The illuminating Word - John..

Welcome to Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for using and sharing our resources. What you're about to hear is God's Word from one of our teaching elders. We trust that God's Word will inspire, instruct, and bless you. For further teachings or information on our ministry, please visit us on our website at cornerstonerbc.

com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. All right, good to see you here. Good morning, Church.

It's really good to be here once again to worship our great God with you. If you have your Bibles, can you please open them up, please? And we're back in the book of John, the Gospel of John. This week we'll be, again, reading the prologue of the Gospel of John. That is the first 18 verses of this chapter.

But we'll be concentrating our efforts once again on only a couple of verses, in particular verses 4 and verses 5. verses 4 and 5, but we'll read the first 18 verses. In these verses, we'll see quickly that there are major themes that come up out of the prologue. The first 18 verses are major themes that build the theological structure for the rest of the book. I said this last week.

And in verses 4 and 5, another major theme comes out, and that is the theme of light, the theme of light. And we'll see that as we go through the book of John. So if you have your Bibles with you, please let's start. John chapter 1, verse 1. And I too am reading from the ESV.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to bear witness about the light. The true light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

He came to his own and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about him and cried out, this was he of whom I said, he who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.

For from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace, For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. Amen. This is the word of the Lord.

If you recall, last week in last week's sermon, we examined what John means when he writes, in him was life. We opened up this phrase last week and we determined that all forms of life are sourced in Christ. No exceptions. Everything physical and everything spiritual which has life derives its life from the one who has self existing life, the eternal word, Jesus Christ. But when we look more intently at the passage, and indeed at the whole fourth gospel of John, we concluded that John's emphasis is not on the physical life, but on spiritual life, also known throughout this gospel as eternal life.

Eternal life is a major theme running throughout this gospel, and the emphasis on eternal life is well placed, because upon examination of Scripture, we concluded that apart from the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself, every man, every woman, every child is born dead, spiritually speaking. And spiritually dead people are unable to please God, because God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit, and in truth, John 4.24. Therefore, spiritually dead people, apart from the life of Christ, are worthy only of eternal judgment. The only hope for salvation is for them to be given life, spiritual life, to be born from above.

And just like none of us made that decision or our decision to be born physically, so too our spiritual birth is totally out of our hands. because it is of grace and grace alone. So this is John's concern, and this is his concern for writing the fourth gospel. It is so that he would introduce his readers to the source and the substance of life, Jesus Christ, because apart from Christ, there's only death. Now, the second portion of verse four, and into verse five, John seamlessly transitions his readers from introducing Jesus as the source of life to how that life is communicated to mankind.

Again, he uses another major theme that runs through the fourth gospel, and that's the theme of light. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. What does he mean by the life was the light of men? We know he's referring to Christ. We know that much.

But in what sense is Jesus Christ the light of all mankind? Well, to understand this again, we must remember that John is using a metaphor, a picture to reveal a spiritual truth. He's not intending to state that Jesus is the physical illumination of mankind as though he is the sun as we know it. Although, although he has given us the sun. And God is described as living in unapproachable light, 1 Timothy 6.

16. The Bible does paint the picture that God's glory is too bright to be looked upon. We see this clearly in the transfiguration account in all the synoptic gospels. And Matthew's account clearly says, his face shone like the sun and his clothes become white as light. So yes, definitely, God's glory is a brilliant light.

Brighter than anything we could ever look upon, brighter than anything we could ever comprehend. But John, John in this verse is pointing our attention to something beyond the physical radiance, beyond the luminous rays. The light John speaks of is the manifestation of divine life. The life was the light of men. It may sound strange to our ears, but John is connecting all the dots here in the first four verses of this gospel.

It's a beautifully woven sequence of foundational theology. And this theology, as I mentioned last week, will set up the backbone for the rest of this book. It's wonderfully linked in John's minds, and so eloquently he communicates the attributes of God in the first four verses. You see, we see His eternality, His deity, the intra-Trinitarian fellowship. John continues to announce the Word as Creator of all things, and as we already noted, He is the source and the substance of life.

But up until this point, What he has communicated in the first three and a half verses are truths that are too lofty for us to grasp on our own. They are unfathomable and cannot be perceived by a mere human mind on its own. But John knows this. He's been setting up the scene for what comes next. And what comes next is this.

