Well, a very good morning to you. I didn't manage to hear the welcome, so at the risk of redundancy, I want to extend a warm welcome to you all.
! We are grateful that the Lord saw fit to bring us together this morning to praise the resurrected Christ. A couple of weeks ago, we began a study through the book of John.
It's our normative habit to go verse by verse through books of the Bible. And so, this morning, we will look once again at John chapter 1, verses 1 through 5.
I hope that it will become apparent to you why in just a moment. So if you would, please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 1.
I'll read the first five verses. Before I do, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good that we might believe its promises, obey its commands, and have affection for its author.
May we hear it and respond accordingly to it.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
In the opening words of John's Gospel account, he introduces Jesus to us without His name.
In fact, he won't write the name Jesus until verse 17 of chapter 1.
In the first five verses, John introduces to us Jesus with three titles and two characteristics.
Number one, Jesus is the Word.
That's a title, a name given to Him.
Number two, Jesus is preexistent, a characteristic.
Number three, another title.
Jesus is the Creator.
Number four, a characteristic.
Jesus is self-existent.
And then number five, and lastly, Jesus is the unquenchable light.
The name light, and I'm adding unquenchable to it.
We spent our time together last week considering the first four of these points,
and I saved the last one for today.
I think you will be able to see now why this is a good text for resurrection, Lord's Day.
But before we tackle this last point, bear with me as I make some introductory and summary comments.
First, it is good for us to contemplate Christ.
We fill our minds with so many things coming at us, 100 miles an hour,
and many of them are fleeting and pointless.
To set our minds on Jesus, the Jesus revealed to us in the Scripture,
not some Jesus of our own imagination, is always of great benefit.
The Puritan John Owen wrote in his book entitled,
The Glory of Christ, the following, which I read to you last week.
I think it's worth another read.
Quote,
The revelation made of Christ in the blessed gospel is far more excellent,
more glorious, more filled with rays of divine wisdom and goodness
that the whole creation and the just comprehension of it, if attainable,
can contain or afford.
He said, thinking about Christ and the glory of the gospel
is better than anything else we could understand.
Quote,
Without this knowledge, the mind of man,
priding itself in other inventions and discoveries,
is wrapped up in darkness and confusion.
This, therefore, deserves the severest of our thoughts,
the best of our meditations,
and our utmost diligence in them.
For if our future blessedness shall consist in living where he is
and beholding his glory,
what better preparation can there be for it
than a constant previous contemplation of that glory
as revealed in the gospel?
That by a view of it,
we may be gradually transformed into the same glory.
I love this idea of a constant previous contemplation.
The Christian eternity will be filled with the wonderment of Christ.
So we should seek to know him now
that he might be exalted in our minds and in our lives.
Second, let's take a brief tour of the first four points made from this text,
either as a reminder to you
or just as a way to get us to the fifth point,
if you're new with us to our study.
Number one, Jesus is the word.
We see this in verse one.
In the beginning was the word,
and the word was with God,
and the word was God.
Greek philosophers use this word,
word,
to refer to the abstract principle of reason and order in the universe.
It's the Greek word,
logos.
It was an unknown source of creation and wisdom.
So John, in this opening verse,
presents Jesus as the personification of creative power and reason.
John's Jewish readers knew that God spoke the world into existence with mighty words,
that he made covenants with his people with words,
gave them wisdom through the written law,
again, words,
counseled prophets and kings,
and revealed the scripture through spoken words.
So John introduces Jesus as the incarnation of divine power and revelation.
John, in introducing Jesus as the word,
draws straight lines to his divinity.
The condescension of Christ is a great wonder.
That Jesus should humble himself to take the form of a man
in order to suffer his father's wrath for our sin
should captivate our minds.
And I'll say that his incarnation should not be divorced from his resurrection.
Secondly, Jesus is preexistent, a characteristic.
We see this in verse two and on into the beginning,
I'm sorry,
verse one and on to the beginning of verse two.
The word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
Jesus, John tells us,
as God was in the beginning in both of these verses.
This Greek word means source or origin
and refers to time before the universe began.
The verb was in the imperfect tense
describes continual action in the past.
So, verse two could be translated,
he was always being in the beginning with God.
These two verses in no way suggest that Jesus was created,
but that he just is.
He has always existed.
