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Who Jesus Really Is: Jesus is the Eternal Light (Part 1)

Our witness should cause people to look past us to Christ, the true Light. Whether we are doing really well spiritually or not, they should be pointed to the grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy of Christ.

 

John 1:6-13 - 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.

 

Did you know that blind people can sense light? Yes, blind individuals can detect light through various means, even if they don't see it visually. However, it's entirely different for spiritually blind people living in spiritual darkness; they cannot see, sense, or perceive the light because their minds, hearts, and souls are darkened by the darkness into which they were born.

 

The problem is that when it comes to physical light, no matter how dark a room is, if someone were to turn on the light, no one needs to tell people that there is light. It is different for people living in spiritual darkness; they need someone, a witness, to testify and tell them about the light.

 

For this reason, in our verse-by-verse study of the Gospel of John, the next set of verses was revealed. The focus of John 1:1-5 on the Eternal Word who was with God and was God and through whom, by whom, and for whom all things were created to show who Jesus really is.

 

However, suddenly, in John 1:6-8, the focus shifts from heaven to earth, from God to man, from Jesus to John because human witnesses are essential to God’s plan of salvation for the world. It is evident in the interruption in verses 6-8 because John 1:5 and 9 reads, “5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” and “9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” This interruption highlights divine collaboration in the spread of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.

 

The big idea is that Jesus doesn’t just save us; He saves us to be His witnesses. The question is, how are you witnessing to others living in darkness, whether friend, family, or neighbors? In John 1:6-13, we will examine the spiritual DNA of true believers as witnesses and their responsibility to the revelation, rejection, and reception of the Light.

 

We will cover the revelation of the Light this time and the rejection, and reception of the Light next time.  

 

The Revelation of the Light (John 1:6-8)

 

John 1:6-8 reads, “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.” These verses naturally break down into three sessions: the messenger, mission, and message of revelation.

 

The Messenger of Revelation (John 1:6)

 

John 1:6 says, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The keyword in this verse is “sent.” In Greek, apostello, is made up of two words: apo, meaning away from, and stello, meaning send.

 

In the Bible, it is often connected to the source and the sender, God. Numerous references in the Bible talk about God sending messengers, servants, and ambassadors, including angels. In Matthew 10:40, Mark 9:37, Luke 10:16, and John 5:36, Jesus said God sent Him. In Matthew 10:16, Mark 6:7, Luke 22:35, and John 20:21, Jesus sent His apostles. John 20:21 says, “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’”

 

Why does God send human agents to bear witness to the light? Why not send angels or some supernatural being? The answer is found in Romans 10:14-15 which says, “14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” People need to hear from believers like us about what we believe and why we believe.

 

John the Baptist was sent from God as the messenger of Light. He did not come on his own, but he was sent. Some 700-800 years before John the Baptist was sent as the messenger of Light, he was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 40:3 says, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

 

We will talk more about John’s prophetic birth and ministry in the later weeks, but here I want to draw your attention to the truth that he believed and knew that God sent him. The question for us is, do we believe and know that God has sent us?

 

The theological insight here is this: revelation always precedes redemption. God reveals before He redeems. In this case, John received the revelation, testified to the revelation, and when He saw Jesus, he knew He was the Light and directed the spotlight on Him and said he must decrease, and Jesus must increase.

 

The best illustration that I can think of is that John’s role was like that of the morning star announcing the sunrise— the light before the Light.

 

Application

 

We can serve the saving God only by recognizing that our God saves and sends us to serve as witnesses. Every believer is called to be a witness and sent to be a messenger of God’s revelation of the gospel truth and no one can be a witness to the Eternal Light unless he or she is sent.

 

The Mission of Revelation (John 1:7)

 

John 1:7 continues, “He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.” The entire purpose of John’s existence was to bear witness. In John 1:23, when priests and Levites from Jerusalem asked him who he was, he acknowledged that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy in Isaiah 40:3, and said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

 

In other words, he knew the mission to which he was sent. His mission is simply put the spotlight on the Eternal Light, Jesus. If John the Baptist is the prototype of a witness, then we are to point others to Jesus, not to ourselves. Too many of us, for good or worse, point people to himself rather than Jesus. Sometimes we do that when we live a life in darkness and yet profess to have light in us. Other times, we do that when we do not even mention the light in us but tend to put focus on our works, knowledge, and religious fervency.

 

Twice, in verse 7, is the word “witness.” One describes who John was and the other describes what his function was. The synoptic gospels, that is, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, present the synopses of Jesus’s earthly life. They call John “the Baptizer,” but in the Gospel of John, he is called a “witness.” John was sent as a witness to bear witness concerning the Light.

