Who Jesus Really Is: Jesus is the Eternal Light (Part 3)

The light of the World, Jesus, is here with us and wants to heal and restore us, but are we willing to see and receive Him? Don’t close the eyes of your heart when God’s Word confronts your sins, behaviors, and attitudes.

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.

Are there things in your life that you take for granted? My wife and I were talking about that and she said, “How about the nose?” “What about the nose?” I thought, and then she said, “You know when it is stuffed up, you cannot breathe.” There are many silly and serious things that we take for granted until they are not available or don’t function properly.

The light is one of those serious things that we often take for granted because, without the Light, life on earth as we know it would not be possible. This is true for the eternal light in John 1, which we have already established is Jesus Christ and without whom life here and hereafter would not be possible.

The problem is that people take Jesus for granted because they either feel He is always going to be there, so what's the rush, or they think He is not there at all, or they believe He cannot be the only way to Heaven. They need to know that denial and rejection of the truth is the work of darkness of the mind, heart, and soul, which takes away our ability to see, sense, and perceive the light, which in John 1:9, we established is the person of Jesus Christ, and His gospel.

John 20:31 tells us that the Gospel of John was written for one purpose: that we may know who Jesus really is, believe in Him, and be saved.

In part one, John 1:6-8 focused on the Revelation of the Light and believers’ responsibility to bear witnesses to the Light Jesus and His gospel. In part two, John 1:9 focused on the Rejection of the Light and the reality of Jesus as the Light.

The big idea is that as witnesses, we should expect people will reject the light of Christ and the gospel that saves them.

The question is, if they are going to reject the gospel, then why bother witnessing? First, because we are not saved just to go to heaven but to bear witness to the Light in this dark world. Second, if rejection didn’t stop God from shining His Light, it shouldn’t stop us from spreading His revelation of Light; if we don’t do that, we too take Jesus for granted.

Last time, we began to look at the natural division of John 1:9-11 that reveals three truths about the Light— we explored the reality of the Light in verse 9. Today we continue with the refusal of the Light in verse 10 and the resistance to the Light in verse 11 to see why and in what way believers and non-believers can refuse and resist the true Light.

The Rejection of the Light: The Refusal of the Light (John 1:10)

John 1:10 reads, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”

The Presence of the Light

The beginning of verse 10 says, “He was in the world.” “He” in the verse is Jesus, the very Light that brought everything into existence. For the original audience of this Gospel, this was an eye-opening truth they were searching for in the cosmos through philosophical arguments, reasoning, and spirituality. In John’s message in John 1:1-5 was what they were searching for, logos, the eternal Word and reason that spoke the universe into existence. This, logos, John 1:5 said was the life that gives light to all mankind and John 1:9 said this Light was coming into the World. However, the first part of John 1:10 states that He was in the World.

God has never been distant or detached from human suffering. Unlike the distant deities of the Greco-Roman pantheon, the God of Christians walked where we walk. Today, Islam claims they believe in the God of Abraham, yet Allah is not a personal god. That is true in Hinduism, Buddhism, and all other religions.

Application

Our God is present with us and His name is Emmanuel, God with us. Only He personally entered our darkness to pull us out of it. Other gods who are not gods make people try to pull themselves out of their darkness by doing religious things, and yet they remain in darkness. It’s like a man who has fallen in a well trying to pull himself out versus a rescue worker climbing down to pull him out.

The Power of the Light

The middle part of John 1:10 says, “and the world was made through him,” Notice how swiftly John moves from the presence to the power of Jesus, because wherever His presence is, there is His power. You cannot claim to have the power of Christ without the presence of Christ and vice versa.

God wants us to show that the One who was in the world is the very One who made the world. He was in the beginning with God in Genesis 1. One of the most powerful illustrations of this truth is Colossians 1:16, which says, “All things were created by Him and for Him.”

Application

If we want the power of the Light to overcome the darkness of our internal world and heal our mind, heart, and soul, so that we can see, sense, and perceive the Light, we need both the presence and the power of Christ. The power of Christ saves us and regenerates in us a new heart. However, it is the continuous presence of Christ in our lives that supplies the power necessary to keep us holy and pure, victorious over sin, guilt, and shame.

The Problem of the Light

The last part of John 1:10 finishes with, “yet the world did not know him.” The word know, in Greek, ginōskō, means relational knowledge, not just awareness, but recognition and intimacy. The verse teaches that humanity saw Jesus but didn’t know Him intimately. This is the heartbreaking truth of the gospel because the refusal of the Light was not due to ignorance but to indifference, which shows people living in darkness cannot see, sense, or perceive.

The problem is not with the Light; it’s with our sight. Sin blinds us to the truth standing before us. So we see but don’t see, hear but don’t hear. The best illustration of that is in Romans 1:21, which reads, “Although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” That includes believers and non-believers; Gentiles and Jews. Some 700-800 years before the Messiah, the Light of the Word came into this world. Isaiah 9:2 prophesied this, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” The problem is when the Light shone, they closed their eyes due to the blindness of the heart, mind, and soul. We do that too.

Application

Don’t close the eyes of your heart when God’s Word confronts your sins, behaviors, and attitudes. Don’t take His grace for granted.

The Rejection of the Light: The Resistance to the Light (John 1:11)

John 1:11 reads, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” Why the resistance to embracing the light of Christ that saves? John 3:19 says they preferred darkness over light.

The first phrase, “He came to His own,” literally means “His own domain” or “His own home.” The world He created was His. Every atom, every mountain, every breath belonged to Him.

