness of fallen humanity, into the darkness of our fallen reasoning. Have you ever thought about that? Our fallen reasoning into the darkness of our transgressions and rebellion, into the darkness of our stubborn refusal to really embrace and believe in God as well as our refusal to believe. God is good. [00:22:55] God is who and what I need. [00:23:00] The light shines in the darkness, the darkness of our bigotry, our pride, the darkness of our belief that we can fix ourselves and we can solve all of our problems and we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. The light shines in the darkness of our depravity. The light shines in the darkness of our fights and our quarrels and our bullying, as well as the darkness of our fears and our anxieties and our suffering and our shame and our traumas. [00:23:36] And what John's gospel is, is the light of Christ not only exposing our condition, but it's also the light of Christ revealing the way forward, the way out of the darkness. It's the light of Christ revealing the way of salvation through faith in him, in his death and his resurrection. [00:24:00] Now perhaps at this point you may be thinking, well, this all sounds so nice, but, and perhaps you're really wanting to say something like, look, you just don't really understand the darkness of this world, even the darkness that is within me, it's just too strong, too powerful. [00:24:23] Even the light of Christ could never prevail. [00:24:27] It can never deliver. One who has gone through the troubles that I have, that is experiencing the troubles that I am experiencing. It just can't do it. And you know what? [00:24:39] For any other religion, for any other path that would be true, they can't. And so in our despair over but even the light of Christ can't deliver me comes the incredible hope of verse five here in John chapter one. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. [00:25:03] There's power there. You see the darkness of this world, the darkness of Satan, the darkness of deceiving men and women, not even the darkness of your situation, not even the darkness of whatever pain, traumas, hopelessness that may be residing within you can. None of those things can ever truly withstand the sheer divine creator God, power and light and life of Jesus Christ. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not, will not overcome it. Into the darkness and the despair of our lives shines so brightly then verses four and verses five. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. What gospel good news this really is. In fact, in one John, chapter two, verse eight, John writes, the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Think about that. The darkness is passing away. The true light is already shining. Hallelujah. [00:26:13] Hallelujah. There's hope. [00:26:18] And, you know, because of our doubts, because of our innate natural skepticism, God even provides witnesses to this light to help us, to help us believe and seek the light. So verses six to eight here there was a man sent from God whose name was John. [00:26:43] He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. [00:26:52] He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. Notice how many times witness is repeated there indicating how important it is. [00:27:05] Now, who is this man sent from God sent as a witness? Well, I think all of you know it's John the Baptist. [00:27:13] And very interestingly, all four gospels, very early on in their accounts at the beginning of Jesus ministry, talk about this critical the last of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist. John the Baptist is so very important because not only was he so powerfully used of God to prepare the people for Christ's ministry, but John the Baptist is also a powerful witness to the fact that Jesus is in fact the Christ. He is in fact, the savior. He is in fact the Messiah, that he's the light of the world. [00:27:50] And so please don't miss this very important point here. [00:27:54] In the days of the New Testament, witnesses were viewed as very, very, very important in terms of determining truth. [00:28:06] Even today, our own courts of law use what witnesses to help to discern what is true and what is not true, to determine facts. And so we should give careful attention here to verse seven and the idea of paying attention to witnesses. He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him and to help us believe that Jesus is the light that saves. [00:28:39] He's the one who comes bearing life and whose life is light. John's gospel is jam packed with a number of witnesses to the fact that God really came to earth to save us, to be life, to bring life to be light. [00:28:57] Let me go through a partial list here. [00:29:01] In John's gospel, there is the witness of the father. This is in chapter five, verse 37. Jesus says, and the father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. What an ultimate witness this is. God, the father himself, bearing witness that Christ is the life. He's the light, he's the savior. [00:29:24] And there's the witness of Jesus himself. Chapter eight, verse 14. Jesus answered, even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I'm going. Yeah, he came from heaven to reveal life and light in the darkness of this fallen world. And then in John 1025, we learned that Christ's. We see that Christ's miracles are huge witnesses. [00:29:55] Jesus says, but when the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father. Excuse me, I jumped. [00:30:03] Chapter ten, verse 25. The works that I do in my father's name bear witness about me. So the miracles are meant to help prove to be witnesses towards the truth of Christ. And then there's the Holy Spirit, who also bears witness. Chapter 15, verse 26. But when the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth, who proceeds in the father, he will bear witness about me. [00:30:31] And as if that's not enough witnesses, the scriptures bear witness about Christ. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. And it is they that bear witness about me. That's what Jesus says. [00:30:47] And of course, there's also the witness of many, many people who either saw or directly experienced Christ's miracles. Chapter four, verse 39. Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me all that I ever did. And so you've got tons of people bearing witness about Christ in the gospels. And then finally, John 21 24 is the witness of the disciple whom Jesus loved. This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things and who has written these things. And we know that his testimony is true. [00:31:28] And so John one four. In him was life. [00:31:37] What good news? [00:31:39] We need this. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [00:31:46] So when you read the Bible, even here, the gospel of John, pay careful attention to things, whether it's the word witness, which we just covered, or words like life and light, or light versus darkness or life versus death. [00:32:04] This entire Bible, from beginning to end, is light. [00:32:09] It's shining. It's placing a spotlight on Christ in his life as the true and certain way to life, to salvation, salvation from what really is wrong with us. And I always say this at the deepest, very deepest level of our being deeper than any kind of psychological conflicts or whatever you might come up with salvation from. What's really wrong with us is the brokenness of our sin and our unbelief. [00:32:43] And Christ is even redemption from the darkness that resides within us. [00:32:49] You know, we really do. We stumble around in our darkness. And the irony is that so often we don't even realize that we're just groping in the darkness of this world. We need light. [00:33:05] We so desperately need the light of Jesus Christ. And when you read the Bible here, including even John's gospel, pay so careful attention to these witnesses, not only pointing the nonbeliever to the way of salvation, but reinforcing our own faith, especially when we're struggling with death, doubts, which believers do. And remember this light and the testimony of all those witnesses. They're both for you who do not believe yet. [00:33:39] And I pray you will come to faith even this morning so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name and this life. And these witnesses are also for you who already believe, so that you may believe and grow in your belief that Jesus is the Christ. He's the light of the world, that there's life in his name. [00:34:03] This leaves us with a final challenge. Do you believe? [00:34:08] Do you believe? Do you possess eternal life in Christ? [00:34:14] Or are you still groping in the darkness? Read John's gospel. Read it. Pray for the spirit to open your eyes and come to faith in Jesus. Let's pray. [00:34:27] O Lord God, thank you for the light of the life of Jesus Christ. God come from heaven into the darkness of this world to show us the way to be the truth, the light of men, the very salvation that we so desperately need, o Lord. For those who don't believe, I truly pray this is the day, even the moment of salvation. Open their eyes to the light, dispel the darkness. [00:35:02] And for those here this morning that may very well be struggling in their faith with doubts, may need encouragement, encourage them through what we've just looked at here in your holy spirit inspired gospel of John. [00:35:20] Do a wonderful work through these words which we have now covered. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.