 

While in the other three gospels, “bearing witness” occurs only two times collectively, in this gospel it appears 33 times. This should not surprise us because the thesis or purpose statement of this gospel reflects the mission of revelation. John 20:30 states, “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 knew the nature of his mission. His mission was not to be the light but a light that points to the Eternal Light. Do you know the mission of your life? Have you ever taken time to think about the mission of your life? Do you know what Jesus’ mission was? It was a rescue mission. It was not to condemn the world but to conform them to His own image. In John 3:17, Jesus said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

 

This weekend, we had the men’s retreat. One of the assignments that I gave to the men was to put together their purpose statement— a statement that reflects who they are and what they do. In other words, their identity and function. That is great practice for all of us. I challenge you to do the same. This week, take a piece of paper and write your mission statement.

 

Application

 

Our witness should cause people to look past us to Christ, the true Light. Whether we are doing really well spiritually or not, they should be pointed to the grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy of Christ. Last week, I was talking to a man who said that he does not have a problem with Jesus but with people who say they follow Jesus. Those people are not good witnesses.

 

The Message of Revelation (John 1:8)

 

John 1:8 finishes with, “8 He was not the light but came to bear witness about the light.” The theological point here is that revelation is never self-centered; it always directs glory back to God. Today, too many preachers draw attention to self and not to Jesus. Therefore, their messages are more focused on self-help, self-motivation, and self-righteous talks than on Eternal Word, Eternal Life, and Eternal Light that can transform mankind.

 

I am glad when you tell me that the message of the day was for you because that tells me that the Holy Spirit is working in you and me simultaneously. Because I don’t know what your particular need is, and I never prepare to address anybody’s need, I only prepare to preach what the next set of verses reveals about the truth and character of God and human need.

 

Here in these verses, the truth of God is that He is the eternal Light who created everything, and when in Genesis 3, disobedient humanity plunged into the darkness of mind, heart, and soul, the Light of Christ never stopped shining. God continued to send messengers of revelation, and at the end, He sent John the Witness to prepare the way for Jesus, the Eternal Light.

 

Application

 

Authentic ministry magnifies Christ, not the messenger. It doesn’t matter what people think of you; what matters is that your mission and ministry are to point people to eternal life.

           

Closing Thought

 

As I close, I want you to imagine what you would say when you stand before Jesus and He asks, “You were given the revelation of the eternal light. What did you do with it? Did you hide the light in you out of fear of what people will say? What did you do to bear witness in the dark world to people living in spiritual darkness, trapped in the darkness of mind, heart, and soul? Who did you bear witness to?”

 

Action Step

 

Learn and know about tools to use to start a spiritual conversation.

 

Appeal

 

Prepare yourself for the day when you will be brought face-to-face with Jesus. This preparation starts with a deeper commitment to the Word of God and realizing that the Revelation of the Light is given to us so that we may bear witness to the Light that changed us and has the power to change others.

 

Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, Application

 

 

Observation: What Does the Text Say?

 

  1. What details does John give about the identity and mission of “the man sent from God?”

     

  2. What does the word “witness” mean in this passage? How many times is it mentioned?

     

  3. Why does John emphasize that this man “was not the light?”

     

  4. According to John 1:7, what was the ultimate purpose of John’s witness?

     

  5. What can we infer about God’s plan and initiative from the phrase “sent from God?”

  

Interpretation: What Does It Mean?

 

6.     How does John the Baptist’s role as a “witness” connect with the larger theme of light and darkness in John 1:4–5?

 

7.     Why do you think God chose to send a man to bear witness to the Light rather than letting the Light speak for itself?

 

8.     In what ways does John the Baptist’s humility (“he was not the light”) model the right attitude of a true servant of God?

 

9.     How does the idea of “witness” in John’s Gospel relate to the broader biblical idea of testimony (see Acts 1:8)?

 

10.  What theological truths about Jesus can be drawn from the fact that He needed no witness for His identity, yet God chose to send one anyway?

 

Application: How Should We Respond?

 

11.  How In what ways has God called you to be a witness to the Light in your context— your family, workplace, or community?

 

12.  What can we learn from John’s clarity about his identity and purpose (“I am not the Light”)?

 

13.  How can we guard against the temptation to draw attention to ourselves rather than to Jesus?

 

14.  What does it practically look like to “bear witness” so that others may believe through your life?

 

15.  If someone observed your life this week, what would they conclude about the Light you claim to follow?

 

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