John Chapter 1 Verses 6 – 9

 Five times in four verses John has called Jesus the Light, and once,

the true Light. Over and over again we are hearing that word. Now,

think about John writing this in the first century. No flashlights, no

headlights, not electricity as we know it today and so this idea of light

that he is putting forward, and actually another way to translate this

Greek word, is fire.

 I like that for tons of reasons. First, fire changes everything. Whether

destructive as in reducing things to nothing or as in constructive like

grilling a nice steak (eggplant for you vegans, ha!). John says Jesus is

the Fire! The Changer of everything. And what you do with Him in

your life…, acknowledge and honor Him or disregard and dishonor

Him will be revealed in what in your life is cooked! HA! Whether you

got nutrition or destruction! (must have been hungry putting this

together).

 And John calls Jesus the True Fire. That word “true” in the Greek is

intricate. It means a presentation of contrasting realities. A revealing

of a different and new reality, previously unknown and entirely

genuinely accurate. Perfect alignment with 2 Corinthians 5:17, if

anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, all things have passed away,

all things have become new. And John 9:25, “One thing I know: that

though I was blind, now I see.” Jesus is the eternal eye opener to the

reality hidden to all by sin… And once taken away, its game on to

finding all that God has for you!

 Now, this is John the Baptist, not John the apostle. Two different

people. John the Baptist was not an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was

certainly a disciple of Jesus, even the cousin of Jesus, but was not one

of the twelve. John the Baptist ends up being executed during the

earthly ministry of Jesus.

 Real quick and definitely cool, John the Baptist was a miracle baby.

Prophesied several times in the Old Testament and even prophesied by

an angel to his father, Zacharias. Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth

were very old, well beyond the years of having children, and they

were childless because Elizabeth couldn’t have children (we learn all

of this in Luke Chapter 1).

 So, one day Zacharias was serving in the temple and Gabriel himself

came and talked with him and told him that he would have a son, and

when he did, name him John. Zacharias didn’t believe him so God

made him mute until John was born… So, nine-ish months later, John

was born…

 Ok, cool alert (maybe, if you’re into this sort of thing), Elizabeth

means, “God has sworn.” Zacharias means, “God has remembered.”

John means, “God has delivered.”

 And it was this fulfilled promise of God that first rejoiced at the

promise of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, when she was pregnant

with Jesus came to visit her cousin at her house. And when Elizabeth

heard the voice of Mary, Luke 1 tells us John tried to jump out of her!

HA! And that moment Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. So, it

was an unborn baby that first worshipped Jesus Christ on this earth!

John Chapter 1 Verses 10 – 13

 The world not knowing who God is sounds a bit strange. The world

that was made by Him, through Him, His apex of creation made even

in His own image…, and yet the world doesn’t know Him. Have you

ever made something? A drawing or a sculpture or a piece of

furniture? I don’t know, something!? How easy is it to tell who made

it? HA! Picasso? Rembrandt? Easy! Korniotes stick figures, easy!

 Yet the world didn’t know Him. Why? Not out of ignorance. One

reasonable moment of contemplation of creation and it screams of a

Creator. How is it that contemporary knowledge and science espouses

that everything came from nothing? Nonsensical! How is it that global

education and learning teaches that all order came from chaos?

Incredibly bewildering to heaven, no doubt!

 Here’s what’s really going on… Romans 1:18-23, “For the wrath of

God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and

unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has

shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible

attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are

made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without

excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as

God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their

foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became

fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image

made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and

creeping things.”

 The word for know in the Greek is relational. It speaks of a closeness

brought about by two seeking to bring about a closeness. This is the

way in which the world refuses to know its Creator because He came

to His own, and it’s not that they didn’t know Him, its that they did not

receive Him.

 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become

children of God, to those who believe in His name. The word for

received is to take what is offered. To catch it by choosing. When I

was a kid, my mom used to take us to play with kids with chicken pox.

Do y’all remember that crazy! That was how we got vaccinated in the

80s! HA! But it’s like that… To those who have allowed themselves to

be infected by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Caught it, received it,

believed in His name, “Jah-shua,” God is my salvation, He gave the

RIGHT to become children of God.

 Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is this. It’s not

baptism, confirmation, speaking in tongues, following the law or

anything else but receiving Jesus Christ as God and your Savior…

And how do you know? You get infected. You start showing

symptoms like love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, long

suffering – grit and self-control!

 Born not of only blood, the flesh…, not of your own will or flesh,

works…, but born of God, born of the Holy Spirit coming in and

sparking this new birth, the gift of God alone lest anyone should

boast…

 Now verse 9 says that Jesus was the true Light which gives light to

every man coming into the world. And verse 13 speaks of salvation

outside the will of man, and some have taken these verses without

reverence to the rest of scripture and have used this to form a doctrine

of universalism.

 The issue with that perspective is unmistakable. For right in the

middle of their false doctrine is their problem. Verse 12… As many as

received Him…. There is limit there and there is accountability there.

Universalism and irresistible grace are both false doctrines and cannot

be supported by the entirety of scripture.

John Chapter 1 Verses 14 – 17

 If the Word of God dwelling in flesh has the glory of the Father, then

He also must be God. Described here as the only begotten of the

Father which notes equality. All that is mine is my sons including my

honor, my home, my name and my legacy. Begotten is one from one,

and together they make one. Stop adding and start multiplying tohelp

you get there. 1+1 = 2, but 1x1=1!

 So, this Jesus, One with the Father, God revealed to us all, if anyone

wants to know anything about God, all we need to do is look to

Jesus…, and John says He is FULL of grace and truth. Full implies no

room for anything else. All He is, all God is, grace and truth. Within

that sanctified sandwich dwells all attributes of God. Love, light,

righteousness, and even wrath!

 And of His fullness, we all have received. God has freely given His

whole self to all people of all time. He has not withheld Himself from

anyone, it’s us that withhold ourselves from Him!

 And grace for grace! Grace before grace. Grace after grace. Grace

within grace. Good will, loving kindness, favor, strength, increase,

affection, help, benefit, reward…, all of these are the deliverables of

God into a life that has decided to be infected!

 Now, flip that around…, Christian! Is that your deliverable? Grace for

grace. Grace before, after, within…, some of us aren’t as Christian as

we think we are!!

 For the law was given through Moses, the revelation of the sin of man,

and the revelation (at the same time), of the righteous perfection of

God…, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ!

 And so, we have the full revelation of God for us all to ponder. Able to

be understood if we want… Able to be received and grasped and

caught if we want. That God, our Creator, is GRACE. AND He is

TRUTH. AND He is wholly righteous! If you study that enough, you

will begin to understand everything you see around you, everything

you see in your life, everything that is happening…, and then even

more, continuing in your own progression, you will begin to see

everting that will happen.

 Not just in terms of prophecy or on the world scene but in your day, in

your tomorrow, in this relationship, that circumstance… so that you

can begin to walk in strategic wisdom, to manipulate this darkness

unto the GLORY of God! (“Be of good cheer, I have overcome the

world!” All the way back in Genesis 4:7, “If you do well, will you not

be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its

desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”)

 A fullness to your understanding through relationship with God

through Jesus Christ and then, through you, the world once again sees

the life and the light of men… the mystery of righteousness, Christ in

US!