The otherwise inscrutable, unfathomable God of the universe Hades is pleased to reveal himself to mankind. This revelation he calls the light of men. The light is none other than the word who became flesh, Jesus Christ. Beloved, apart from Christ, we could never know God. Never.

The light was the light of men. What is the nature of light? It reveals, it discloses, it unveils. Jesus reveals God perfectly. You remember the words of Jesus to the Jews when debating in the temple in John chapter 10?

I and the Father are one, he says. And what about his response to Philip? When Philip asks that he could see the Father, that Christ would show him the Father, what was Jesus' response in John 14? If you have seen me, Jesus says, you have seen the Father. Paul makes this point ever so clear when he writes to the Christians in the Colossae.

Hear his words. For in him, Paul says, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. So what's Paul saying in that verse? Well, if we want to know God, look to Jesus Christ. You want to know of God's holiness?

Look to Christ. His purity, His love, His power? Beloved, look to Christ. You want to know the way for salvation? Look to Christ and His Word.

No one else will reveal the truth of God to us apart from the person, the work, and the words of Jesus Christ. Now this unavoidably leads us to ask a very important question. If Jesus is light and therefore the revealer of God, then was there no light, or said another way, was there no true knowledge of God before the Son of God became man? How about the thousands of years before the Word became flesh? This is an important question and it requires a biblical answer.

The short answer is this. Of course there was. From the beginning there always was varying degrees of God's light. His revelation of himself, which is known as the light of God in the scripture. But hear this, the revealing light of God has always been found in the Son of God.

See, in John, in verse 4, he actually announces this, but it's not as clear in English as it is in the original language. You see, the word construction in verse 4 is the same as that in the latter part of verse 1. In verse 1, he writes, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. Now listen to this. And the Word was God.

The declaration here by John is this. The Word, that's Jesus Christ, was and continues to be the everlasting God. Now, this is clear with the use of what they call the imperfect indicative. And an imperfect indicative is simply, it indicates a verb in the past tense which has a continuing, ongoing effect. So now here in verse four, John is using the same grammatical construction in him was life, the life was the light of men.

And this is to say that the life, Jesus Christ, was and always continues to be the light of mankind. Jesus is the only source of light. And he always was and continues to be the revealer of God to mankind. This is part of the reason why John calls him the Word. It's because just as our words reveal the contents of our heart and mind, he reveals the heart and the mind of God to his people.

He is the full expression of God. He is the full communication of God. He makes the incomprehensible God known to mankind. This is Jesus. Even though in the context John is specifically referring to the revelation found in the incarnate Son of God.

We also know God has never, never left mankind without some degree of light, some degree of his own revelation, some degree of the knowledge of God. And beloved, what that light is, is ultimately sourced in the eternal word as well. Let me explain. The light, which is the knowledge of God and the truth of God, is commonly articulated in two categories, and you've heard of these, general and special light or revelation. The former general revelation is evident to every human being, past, present, and future, with no exceptions.

This speaks of the truths about God which is revealed in and through our conscience and the natural world in creation. Beloved, both are a work of Christ. John has already made this clear when he designated Christ as the creator of all things and the creator of man himself. As the maker of man, he also authored man's conscience. And in man's conscience, he has implanted a general knowledge of God.

Even though the most hardened murderer knows to some degree he is doing wrong without ever reading the Bible, without ever reading God's law. This is because God has implanted in him an innate sense of right and wrong. Everybody, without exception, has this light in their conscience, which they continually violate over and over and over again. Romans 2 explains this all so beautifully. But also, there's the light in creation.

This light is depicted in passages such as Psalm 19. The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky proclaims his handiwork. This light in creation is plain and it reveals the eternal power and the divine nature of God. Sinners suppress the knowledge of God or this knowledge in unrighteousness, Romans 1. Beloved, general light or general revelation is only enough to render all mankind without excuse before a holy God.

You see, no one is able to say to God, I did not know you existed. No one. And this is why the psalmist is able to say, the fool says in his heart, there is no God. So it's evident that all mankind, without exception, has some degree of light, which God, or the Son of God himself has. given in regards to the knowledge of God.

