2. It is worthwhile to collate the various mention of “Light” in John’s Gospel
3. The ideas are tied to each other
RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL
1In 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 nothing was made that was made. 4 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.
John 1:1-9
1. Life is found in the Lord Jesus Christ
2. This life He gives is “the light of men” (John 1:4)
3. The battle lines were drawn (John 1:5)
a) Light and Darkness
b) The Lord Jesus and Satan
c) Righteousness and Wickedness
4. The witness of John the Baptiser
a) He was not the Light
b) He came to bear witness of the Light
5. The Lord Jesus and the Light
a) He was the true Light
b) He came to give light to every man (John 1:9)
A SECOND SIGNIFICANT PASSAGE ABOUT LIGHT
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:13-21
1. The Lord Jesus is the Son of Man who came from heaven (John 3:13)
2. He is the only begotten Son whom God has given to save the world
a) Through faith
b) Eternal life is given
3. The Lord Jesus came into the world to give vital Light
a) But mankind loves darkness
b) Those who practise evil hate the Light
c) They will not come to the Light
d) Their evil deeds are exposed by the Light
A THIRD PASSAGE: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD PROCLAMATION
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
1. The wrong use of the Law of God
a) It can cause people to condemn others
b) A woman caught in adultery could have been stoned to death
2. The Lord Jesus
a) He came to her rescue
b) She was not condemned
c) She was forgiven instead
A FOURTH SIGNIFICANT PASSAGE:
1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
John 9:1-2
1. An unenlightened question
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
John 9:1-2
a) Did the sins of the parents cause this blindness?
b) Or did the sins of the man cause this blindness?
c) The answer the Lord Jesus gave was unlike anything heard of in the past
2. The enlightened response of the Lord Jesus
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 9:3-5
a) The Lord Jesus spoke about doing God’s work
b) He must work the works of God who had sent Him
c) He is conscious:
i) It was still “day” and He must work
ii) The “night” will come and no one will be able to work then
d) He reiterates
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world
i) The Lord Jesus is indeed the Light of the world
ii) He cannot but continue to shine naturally
CONCLUSION
1. Check out the many aspects of the subject “Light”
a) The Lord Jesus as the Light
b) We are to learn what it is to be lights of the world