Paul writes in the first part of Colossians 1 and verse 17,
Jesus is before all things.
Incredible.
Pre-existence.
No beginning and no end.
Thirdly, we see Jesus introduced as the creator.
We see this in verse three.
All things were made through him
and without him was not anything made that was made.
Just to be clear,
John tells us,
everything was made
and nothing wasn't made without him.
Jesus Christ, John tells us,
is the creator of all things.
Everything we can see and everything that we cannot see
were created by him.
What opportunity we have to set our minds on the creator Christ
as we go about our days.
This past week has just been beautiful
to be outside and to consider
Christ made this.
The entire universe was created by him
and it was created for him.
To what end?
We thought about some of this last week.
For his praise.
We can read Psalm 19, verse 1.
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Pay attention to all that has been created
and be in awe.
Fourthly, Jesus is self-existent.
The beginning of verse 4 says,
In him was life.
Ontology is the study of the nature of being.
The beginning of verse 4 is a brilliant ontological statement.
In him was life.
The word translated life is used all throughout John's gospel
and always refers to spiritual and eternal life.
Jesus possesses within himself life.
This is sometimes referred to as his auseity.
It's from the Latin.
Jesus is of self.
Everything that has been created
needs some power source to sustain it.
creation cannot sustain itself.
Not so with Jesus.
He is self-existent.
His divine nature needs no inputs to go on.
No fuel.
No energy input.
Always existing.
Never created.
He just is.
Everything in the universe is becoming,
it's moving from one state to another.
Jesus is.
These realities demand our attention.
You must do something with this, Jesus.
John means for us to pay attention
that our minds and affections might be fixed on him.
So, brief summary of last week.
I hope that you are with me
in the contemplation of Christ.
So let's proceed to spend the rest of our time together
on the final way that John introduces Jesus
in these opening words,
in this prologue of his gospel.
So the fifth point of this part one and two,
Jesus, is the unquenchable light.
It's a light that does not get put out.
The last half of verse four, right?
The first half says,
In him was life,
and the life was the light of men.
In verse five,
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
The themes of life and light
are prominent in John's gospel.
Here we see the two clearly connected
in a metaphor that speaks to the contrast of Jesus
against all that is evil in the world.
The word light appears 24 times in this book,
seven of those times in chapter one.
And because we will spend the coming weeks in chapter one,
let's step out of it just a bit
to see the theme further in John's writing.
So, in John chapter eight,
in verse 12,
Jesus said,
I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
In chapter eight, verse 12,
Jesus calls himself the light of the world
and teaches that our pursuit of him and his ways,
what is often called our walk,
will not be in the darkness,
but in the light.
Here, Jesus so clearly reinforces the connection
that John makes between life and light
with the phrase,
the light of life.
The word translated life
is used all throughout John's gospel,
and as I said before,
refers to spiritual and eternal life.
How are these themes to be understood?
Let's take a stab at it.
Light by its very nature
causes darkness to scatter.
Darkness, in fact,
cannot be quantifiably measured.
It is merely the absence of light.
We take light for granted in our day,
but if you lived in a time
when the only source of light
was from a flame,
this metaphor would likely have
a more felt impact for you.
Darkness and light,
significant theme,
even for survival,
if it's not a plenty.
Where there is light,
there is not darkness.
darkness.
The two are opposites,
and one has expulsory power
over the other.
This week,
I very proudly taught my computer
the word expulsory.
If we back up a bit in John 3,
we can see this idea at work
in the negative.
So join me in John 3,
verse 20.
There Jesus says,
For everyone who does wicked things
hates the light
and does not come to the light,
lest his works should be exposed.
Wickedness is associated with darkness
in this text,
a darkness that does not want
the exposure of light.
Wickedness produces shame,
and it produces death.
It is the opposite,
the antithesis of the light of life
that we saw in John 8,
verse 12.
Let's press the metaphor
just a bit further and clearer.
Note especially
who the light is.
I am saying that John introduces Jesus
as the unquenchable light
in verses 4 and 5.
Jesus says in chapter 8,
in verse 12,
that he is the light
of the world.
And now in John 11,
verse 9 and 10,
Jesus there says,
Are there not 12 hours
in the day?
If anyone walks in the day,
he does not stumble
because he sees
the light of this world.
