The Light of the World

The Light came into the world (John 1:6-9 15-18)

John was out proclaiming the light of the world was coming, that he himself was not the light.  If John was not the light then who was the light then?  When we read verses fifteen to eighteen we find out the Light is Jesus Christ.   According to John the Baptist Christ came after him but was before him.  Why would John say this?  Because he is confirming that Christ is also God, only God could come before and after someone.  John the Baptist is telling the people that Christ is God in the flesh.   John is letting the people know that everything they now know about God is about to change.  No one has ever seen God, touched God, God has not spoken to anyone in over 400 plus years and now God in the flesh has come to earth so that we may receive His grace.   Christ has come to enlighten everyone.

Not everyone accepted the light (John 1:10-11)

Not everyone is going to accept Christ as the light of the world, the word receive found in verse 11 means to welcome.  What we see happening is that the Jews who were waiting for the Messiah did not welcome Him when he came.  They were instead looking for a God that would come and put them in charge over the world, they were not looking for God to come so the world would be able to receive His grace and forgiveness.   They had been told in there scripture of Christ coming they still rejected Him. Isaiah 65:1-5 tells us “The Lord says, “People who never before inquired about me are now asking about me. I am being found by people who were not looking for me. To them I have said, ‘I am here!’ ² “I opened my arms to my own people all day long, but they have rebelled. They follow their own evil paths and thoughts. ³ All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on the rooftops of their homes. ⁴ At night they go out among the graves and secret places to worship evil spirits. They also eat pork and other forbidden foods. ⁵ Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ They are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.”

Those who Choose to accept the light are received into Gods family (John 1:10-13)

There is great hope for “all who receive Him, who believe in His name,” we who have done so have been given the right to become children of God.  Before we get to be children of God we have to understand what it means to receive His word.  If we say that we receive Gods word as truth, then what we are saying is that our allegiance is with Christ.  We not only believe that He is the Son of God, risen from the grave to save us from our sins.  We are saying our lives now belong to Him.  I know that sounds like a lot to take in but let us remember we get to be reborn into the family of God.  John tells us “¹² But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. ¹³ They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God”