A Light From God

Listen, beloved, our world this Christmas season will celebrate the supposed birthday of somebody they'd rather entirely ignore. Our culture is dark and we're the light. We're the ones who understand it. But we need to understand what John is saying here. He's basically saying that our world misses the meaning of His light. Our world misses the meaning of Him as the Word and it misses all of it on purpose.

On purpose. Many people celebrate Christmas and perhaps give a glancing acknowledgement that it's the celebration of Jesus' incarnation. Many others celebrate it as a break from work and a chance to give gifts, but no more than that. When Jesus came into the world, He came as the light of the world and that's the problem many people have.

They don't want a light shining into the dark places of their soul, so they ignore Jesus even at Christmas. Welcome to Wisdom for the Heart. Today, Stephen Davey has a lesson for you entitled, A Light from God.

Stay with us for this lesson coming right now. The display of this infinite glory is introduced to us in John's Gospel in chapter one. He was first, if you were with us, described as the Word. Capital W-O-R-D. Now John changes then his metaphor from describing Jesus Christ as the eternal Word to this eternal light. He's effectively telling us that Jesus is fulfilling the messianic prophecy given to us by Isaiah. Luke's Gospel records that prophecy in reference to Jesus that He has come to shine upon those who sit in darkness and under the shadow of death to guide our feet into the path of peace.

Luke chapter 1 verse 79. Jesus Christ then, if I could put it this way, came to earth to turn on the light, to fulfill all that had given glimpses of light. Now it's seen in its fulfillment in Him. Now the apostle gives us in this paragraph and beyond several different reactions to this divine display of light.

And let me let me highlight them for just a few moments. First of all, we're told that the light is resisted. Look at verse five. And the light shines in the darkness.

And the darkness did not comprehend it. That has a range of meaning, that verb. In fact, there's really not a good English equivalent. And the context helps us understand what exactly it means.

You could express it as my text translates it. Effectively, the darkness just can't understand it. There would be truth in that, by the way.

Any nuance, by the way, is true. It could also mean, depending on the context, that the darkness can't overpower it. Phillips translates it, the darkness can't put it out. Given the reaction that John is revealing to us of the world, to the divine display, I would prefer this particular nuance in your thinking. That the ongoing reaction of the world is to try and snuff out the light. The world can't.

John says it can't be done. World magazine just awarded recently their annual Daniel Award. This is an award they give to some believer who stood the test of endurance and testimony for Christ. And this particular year, they gave it to 21 men. You subscribe to that magazine.

Maybe you've even seen the picture. It is a rather haunting picture. 21 men dressed in orange jumpsuits walking down a Libyan beach flanked by ISIS warriors clothed in black with black masks. They will be executed. What your news reports did not tell you is that they are being executed because they will not recant of their faith in Jesus Christ.

And they have a picture where they're kneeling on the beach about to be beheaded. The testimony leaked out and different Christian news organizations picked it up that every one of those 21 believers remained calm and composed. In fact, at the very end, some of the testimony revealed that these men, their last words were, Oh, Lord Jesus.

Oh, Lord Jesus. And in a matter of seconds, they saw him. The light was not extinguished.

It is multiplied. In fact, you could translate verse five with the tense of these this original construction and the light shines in the darkness. You could render it and the light shines on in the darkness. The light continually keeps shining on in the darkness. I love that. The darkness can't put it out. Let me illustrate the meaning of what John is trying to say with something very simple. I have a candle in my hand and my wife is in this hour, so she'll recognize it. Came from her arrangement. Honey, I'll return it as soon as the service is over.

I grabbed it this morning. They'll fade the lights out. Let me just do something to illustrate what John is saying. There is more darkness in here than light. If we could multiply the size of this auditorium a thousand times, a million times, a billion times over, the darkness of that auditorium still cannot put out this light. In fact, the longer we remain here at this moment, the brighter this light becomes, doesn't it?

Keep that in mind. This is the vision of the apostle and our Lord, who says that we also are the light of the world, that is, we reflect him. No matter how dark, it cannot extinguish even this solitary light.

