JOHN 1:8-11 JESUS CHRIST IS THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN

In John 1:8-11 we see that John is not the light, but he came to be a legal witness of the one who is the light, Jesus. Light always stands for truth, righteousness, purity, and holiness. Darkness stands for error, falsehood, and immorality. He begins to tell us how Jesus gives light which is His revealing of Himself to everyone who has been born or will ever be born.  This is a good section of scripture which shows us that everyone has an opportunity to hear the Word of God and be saved if they want to. We talk about the scriptures that show us that God has revealed Himself to everyone through creation and conscience and that we have enough knowledge to know there is a God. This makes us responsible and if we reject Him, then we go to hell because we made a choice to not know that God who has revealed Himself.  He also tells us the fact that Jesus created everything (see Colossians 1:15-17) and He came to earth, but the very people He created did not even know Him and recognize Him when He came.  Not even His special called people, the Jews didn’t even recognize Him or receive Him as their Lord and Savior.  What a shame.

1. Rejection of the True Light Jesus Christ 1:9-11

Verse 9 - Or that was the true light which coming into the world gives light to every man.  Written backward for emphasis on light – remember light stands for Biblical truth, purity, and holiness

-Highlights the incarnation of Jesus Christ which gives light to every man – Through Gods sovereign power God has planted his knowledge in man through creation and mans conscience.  Enough to be responsible. – Romans 1:18-22, The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 ¶ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20  For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Romans 2:11  For God does not show favoritism. 12  All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13  For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14  (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15  since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16  This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

• This leads to either looking to the light or rejecting it.

-Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the light that God placed in man’s heart-

The world- John uses it 75 times in the gospel– invisible spiritual system of evil dominated by Satan and all that it offers is opposition to God, his people, and his world. 

            Verse 9 - most of the time John uses it in a negative manner.

 Verse 10 - World made through him- Proverbs8:22 ¶ "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; 23  I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. 24  When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; 25  before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, 26  before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world.  27  I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28  when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,  29  when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 30  Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31  rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. 32 ¶ "Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. 33  Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. 34  Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35  For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. 36  But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

 The world did not know him.

Verse 11 -He came unto his own and his own knew him not- Jews- a chosen people- most still looking for Messiah to come- Salvation first offered to Jews when rejected him- gave it to Gentiles or all people- Isaiah 65:2 All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations-- 3  a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;

Jeremiah 7:25

  Cornelius- Acts 10,  Mark- looking for Jesus for Gentile at Sermon on the Mountain