Responding to the Light • 12.11.22
Nick Lees   -   December 11, 2022

Responding to the Light
John 1:6-13

Reasons you ought to believe in Jesus

  1. John the Baptist testified about him
  2. Jesus came into the world
  3. Jesus will judge the world
  4. Jesus will save those with authentic faith

Responding to the Light
John 1:6-13

Good morning church family! Welcome to those who are new. My name is Nick Lees and I serve as the senior pastor here at Harvest. It is a joy to be able to lift my voice in praise of our Savior together with you this morning. And a privilege to study God’s Word with you now.

Dismiss 4th + 5th graders

This is week 2 of our Christmas series – Light & Life – which is a study of the first 18 verses of the Gospel of John. Last week we studied verses 1-5 as we beheld the incredible identity of Jesus.

Can anyone tell me one of the four main takeaways about Jesus’ identity from last week? (Don’t put these on the screen until all 4 have been named)

  1. Jesus is eternal
  2. Jesus is God
  3. Jesus is the agent of creation
  4. Jesus is the light of the world

John starts off his Gospel account about the life and ministry of Jesus by sharing some amazing truths right out of the gate. These identity statements would have been shocking to the Jews and Gentiles hearing this message. It is my hope that they continue to hit us hard today. We must seek to maintain this sense of awe and amazement at the identity of Jesus – “the Word” – as he is referred to in this section of John’s gospel. Last week we talked about how Jesus is the source of light and life, today we’re focusing on the need to respond to the light in verses 6-13. Go ahead and grab your Bibles and turn to John 1.007

Ushers + Bibles (John 1; page 1053)

As we prepare to read the Scriptures today, I’m going to start in verse 1 again because I believe it is helpful to not disconnect it from what comes next. The anticipation and buildup of verses 1-5 continues in verses 6-13. John is bringing an escalating tension into his narrative. You’re about to hear that the Word who is the creator and life and light of the world did not stay far off and removed from it, he entered into it. Let’s read now in John 1.

John 1:1–13 (ESV)

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.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He 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. 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. 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.

 

Can you sense the escalating tension in this narrative? As the eternal God, the agent of creation, the light and life of the world, the Word enters into it, and yet what happens when he arrives!? The world and his own people reject him. Even though God provided tremendous evidence and fulfilled prophecies along with eyewitness testimonies from both men and angels, they still reject their Creator and Sustainer… They reject God! But he has a grand redemptive plan that cannot be thwarted. Though many reject him, there are some to whom he will give the right to become children of God. This birth and birthright do not happen through human bloodlines/lineage, or the decisions of the parents, or stemming from the desires of a man. This is a spiritual birth that comes solely from God’s plan and purpose. This is the hope of salvation, the promise of new life, and the seal of eternal life in heaven with God.

All that in 7 verses! John really knows how to pack his Gospel with sweet and deep truths. Let’s enjoy the process of digging into this text for our own lives today. Our focus this morning is on…

Reasons you ought to (MUST) believe in Jesus

How much evidence do you need before you consider something to be true? As we heard in verses 6-8 this morning, God sent a man to bear witness to the truth of Jesus’ identity. This man we’re told is named John. This is not the author’s way of referring to himself, he is referring to another John of history – John the Baptist. In fact, John the Baptist shows up repeatedly in this Gospel account. If you look ahead at chapter 1:19-36, you’ll see him testifying about Jesus to the Jewish priests and Levites from the big city of Jerusalem and heralding the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. One of John’s own disciples becomes the first person to follow Jesus in 1:40 – Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. John will come up again chapter 3:22-36 when he rejoices in front of his own disciples that Jesus’ ministry is accelerating. It is there that he utters such humbling and challenging words:

John 3:30 (ESV)

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

What is John doing in these accounts? He is fulfilling the purpose for which he was sent! He is testifying about Jesus being the light of men, the source of eternal life.

John 1:29 (ESV)

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Why should you believe in Jesus? … Because…

  1. John the Baptist testified about him

This was the reason John was sent by God.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He 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.

