John 1:9-10
I believe everyone of us here one way or the other gets sad in a way when ECG puts the light off. Those with plants may not appreciate this pain of a light off. I remember I was waiting for one of Ghana’s games at the ongoing world cup, and the lights went off. I became agitated. Why light off at this crucial moment? Eventually the light came on, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to watch the full game…I put off the TV because the stress level watching that game was too much.
Now this may not even describe the worst form of lights out. In other instances, people lose their food preserved in the fridge, some patients in hospitals get their surgeries postponed because of absence of light. All these presents to us the importance of light.
If you examine the text closely, you will notice there is a contrast between light and darkness. The text says the “true light gives light to everyone.” The clear understanding of this is that everyone is in darkness. John used light in comparison to darkness (v.5). So our sermon today will simply attempt to look at these two contrasts between light and darkness and what they mean in the text. Who Is The True Light, The Reason For The True Light, The Response To The True Light
Who Is The True Light
The True Light: That’s a definite article with specific reference to someone. And having gotten to this point in our series in John, we know that reference to the true light is to Jesus. The theme of light dominates John’s opening words and even his gospel. From the verses 4-9, John speaks about light. Last week I pointed out how John the Apostle kept switching between Jesus and John the Baptist. It is like a movie scene.
So in the text before us, John switches again back to Jesus after he has spoken about John the Baptist bearing witness of the light. So the true light presented here is Jesus Christ. Jesus as light is not only seen here, but in the rest of John, and even other Scriptures, Light is used in reference to Jesus Christ. Jesus describes himself as the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5, John 12:46). Light in reference to Jesus can be looked at as a reference to his glory, splendour, and majesty. His light represents his holiness and righteousness. He is God and the Scripture again tells us God is light (1John 1:5). Listen to a note from the ESV Study Bible: “Jesus as light brings to this dark world world true knowledge, moral purity, and the light that shows the very presence of God.”
The Reason For The True Light
Light Dispels Darkness
I noted already that the true light gives light to everyone in the text presents us with the fact that everyone—every human being is in darkness. And it is because of this darkness the light came. You and I know that wherever there is darkness, what is needed is light. Light brightens a place. Darkness gives way to light. And what is this darkness?
A World Of Sin
Darkness as used in the Bible to depict primarily evil. The first time we see darkness in the bible in Genesis 1:2, the meaning of the Hebrew word used is said to figuratively mean misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow and wickedness. This is the meaning of darkness. And if you have not believed in Christ, this is a picture of your life: destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow and wickedness. In it’s use in John 1:5, darkness is figuratively seen as spiritual darkness. And this spiritual darkness is simply sin. I believe we all know what sin so I am sure we will fully understand matters here. So I will ask a question and answer it: What Is Sin?
There is a danger that in answering the question what is sin, we may begin listing things that are sin. So we may go to the popular text on the works of the flesh and start listing:
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21)
But if we limit the understanding of sin to the things we do, then people can try to stop “sinning” by not displaying the works of the flesh which will only end up in frustration. One theologian has said that we are not sinners because we sin. But we sin because we are sinners. So sin is not necessarily our misdeeds, but it is an internal disease.
Any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God (Westminster Shorter Catechism Q14).
We infer from here that sin is our inability to keep or conform to God’s law and trespassing, going against God’s law. The biblical definition of sin is therefore to miss the mark of God’s law. If you have been watching the ongoing world cup, some teams have been breaking my heart and last night was one of them. At the nick of time, when England got a penalty, the spot taker Harry Kane flew the ball over the bar. He missed the mark. In a way, all humans have missed God’s standard or fallen below it. That’s what sin is about. God is holy, we are not. So Paul tells us in Romans 3 that
None is righteous, no, not one (v.10)
No one understands; no one seeks for God (v.11)
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one (12).
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v.23)
This is the biblical verdict. All humans in their natural state have missed the mark of God’s law and righteousness. And this is no light thing. Sin is our greater problem that needs to be dealt with. Sin is against the Almighty God. And he is just to punish every sinner. God is just to send all to hell. We all once lived our lives to please ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Light Brings Salvation
The light came that you and I will not walk in the darkness of sin. The light came that we will be saved from our sins. The light came so that you and I can be called the children of God if we believe. Now apart from sin, darkness also represents spiritual ignorance.
Again, in our natural state, we do not know God, cannot seek him and cannot have a relationship with him. Look at the next verse: “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”(v.10). Do you see that? Christ is not removed or distant from his creation. Indeed God has left evidence of himself in the natural, world, yet the world rejects him and doesn’t know him. This is a spiritual ignorance. The eyes of sinners have been blinded by the prince of this earth so they will not see the glory of Christ
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2Corinthians 4:4NIV).
This is spiritual ignorance. The Creator of all things was in the world, yet the world didn’t know him. It points to blindness to spiritual reality. Every single one of us if left on our own, we will forever grapple in darkness looking for the way. But the light came that we might have salvation. The light came that you and I will be saved from our sins and be reconciled to God. God himself has provided the light that will bring salvation to us. It’s only the Spirit of God who can open our eyes to the truth and to salvation.
I was wondering why John switched from speaking about light to The True Light. Maybe he wants to present to us the fact that there are false lights out there. You know that you cannot compare the light from the national power source to rechargeable lamps for example. They are not the same. They can give you some light but soon will become dim. Some people seek for joy in the pleasures of this world rather than looking to Christ.
In the world today, there are many theories and even religious beliefs that are put forward as light. But dear friends, the only true light of the world who can bring you salvation, who can forgive your sins, who can bring you joy and peace is Jesus Christ. He came to die to save us from our sins.
The Response To The True Light
And the response needed is that we will believe in him. There is no salvation in any other place. No person apart from Christ will save you (vv.11-12). In John 8:12, Jesus made some specific statements about himself in relation to light and darkness. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12).
Are you walking in darkness? Is your life filled with sin? I present the true light that dispels darkness and brings salvation.
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