Light in the Darkness
Notes
Transcript
LIGHT… it is just fitting around this time of year. In the winter months we seem to miss the light more than ever.
In our home we have a tradition where we load up in the car, sometimes we pack hot chocolate, we turn on Christmas music and we go driving around looking for Christmas lights. Sometimes there are neighborhoods lit up like no other, every now and again we see a home brightly lit all alone standing out! Something about the lights brings such a joy and excitement. Interestingly enough, we do not do this during the day… we wait until the sun drops behind the horizon and the stars light up the sky. it is in the darkness that light shines even brighter!
We are looking over the passage i the first chapter of John this season and I would ask you to join with me as we consider the creator of light that came as Light into a dark world… John 1:1-17
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
When...
When...
Consider with me two moments in time:
1) At Creation…
We see on day one God creates light Genesis 1:3-5
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
As John 1:3 states…
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
The Light Himself created light… this light is life sustaining.... THINK ABOUT IT:
On day 3 He creates vegetation sustaining the life needed and
On Day 4 the Sun Moon and Stars are created!
The Light… sustains physical life and offers eternal life
To offer the eternal life the Light came
2) At the Incarnation
God coming as man John 1:9 John 1:14 the Light came into the world
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The angels as they declared to the shepherds “Glory to God in the highest”
The Psalmist king David would declare Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
God would used the light of a star to declare to some gentiles the coming of His King,
A star… a light in the sky to point to The Light of men!!!!
The Bethlehem or Christmas star… Because of the close proximity of Saturn and Jupiter on the night of the winter solstice (Dec. 21) the two celestial bodies will almost appear as one giant star from our view on Earth. Some people are referring to this as the “Christmas Star” or the “Star of Bethlehem.”
Use this amazing conversation piece to direct the conversation to the True Light of men and true peace
Who...
Who...
Consider the Two Roles
1) The one who Testifies
In this passage in John 1:6 this is speaking of John the Baptist whose role was to prepare the way… the prophet who would declare the Christ had come!
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
His role was clear… John 1:7-8 to tell others about the Light (That being Jesus as the Christ “Messiah”)
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
Our ROLE is the same… we do not have salvation, we simply declare it, testify of this salvation!
We take His Light into a dark world
ILLUSTRATE with Cave of the Winds… the power of light in the darkness
2) The True Light
Clearly we see that Jesus Christ is the Light
The promised messiah from the beginning
John in his gospel (good news) uses this phrase throughout… John 8:12, and John 12:46 and John 3:16-21 delivers a great dialog on the Light and darkness
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
CONSIDER THE COMPLETE CONTEXT OF THIS PASSAGE:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Why...
Why...
The One Reason Light Came
The world was dark with sin John 1:10-11 is a sad statement about the world and Israel (God’s chosen people)…
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
Romans 1:20 is a beautiful example of His creation declaring Him!!!!
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Man is without excuse… It is interesting though
When Christ came it was probably at the peak of Israel’s religiosity
The people were religious!!!
Malachi speaks of the people “being religious” yet God sees the DARKNESS of their hearts
Approx 400 years later the people appear even more religious
They read the scriptures, memorized them, debated them…
Their heads were full of knowledge… yet they failed to “KNOW” acknowledge that Jesus was the Messiah!
TODAY… we are capable of the same tragedy. Knowing about Him, walking in darkness because we can tel you all about the Light, but fail to receive Him. John 1:12-13
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.