John gives a progressive revelation of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. He begins this revelation with the words in John 1:4, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
In our last study, we witnessed the fact that Jesus is the essence, substance of life itself. Without Christ, death reigns, there is no life. John expends much time to demonstrate and reveal the Life and Light that is Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:5–6 NKJV This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
John 8:12 NKJV 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.”
John 12:46 NKJV I have come as a Light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
The development of the revelation of Jesus the Light of the world is taken up in the letter to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV 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.
This text is showing us that what is revealed through and in the person of Christ has been made real in our hearts.
Jesus Christ is the Light that cannot be overcome.
The light that He has brought into this world and into our hearts will not expire and cannot be extinguished. Jesus is the Light of the world that dispels the darkness.
John the Baptist was sent as a witness of the Light.
John 1:6-8 NKJV There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John the Baptist was a very special witness of Christ.
The entrance and ministry of John the Baptist was foretold by the prophets. John was not just an observer of the Christ, he was the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah. In Malachi 4:5, the prophet said Elijah would come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Now in the time of the Gospels, the scribes were saying that Elijah must come before the Messiah. Their understanding of what was to happen was tempered by their understanding of the Old Testament prophets. As we see, in much of Judaism they could not see because of unbelief. God prepared and sent John the Baptist into the world to declare the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John was the great forerunner of Jesus.
The author of the Gospel of John was not John the Baptist. The author does not identify himself by name, but by relationship to Christ. He says four times that he is “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” ( John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7). In John 21:18-24, Peter asked about the death of the disciple whom Jesus loved, and then the text says, “This is the disciple who testifies of these things.”
John the Baptist’s sole purpose was to give witness and testimony to the Light of the world. He lived out the purpose God had for him and then he faded from the spotlight. His purpose stands as a living example for every believer.
Luke 7:28 NKJV “For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Did you really hear that? Jesus considered John the greatest prophet born of women. We can learn much from great people. John the Baptist was not interested in drawing attention to himself. He had the opportunity to climb in the spotlight. John the Baptist knew that he must decrease and that Jesus must increase. His only purpose was to bear witness of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
John 1:6 NKJV There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John was sent out from God into the world with a message from God. The secret of John’s importance was that He was sent from God. Something powerful happens in us when we know what God has equipped and commissioned us to do. John the Baptist was equipped and commissioned just like the Old Testament prophets. According to Jesus, no one was greater than John. That means, John’s purpose and mission was greater than that of Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, and even Moses.
What was John’s ministry?
John 1:7 NKJV This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
The word witness is important in this Gospel. The word “witness” is mentioned 33 times in this Gospel. Witness refers to an individual who has firsthand knowledge. In John the Baptist’s case, he had firsthand knowledge from God that Jesus was the Christ, the Light of the world. He was sent as the witness and forerunner of Jesus Christ. Many other disciples arose who gave testimony of Christ. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come upon believers and give them power to be His witnesses.
John was uniquely called to be the witness and forerunner of Jesus Christ.
He was sent before Christ to “bear witness of the Light.” His message prepared the way for the Lord. John the Baptist was sent to help people believe, reveal, point out or witness of Jesus Christ. Jesus was sent into the world to reveal the Father.
People were in such darkness that they needed someone to show them what is Light. John’s goal was to show everyone that Jesus is the Christ.
John 1:8-9 NKJV He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
Matthew 3:5-6 tells us “all the people in the region around the Jordan came to John to be baptized and confess their sins.” Due to his influence, John had many disciples. John knew his assignment and calling. Although he was great, he knew he was not the Light.
John’s ministry continued after his death.
John continued to have disciples even after the death and resurrection of Jesus (4:1; cf. Mark 6:29; Luke 5:33). Paul found about 12 disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus 20 years after Christ’s resurrection (cf. Acts 18:25; 19:1-7).
John clearly said: “I am not the Light of the world.”
All the people in the region around the Jordan came to John to be baptized and confess their sins. When Jesus Christ was manifest, a totally new level of revelation and light came into the world. Jesus is the only Way, Truth and Life. The Bible says, John was sent “to testify, identify and point toward that Light.” When John began declaring that Light, he started reproving the works of darkness. John preached against sin and called people to repent and be baptized.
Luke 3:7-8 NKJV Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
John said: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”John never tried to draw attention to himself. He knew the purpose and the limits of his calling.
John said: Jesus Christ is the Light of men.
John 1:9–13 NKJV That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
When Jesus the Christ came on the scene, the world was in a desperate condition. The world was full of darkness, it had not had a divine revelation for 400 years. The history of the Jewish people was one of defeat, oppression and loss. This was a time of great violence and upheaval that affected social and religious norms. Orthodox Jews were looking for the coming of the Messiah. The manifestation of the glory of God was only a memory of what had been in the Temple. The power of sin had brought despair, darkness and death. Even during the daylight, the powers of evil and darkness held men’s souls in captivity and terror. The solution for darkness and death is revealed in this passage.
There is hope in Jesus Christ. Christ is the true Light of the world.His Light dispels darkness.
Jesus Christ is the true Light of the world.
What does that mean? It means that Jesus Christ is what other men are not. When Jesus comes into the world, darkness must flee. He can break the power of sin and darkness. Jesus Christ is the hope for real life.Christ alone is the true Light. When Jesus comes into our lives, we are changed.
Ephesians 5:8 NKJV For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
- Light penetrates: it cuts through and eliminates darkness. That is what Jesus Christ does in us.
- Light clarifies: it enlarges one’s vision, understanding, and knowledge. Jesus Christ brings clarity. His light clears up the way to the truth and life.
- Light reveals: it opens up the truth of an area, a whole new world and life. That is what Jesus Christ did.
John 14:6 NKJV Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
- Light guides: it keeps one from groping and grasping about in the dark trying to find one’s way. It directs the way to go, leads along the right path.The light shows us the way we should walk. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
- Light exposes and strips away darkness. That is what Jesus Christ did.
John 3:19–20 NKJV 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. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
John 12:46 NKJV I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
- Light expels chaos.
- Light segregates right and wrong.
- Light warns of dangers that lie ahead in one’s path.
- Light protects and keeps from stumbling, falling, and losing one’s life.
Jesus Christ came to this world to give Light. This is the message of the good news.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the message of life, light, relief, healing, and salvation. We have hope in Christ.
