How well do you receive correction? Do you WELCOME it? Or is your first reaction to get defensive? To make excuses? Does your attitude depend on WHO’S GIVING the correction? Probably, you’re more likely to listen to supporters. And less likely to listen to critics. What about people CLOSEST to you? That’s tricky, isn’t it? Because family know exactly what buttons to push. And there’s often history of little annoying things that can be blown out of proportion. Or else, things that are NEVER talked about, and resentment builds until it BLOWS UP.
But what about when GOD gives you advice? When he sends LIGHT – to guide and purify. How do you receive it? How SHOULD you receive it? Do you WELCOME it? Or REJECT it? That’s the question in today’s passage. We’re continuing a short series looking at the introduction to John’s Gospel. (Verses 1-18 of chapter 1.) We meet someone called “THE WORD”. God’s personal communication to us. It’s not until we get to v17 that we find out it’s JESUS.
Last week we looked at v1-2. (That in the beginning, the Word was WITH God, and WAS God (v1). He’s existed from all eternity.)
The light of men
This week and next we look at v4-5.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
TODAY I’ll focus on “the Word was LIGHT”. Next week Danny will help us think about “the Word was LIFE.”
Verse 4 begins, “IN HIM WAS LIFE.” He’s alive. But more than that – he GIVES life. To PEOPLE, to THE WORLD. He’s the SOURCE of life. He’s so FULL of life, it flows OUT of him, and gives life to everything. (Verse 3 has already described how everything was made THROUGH him).
And then we read “and that life was the light of men.” It’s a simple phrase, but it’s meaning is surprisingly tricky to understand. Firstly, “in him was LIFE” could refer to the life Jesus HIMSELF lives – his earthly life. Or it could refer to the life Jesus GIVES TO OTHERS. Secondly, “light of men”. It’s not referring to LITERAL light. It’s a METAPHOR.
LIGHT represents two ideas. And they’re CONNECTED. One is to do with information and guidance. Like a car headlight or a lighthouse. It shows the way. Guides and directs. When someone EXPLAINS something, we says they ENLIGHTEN us. The OTHER idea is to do with good and evil. Light is about purity and truth. Darkness is about sin, shame, and guilt.
John doesn’t explain what he means because this is just his introduction. The REST of the book will expand on the idea. But I also suspect that he’s making connections with the Old Testament book of Isaiah. And he expects us to RECOGNISE them. Because Isaiah has lots of references to LIGHT. In chapter 9 God promises
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death A LIGHT HAS DAWNED… 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
God promises to send A LIGHT – someone who would bring in, and rule, a kingdom of peace and stability and justice.
And then in chapter 42 God introduces us to HIS SERVANT.
1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and HE WILL BRING JUSTICE to the nations…6 “I, the LORD , have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people AND A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
God’s servant, who GIVES LIGHT TO EVERYONE. Which includes INSIGHT AND FREEDOM AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.
And the result will be A PEOPLE whose life is full of goodness and light. Like in chapter 58, God describes the lifestyle that pleases him.
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 THEN YOUR LIGHT WILL BREAK FORTH LIKE THE DAWN…, “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, THEN YOUR LIGHT WILL RISE IN THE DARKNESS, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The LORD will GUIDE you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
All of these passages, and more, are SUMMARISED by verse 4 of John chapter 1: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” It means something like this: Jesus’ earthly life is full of rich insight and goodness and justice and compassion. And he offers that type of life to those who FOLLOW him. (He LEADS them into it). A combination of consciousness and conscience. Perception and ethics. A kingdom of right thinking and right living.
Light shines in the darkness
That’s what Jesus came to do. What a wonderful picture that would be if that’s the way it happened. But v5 describes THE REALITY.
5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Jesus CAME. The light DAWNED. He lived and taught and guided people. But humanity, whose basic nature is DARKNESS, wasn’t interested. They didn’t want to be guided towards life and love and joy. Like cockroaches who scurry under the fridge when you turn on the kitchen light. That’s what people did when Jesus walked the earth. And they have the same reaction to him TODAY.
A bit further on, Ch 3 v19 describes that natural human response
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
Men loved darkness. In July, 1977, a series of lightning strikes caused a city-wide blackout across New York. When the lights finally came on 25 hours later, arsonists had set more than 1000 fires, and looters had ransacked 1600 stores. The New York Post reported that the streets had become a battleground, with even the looters being mugged. Many of them, normal law-abiding citizens, used the darkness as the opportunity to do what their hearts WANTED. Normally, in the light, they wouldn’t THINK of acting like that. Time magazine began an article on the event with this: “It was a crisis of light, and of darkness—the kind of event that brings out the best and the worst in people.” That’s what it means when it says that men love darkness because their deeds are EVIL. LITERAL darkness hides the darkness of their deeds and desires and natures. And that means they HATE LIGHT (That’s v20 of Ch 3). Because it EXPOSES them. They don’t want ANYONE seeing what they’re really like, let alone JESUS.
The foolishness of that choice is seen as we read on in Ch 1. In v9, we find out more about the light.
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
Jesus is not just A light. (ONE source of light among many. One choice among many on the religious menu). But the TRUE light. The GENUINE light. The light on which all others are MODELLED. All other expressions of the truth flow out of, or contain PART of, the TRUE light.
And Jesus’ light isn’t just A TWINKLE. A candle. (An out-dated, culture-bound, context-dependent guide). But the true light who gives light to EVERY MAN. From every age, and every situation. Every language or culture. He’s ALWAYS relevant. ALWAYS appropriate. ALWAYS beneficial.
Because he MADE us, he knows us BEST. He knows us from the OUTSIDE – from the perspective of eternity. Like the author knows every paragraph of his novel. And the sculptor knows every curve and line of her sculpture. And the inventor knows every gear and circuit. (He’s the TRUE light who gives light to EVERY man).