The purpose of John’s witness/testimony was that all might believe through him. God wants you to hear John’s testimony about the light – Jesus- and respond to him in faith.

Is John’s testimony enough for you? Is it enough for you to consider Jesus is the light and life of the world and to believe in him? Maybe so, perhaps not. Let me present to you even more evidence linked to John’s testimony.

Did you know that John’s role as a forerunner of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of prophecy from hundreds of years earlier?

Listen to the prophet Isaiah from 700 BC.

Isaiah 40:3 (ESV)

  3     A voice cries:

        “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

That is 700 years before the coming of Jesus Christ. And it is speaking about John the Baptist. How do we know that is speaking of John the Baptist? Matthew 3 reveals it.

Matthew 3:1–3 (ESV)

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

        “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

        ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

make his paths straight.’ ”

If that’s not enough, consider the prophet Malachi from 430 BC.

Malachi 3:1 (ESV)

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.

How do we know this is speaking of John the Baptist? Jesus confirms it in Matthew 11.

Matthew 11:7–10 (ESV)

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?

 

Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

        “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

Two different prophecies from hundreds of years apart are directly fulfilled in the life and ministry of John the Baptist. How incredible is that?! In our day and age, we’re amazed when someone gets all six numbers of the Powerball correct and that is pure luck. Shouldn’t we be even more amazed when we see these prophecies are fulfilled after hundreds of years?!

But that’s not all you have to consider about the testimony of John the Baptist. You see, John is the culmination of a long line of prophets who were pointing ahead to Jesus’ coming. Going back to Isaiah and Malachi reveals that both men were testifying about a coming Messiah, the Anointed One who would rescue his people. In fact, the entire Old Testament is filled with prophets testifying to the coming, future Messiah, who we now know is Jesus!

Not only were there human prophets, but John is also directly connected to ANGELIC messengers foretelling this incredible identity of Jesus. Listen to the way John’s own father learned about John’s coming birth.

Luke 1:11–17 (ESV)

11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord.

And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Angels are testifying to the events surrounding Jesus’ birth! Six months after this angelic message to Zechariah the angel Gabriel went to Mary to tell her of the miraculous news that she would bear God’s Son.

God went all out for the arrival of his Son into the world! He sent human prophets hundreds of years before to prepare the way and angelic messengers to prepare the people directly involved. Consider also the angelic host appearing to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth!

Do not discount or minimize these powerful testimonies as you respond to Jesus. I also can’t help but think of how Paul’s letter to the Corinthians ends in chapter 15.

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (ESV)

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

John the Baptist is one of many eyewitnesses testifying about Jesus. He certainly has a special place in redemptive history, but he is not alone. There were an incredible number of eyewitness testimonies by the end of Jesus’ public life and ministry. The evidence is overwhelming, and Jesus is worthy of your faith.

Let’s get back to our text in John 1 though. We’ve moved ahead into the later parts of Jesus’ life, but John 1:6-13 is concerned with his entrance into the world. Let’s read again John 1:9-10.

John 1:9–10 (ESV)

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

Within this text is another reason you ought to believe in Jesus…

  1. Jesus came into the world

As John is speaking about Jesus, he first presents him as outside of time and the world. We heard this last week – Jesus is the eternal God and agent of creation. Now John reveals that Jesus is coming into the world. Jesus, the one who made all things, is entering into his creation! *Pause*

We spoke about this briefly at the end of last week’s sermon, but when John says “the world” he is not speaking simply of the earth. This term is much richer than that. The term “world” is used to describe humanity that has rebelled against and rejected God.

Jesus was coming into the world – to the people who had rebelled against and rejected him.

As John speaks in verses 9-10, he is speaking of what is known as the incarnation of Christ.

