John 1:9-13
Intentions can be wonderful but they can also be easily frustrated. We make plans in hopes of achieving a positive
result. We examine our motives to make
sure that they are pure. We execute our
project to the best of our ability. We
intend to bless others and be blessed by these efforts. Unfortunately, that is not always the
result. Sometimes the people we were
hoping to bless ignore our efforts or even worse become offended by them. God is not like us. He is never frustrated or taken by
surprise. However, as we read today’s
text, or large portions of Scripture, for that matter; we cannot help but see
that man’s response to God’s redeeming efforts fell far short of what it could
have been. Jesus came into the world to
reveal God to man and to reconcile man to God.
Man’s response has ranged from indifference to outright rejection. However, God’s plans, unlike ours, are never
thwarted and will eventually have their desired effect. The result of this will be eternal blessing
for us and abundant glory for God. Jesus
is called the Light in this passage and John gives us three descriptions of the
Light.
TRUTHFUL LIGHT: There are many sources of light that can
easily distract us from the true Light.
Many people and religions claim to have the answers and they try to
attract followers by shinning a wide variety of lights on the paths they want
us to follow. Unfortunately, the false
lights only lead to heart ache and eternal damnation. Jesus is the one and only true Light. He came into the world to give us a clear and
exact revelation of who God is and how we can be reconciled to Him. He is the only Way, the only Truth, the only
Light. He came to enlighten every man. God’s desire is that every man, woman and
child on the face of the earth be reconciled to Him. People all over this planet have been
deceived by false lights and continue to grope around in the darkness without
hope. Jesus came to change all of
that. He came to show us how we can be
saved from sin, who God is and how we can spend all of eternity with Him. The question every man must answer is whether
or not he is following that Light.
TROUBLING LIGHT: As glorious as the light of Jesus is; He
did not have the response that we would expect.
His desire was to shine in all of the world. We might interpret this as being the Gentile
world. Though Jesus came into the world
through the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people; His purpose from the very
beginning was that all of the nations be blessed with the Light. The problem is that the world did not know Him. Either they did not recognize Him as the true
light or they were simply ignorant of who He was and what He came to do. This is the terrible plight of many nations
still today. They continue to not
recognize Jesus as the true light or they are simply ignorant of His existence. The call of the church today is to broadcast
the Good News that Jesus is the Light in all the nations. Two-thousand years after John penned these
words they continue to describe the sad reality of this world. Besides coming to the world in genera he came
to “His own.” This is most likely a
reference to the nation of Israel. He
was their countryman. He had been
foretold in the Scriptures of the Old Testament that God had revealed to
Him. He walked among them, did miracles
before them and proclaimed the truth to them.
However, He was rejected by them.
The Gentiles didn’t recognize Him but the Jews rejected Him. They doubted His message; they turned a blind
eye to His miracles and they blasphemed their Messiah. In the end they convicted Him as a criminal
and turned Him over to be crucified.
This was an utter and complete rejection of Jesus as the Light. Unfortunately, this also continues to be a
common response all over the world today.
Where the truth of the Gospel has been proclaimed and the Scriptures
have been made abundantly available; millions of people continue to reject
Jesus as the Light.
TRANSFORMING LIGHT: There was a third response to Jesus as
Light. Some people received Him. They believe that He is the promised
Messiah. They recognize Him as the true
Light. They worship Him as their
Lord. They trust Him as their Savior
from sin. The result of this proper
response to the light is that they are transformed from children of darkness
and death to children of God who will inherit eternal life. This transformation is what every man
desperately needs. This transforming Light
is available to all men everywhere. It
does not matter what type of blood flows in our veins; this transforming Light
is available to those with Jewish blood and Gentile blood. This transformation does not happen because
of the strength of our own flesh to keep a list of rules and regulations or
observe rituals. This transformation
does not take place because of human effort or any determination on the part of
man. This transformation is the
supernatural work of God in the heart of every man who believes on Jesus
Christ. As long as men strive to be
saved based on their race, rules and rituals they continue to be condemned in
darkness. When a man recognizes Jesus
Christ as the Son of God and believes that He has died and risen again in order
to set him free from sin; that man is born again. He is born into the family of God and has the
privilege of living for all of eternity in the glorious Light.
APPLICATION: We must examine our own response to the Light
of Jesus. Have we failed to recognize
Him? Have we rejected Him? Have we received Him? We must examine our own faith. Are we trusting in our race or the “faith of
the family?” Are we trusting in the
rules that we keep? Are we trusting is
some religious ritual or experience? Has
the Light of Jesus truly transformed us?
We must proclaim the message of the Light of Jesus to all the nations of
the world. This has been God’s intention
from the beginning and it must be the driving force behind all that we do.
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