He'll turn the lights back on. The bad news is we live in a world of darkness. The good news is God has placed us in a world of darkness, and the darkness cannot put out the light. Well, if people can't put it out, if they can't persecute it out, maybe they can just argue it out. Maybe they can just deny it away. Maybe we can come up with some clever way to fix some philosophical lens or glasses so that we don't see it.

We don't notice it. Maybe if I try hard enough, I can refute it, and that would be the next reaction of our world. Not only is the light resisting, but it's also the light of the light. Refute it, and that would be the next reaction of our world.

Not only is the light resisted, the light is refuted. Look at verse 10. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. The world did not know him. John is referring here not so much to intellectual knowledge. The world knows a lot about Jesus, frankly. I know people who believe he's the Son of God have given their lives to studying him, which always amazes me. Why not pick a different subject?

There are people in your world and mine who can check all the boxes about Jesus. This isn't intellectual knowledge. This is a word, one linguist says, is related to a desire. This is a desire to be related to.

That's the idea. John is effectively saying he came into the world, and the world didn't want to be related to him. The world didn't want to have anything to do with him, and that's true, isn't it? They didn't want to have a relationship with the light. Why? Because the light, that exposes who we are. That exposes my sin, and the more of the light of God, through his word, I understand, guess what happens to me as a sinner?

I only become all the greater, right? So we've got to figure out something here. Maybe instead of just trying to deny it, what if we just downplay it? What if we just say, you know, you people are just talking too much about it, or you're just a little too carried away about it. What if we redefine it? What if we say, I know every religion has some light in it, and every human heart has a little light in it, and that basically strips the meaning of divine light, doesn't it?

So let's try to find out a way to find a way around Jesus Christ. Biologist Richard Dawkins, one of the more well-known skeptics of Christianity, people call him an atheist, he really isn't if you read his writings. He's an agnostic, because he isn't quite sure. In his book entitled The God Delusion, he said on the scale of one to seven, one being certainty that God exists, and seven being certainty that God does not exist, I am a six.

Not quite there, I'm a six. And then he writes, I cannot know for certain, but I think God is very improbable. That's reassuring.

I think God is very improbable, and I, here's the key, live my life on the assumption that he is not there. And that really kind of gets to the core of that which light does. I don't really want it to alter my life. I don't want it to reveal to me that I may be in some way, shape, or form accountable.

So I'd like to get around it. In fact, one recent admission, more recent admission, kind of cuts to the core issue of rejecting the light in this manner. Thomas Nagel, who authored a popular introduction to a book on philosophy that she used in universities, entitled What Does It All Mean? He wrote this, it isn't that I don't just believe in God, it's that I hope there is no God. I don't want there to be a God.

I don't want the universe to be like that. Then he goes on to talk about how it would alter his life if God existed. See, the Apostle John here in this text is revealing the heart of these humanist philosophers. He says, of these humanist philosophers. And by the way, these humanist philosophers existed in the days of John.

This isn't new. And a lot of times you'll find them providing an apologetic and answer, a defense of Christianity. And he basically does that over in chapter three of the same gospel in verse 19, where he says, the light has come into the world and men love the darkness rather than the light.

Why? Because their deeds, their lifestyles are evil. We don't want the light. We want to stay in darkness, even if it means we're under this shadow of death. The Apostle Paul explains it by writing that ungodly mankind suppresses the truth by unrighteousness, by means of unrighteousness.

Let's just hold it down, put a screen in front of it, do something, suppress it. And so God, we're told in that chapter, simply turns them over to accomplish what they really want, the lusts of their heart to impurity. We want the darkness and God says, you can have it.

Romans chapter one, verses 18 and 24. Listen, beloved, our world, this Christmas season will celebrate the supposed birthday of somebody they'd rather entirely ignore and they will miss the meaning of it. And by the way, that's why I don't think the church should be trying to get people to say Merry Christmas. Why would we want an unbeliever to tell us Merry Christmas when they don't know Christ?