Incarnation – God the Son taking on human form as Jesus Christ

The eternal God, the agent of creation who not only made but sustains creation, is now entering into it. I love the analogy of the author stepping into his story. It helps me be in awe of what is happening here. Absolutely incredible! The miracle of incarnation is what we celebrate at Christmas. God come down, taking on flesh, and dwelling among us. If you want to dive deeper on this incredible miracle, please come back next week as we study 1:14-18. The entire sermon is about the incarnation of Christ.

What you need to understand for today is that Jesus, God the Son, took on human form. The Creator entering his creation. And yet, as John tells us in verses 10-11…

“Yet the world did not know him” + “his own people did not receive him”

To know him means to have both an intellectual knowledge and moral commitment to him. The world (humanity) did not recognize Jesus for who he was, nor did they desire to commit themselves to following him. Though he is our creator, our sustainer, literally the one giving us life and breath, we rejected him. This is true of all humanity including “his own people” – the Jews. The people who were supposed to be God’s chosen nation had become increasingly like the world around them. Both were filled with people living in rebellion against God.

You can imagine how shocking this message would have been to them! Is it as shocking to us? Apart from faith in Jesus Christ, we are the world rejecting and rebelling against our Creator. As we heard last week, this is the choice to live in darkness (moral evil – sin and death). As we heard today in verse 9, “Jesus is the true light, which gives light to everyone…”

This is not speaking of the light of salvation. It is speaking of Jesus being the revealer of truth. Listen to how Commentator D.A. Carson puts it:

What is at stake, rather, is the objective revelation, the ‘light’, that comes into the world with the incarnation of the Word, the invasion of the ‘true light’. It shines on every man, and divides the race: those who hate the light respond as the world does (1:10): they flee lest their deeds should be exposed by this light (3:19–21). But some receive this revelation (1:12–13), and thereby testify that their deeds have been done through God (3:21). In John’s Gospel it is repeatedly the case that the light shines on all, and forces a distinction (e.g. 3:19–21; 8:12; 9:39–41). (PNTC)

Jesus came into the world, and it forces a distinction on all of us. How will you respond to the light? Will you receive or reject him?

As Carson points out, there are many who hate the light. They respond to Jesus by fleeing and going another way. They carve out their own ways of life and try to build up systems of philosophy and supposed morality to prop up their rebellion.

It’s important for us to understand this for the sake of this third reason to believe in Jesus…

  1. Jesus will judge the world

What happens when a Righteous King encounters a treasonous, rebellious people? He must respond to their rebellion. It is the right thing to do! And as we’ve heard the world has rejected him. If John 1 wasn’t enough to make that clear, let’s look at John 3.

John 3:16–21 (ESV)

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.”

So often we read verse 16 and, perhaps, 17 and stop there. We think, “Great, God did not send his Son to condemn the world but to save it.” That’s a misrepresentation of what the text says. This passage is an incredible testimony to the love of God for a world that had rejected him. He loved this world so much that he gave his only Son so that those who believe might be saved! Jesus’ coming was to rescue those who believe out of their rebellion and death. He is saving them out of the world who hates God. But notice how verse 18 continues, “But whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

The hard reality that we often downplay is that the world is dead in sin and rebellion against God. Humanity already stands condemned by our willful treason against the King of Kings. It’s only because of God’s extravagant love and grace that he sends his Son to rescue and redeem believers from the world.

And it is Jesus’ coming that reveals who is who. When the true light shines, everyone either runs for the darkness or towards the light. If you love the darkness, you are inviting God’s just judgment upon your life. Lest we gloss over what God’s just judgment means, I want to share with you a snippet from the book of Revelation, which is a vision of the future recorded by the Apostle John. Listen to Jesus’ future judgment of the world.

Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Loving the darkness and rejecting Jesus results in judgment in the lake of fire – eternal judgment by God. As I was preparing for today, I did not believe it would be loving for me to fail to warn us of the consequences of loving the dark and rejecting Christ. Thankfully, as we go back to John’s Gospel, we find out there is another way!

If you love the light and believe in Jesus, you will be saved by him.