But if anyone walks in the night,
he stumbles
because the light
is not in him.
I suggest to you
that the stumbling
that Jesus here refers to
is not a slight trip,
that's the way we tend to use
the word stumble,
but a stumble
that causes one
to fall headlong
and to not rise again.
Verse 10 says
that the person
whose life is characterized
by wickedness
is dead
because Jesus Christ,
the light,
is not in him.
Okay.
So this is where
the theme develops.
It's where it works itself out
in the book of John.
But let's go back again
to where it starts
with all of that
in our minds.
Verse 5 of chapter 1,
the light shines
in the darkness
and the darkness
has not
overcome it.
Perhaps this metaphor
of Jesus as light
set against
darkness
now lives more
vividly
in your mind.
Now here's the astounding
thing about
verse 5.
There's a very good chance
that John 1,
verse 5,
has become my
new favorite verse
after spending
the past two weeks
in it.
John,
in this great
economy of words,
has in mind
the incarnate Jesus,
the crucified Jesus,
the resurrected Jesus,
and the reigning Jesus.
With some understanding
of what he means,
developing this theme
of light,
he has all the good news
of Jesus
packed into
these 13 words.
It's 13 words
in my English
translations.
It's 13 words
in the original
language.
The whole gospel
packed in
right here
in this
one
verse.
Let's walk through
all that is
explicit
and implicit
here.
Firstly,
the incarnate
Jesus.
Verse 5,
the very beginning,
the light
shines
in the darkness.
God become
flesh,
right?
Comes into
the world
to illuminate it.
Look at the verses
that follow.
Verse 5,
this is verse 6
and following.
There was a man
sent from God
whose name
was John.
Not the same John
that authored this.
This is the John
who we often call
John the Baptist
although we would do
well to say
John the Baptizer
to ease
confusion.
Verse 7,
he came as a witness
to bear witness
about the light
that all might
believe through
him,
the light,
Jesus Christ.
He was not the light
but came to bear witness
about the light,
the true light
which gives light
to everyone
was coming
into the world.
We understand this
to be John's
introduction,
the incarnation
of Christ,
him becoming
flesh
and dwelling
amongst us.
And then verse 14,
this is where that
gets developed further.
John goes back
to the word title
and writes,
and the word became
flesh
and dwelt
among us
and we have seen
his glory,
glory as of the only
son from the father,
full of grace
and truth.
The light
shines
in the darkness.
We see here
the incarnate
Jesus.
We also see,
secondly,
the crucified Jesus
and the resurrected
Jesus.
All of that
packed into
the last part
of the verse.
And the darkness
has not
overcome it.
The darkness
doesn't win
over the light.
before I say
anything else
about this phrase,
I want to address
a quick translation
question.
Some of you
may have a translation
that says,
and the darkness
did not
comprehend it.
The Greek word
can mean
to grasp
in the sense
of understanding
or to seize
in the sense
of capture.
So it carries
that idea
with it.
I think the
did not
comprehend
translation
is looking
to the rejection
of Jesus
as the Christ
in verses 10
and 11
and throughout
the rest
of the book.
It's a theme
that's developed,
the tragic rejection
of Jesus
by the Jewish
people.
And that makes
it a fair
word to use.
Many good
translations
use the word
comprehend.
But I think
it misses
the overall
thrust
of John's
prologue.
I'm quick
to pick
on the
English
standard
version,
but not
in this
case.
I am so
very happy
that it's
rendered in
the ESV
and the
darkness
has not
overcome it,
has not
seized it,
has not
won a
victory
over it.
Satan
plotted
through the
intentions
of evil
men
to see
Jesus
laid
in the
grave.
Peter says
in Acts
chapter 2
verse 22
and following,
Men of Israel,
hear these
words.
Jesus of
Nazareth,
a man
attested
to you
by God
with mighty
works
and wonders
and signs
that God
did through
him in
your midst
as you
yourselves
know.
This
Jesus
delivered up
according
to the
definite
plan
and foreknowledge
of God,
you crucified
and killed
by the hands
of lawless
men.
We imagine
the enemy
thought he
had won
the final
victory
as Jesus
suffered
crucifixion
on the
cross.
But Satan
is not
omniscient
and could
not prevent
God's mighty
intentions
in the death
of his
son.
