The Night Light is On
-
Jeff Mattesich
- John 1:4-9
- We Need A Little Christmas - Advent 2019
- 36 mins 53 secs
- Views: 455
Questions for Reflection
Read John 1:4-9
- John begins in these verses to talk about the light of Jesus shining in the darkness. What is so haunting about darkness? What darkness do you see in the world around you? In the church? In yourself?
- Read John 9:1-12. How does this story help us understand what it means that Jesus is “the light of all mankind” (John 1:4)? What effect does the light of Jesus have on our world?
- How do Jesus’ words in John 16:33 help us when the darkness feels overwhelming? Share about a time when you felt great peace in the midst of overwhelming trouble.
- What does it mean that John (the Baptist) was a witness to the light? In what areas of your life can you be a witness to the light of Jesus this Christmas?
- End your time together by sitting in darkness. Light a candle to begin your time of prayer for one another. Invite each member to share: What darkness in your life needs the light and peace of Jesus? Pray for one another.
Study Notes
We Need A Little Christmas
“The Night Light is On
John 1:4-8
12/08/19
Opening Story
(TBD: Darkness and need for PEACE)
Series Context and Recap of John 1:1-3
We Need A Little Christmas, this is the journey we are on this season. What we talked about last week that each of us, no matter how we come to and engage the Christmas season all need significance. We need to see and experience a BIGGER season, a bigger Jesus, a bigger encounter with Scripture beyond the events and facts, but to reflect and contemplate the significance of Jesus coming into this world as flesh, and the first chapter of John’s Gospel is our guide.
Last week, we saw that Jesus has a shocking start by being the active agent in all creation. That Jesus has always existed in and for relationship… in creating and recreating all things and all people to be in relationship with himself. If there is one main point from last week I want us to hold before we jump into the text this week, it would come from verse John 1:3 and Colossians 1:15-16.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:3
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16
All things were created by Jesus for Jesus. This includes you. This is why Christmas in many ways is about you and me. It is the time we remember that Jesus is so fond, so in love, so into you and me that he would come to create a way for us back to God. And in that to recreate us into the people we were always intended to be. You and me were created by Jesus and for Jesus.
Peace is the advent theme this week, which brings us to tension… if we were created by Jesus and for Jesus than why is life so heavy, so hard, so dark… so lacking of peace?
Our text today, will address this tension – as we will think about what it means to be created by and for Jesus – and what life looks like with Jesus.
Please stand for the reading of God’s Word.
Text: John 1:4-8
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
Text Overview
We are mainly going to be in verse 4 and 5 today, so let me quickly comment about verses 6-8. , Some commentators would say this is best read as a footnote. To establish authorship, to establish the truth of John’s testimony in history, and to possibly squelch assumptions about John being of divine status. We can simply read this as John inserting both his humanness and his authorship.
What I mainly want you to see from the start see are two major words in the book of John. The words Life and Light, and in some ways the word Darkness as well.
Life is used over 35 times in the book of John.
These words are worth you studying as you read this Gospel. These words take on great meaning and depth, and as we look at them today, I hope you begin to sense why. We will start with the LIFE.
Sermon Body
1. Life is Found in Jesus In him was life… (4a)
In the book of John, there are two major ways life can be understood.
1. Duration (John 3:16), Jesus came to give us eternal life.
2. Quality (John 10:10), Jesus came to shape our human life.
Both meanings connect to this truth: Our deepest longings are only fully satisfied in Jesus. We were created by Jesus for Jesus and thus, life is only found in Jesus. It is who we were created by and for. Which means that Jesus is the only one who can fully satisfy us.
We spend most of life searching and filling with other things and people to fill something that can only be filled by Jesus. Money, Sex, Achievement, a spouse, children, property – all these things are part of the full life that Jesus gives, but they in and of themselves cannot satisfy us.
Story: Friday Morning Family Bummer: point: My children and my wife cannot fully satisfy me. And I cannot for them. I wasn’t made by them and for them. I have only been made by Jesus and for Jesus.