So indeed Jesus is the light of all mankind. This point is reiterated by John again specifically further down in our text and we read it this morning in verse 9 where he says, the true light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. Gives light to everyone that's coming into the world. Now having said that, I believe John has something more specific in mind than general revelation. And he does.

It's special revelation that is in his view. Special revelation is best articulated in the words of the author of the Hebrews. So if you have your Bibles, please open them up to Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1. And we'll be reading the first three verses.

Okay, verse 1, Hebrews 1, verse 1 through 3. Long ago, at many times, and in many ways, God spoke to the fathers by the prophets. Let's pause there, but keep your finger in this chapter, because we'll come back to it. In times past, God has revealed himself in a special way through the prophets. A prophet is simply a mouthpiece of God.

He speaks the words of God. God has been pleased to preserve many of those words in what we call sacred scripture. Scripture is God's special light. So creation, conscience, general light. Scripture is God's special light.

It reveals God in a genuine and special way to his people. It discloses the perfections of God, His love, His holiness, His righteousness, and He is all-powerful, and that He is all-knowing, and so on, and so on. Scripture also reveals God's righteous standards for man, and uncovers the total inability of a sinful man, a corrupt man, to be able to fulfill God's righteous standards in his life. This light ought to bring him, that is man, to his knees. in acknowledgement that he needs a saviour.

And if he does, the scripture articulates how a child of God ought to live. In essence, 2 Timothy 3.16 says it best, all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Our brother mentioned that verse this morning. Special revelation, unlike general revelation, is a greater light.

It's a greater light. It shows God more fully and more clearly than general revelation. Now let's go back to Hebrews. Let's continue the passage from verse one again. Long ago and many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, and hear this, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed to heir of all things through whom also he created the world.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. The complete fullness of the revelation of God is found in the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ. Never before has God so clearly revealed himself to mankind as in the incarnation in his Son, Jesus Christ. Herein lies the point that John is making in verse four of our reading.

with the Word who became flesh and dwelt among mankind, God has stepped up the light of His self-disclosure more than ever before." Now, I want you to think about a dimmer light. Now, most of the older homes, well, many of them anyway, had them. We don't have one here. But a dimmer light is a, you've got a light switch on the wall that turns on and off the light, but sometimes you have this little knob next to that light.

And that knob, it's a circular knob that you can turn from left to right. When you turn it to the left, the light's dim right now. When you turn it to the right, incrementally, more power is given to the bulb and it brightens up the room more and more and more. Now, nothing changes about the furniture in that room. All the furniture stays where it is.

The couch, the table, the chairs, you can see all that. When the dimmer is to the left, you don't see it very clearly, but it's all there. But you can't articulate or see the specifics. Whereas when you turn that light to the maximum, not only do you see the couch and the table and the walls, but now you can see the stain on the couch. Now you can see the marks on the walls.

You can even see the dust on the surface. When Christ came into this world, he brought with him the maximum brightness of God's light to mankind. That dimmer was turned to the absolute max. God has never, ever so clearly been seen as in the Son, Jesus Christ. To repeat again Christ's word to Philip in John 14, whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

As is, as it is, I apologize, and isn't this also the last point that John chooses to make in the prologue of this very first chapter? All the way down in verse 18, what does he say? No one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. Jesus is the full and final revelation of God to mankind.

But not only is God fully revealed in Christ in his perfections, but we are able also to see more clearly than ever before our filth and our unrighteousness before this holy God. Beloved, Christ is the model of perfection. He is the epitome of holiness. He is the essence of righteousness. He is the substance of truth and purity.

In Him, there is no deceit, no lie, only 100% purity and virtue. John expresses this in his first epistle, where he writes, God is light, and in Him, there is no darkness. Who can be compared to the light of the purity of Christ? Beloved, no one. No one can be compared to this purity.

Now in verse 5, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. This verse can also be read The light is still shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood or laid hold of or apprehended it. There are a couple of things that we need to note about this verse. Verse five. Firstly, the light spoken of shines in the darkness.

It is in the present tense. So at the time the apostle wrote this gospel, Jesus had already ascended to the right hand of the Father at least 40 years beforehand. But the grammar of John intends to communicate that the light of Christ is still shining, present tense. But how? Well, he continues to shine in his word and by the power of his Holy Spirit.

