A Johannine Study (John 1:9-13)

9 The true light, which enlightens 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.

There was once a famous photo of a volcanic eruption that was used by news agencies worldwide. It depicted volcanic ash hovering menacingly over some mountains and valleys in Northern Europe. The dark ash clouds were ominously surreal, while the terrain below was innocently unaware of the impending disaster. It was discovered that this photo was tampered with, modified to make the volcano seem more destructive than the original. The colours and light in the photo were manipulated with Photoshop, creating a false image. Many news agencies had to retract the picture and apologize.

Jesus is not a false light. He is not a false image. He was not an impostor that conjured up a new religion. John’s testimony to us is that Jesus was the true light. The word used for “true” (Greek: alēthinos) can also be translated as “genuine.” In other words, Jesus is genuinely the light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). So, if Jesus is truly the light, then he is truly God, omnipotent in every way. This God audaciously made himself known in the world. He lived among us.

Further along in our passage, we read in verse ten that he created the world, and in verse eleven that he chose a certain people to call his own. For the former, he graced mankind with life; for the latter, he blessed a chosen people (The Israelites) with election. Yet, both these groups rejected him. In context, verse ten specifically refers to the world’s rejection of Jesus’ divinity. Today, we see the same kind of rejection in the belief that Jesus was nothing more than a good person. Verse eleven tells us that even his chosen people did not accept him as their saviour, despite the many signs that substantiated this claim (John 12:37-43). In more than one way, God was rejected.

Fortunately, John’s gospel does not end with verses ten and eleven. There is hope given in the next two verses. There were people who did not reject the true light that lived corporeally amidst humanity. We are told that these saints received him and believed in his name. “Receiving him” (Gk: alēthinos) has a threefold meaning: (1) entrusting oneself to him; (2) knowing who he is; (3) confessing to him. In other words, these saints had a relationship with Jesus. And in no relationship does one partner disbelieve the existence of the other. Thus, it is requisite that these saints believed in Jesus as they received him. More than that, John tells us that these saints believed that Jesus was God, which is what he meant by the phrase: “believed in his name.” As a result, these saints were adopted into God’s family as children of God. Elsewhere in the Bible, Paul tells us that all Christians have been blessed with this same adoption:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17)

God adopts us. What a glorious truth this is! Those that are in God’s family are “born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” For the flesh leads to death, and the will of man leads to folly. But God, in his mercy, gives us an undeserved inheritance. In him is salvation.

A Johannine Study (John 1:6-8, 15)

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... 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.”)

The first time I went to the ballet I got to see one of the principal dancers perform on her 20th anniversary with The National Ballet of Canada. She played the role of a young girl infatuated with an aloof aristocrat. Though the story was entirely pantomimed, her every step and gesture communicated a person in love. The beauty of her dance was something to behold. In point of fact, the theatre was filled with people who beheld the graceful movements of this experienced dancer. In the midst of witnessing this performance, I became enthralled with the drama. Everything else seemed to fade, including thoughts about me. For what was on stage was not myself, but the principal dancer.

The first chapter of John is a remarkable treatise on God. We learn, particularly from verses one to eighteen, who Jesus is. In the midst of these verses, however, there are a few comments concerning John the Baptist that seem to be out of place. For example, verse five could have easily continued without verses six to eight: “5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” Yet, the writer of this gospel thought that it was important to mention “a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

There is no doubt who the principal subject is in John’s gospel. In contrast to the principal ballet dancer on stage, Jesus is preeminent in this narrative. John the Baptist was introduced to compliment the principal subject, not rival him. He wasn’t the one on stage, “He was not the light.” He was the one sent by God to witness about Jesus, “but he came to bear witness about the light.” In other words, John the baptist was worthy of mention at this point, not because he was commendable in his own right, but because he gave his life to making much of Jesus.

This is made evident in the repeated use of the word “witness” (Greek: martureo, martureia). This word is frequently used in this gospel to describe a person who gives an account about something that they know to be true. In this case, John the Baptist knew that Jesus was greater than him, “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.” He then shared that witness to others by way of testimony. In other words, he was the prototypical evangelist. This is the legacy of John the Baptist.