2. Life is Illuminated in Jesus …and that life was the light of all mankind (4b)
There is a truth that is not connected to the main points of the sermon today, that I quickly want to point out… notice OF ALL MANKIND. There is Christmas in this… this gift of Jesus, this life is Jesus, these truths about Jesus are for ALL. This is radical stuff when this was recorded… we have just spent 10 weeks looking the expansion of the Gospel – and here we see from the start John declaring that Jesus brings life to ALL… not just the chosen people, not just Israel, not just the Jewish people – but for ALL. I say Amen and Thank You Jesus.
Now, the point I want to camp out in for a few moments is the progression John makes about life being light. This goes back to the quality, the perspective, the purpose of life being found in Jesus. What does it mean for life to be illuminated, for Jesus to make life lit up?
3 aspects of light (there are more) from a Biblical perspective that can help us:
Light: Brings Order from Chaos
John is so deeply tied to Genesis in this text as we have seen since verse 1. We have to go back to Genesis to see this truth about Light. In Genesis 1:1-4 we read:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-4
Prior to light being created, all was formless and that can be described as chaos. When God creates light, he brings order to the chaos. Notice how God speaks “let there be light” – this speaking is the WORD John is speaking of – this is Jesus being the active agent in creation and in this text we see that light brings order… more on that when we get to verse 14 in a couple of weeks.
This means that life illuminated, that life in Jesus is a life in the light – is a life in which Jesus brings order to chaos. Which means, as chaotic and crazy as your life can get, as crazy as life in this world is, Jesus is bringing order in the midst.
Story: Middle School Jeff, point: from Chaos to Order.
Light: Exposes What is Present
Light reveals, light exposes. Life Illuminated is a life in which the truth of who we are is brought out. That truth is found in just how true it is that Jesus is crazy about you. The truth of God and how much he is into you – how much you matter, how much he desires intimacy with you – a life illuminated is one that has been exposed to the reality of how deeply loved, how deeply personal Jesus is about you.
And that same “revealing light’ exposes how complicated we are in. Life illuminated by Jesus shows us how much we need Jesus. The light exposes our sin, exposes the consequences of that sin, the darkness (that we will talk about in a minute), but light exposes not only the truth about how much Jesus loves us, but also the truth about who we really are as broken people living in a broken world.
The text in Isaiah captures these realities well, when the prophet says:
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
The great light is the light of Jesus, the life found in Jesus. That reality of how crazy Jesus is about us… and that truth is revealed right alongside the clear revelation of us people “walking in darkness” and “living in the land of deep darkness”.
The Light of Jesus exposes the reality and truth of (1) sin and darkness and (2) the reality that Jesus has come into that reality and brought light and where light is, life is.
Light: Guides Forward
The last aspect of light I want to share about is that light guides forward. This is where the title of the sermon makes sense. As a parent of children, night lights are all over our home. They help all of us move forward in the midst of the darkness of the night. They help guide us to places we simply cannot see without them. In this same way, life illuminated, life in Jesus is life that is guided, that is moving toward meaning, toward peace. The light isn’t simply on so that people are intellectually aware that a light is on… it is on for a purpose. Life has a purpose. Jesus didn’t come so you know about a light, he came to give you light… to give and guide you toward purpose. That purpose can be found in John 10:10, when Jesus tells us why he has come to give us life.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
To the contrary of what some think, Life is not to be endured, it is to be enjoyed…to be experienced to the FULL. For many, and myself at times, this truth can seem like a distant promise than a current reality…
Because of where the text goes next and the next point for today:
3. Darkness IS The light shines in the darkness, …(5a)
Notices the word shines: it is a verb with present action. John could have written this to suggest and communicate that there is no more darkness, but what we can simply see here is that DARKNESS IS. There is present reality of darkness. But hold on, I know there is a second part to this verse, but we move to quickly there sometimes. Hang with me for a minute.