The revelation of God in Scripture, which is the words of Christ, shines the light of Christ in the darkness until He returns. Beloved, just as the Old Testament is a light which reveals God to the people of old, the New Testament is a brighter light which not only reveals the perfections of God in Christ more clearly and to the maximum, but, listen to this, it shines the light back over to the Old Testament to brighten it up also. You see the whole 66 books of the Bible have been completely lit up to the max because the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. And those who have trusted in Him have the Holy Spirit indwelling in them and the Spirit of God illuminates that Word to the people of God's hearts. Do you see how Jesus is the light of God in every sense?

I hope we are being reminded of how valuable Jesus is and how valuable the Bible is. We need to treasure this word. This is the word of our Savior. We need to treasure this word in our hearts, because this is the light of God for us in Christ. Another thing to note about our passage in verse 5 in particular, is that commentators disagree over the translation in verse 5.

And the Greek word is katalambano. It can either be seen as, or translated, darkness has not overcome or overtaken the light, like it is now in ESV Bibles, or it can be translated, darkness did not apprehend, lay hold, or understand the light. Now, there's a big difference between the two translations. Yes, but I want you to hear this. Both represent biblical truth.

Both of them do. The first of these translates overcome or over power, brings out a profound truth in this metaphor. And it brings the truth about darkness. You see, darkness in scripture is more than just the absence of light, as some have suggested. Darkness is a positive evil.

It's a positive evil. It's a hostile people and hostile spiritual forces in a hostile world. Active enemies against God. They're not passive. They're active in their rebellion and their evil against the only God of the universe.

John explains this point beautifully in chapter 3. There he says that man in his natural state is not neutral as though he exists minding his own business. No, that's not the case. He hates the light, he says in chapter 3, and loves the darkness, which means he hates God and loves his sinful rebellion against God. The darkness is an active enemy of God and is antagonistic towards him.

We are all born in darkness. We are all born enemies of God. This is Romans 5.10. The work of Christ in salvation is bringing us from being in enmity with God to being friends of God and enjoying him forever.

This is the glorious work of God in salvation. You see, when the light of Christ shines into the dark, black, evil heart, darkness will never, ever overpower it. If Christ wants to save someone, he accomplishes his will. He will accomplish his purpose and nothing will stand in his way. Nothing, nothing.

We have hope in this. Just like when God said in Genesis chapter 1, let there be light, and the light was driven away, and then you had light, the darkness can only obey the almighty God. And when God says he wants to shine his light in a dark heart, the light shines and the darkness is dispelled to oblivion. It's gone forever. So yes, we can definitely agree with the principle that darkness will never overpower the light, but is this what John is intending to say in this verse?

I don't think so. I think the meaning of the verse, in its proper context, is this. Darkness did not apprehend or lay hold of the light. Let me explain. Further down in the same chapter, in verse 10, we're told, the world did not know Christ.

That's verse 10. And in verse 11, his people did not receive him. And Jesus is clear in chapter 12, those in darkness suffer from what? From a spiritual blindness. So it's obvious spiritually blind people could never understand or apprehend the light of Christ.

This is made even more evident in John 8, 48, when Jesus, his fellow countrymen, accused him of being a Samaritan and then of being demon possessed. This is an incredible level of confusion and lack of understanding. Why? Because they are spiritually dead. How about in John 6, a day after Jesus feeds the 5,000 and he does this miraculously.

He turns to the crowds and begins to teach them. He says that He is the bread of life, and unless they eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, they have no part in eternal life. Now, I know they're tough words. But you see, Jesus has already given them clues of how to understand these sayings a few moments earlier. But the crowd all depart, thinking that Jesus Christ is promoting some form of cannibalism, which He wasn't, of course.

But this is a clear example of the world not comprehending or apprehending the light of Jesus Christ. But Catalambano could also connote something a little different again. It could be that they didn't apprehend the light because they actively reject the light. Is there a darker heart than the one who rejects Jesus Christ? Is there a greater evil than to reject God Himself?