But the second phrase is more personal, “His own people,” which refers to Israel, God’s chosen people who had the promises, the prophets, and the law. They didn’t receive Him. They were waiting for the Messiah. It is like a family waiting for years for their long-lost son to come home. They’ve kept his room ready, his picture on the wall, and his name on their lips. But when he finally walks through the door, they slam it in his face because he doesn’t look the way they expected.

That’s what happened when Jesus came to Israel. They wanted a political liberator, not a suffering servant. They wanted a crown, not a cross. They forgot the prophecies about the suffering Messiah. Nevertheless, their rejection of Jesus actually fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” This was not an unexpected failure of God’s plan, but the very path God determined to redeem nations, the Gentiles. Paul in Romans 11:11 explains that when he wrotes, “So I ask, did they [Jews] stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.”

Don’t fall for the nonsense of replacement theology, which says that the church has replaced Israel and that the promises of Israel belong to the church. God always has and will have a special plan for Israel. Our verse, though, points to the depravity of man and spiritual blindness.

The best Illustration for that is of a patient refusing the doctor who brings the cure — not because the medicine doesn’t work, but because he denies he’s sick. That’s spiritual blindness.

Application

The Light of the world, Jesus, is here with us and wants to heal and restore us, but are we willing to see and receive Him? Every heart must decide. Neutrality is not an option. To delay is to deny. To ignore is to reject.

Closing Thought

As I close, imagine the same hands that shaped the stars, stretched the galaxies, and set the foundation of the earth came to touch lepers, blessed children, but they were nailed to a cross. Jesus knew He would be rejected and nailed to the cross and yet, He didn’t shout from the heavens to tell us who He really is.

He descended and drew near to us to show His love for us. He entered our brokenness, our pain, our story to make us a part of His story. His presence is still near today— in His Word, His Spirit, and His people. We cannot just shout from distance we must enter into other’s brokenness, pain, and sorrow.

Action Step

Stop living as though He were far away. Stop praying like He’s absent, stop worship like He’s distant, and stop living like He’s uninvolved. Jesus is in the world, but also in your internal world. Do you recognize His presence and power in your daily life, or are you living with the problem of indifference?

Before we judge the world or God’s chosen people, Israel, for not recognizing the Light, Jesus, and rejecting Him, let’s examine our lives. How often does Jesus come to us through His Word, through conviction, through opportunities to obey— and we refuse to receive Him because He doesn’t fit our expectations? How often do we want Jesus the Helper, and not Jesus the Lord? How often do we want forgiveness and blessing without surrender and obedience? Every time we put our comfort over calling out our pride over repentance, we replay Israel’s rejection in our own hearts and actions and taking the light of Christ for granted.

Appeal

Stop taking Jesus for granted and make your decision today. The greatest tragedy of history is not that Christ was crucified by sinners — it’s that He was rejected by those He came to save. The cause of darkness and evil in the world is not bad people doing bad things, but lost people rejecting the light. But the beauty of grace is this: rejection is not the final word. John 1:12 that we will study next time says, “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” So, the same Light that was refused is still shining today. If you are not a believer, the question remains: Will you reject Him, or receive Him?

If you are a believer, let me say this to you: you can know about the Light and still live in darkness. You can attend church, read Scripture, and even serve, yet miss the relationship the Light came to offer. The danger isn’t that you’ve never heard of Jesus; it’s that you’ve heard of Him so much that you have become immune to His voice. Don’t let that breed blindness.

Let the Light that came into the world also enter your heart. I say that because every time you admire the blessings of life but forget the Giver, you repeat the same refusal. When you claim ownership over what you did not create— our gifts, our success, our breath— we silently reject the Light.

Please don’t enjoy His blessings while denying His Lordship. Live differently. Every good thing should point us back to the One who made it. Our gratitude should become worship, and our recognition should become surrender.

Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, Application

• Observation               https://www.kathyhoward.org/10-observation-tips-for-better-bible-study/

• Interpretation             https://www.kathyhoward.org/4-tips-to-help-you-understand-the-bible/

• Application                https://www.kathyhoward.org/4-ways-you-can-apply-scripture-to-your-life/

Observation: What Does the Text Say?

1. Read John 1:10–11 aloud together. What key words or phrases stand out to you in these verses?

   
   

2. According to John 1:10, where was the Light and how did the world respond to Him? What contrast do you notice between the Creator (“the world was made through Him”) and creation (“the world did not know Him”)?

   
   

3. John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.” Who are “His own,” and what does this tell us about the audience to whom John is referring?

   
   

   Interpretation: What Does It Mean?

4. Why do you think the world failed to recognize its own Creator, even though He revealed Himself so clearly?

5. What does this passage teach us about human nature and spiritual blindness?

6. How does the rejection of Jesus by “His own people” reveal the difference between religious knowledge and spiritual understanding?

   
   

7. How does John 1:9–11 prepare us for the good news that follows in John 1:12–13?

   Application: How Does It Apply to Us Today?

   
   

8. How In what ways do people today still “reject the Light”? Consider both unbelievers and believers who resist God’s truth in certain areas of life.

9. What are some subtle ways we, as Christians, can fail to “recognize” Jesus in our daily decisions, relationships, or priorities?

10. How should this passage shape our attitude toward those who reject Christ? What can we learn about God’s patience and grace from the fact that He continues to reveal His Light despite rejection?

11. How can you personally reflect the Light of Christ this week— in a place, relationship, or situation where He’s often rejected?

12. What practical step can your group take to help others recognize the true Light instead of rejecting Him?

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