This is where our theology can hurt us – because there is a notion (and some level of truth we will soon see) that because of Jesus – that life is supposed to be void of pain and trauma. Which is why Christians (over history) have a reputation for when hard things happen to minimize them or over spiritualize them. The point here is that Darkness is – there is a reality that runs right alongside all this light and life stuff John is talking about – and that truth is that Darkness IS… it exists.
Darkness IS… why? Here are just a few reasons:
· There is an Enemy,
· There is Sin. The effects of Sin:
o Broken World
o Personal Sin
o Other’s People’s Sin
o (Consider: Posada as illustration)
Without the reality of darkness, what good is the light? Why is light needed?
Which bring us to the final point, as true as it is that darkness is:
4. Darkness CAN’T …and the darkness has not overcome it (5b)
This can be translated, to say – the darkness has not understood, not overpowered the light of Jesus.
As true as Darkness IS, the Light wins. Jesus is brighter. Christmas is about that light, Jesus coming into the world... and that light, Jesus, has not and will not be overcome by the Darkness.
When Jesus died on the cross, remember that the skies turned to night. In the middle of the day, the sun did not shine. Darkness was. The Darkest moment in history, God killed by his own people.
But it does not stay dark forever. Easter morning happened, the night overcame the darkness. The fire of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 fell on the apostles. As dark as dark can be, it will never overcome, overpower, or even understand the light.
This truth is speaking to someone right now. The Darkness is so big in your life, in your world. The diagnosis just came to you, the life-altering news just got to you, you just lost a loved one, there are more bills and income… the reality of your darkness is big.
The reality of some darkness in this room is because of the choices you have made to live in the dark, to give into to temptation, to lies, to the shame of your past – and the truth of today and the truth of Christmas – is that the life and light of Christ burns brighter than the darkness.
Where there is chaos there can be peace!
Where there is shame, there can freedom!
Where the lies win… the lies about how little God thinks of you, there is truth about how wildly crazy God and his love is about you!
Friends, this is not some abstract hope that church folks cling to – that one day it might get better, it might get brighter. The church of Jesus is not filled with people with vague hope,
As I look around at you today, only knowing some of your stories and knowing all of my story –we are people not with simply abstract future hope but people with actual testimony, like John.
Testimony of how Jesus has brought light to the darkness in your life…how Jesus has brought light to the darkness you have faced in your past! The light that comes from the darkness from being in a broken world, and the lives here declare that THIS IS TRUE: The darkness does not win, Jesus has brought life, brought hope, brought peace, brought joy, and brought love into your real lives in real time.
How do we live this way, how to we get back to living in the light and life of Jesus?
I have 3 questions that I pray will help you.
Application
Where does it seem that darkness is winning?
Sin, Shame, and Stress can be louder than truth. Know it in your life, name it, and trust Jesus to be brighter.
Have you found life yet?
Where do you keep searching for satisfaction?
Remember, you were created by Jesus and for Jesus – nothing else can fully satisfy you, nothing else can bring you peace.
Where can your life be illuminated?
I think many of us struggle with apathy – allow Jesus to be your guiding light away from this.
Struggle with sin – allow Jesus to be your revealing light, get exposed so you can live in the light.
Live lives of chaos – allow Jesus to be your ordering light - and experience the peace promised, a peace beyond understanding.
Close
In the Bleak Midwinter: Christina Rosetti wrote this poem in 1872. Was a poem until it was set to music years later, Harold Darke in 1911 gets us to what we know today.
Both in lyric and composition this song communicates deep contrast of Christmas, of Jesus. Whether it be the contrast between the first and second coming of Jesus, the contrast between baby Jesus having an earthly mother and a heavenly father, or the contrast between the humility of Jesus birth alongside the reality of his Kingdom reign…
This song serves us well to also consider the contrast of the text this morning. The contrast of life and death, the contrast of light and darkness…
This contrast is Christmas – and “we need a little Christmas” We need a bigger Jesus right now, as Jeremy sings this song, take the time to reflect, to pray, to ask Jesus for life…To ask Jesus to illuminate your life…to be reminded that the darkness in life can’t drown out, cannot extinguish the light of Jesus… as dark as dark can be.
Join me prayer.
