Sermon Central
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"Jesus – The Light Of The World!” Series
Contributed by John Hamby on Aug 2, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: No # 2 in a series on the Gospel of John. Address Jesus as the Light of the World.
A Study of the Book of John
“That You May Believe”
Sermon # 2
“Jesus – The Light of the World!”
We as human beings live in a world that is ever more confused and confusing, a world that is ever more given to darkness. While we humans are proud of our accomplishments in science, technology, and medicine, yet our civilization is coming apart at the seams. More marriages are ending in divorce not less. Homosexuals are being more and more militant in their demands for equal recognition and acceptance. We live in a world that calls good evil and evil good. What can call that except darkness?
John warns us that people either love the light or the darkness and this love controls their actions (John 3:16-19). God is light and if you push God out of your life you will left with darkness. (Romans 1:21)
John beginning in verse five introduces us to the struggle between darkness and light, between life and death, between the forces of good and evil. There are certain principles that we need to under-stand concerning the light and the darkness. God is light (1 John 1:5) while Satan is the “the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53).
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (9) That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. (10) He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (11) He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (13) who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Four Factors Concerning The Light.
First, Revealed The Light (vv. 4-5)
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
The word translated “comprehend” (katelaben) in the New King James Version is a word that has at least three meanings. On the most literal level the word means “to seize” or “to apprehend.”
Secondly, the word can also mean “to overtake” - the darkness “never overpowered” or “overcomes” the light.
Third, the word can also mean “to quench or to extinguish or eclipse” – thus meaning that the light cannot be eclipsed by the darkness. (Boice. pp. 44-45)
But if the light unmasks and reveals the darkness for what it is, then the darkness will not remain passive but will fight back. It is the nature of darkness to try to quench the light.
Verse five says “the light shines” indicating a continuous action. The light is constantly showing up the darkness for what is, ignorance, unbelief and rebellion against God.
Not Only Was the Light Revealed but …
Secondly, Witness to the Light. (vv. 6-9)
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (9) That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
The first thing that we are told about this witness to the light (v. 6) was that God sent a man named John. It has always been God’s way to spread his light by using people. John is a witness to the light but he is not the light. The responsibility of the witness is to bring men to the place where they must decide, where they take a definite step of faith.
There are at least two implications of this text for us today.
•One is that you should be alert to the possible
call of God in your life. All Christians are to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:16). All are called to witness to the light (Acts 1:8, 1 Pet. 2:9). But God still calls some in a special way and for special tasks. "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest" (Matt. 9:38). "How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10:14-15). "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has set you as overseers" (Acts 20:28).