It doesn't bother me a bit, not one bit. Our culture is dark and we're the light. We're the ones who understand it, but we need to understand what John is saying here. He's basically saying that our world misses the meaning of his light. Our world misses the meaning of him as the word and it misses all of it on purpose.

On purpose. Let's just close the shades and lower the blinds and maybe we won't see the light. That's why Augustine, the fourth century theologian and church leader, said it is of no advantage to be near light with your eyes closed.

Leave us alone in the dark. The light then is resisted. The light is refuted.

Next, the light is outright rejected. Look at verse 11. He came to his own and those who were his own did not receive him. That's another way of saying he came to his own people. He came to his own nation, even his own family early on, and they did not receive him.

However, keep in mind you can understand this in a broader context. Jesus Christ came into the world. He created.

This isn't your planet or mine. It's his. He created it.

He has plans for it. In fact, according to Revelation, he's going to destroy and create a new one. He came into the world he created. Among the human race he created and nobody put out the welcome mat. In fact, when he came into the world, the world had effectively put out the sign, do not disturb. Don't disturb us. Even in his entrance into the world as a newborn baby, we know the narrative well.

It serves as a metaphor of the human heart. There's no room anywhere. Certainly not at that end, which would have been packed with travelers and so they're given accommodation in some outdoor stall or hewn out cave, out in the elements.

No room. If we were God, that isn't how we would travel. In fact, that isn't how any of us travel now.

If you're going to take a trip, you're going to go online and you're going to figure out the miles. And if you got to stay overnight somewhere, you're going to call ahead and make a reservation in that hotel. You're not just going to assume that if you show up at eight o'clock or nine o'clock, there'll be room.

You wouldn't do that. You make all the preparations and you're going to make all the preparations and then you travel. Well, if we were God and the son is going to incarnate, as it were, come here to be born of a virgin, we would make sure that all the arrangements have been made ahead of time. There'd be no surprises. We would be delivered by the finest physicians.

We would be delivered and there would be soft sheets and warm blankets and puppies and baby lotion and all that stuff. Not here. It is part of the meaning and the message of the coming one, that there is no room. And still, in nearly every human heart you encounter today, they will tell you effectively, there's no room in here. In fact, leave me alone.

I prefer my life as it is. Don't turn on the light. The light is resisted. The light is refuted. The light is rejected. But for some in here, the fourth and final response, the light is received. Look at verse 12.

But, I love that word. I prayed, by the way, that's the hinge in your personal testimony. But, this is the world's reaction.

This is what they do. But, now we're going to change direction. But, as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in his name. Here's how to become a child of God.

Here's how you effectively receive the word and the light into your life. And in so doing, you are born into the family of God. You become a child of God. How do you become a child of God? Well, John wants to hurry us to, I think, the next phrase, which is often ignored by telling us how you do not become a child of God. Let's take a look. Verse 13. Who were born, notice this, not of blood.

Not of blood. What does he mean? He means you're not a child of God just because you're a human being. I've met people that way. They believe they're going to heaven because they were born. I'm going to heaven because I'm a human being. They might throw in, I haven't killed anybody, which is a good thing, but that isn't necessarily going to get you in.

In fact, there can be people who are going that killed other people. You're not a child of God because you've just been born into the human race. You're not a Christian just because you're related, by the way, to genuine Christians. You're not a Christian because your wife is a Christian or because your grandfather was a Christian. And maybe by relation to them, I'm going to get in.

No. In fact, I was raised in a godly Christian home with missionary parents. And if I had died before my 17th year when I trusted Christ, if I died as a 16-year-old, I would eventually be in hell forever. You don't get into heaven because of the blood that runs through your veins. Hey, I'm a human being.

I'm an American. I've heard that too. Don't they all get in? Well, that would change heaven. John continues telling us we don't become children of God, verse 13, not by blood nor of the will of the flesh.

In other words, you do not become a child of God by doing things with or in or by your flesh, your hands, your body, your feet, your voice, your actions. You're not a Christian because of the good things you've accomplished with your hands, what you've done that might be good. And that's wonderful that you've done good things. Maybe you've given money away. Maybe you've fed the poor.