Chinese Study Notes
我們需要一點聖誕
黑暗中有了光
約翰福音 1:4-8
12/08/19
序：（黑暗，需要平安）
系列講道…回顧約翰福音 1：1-3
“我們需要一點聖誕”系列是我們這個季節的屬靈路程。上周我們說，無論你以什麼狀態來到這個季節，每個人都有需要，而且都會是有意義的。我們需要更好地經歷聖誕、經歷耶穌，並超越性地、而非就事論事地認識聖經。反思並關注耶穌道成肉身進入世界，約翰福音第一章是最好的指引。
上周我們也看見，約翰福音以創造的耶穌震撼開始；耶穌總在那裡，他在關係中…創造，並透過再造，使人進入與他的關係中。我盼望大家在進入今天主題前瞭解這些，我們今天會從約1:3 與 西 1：15-16 開始。
萬有是藉著他而成的；凡所成的，沒有一樣不是藉著他而成的。約1：3
愛子是那不可見之神的形像，是一切被造之物的長子，因為萬有都是藉著他造的：天上和地上的，看得見和看不見的，無論王位或主權，統治的或掌權的，一切都是藉著他造的，也是為他而造的。西 1：15-16
一切都是藉著耶穌造的，也是為他而造的。這也包括你，這就是為什麼耶誕節關乎你和我。這是我們紀念耶穌的時候！他是如此溫柔、如此愛，為我們創造了一條歸向神的路；又新造了我們，使我們成為我們當有的樣式。你和我都是藉著他造的，也是為他而造的。
平安是本周的降臨節主題，也帶給我們某種張力…如果我們是藉著耶穌造的，也是為他而造的，那為什麼生命中還那麼沉重、艱難、黑暗…缺乏平安？
我們今天就要談論這個張力—我們要思考什麼是被耶穌所造也是為耶穌所造—與耶穌一起的生活當是什麼樣的？
請大家起立讀神的話語。
約翰福音 1：4-8
生命在他裡面，這生命就是人的光。這光在黑暗中照耀，黑暗卻沒有勝過這光。有一個人受神的差派而來，他名叫約翰。他為見證而來，是要為這光做見證，好讓人都藉著他相信。他不是這光，而是要為這光做見證。
思考經文
今天我們可能集中在4-5節，所以我先快快講述一下6-8節。有些解經家認為6-8節是最好的註腳：介紹約翰的作者身份、確立約翰見證的歷史真實性、否認人們對約翰的神性假設。我們可以認為，約翰在此強調自己是本書的作者，是一個見證人。
我要你們從一開始就看見本書的兩個主要詞彙：生命和光，以及黑暗這個詞。
本書使用了35次生命。
這些詞值得我們好好研究，它們有很深的意思，盼望你們今天可以有所感受。讓我們以“生命”這個詞開始。
講道
1. 生命在耶穌裡面
在他裡面有生命…(4a)
約翰福音中，有兩個理解“生命”的重要方法。
1）長度：(約 3:16)，耶穌來給我們永恆的生命；
2）品質：（約10：10），耶穌來使我們生命成形。
這兩個意義都與真理相聯：我們最深的渴望只有在耶穌裡才能得到滿足。我們是被耶穌造的，也是為他而造的；生命只能在耶穌裡。因為我們都是藉著耶穌、也是為他而造的，這意味著他是唯一能滿足我們的。
我們浪費了許多生命去尋找，並用其它的人和事填補唯有耶穌能夠填滿的生命意義。我們用過金錢、性、成功、孩子、事業等等，但這些都不過是耶穌給我們生命中的一部分，它們自己並不能使我們滿足。
例話：週五早晨，布莫弟兄表示：我的孩子、妻子不能令我完全滿足，我不能為他們而活，我並不是被他們造的，也不是為他們造的，我是被耶穌造的，也是為他而造的。
2. 生命在耶穌裡點亮