This is the beautiful truth illustrated in John 1:12 and it is the turning point of this introduction of the Gospel. Where the prologue shifts from tragedy to triumph.

John 1:12

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…”

*Repeat*

There is a better response to the light! Receive and believe in him. In verse 12 John is stating that some will be saved – those with authentic faith. This is the appropriate response to the Word, the Son of God, the light of the world.

This is our fourth and final reason to believe in Jesus…

  1. Jesus will save those with authentic faith

The very beginning of John’s Gospel is holding out the hope of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. He is promising that there is a guarantee of salvation through faith in this true light who has come into the world. They can know that they know that they know that they’re on their way to heaven.

Remember the reason for John’s writing that I shared last week?

John 20:30–31 (ESV)

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 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.

John is not hiding his intentions. He wants you to see the evidence for Jesus’ identity and your need for salvation and to choose to believe in Jesus for eternal life.

Authentic faith is of great concern to John. He knows that it possible for people to respond favorably to Jesus without truly believing in him. He writes about it in chapter 2:

John 2:23–25 (ESV)

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

There is such a thing as spurious faith! Spurious meaning fake – fake faith. The outward going through the motions of believing but it not being united with an inner heart belief. Jesus and the disciples saw a lot of that in their ministry – people who were excited about what Jesus could do for them, but not willing to count the cost of following him. When the going got tough, they got going… in the other direction – abandoning Christ. We even heard about that in our previous series in 1 + 2 Timothy.

Listen to how Paul speaks about authentic faith in Romans 10:

Romans 10:9 (ESV)

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Authentic faith has an outward confession united with an inner heart belief. You are firmly convicted about what you believe – that Jesus is Lord and the only way of salvation through his D/B/R and you need him to save you from your sins.

Have YOU confessed and believed this truth? I hope so. And if not, I would love to talk with you more about that afterwards. What is it that is keeping you from recognizing your need for Jesus as your Savior? Let’s talk through the questions or objections you have. If not today, then soon. Email me and let’s pick a time/place. I’ll pay for coffee/meal. *Pause*

Going back to the text of John 1… In verse 12, John says that to those who do receive and believe in Jesus he gave the right to become children of God! Jesus is the one who gives this newfound status to you. As verse 13 further explains, you do not become a child of God by human bloodlines or by your parents physically coming together… this is entirely of God’s grace and desire.

John is laying out the beauty of salvation and adoption into God’s family, it is a gift of God! The phrase “to become” is the same root word in the Greek that is translated “was/were made” in verses 3 and 10 when speaking about the creation of the world.  Now John is speaking of God doing a work of creation in those who become children of God. God is making them new!

This is the exact same idea that is presented by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

The beauty of salvation through Christ is that we are born again into new life. By being made new, we are no longer part of the world, but now a part of God’s family. We are forgiven of our sins, providing God’s Holy Spirit to dwell within us, and are now able to live for God. We are no longer under the penalty of sin; we no longer have to fear death or the wrath of God. What glorious truths to reflect on this morning!

In fact, what we have instead is the beautiful hope of eternity with God in heaven. The hope of being glorified (perfected) with him. Listen to how John speaks about this in his first epistle.

1 John 3:1–3 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

There is a future glory awaiting us at Christ’s return. As God’s children we have an inheritance in heaven that is waiting for us. But until that day, we are to be busy living out this new identity as ambassadors of reconciliation. Our calling as Christians is to tell as many people as possible about the way to eternal life through Christ so that they may be at peace with God.

As part of our new identity, we are to make a break with sinning and seek to live righteously. To be constantly, day-by-day, growing in holiness and purity of life and conduct. Our aim as Christians must be to live a righteous and holy life befitting of faith in Jesus.

Are these your twin aims this Christmas season? To tell as many as possible about the way to eternal life through Christ? And to live a righteous and holy life as you represent Jesus to those around you? Let’s ask the Lord that we would make it our aim to believe in and faithfully live for him.

Let’s pray.