Think with me once again about the context of verse 5. John has, in the first four verses, brought such incredible acclaim to the perfections of the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ. He has declared that He is the Eternal God from everlasting to everlasting, always and forever in intimate fellowship with the Trinity. with the father in particular. John continues to explain that Jesus is the creator of all things.

There is nothing made that he did not make. It's all been created through him and through him alone. And then he says that he gives life to everything. He is the fountain of life and from him alone life is given. Listen to this resonate.

Is there anyone greater than this Jesus? Does anyone even compare to him? And now he has come into the world to shine his light of salvation. And how does the world respond? It rejects him.

God has come in flesh to a world who rejects him. This is the definition of evil. Verse 11, he came to his own and his own people did not receive him. Beloved, his people understood his claims. John 10 33 makes this point clear.

Jesus asks the Jews why they intend to stone him. And this is their answer. Listen to this. It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, speaking to Christ, being a man Make yourself God. This is the claim of Christ, that He is God, and they understood it.

They understood His claim, and it was crystal clear to them, and they outright rejected Him. All the Synoptic Gospels and 1 Peter tell us that Jesus Christ is the stone that builders reject, but this stone has become the cornerstone And Jesus speaking to the disciples about his return in Luke 17 says, but first he must suffer many things and be what? Rejected by this generation. Beloved, there are so many passages that speak of the rejection of Christ by the world. If the darkness is depicted of evil, immorality, unrighteousness, and hatred, then I ask you this once again, can there be a greater, darker evil than a heart that rejects Jesus?

What other Savior is there? Who else can we place our trust? Can anyone else save us from our sin? Acts 4.12.

No one, no one else can save us from our sin. The Bible is clear. It is said in Matthew 26 of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Christ, it would have been better for that man if he had not been born. What was his sin? What did he do that was worthy of this condemnation?

Well, he betrayed Christ. And in his betrayal, He rejected the Saviour. He rejected the only Saviour of the world. So why? Why would anyone reject the glorious Son of God, God who became flesh, the only Saviour?

Why would anyone reject Him? Again, to John 3, 19 through 21, Jesus says, and this is judgment, the light has come into the world and the people love the darkness rather than the light, because why? Their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed." There's your answer.

Sin. Sin is why people reject Christ. Everyone apart from divine grace loves their sin. And this is the mind-blowing thing. Hear this, beloved.

they will be willing to perish before giving it up. It's crazy, but it's true. This morning we've seen how God has always had some light in the world, whether in the conscience, in creation, or in his word, or the word that became flesh. Some light has always been evident in a dark, evil world, But the time will come when those who have rejected Christ, according to Matthew chapter eight, who will be thrown into a place, hear this, of absolute darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is the fate for those who are, in verse 11 of our passage this morning, not only the unbelieving Jews, but everyone who does not receive.

But we won't all end this way. Beloved, there is grace. Jesus says, I have come into the world as light so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. These words of those who are described a little further down in the first chapter of John in verses 12 through 13. These people have nothing to hear.

Hear these words. Start from 11. He, that's Christ, 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, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Even to believe in Christ is a work of grace. It's accomplished by the sovereign will of God. Remember, only a few moments ago, I described those who rejected Christ and their fate that awaits them. That was every one of us. Beloved, every single one of us in this room, none of us were born justified.

None of us. The light of Christ shines in our hearts because of the grace of God and the grace of God alone. Beloved, it was not because of what we have done, but because of what He has done. And hear this, if it was up to us, if it was actually our choice, I'm confident in saying that every single one of us would reject Him outright. outright reject him because we love our sin and we love to stay in the darkness in a place where our sin is not exposed we too would reject him but this is why john says this is why john says in verse 13 that christ in christ we have been born again not by the will of man but of god this is grace and his grace beloved is irresistible irresistible Paul to the Colossian Christians writes, and I'll end with this, he, that's God, has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son.

So yes, if we believe and have become the children of the light, it's because of what he has done, not because of the engagement of our will or anything else we have done, but because of his goodness and his goodness alone. So we ought to give him all the glory. Beloved, There are only two categories that the Bible gives. Those who receive him, who believe in his name, and who live in his light on one hand, and those who don't on the other. I trust and I pray that everyone in this room is found in that first category.

In him was life, and the life was the life of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome. Amen.