Never be
mistaken,
the death
of Christ
was the
greatest
crime
in all
of history.
Jesus
was
entirely
innocent.
But it
did not
occur
outside
divine
providence.
I have
a dear
friend
who
many
years
ago
served
time
for some
drug
with intent
to
distribute
charges
and
the entire
case was
fabricated
against him.
Like people
witnessed against
him that he
had never
even met.
and I
asked him,
I said,
did it not
just make
you so
mad?
They said,
well,
the system
makes me
mad,
but I
was totally
guilty of
the crime.
Like,
I was
entirely
guilty.
They
just had
to
fabricate
a case
against
me.
He
had
done
the
things
that he
was
convicted
of doing,
just
wasn't
done
in the
proper
way.
Not
so
was
Christ.
Entirely
innocent,
not guilty
of anything
at all,
and yet
crucified.
And this
did not
happen
outside
of God's
providential
work.
Listen to
what Jesus
says of
his death
and following
resurrection
in John
chapter 10.
This is
part of
verse 17
and into
18.
He says,
I lay
down
my life
that I
may take
it up
again.
No one
takes it
from me,
but I lay
it down
of my
own
accord.
I have
authority.
The darkness
thought,
it had
overcome
the light.
On
Friday
afternoon,
Jesus,
the light
of life,
was laid
in a
dark
tomb.
But on
Sunday
morning,
oh,
on that
most amazing
of Sunday
mornings,
the light
burst
back
onto
the scene.
The darkness
has not
overcome
it.
We will
do well
at this
point to
read John's
account.
of the
resurrection.
So please
turn with
me to
John
chapter
20.
Now,
on the
first day
of the
week,
Mary Magdalene
came to
the tomb
early while
it was
still dark
and saw
that the
stone had
been taken
away from
the tomb.
So she
ran and
went to
Simon Peter
and the
other
disciple,
the one
whom Jesus
loved,
this is
John,
and said
to them,
they have
taken the
Lord out
of the
tomb,
and we
do not
know
where they
have laid
him.
So Peter
went out
with the
other
disciple,
and they
were going
toward the
tomb.
Both of
them were
running
together,
but the
other
disciple
outran
Peter
and reached
the tomb
first.
And stooping
to look
in,
he saw
the linen
cloths
lying there,
but he
did not
go in.
Then Simon
Peter came
following him
and went
into the
tomb.
He saw
the linen
cloths
lying there,
and the
face cloth,
which had
been on
Jesus'
head,
not lying
with the
linen
cloths,
but folded
up in a
place by
itself.
Then the
other
disciple,
who had
reached the
tomb first,
also went
in,
and he
saw and
believed.
For as
yet they
did not
understand
the
scripture,
that he
must rise
from the
dead.
Then the
disciples went
back to
their homes.
But Mary
stood weeping
outside the
tomb,
and as she
wept,
she stooped
to look
into the
tomb,
and she
saw two
angels in
white,
sitting where
the body
of Jesus
had lain,
one at
the head
and one
at the
feet.
They said
to her,
woman,
why are
you weeping?
She said
to them,
they have
taken away
my Lord,
and I do
not know
where,
they have
laid him.
Having said
this,
she turned
around and
saw Jesus
standing,
but she
did not
know that
it was
Jesus.
Jesus said
to her,
woman,
why are
you weeping?
Whom are
you seeking?
Supposing him
to be the
gardener,
she said to
him,
sir,
if you
have carried
him away,
tell me
where you
have laid
him,
and I
will take
him away.
Jesus
said to
her,
Mary.
She
turned
and said
to him
in Aramaic,
Rabbani,
which means
teacher.
Jesus
said to
her,
do not
cling to
me,
for I
have not
yet ascended
to the
Father,
but go to
my brothers
and say
to them,
I am
ascending
to my
father
and your
father,
to my
God
and your
God.
Mary Magdalene
went and
announced to
the disciples,
I have
seen the
Lord,
and that he
had said
these things
to her.
On the
evening of
that day,
the first
day of
the week,
the doors
being locked
where the
disciples were
for fear
of the
Jews,
Jesus
came and
stood among
them and
said to
them,
peace be
with you.
When he
had said
this,
he showed
them his
hands and
his side.
Then the
disciples were
glad when
they saw
the Lord.