Maybe you've clothed the poor. You might even have taken your hand and signed a church membership card. Or maybe you took your body and you said, yeah, baptize me. You are not born into the family of God by the will of your flesh, by something you do, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, notice, nor of the will of the flesh, notice, nor of the will of man. What John means here is that you don't get to heaven just because you decided you want to go there. That's my will. But people tell me, if you were to knock on the gate of heaven, I asked them, and God says to you, why should I let you in? I've had people tell me, well, because I want to. I want to be in there.

That's my wish. Can't I decide in my will to associate with the church? Can't I sign something? Can't I pledge something?

Can't I promise something? I'm serious about this. I've made up my mind that I'm going to go to heaven. So did the religious leaders of Jesus's day. In fact, you talk about religious passion. You talk about keeping the rules. You talk about dedication.

You talk about the ordinances and the ceremonies and the praying and the fasting. None of us in here, none of us could ever match the dedication to observations, to rules, to rituals, to order, to self deprecation, deprivation. None of us could come close to the Pharisees of Jesus's day, which is why Jesus said to his audience on one occasion, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees, you will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. What's he saying? Try harder?

No. He's saying nobody's getting in because nobody can exceed those men in their religious observation and dedication. Not by the will of man what you've decided to do, but notice by the will of God. You get into the family of God. You become rightly related to the word, to the light, by the will of God. And what has the will of God revealed to us about how to become a Christian? Well, now go back to verse 12. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name. Those who believe in his name. What does that mean? I believe Jesus existed.

I can check that box. In fact, so can any intelligent person who studies history. He was a historical figure. There are documentations of his life and things he did outside of scripture that simply validate scripture. What does it mean to believe in his name, though?

You believe in one God, you do well, James wrote. The demons believe that and shudder. The demons are wonderful theologians. They don't sit around and debate the creation of the universe.

They were there when it happened. They don't deny the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. They know what it's spelled for them. What does it mean to believe in his name? Well, in the ancient world, someone's name was more than just a name. A person's name was given to them as a reflection of who their parents wanted them to become. We believe in the name of Jesus. We do that a little bit and I think more in the church than anywhere else. I love the customs of other countries where at their conversion to Christ and public profession by baptism, they choose a name. I've met some wonderful Elijah's and Paul's and Isaiah's. Well, you go back into the days of Christ and this is what a name meant.

It reflected a characteristic. This is what Jesus did with Simon. He changed his name to Peter.

Pebble. I want you to become rock-like in your faith. This is Saul, more than likely named after the great king of Israel, who after his conversion as he saw the light of the risen Christ knocked him off his horse. He would go by the name Paul. It means little.

Little one. I think every time he hears his name, he wants to be reminded that when contrasted to the greatness of his savior, he is small. So the name Jesus, call his name Jesus, the angel said. Yesus, counterpart in the Old Testament, Yeshua. Joshua means Redeemer.

Redeemer. I hope you know Jesus Christ as your Redeemer today and I hope that your celebration of his incarnation later this month will be a time of great joy and blessing. This is Wisdom for the Heart, a ministry of Wisdom International, featuring the Bible teaching of Stephen Davey.

I'm your host, Scott Wiley. The rest of this week and all of next week will be sharing some of Stephen's sermons that focus on Christmas. I hope that as you tune in each day, God will use these messages to stir your heart as you prepare for Christmas. Listen to this brief note that we received here in the Wisdom office. I'm using Pastor Davey's series on Acts to study through that book. I've used many of your resources.

They are wonderful. I love the messages and especially appreciate your transcripts being available. I'm facilitating a small group study on Revelation, so I've printed out your transcripts on parts of Revelation for additional resources for the ladies. Thank you very much for having these available. She didn't share her name, but we're so glad to have received that. The entire archive of Stephen's many years of preaching are posted on our website and on our app. In addition to being able to listen, you can also download Stephen's word-for-word manuscript, and we trust these resources will help you study God's word for yourself or lead others in a study. Visit wisdomonline.org for information and then join us tomorrow for more wisdom for the heart. you