And HOW did he give that light to everyone? By COMING INTO THE WORLD. He didn’t give us light by sending an email, or flipping a switch from heaven. But by stepping out of eternity, and into time. By coming from heaven to earth. By putting aside his heavenly throne, and putting on FLESH. By putting down the author’s pen, and jumping into the pages of the novel. By putting down the paintbrush, and diving into the painting. Which means he gives true light, not just as the CREATOR, but as the one who’s LIVED it. He knows us from the INSIDE, as well as the OUTSIDE – because he’s experienced EVERYTHING we’ve ever been through. Every temptation and sorrow. Every trial and joy.
The true light CAME INTO THE WORLD. But the bitter irony is that the One who’d created it all was IGNORED by that very creation. V10.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Like the TV show Undercover Boss. The owner of the company puts on a disguise and comes to visit his employees. He’s established everything in the company. (Copyrighted the name. Registered the business. Built the product line and the markets). He’s hired them and pays them. But they don’t recognise him. They treat him like any other employee.
But it’s worse than that with Jesus. Not only don’t they RECOGNISE him. They DON’T RECEIVE him. They REJECT him. They throw him off his own property, and change the locks. Because darkness HATES light. (The light shone in the darkness, but the darkness didn’t understand it.)
But to all who received him
Which is all fairly depressing. But it isn’t the FULL PICTURE! V12 points out that there’s light in the midst of the darkness.
12 Yet to all who RECEIVED him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-
Every person who becomes a Christian comes to a turning point. A moment of decision. BEFORE, they think they’re FINE. They’re happy with life, comfortable with their own ability to make decisions. Wandering around in darkness. But at some point, they recognise their SIN. (The darkness of their own hearts. And their HOPELESSNESS and HELPLESSNESS and LOSTNESS.) They realise they need LIGHT. Guidance, direction, goodness, restoration. And so they reach out for THE LIGHT OF JESUS. Who speaks TRUTH about life and death, about sin and forgiveness. And they RECEIVE that light. They BELIEVE IN HIS NAME. They trust his authority to speak on God’s behalf.
And then Jesus AUTHORISES them to become children of God. He stamps their visa. Processes the adoption papers. And welcomes them into the family. It’s HIS initiative. People can’t EARN it, or QUALIFY for it. It’s a gift from Jesus.
Light of the world
And it’s a gift big enough FOR EVERYONE to share. Over in chapter 8 Jesus is in the temple, and he announces to those who are there. (Ch 8 v12),
“I am THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
He announces that he’s the One God promised in Isaiah. Who’d be A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES. Not just Jews. Not just those alive at the time. But across all ages, and all cultures, and all languages.
Follow the light. Let him shine on your darkness. Let him guide you, in your blindness. In the foolishness of chasing after things that disappoint and destroy. FOLLOW him, and you’ll never walk in darkness. You’ll have the LIGHT of LIFE. The information that leads you to TRUE life. ABSOLUTE, ULTIMATE, MAXIMUM life. Life with JOY and purpose and perspective.
What’s that going to LOOK LIKE? To follow the light of the world? To have the light of life? Let me give you THREE ways.
Walk in the light
First. Walk in the light. FOLLOW – IMITATE –Jesus, the light of the world. Jesus loved his disciples TO THE END (John 13:1), then washed their feet giving them an example to follow. And he commanded US to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, so that everyone would know that we are his disciples (John 13:34-35). In 1 John 2 v8 it says
8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and THE TRUE LIGHT IS ALREADY SHINING. 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 WHOEVER LOVES HIS BROTHER LIVES IN THE LIGHT, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Love for your brother means BEING INVOLVED. In church, in home group. Praying for him. Listening to him. Serving him. Get your hands dirty! Hatred doesn’t need to look like anger. It can look like INDIFFERENCE. It can look like arriving at church LATE, and leaving EARLY. Or only coming when you don’t have a better offer.
Following Jesus has to LOOK like something. It should COST you something. Your life has to be measurably DIFFERENT from your work colleagues or friends who don’t know Jesus. If it DOESN’T, then maybe your claim to be in light is A LIE. God has no interest in HYPOCRITES. In people who CLAIM to be in the light, but hate their brother.
Shine your light
And the SECOND thing we should do is to shine a little light of our own. When we WALK in the light, then PEOPLE WILL NOTICE. They’ll RECOGNISE we’re Jesus ‘ disciples. In Matthew 5 Jesus said (v14) “You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” REFLECT the light of the world. By being light to those around you. Because they’re walking in darkness.
Don’t give up
And the third thing we should do is NOT GIVE UP. Those first two commands are challenging, aren’t they? To genuinely love our brothers? To provide a consistent witness to the world? Because we all know that we’re weak, and we fail. And we don’t love as we should. Or shine our light as consistently as we should.
But it’s not about you. It’s about Jesus, the glorious light of the world who shone his light into your heart. Even if the world is DARK, and wants nothing to DO with him. Take heart in Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4. Living for Jesus IS TOUGH. In v4 he says
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
But, by contrast, v6.
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
God has done a work of CREATION in our hearts. We’re not yet who we will be. But we’re also not what we once were. Jesus, the true light from God, has shone onto us. And we’ve RECEIVED and BELIEVED in him. And God’s power is at work in us. V7
7 But we have this treasure IN JARS OF CLAY to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
And, so even when life is difficult, we don’t give up.
16 Therefore WE DO NOT LOSE HEART. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
The God who spoke the sun, moon and stars into existence is working his power in your life – shining his light. As you follow Jesus, your Saviour and Lord, the light of the world. So walk in his light as you love the brothers. Shine your light for the world to see. And don’t give up.
The Bible Talks 