1 In 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 was not any thing made that was made. 

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He 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, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 

14 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. 15 (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.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:1–18, ESV)

Introduction

• Advent Series: Light in the Darkness
  • Who: Logos
  • Result: We can become children of God.
  • Method: The Logos became flesh and dwelt among us.
• Today: John speaks of Christ as the light of life.
  • But what does that mean?

Theme Sentence:

Jesus Christ, the Word or Logos of God, is himself integral to our existence, victorious over the powers of darkness, and the one we need so that we might overcome and live the true human life.

• Integral: essential to completeness (Merriam-Webster)

1. The Light of Life is Integral (1:4)

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

What does John mean when says that in Christ (or the Logos) was life, and the life was the light of men?

• Not primarily about salvation through the gospel.

• • • Believers are right to think of Jesus as the light and life that shows us the way to salvation (John 14:6).

• But here, John is still thinking of the beginning of creation (1:1, 3).

• • In him was life—at that time, at the beginning (1:4).

Stage 1: Life existed eternally in God.

• The Logos was God and was with God (1:1-2).

Stage 2: At creation, life was dispensed to us.

• Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7, ESV)

• • Life: Mentioned 36 times in John’s gospel.
    • More than biological existence (bios), but deep, meaningful, eternal life (zōē) that enjoys God.
    • Central to Jesus’ mission.
  • In the ultimate sense, life itself stems from Christ’s preexistent nature—the physical and spiritual life of humanity comes from him.

Stage 3: The life God gave was our light.

• Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26–27, ESV)

• • At the beginning, this brand of connection with God, true life, was the Logos’s mission.
  • Augustine: “O God, you have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.”
• So the life of the Son became the light of the human race—each of us bears the imprint or mark of the Logos in our very constitution.
• Only partially received
  • General revelation, as seen in passages such as Romans 1:18-20 and Psalms 19:1-4, is enough to create a holy restlessness or divine homesickness within us (grope, Acts 17:26-27). Though humanity often suppresses it, this knowledge goes to the ends of the earth.
  • Example: Dark room walls—there must be a door!

This Christmastime, we should feel the eternal impulse that brought about the incarnation.

• Advent: an extension of God’s inclination—light to darkness.
  • In a moment: the darkness returned.
  • His impulse: The Logos gives life; it becomes our light.

2. The Light of Life is Victorious (1:5)

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

A rapid shift in tenses.

• Everything John wrote to this point has been in the past tense (one slide): 1 In 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 was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1–4, ESV)
• Then John shifts to the present tense.
  • The light shines in the darkness (5).
  • John shifted to his, and also our, present day.
    • Post-resurrection Christ.

What happened? The darkness returned.

• God tamed the darkness once.

• • • Darkness was over the unformed earth (Gen. 1:2).
    • God said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3).
    • And that life-giving light kept breaking through.

• But humanity chose darkness.

• • • All while thinking they were choosing light.
      • Eve ate because she saw “that the tree was to be desired to make one wise” (Gen. 3:5-6).

• And the darkness is active today.

• • • Paul said we wrestle “against the cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Eph. 6:11-12).
    • Prophets: cataclysmic prophecies—an undoing of creation.

• I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. (Jeremiah 4:23, ESV)

• • • Sin as de-creation vs. rule-breaking

So the light broke through again.

• The light of verse 5 (Jesus’s gospel) invades the cave so that the light of verse 4 (our eyes/souls) can finally function as they were designed to.
• Example: Christmas—the Light/Logos breaking in.

Though there was conflict, the light was victorious.

• • The cross
  • All the powers that came against him
  • Resurrection
    • But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. (Mark 3:27, ESV)

3. The Light of Life is the One We Need (1:6-8)

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

Introducing John the Baptist

• A completely different type of person.
  • Creature, not Creator: Not the Logos, but a man sent from God (6).
  • The disclaimer: He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light (8).
    • John’s self-perspective is helpful.
• But John was commissioned by God.
  • Sent from God (6) / He came as witness (7, 8).
  • Forgive sin (Lamb of God) + give Spirit (Spirit baptism).

John’s aim: that all might believe (7).

• Believe: a key word in this gospel.

• • • Used 98 times.
    • Have confidence in
    • Be persuaded about
    • A verb—action!

• John urged an active, continual, vital trust in Jesus.

• • • This is why he used the verb believe all throughout his gospel, rather than the noun faith.

• The apostle John wanted the same thing.

   

  • Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31, ESV)
  • This is the central engine driving John’s gospel.

The main verb of the Christian life: believe.

• We need to be connected to him.
• Believe him.

Believe what?

• In his love for us.
• Gospel declaration

Conclusion

• Recap

• • • 1. The light is integral.
    • 2. The light is victorious.
    • 3. The light is the One we need.

• Christmas is not only a birthday celebration, but the entrance (re-entrance) of God’s light into our darkness.

• • This Christmas season, let’s:
    • Praise him that in baby Jesus the Light of God had arrived.
    • Praise him that this Light could not be defeated.
    • Praise him that he became the one worthy of our trust.

STUDY QUESTIONS (John 1:4-8)

HEAD Questions (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding)

1. What is the difference between the “creation light” of verse 4 and the “salvation light” of verses 6-8, and why did Pastor Nate emphasize this distinction?
2. Why is the shift from past tense to present tense in verse 5 (“the light shines”) theologically significant?

HEART Questions (Feelings, Impressions, Desires)

3. Pastor Nate quoted Augustine: “O God, you have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” Where do you sense restlessness in your own heart right now?
4. What darkness are you facing this Christmas season, and how does the present-tense declaration that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” impact you personally?

HANDS Questions (Actions, Commitments, Decisions, Beliefs)

5. John the Baptist’s entire purpose was to point people to Jesus, embracing the principle “He must increase; I must decrease.” Who in your life needs you to be a witness to the Light this Christmas season?
6. Belief is “the main verb of the Christian life”—an active, continual, vital trust in Jesus. Where do you need to deepen or begin your active trust in Christ this week?