…這生命就是全人類人的光 （4b）
我想快快指出一個與今天主題不相關的真理…讓我們注意全人類的含義---這就是耶誕節，這禮物就是耶穌，這生命就是耶穌，這關乎耶穌的真理是為所有人…這一點是根本性的…我們剛剛用了10周看見福音的擴展---而這裡，約翰宣稱耶穌將生命帶給全人類…不光是被揀選的，不光是以色列，不光是猶太人，而是給全人類的。我要說感謝主，阿門。
一會兒我要帶出的主題就是約翰所說的生命成為光的過程；這要回溯到在耶穌裡生命的品質、盼望和目的。那麼，生命被點亮、為耶穌被點亮是什麼意思？
我們從聖經的角度來看光的三方面（還有更多）：
光：從混亂中帶來秩序
約翰將1節與創世紀進行了深度聯接。我們需要回到創世紀看有關光的真理。
起初神創造天地。 地是空虛混沌。淵面黑暗。神的靈運行在水面上。 神說，要有光，就有了光。 神看光是好的，就把光暗分開了。創1：1-4
在光被造之前，一切都沒有形體，空虛混沌；當神造了光，就將秩序帶進了混亂。注意，神說“要有光”，這正是約翰現在說的---耶穌是創造的主角；這裡，我們看見光帶來了秩序…幾周後我們在14節會看到更多。
這意味著生命被點亮，在耶穌裡的生命是有光的生命，是給混亂帶來秩序的生命；也就是說，耶穌將秩序帶進你紛亂的生命、帶進你紛亂的世界。
例話：傑夫的中學，從混亂到秩序。
光：暴露了一切存在的東西
光揭示一切、光暴露一切。生命被點亮就帶出我們到底是誰。那真理是關乎耶穌多麼愛你，關乎神與你關係多深—你知道嗎？神多麼渴望與你親密—生命被點亮暴露出一個人的愛有多深，以及你與耶穌個人的關係有多深。
同樣，光揭示出我們是多麼複雜。生命被耶穌照亮表達了我們多麼需要耶穌。光暴露了我們的罪以及罪的後果，暴露了黑暗；不僅告訴我們神是多麼愛我們，也告訴我們真實的自己，即破碎的人住在破碎的世界。
以賽亞書很好把握了這些真實，先知說：
在黑暗中行走的百姓看見了大光；住在死蔭之地的人有光照耀他們。賽9：2
大光就是耶穌的光；生命在耶穌裡面。耶穌對我們有著何等的熱心…非常清楚地揭示出我們實際上在黑暗中行走的；住在死蔭之地。
耶穌的光揭示了真理 1）罪與黑暗；2）耶穌把光帶進現實生活，光在哪裡，哪裡就有生命。
光：照亮前程
我今天分享光的最後一方面是光指引前程，這就是講道標題要表達的。作為孩子的父母，我們就像黑夜的光照亮全家。這光幫助我們在漆黑的夜間前行，指引我們去到沒有光無法到達的境地。這光不是簡單地亮著，讓人知道有一個光而已…這光有目的。生命有目的；耶穌不是來讓你知道光，而是來給你光…給你目標並指引你實現目標---而目標就在約10：10，耶穌告訴我們，他來是為要我們得生命。
盜賊來，無非是要偷竊、宰殺、毀滅；而我來是要他們得生命，並且得的更豐盛。
與一些人想得相反，生命不是一個重負，而是一個享受…去經歷豐盛。但對包括我的許多人，有時感到這真理像是一個遙遠的應許，超越了目前的現實…
經文接下來的主題：
1. 黑暗
光照在黑暗裡… (5a)
注意“照”這個詞：這是一個現在時態的動詞，約翰可能是說不再有黑暗，但我們卻很容易看到黑暗---它是一個現存的真實。但這一節並沒有完…有時我們走得太快了，請和我一起稍微停一會兒。