How often do we consider ourselves more than we ought? As if our self-centered testimonies would benefit others. But when our identities are found in Jesus, as witnesses to the truth about Jesus, then we have a testimony worth mentioning. Christ died for our sins. Let us now step off the stage and give him glory! For he alone is worthy to be praised.

A Johannine Study (John 1:5)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The myth of philosophical dualism is epidemic. There is no shortage of stories that tell of the battle between good and evil. For every protagonist, there is an antagonist: every hero has an enemy; opposite to God is the devil; the innocent are harassed by evil accusers. Films thrive when they employ storylines with these kinds of plots. Such movies have great appeal to viewers, especially when they are led to believe that the good guy (i.e. Jedi Knight) is really good, and the bad guy (i.e. the Dark Lord) is really bad!

In certain Asian cultures where Taoism is prevalent, the Ying and Yang is a symbol of contrary forces. Advocates of this philosophy propound dualism in their cultural worldview. In this perspective, good alone cannot create peace. Good must work in tandem with evil to form balance within nature, which, in turn, creates peace. By no means, though, does this kind of dualism exist in Asian cultures alone. It is the tendency of all humans to think dualistically, albeit to different degrees.

Dualism is “the view that there are just two mutually irreducible substances”1. While this view has a place in film and false religions, it has no place in defining God. God is not defined by human categories. Unfortunately, dualism has persisted in devaluing the character of God since the dawn of creation. In the first three chapters of Genesis, we know that God blessed Adam and Eve with everything they needed. In the midst of his providence, he had one caveat: Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). Defying their creator, they chose to eat the fruit of that tree (Genesis 3:6). This first sin produced the illusion that humans are able to adequately judge between good and evil. Subsequently, as inheritors of this false belief, humans have distorted perceptions of God that arise from a dualistic understanding of him.

John has words for people who presume to know God dualistically: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” In other words, good and evil are not polar opposites. They are not in equal contention with each other. Good is ultimate! Evil holds no power over good. When the light shines, evil must give way.

There is no doubt that John is calling God the ultimate good, omnipotent in every way. In this we should take courage, Christian! Evil will not overcome God, nor will it impede on our salvation. God’s grace is wonderfully efficacious.

A Johannine Study (John 1:4)

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

When John wrote, “In him was life,” the “him” that John was referring to is Jesus. In Jesus was life. This seems to reiterate the words of verse three, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” In other words, Jesus gave you life. He made you and me. He is the creator.

This flies in the face of some modern understandings of Jesus. In particular is the false belief that Jesus was nothing more than an influential Nazarene Jew. What matters in this view is his example as a good person. Jesus is admirable, but not ultimate. This is the kind of Jesus that Gandhi agreed with when he said, “I regard Jesus as a great teacher of humanity.” No doubt, Jesus was a great teacher and good person; but this does not encompass all of who Jesus was.

If you have ever climbed a mountain, flown on an airplane or visited the top of a skyscraper, you may recall that breathtaking experience of seeing the world in a different way from that which is experienced on the ground. Perspective changes everything. John comes from the perspective that Jesus was more than a mere human. Jesus is the creator of all things.

Paul and the writer of Hebrews confirms this in their own writings:

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16

“yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” 1 Corinthians 8:6

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist” Hebrews 2:10

The good news is that this influential Nazarene Jew was more than just an influential Nazarene Jew. Jesus is the source of all life. Furthermore, Jesus is also a light; which is to say that he alone can reveal the truth that he is life. Or more simply, through John’s gospel, God is revealing himself as God in Jesus Christ. This is great news because the one who created us also wants us to know him! He didn’t just create us and leave us to fend for ourselves. He continues to be a light for us.

If Jesus is mighty to create, then he is also mighty to save. In the latter parts of the gospel, John uses the words “life” and “light” to also refer to salvation rather than creation:

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” John 11:25

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5

What we have here is the truth that Christians are doubly blest! Jesus created us and he saves us from our sins! John wants us to remember this reality. He wants us to reflect on these truths about Jesus so that our relationship with him will deepen. Perhaps now is the time to worship.