John 1:5-8

5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

In my last post on John 1:1-4, we read that “the Word (Jesus) was “the light of men”. I think back to Genesis when God created physical light to overcome the darkness that was on the face of the deep. Darkness can never overcome light. The tiniest light can penetrate the darkest place, and the darkness can never have dominion over it. Jesus is the spiritual light of this dark world. He was there at creation when the first light overcame the darkness. He is here now penetrating the spiritual darkness of the world. Jesus, the Light, guides us throughout our lives, and helps us to stay on the right path that leads to salvation. Nothing can take that light from us unless we ourselves make the choice to step out of that lighted path. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and light to my path.” The light that the Psalmist is talking about is Jesus. “Your word” is “the Word” which is Jesus Christ. The world is in spiritual darkness. When we come to Jesus, the light, He brings us out of darkness so that we can know the truth. There are many false truths out there. There are many who have fooled themselves into thinking that they are in the light, but in reality they are still in darkness. In John 3:19, it says that “men loved the darkness rather than the light”. For whatever reason, they didn’t want to hear the truth. They close their eyes to it. They loved their sin too much to listen. Romans 1:21 says this,…. “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.” So they knew who God was but chose not to follow Him. They chose darkness. Ephesians 4:18 says this, “….. having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…..” Again, they chose to stay blind. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that the “god of this world”,  which is Satan, has blinded them. Satan is the god of darkness. It is our free will to choose whether we want to follow the Light or live in darkness.

In verse 6 and 7, we read about a man named John, who is often called the baptizer. He was “sent” from God for a specific task. In this gospel account, John is called “a witness”, because he was born for the purpose of testifying on behalf of “the Light”.….Jesus. Why is John witnessing and testifying? John is doing this so that people will believe in Jesus through his testimony. John was to prepare them for the coming of the “Light” and point out the “Light” when He arrived. Why does Jesus need a witness to testify for Him? Jesus needs John to witness for Him, because people are spiritually blind, and need to be guided in the direction of the “Light”. People were expecting an earthly king who would establish a kingdom on earth. They were expecting someone who might stick out as being the Messiah in some way. But this was not God’s plan. Jesus made Himself of no reputation. He was a carpenter’s son, and a resident of Nazareth, a town that didn’t have a good reputation as we will see in later verses. Jesus is not what people expected in a Messiah. John the “witness” was to start the process of getting people to repent of their sins through baptism, and to be watching for the Messiah to come soon.

In verse 8, John, the author of this gospel, makes it very plain that John the “witness” is not the  “Light”. He is only supposed to be a witness for the “Light” and guide people to Him. Who are witnesses for the “Light” to the spiritually blind today? Sisters….it is us! Within our role, we are the witnesses for Jesus today. We are called to testify on Jesus’ behalf today. We are to guide people to the “Light” so that they can be saved from their sins, and not be separated from God for eternity. What if we were spiritually lost? Including our husbands and children? Wouldn’t we want someone to come and find us, and help us get ourselves and our families on the path to heaven? “Do unto others”…..right? (Matthew 7:12) We are to be for people today what John the “witness” was for people back then. We are to point out Jesus to others, and teach them the gospel. It is a big responsibility that I fear I don’t take seriously enough. I know that I have wasted a lot of time in my life not fulfilling my purpose. I ask myself, “Am I doing what I am called to do? Am I doing all that I can do?” Well…..I know that I can do more, so that answers the questions that I just asked myself. Let’s all do what we can to help others see the “Light”. Let’s be witnesses for Jesus every day. 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)