這就是我們的神學傷到我們的地方---因為我們頭腦中有一個標準，即因著耶穌，生命應該沒有痛苦和悲傷---使基督徒有一個標籤：即當壞事發生時，基督徒要把大事化小，或把事情過分屬靈化。這裡的要點：黑暗是一個與光、與生活一起的現實，正如約翰所說，這現實就是黑暗真實地存在…
黑暗存在…為什麼？以下是幾個原因：
· 因為有仇敵；
· 因為有罪，而罪導致了:
o 破碎的世界
o 個人的罪孽
o 別人的罪
o (想想帕薩迪納)
沒有黑暗的真實，哪裡有光的美善？為什麼還要有光呢？
這讓我們進入最後一點，黑暗雖然真實存在，但
2. 黑暗不能
黑暗不能勝過光 （5b）
這可以被譯為：黑暗不明白耶穌的光, 更對此毫無權勢。
黑暗真實存在不假，但光必然會勝利，耶穌之光更加明亮。耶誕節關乎光，耶穌來到世界…那光，即耶穌，從來沒有也絕不會被黑暗得勝。
當耶穌死在十字架時，天變為黑暗；正午時間，太陽無光。在那個黑暗的歷史時刻，神被自己的子民所殺害。
但黑暗並不久長，在復活的黎明，光明勝過黑暗；在使徒行傳2章，聖靈的火臨到門徒…黑暗雖還在，卻無法勝過光、甚至無法明白光。
這一真理直指人心，可能你生命中、你世界裡的黑暗很大，比如剛接到診斷書，或一個危險警告，或剛失去所愛的，入不敷出…你的黑暗是真實可怕的。
有些黑暗的存在是因為你選擇了留在黑暗中，向試探、謊言和羞恥妥協---今天我們傳講聖誕的真理就是，基督的生命和光大大照亮了黑暗。
混亂之處可以成為和平！
羞恥之處可以得到釋放！
謊言猖獗，欺騙說神不顧你…但真理是：神以無限的愛來愛你！
朋友們，這不是抽象的盼望或教會裡人的安慰—一切都會好的…耶穌的教會沒有人帶著虛幻的盼望。我知道自己的故事，也知道你們中一些人的故事。作為基督徒，我們不是對未來懷著抽象的盼望，我們有著真實的見證，就像約翰那樣。
見證耶穌是如何將光明帶進你生命中的黑暗…如何在你面對過去黑暗時帶給你光明！光照亮了黑暗和這個破碎的世界，我們都可以為此作見證！黑暗不能勝過光！耶穌帶來生命、盼望、平安、喜樂和愛，進入你的真實生命和時空。
我們如何這樣活？如何回轉，活在耶穌的光與生命中？
我有三個問題要為你禱告：
應用
黑暗在哪裡似乎得勝？
罪、羞恥、壓力好像比真理聲音大。當認清你生命中的這些，指出它們，宣告：信靠耶穌更大！
你找到真正的生命了嗎？你在哪方面還在尋找滿足？
記住，你是被耶穌所造，也是為耶穌而造的—沒有別的可以完全使你滿足，或帶給你平安。
你的生命可以在哪裡點亮？
我想我們中許多人為冷漠而掙扎---就讓耶穌成為你的光引導你脫離吧；
為罪掙扎---就讓耶穌成為你的光來暴露罪惡，使你可以活在光中；
生命混亂---就讓耶穌成為你的光帶來秩序，經歷他所應許的平安，即超越理性的平安。
結束
在1872年一個陰冷的冬天，克利斯蒂·羅塞蒂寫下了這首詩歌。1911年哈樂德·達科譜曲，成為了我們今天知道的讚美詩。
無論是詞還是曲都圍繞耶穌的聖誕，進行了深入的對比：對比了第一個聖誕和耶穌的再來，對比了小耶穌的地上母親和天上的父親，對比了耶穌的人性與天國主宰者…
這首詩也讓我們再思今天的經文對比：生與死，光明與黑暗…
再思耶誕節與“我們需要一點聖誕”的對比---我們急切需要顯為至大的耶穌。
當耶利米唱的時候，我們好好反思、禱告、向耶穌求真正的生命…讓耶穌照亮你的生命…記住，你生命中的黑暗不能拿去、消滅耶穌的光…黑暗能做的只是黑暗而已。
我們一起禱告。