Jesus
said to
them again,
peace be
with you,
as the
father has
sent me,
even so
I am
sending
you.
And when
he had
said this,
he breathed
on them
and said
to
them,
receive
the
Holy
Spirit.
If you
forgive the
sins of
any,
they are
forgiven
them.
If you
withhold
forgiveness
from any,
it is
withheld.
Now
Thomas,
one of
the
twelve,
called the
twin,
was not
with them
when Jesus
came.
So the
other
disciples
told him,
we have
seen
the
Lord.
But he
said to
them,
unless I
see in
his
hands
the marks
of the
nails,
and place
my
finger
into the
mark
of the
nails,
and place
my hand
into his
side,
I will
never
believe.
Eight days
later,
his disciples
were inside
again,
and Thomas
was with
them.
That must
have been
an agonizing
week for
Thomas.
Although the
doors were
locked,
Jesus came
and stood
among them
and said,
peace be
with you.
Then he
said to
Thomas,
put your
fingers
here,
and see
my hands,
and put
out your
hand,
and place
it in
my side.
Do
not
disbelieve,
but believe.
Thomas
answered
him,
my
Lord,
and my
God.
Jesus
said to
him,
have you
believed
because
you
have
seen
me?
Blessed
are
those
who
have
not
seen
and
yet
have
believed.
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.
So,
it's an
astounding
thing there,
like the
whole summary
of John's
letter given
to us,
the purpose
of it,
right,
these things
written down
so that you
may believe
that Jesus
is the
Christ,
the Son
of God,
and that
by believing
you may
have life,
right,
the light
of life
in you,
in his
name.
And just
before that,
right,
he has said,
verse 29,
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
Beloved, that's us.
Those of us who have placed faith in Christ
and have not touched his hands or put our hand at his side
and yet have believed.
We are called here blessed.
And that's why we gather today.
We are gathered today by faith to worship the risen.
Christ.
We gather every Lord's Day to worship the risen Christ.
The light that shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not overcome it.
It has been ordered that we should do this.
We are slow learners and we are quick to forget.
The risen Christ needs to be constantly held up in front of us.
All the promises of God find their yes in him
and the resurrection is the guarantee that he is who he said he is.
He is in fact the light that shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not overcome it.
The church since its founding has done this,
this regular gathering on the Lord's Day.
It's the reason we gather on Sunday
because it's the day that Christ was risen
to see and pray and preach and hear and sing the good news
of the victory of Jesus Christ.
Last week I read to you
what I think I said was the second verse.
I think it was actually the third verse
in a song written by Charles Wesley.
It's been sang by the church throughout the ages
called,
And Can It Be That I Should Gain?
This verse,
I won't tell you which verse it is
because I'm going to get it wrong,
it's on the back of your bowl.
And he wrote this,
Amazing love,
How can it be that thou, my God,
should die for me?
But the story does not end with the resurrection.
We keep church calendar days,
I think largely for cultural reasons,
but there are many other significant things
that happen in the life of Christ
that we don't give special days to.
How about his ascension?
Right?
Third point is the reigning Jesus.
This is part of this darkness
not overcoming the light.
After 40 days,
Jesus ascended
and is presently at the right hand
of God the Father
where he rules over all things.
The author of Hebrews says
in Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 3,
Jesus Christ is the radiance
of the glory of God
and the exact imprint of his nature
and he upholds the universe
by the word of his power.
After making purifications for sins,
he sat down at the right hand
of the majesty on high.
Paul says in Romans chapter 8,
he is there interceding for us.
He's praying on behalf of his people.
Paul adds to this in Colossians chapter 1,
verse 15 and following,
Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
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.
And he is before all things
and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body,
the church.
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be preeminent,
to think excellent.
For in him the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell
and through him to reconcile to himself
all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
making peace by the blood of his cross.
Right?
Jesus reigns over all things now
and he is working to build his church.
A church that he is building
on the truth that he is the Christ.
A guaranteed church.
The gates of hell will not prevail against.
The darkness is still working
to overcome the light,
but it will not.
And John has this in mind.
The church,
under the lordship of Christ,
by the will of the Father
and the power of the Spirit,
goes on
and it goes out
in order that we might gather people
for the praise of the light.
The light shines
in the darkness
and the darkness
has not
overcome it.
Let's pray together.
Thank you.