Jesus Christ  The Light of the World

Book of John

Scripture Lesson John 1:1-13                   Isaiah 61:1-10

Jesus Christ the Light of Men: The Second Witness of John the Apostle,

As John the Baptist was going forth with the mission given him of God, the mission of bearing witness of the Light.  You have to ask yourself why the world needed this Light. The answer is found in verse 5 of John but you will see it was prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah (Read Isaiah 61:1-10). The world was in darkness; it was in bondage and did not realize it.  It is full of darkness, as we learned in Lesson I  Darkness is not just the absence of light but also the absence of knowledge.  Proverbs 2:9-13   Hosea 4:6   2 Corinthians 4:6.  The world was walking in the darkness of sin and despair, of sickness and death, of corruption and hell. The darkness loomed over the whole world.  But, the Father knew what we had need of before we could even asked. The solution to the darkness was in Jesus Christ, for Christ is the True Light, and Light, dispels, dismisses , disperses, drives out, chases away, overcomes defeats, any and all darkness.

1. Jesus Christ, The Light; His Mission: Christ was "the true Light." Other men may claim to be lights; they may claim that they can lead men to the truth. Some may claim they can

· reveal God to men.

· show the nature, meaning, and destiny of the future and other things.

· guide a man out of the darkness of sin, shame, doubt, despair, and the fear of death and hell.

· do away with and eliminate the darkness entirely.

However, such men are false lights. Their claims are only ideas in their minds, fictitious ideas, and counterfeit claims. They are basing their claims on what they can see, hear, touch, smell, taste and in some cases on what or how they feel.  This is devilish, defective, frail, and uncertain—just as imperfect as any other man-made position dealing with the truth actions and thoughts.  Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:25  It is interesting that these scriptures are mention twice in the Book of Proverbs

You can understand why Jesus had to come.

The True Light was Jesus Christ. What does this mean? It means that Jesus Christ was what other men are not.  Other men may claim to be the light of men, but their thoughts are only false imaginations.  Christ alone was the True Light. Christ is to man what light is to man, and Christ did for man what light does for man.

1.      Light is clear and pure: it is clean and good. So was Christ (Ephes. 5:8).

2.      Light penetrates: it cuts through and eliminates darkness. So did Christ.

3.      Light enlightens: it enlarges one's vision and knowledge. So did Christ. John 12:36,

4.      Light reveals: it opens up the truth of an area, a whole new world and life. It clears up the way to the truth and life. So did Christ (John 14:6).

5.      Light guides: it keeps one from groping and grasping about in the dark trying to find one's way. It directs the way to go, leads along the right path. So did Christ (Psalm 119:105)

6.      Light exposes and strips away darkness. So did Christ (John 3:19-20).

7.      Light routs the chaos. So did Christ ( Genesis 1:2-3).

8.      Light discriminates between the right way and the wrong way. So did Christ (Ephes. 5:8-10.)

9.      Light warns: it warns of dangers that lie ahead in one's path. So did Christ.

10.  Light protects: it keeps one from tripping, stumbling, falling, and injuring oneself and losing one's life. So did Christ. (John 12:46). 

Discussion Point:  Read the scriptures below about Light and discuss your understanding of the passage of scripture.

Light: light reveals, strips away (John 3:19-20), corrects the chaos ( Genesis 1:2-3), and guides (John 12:36, 46). It shows the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

2. Christ was to give light to men. This light was for every man. How?

Christ gives light to men through natural revelation, the creation and order of the universe.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork" (Psalm 19:1).

"The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory" (Psalm 97:6).

Christ gives light to men by giving good gifts to men. Every "good and perfect gift" which man receives comes from the Father of lights.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17).

But there is much more light given to men since Christ has "come into the world."

a. There is the light of Christ Himself: He is the Savior who now stands before the world as "the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world" (John 11:27). Every man can now see the truth. They may reject it, but they can see it.

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:9-10).

b. There is the light of the gospel: Christ has now "come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me [Christ] should not abide in darkness" (John 12:46). The truth is that every man can now be delivered from the darkness of sin, despair, death, and hell.

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light" (Ephes. 5:14).

c. There is the light of the Spirit: both the guiding and the convicting power of the Spirit.

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come" (John 16:13).

"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:8-11).

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).
 
Note: That all the light existing in the world is due to Christ, both the light from nature and from heaven, from the physical world and from the spiritual world. Christ is "the True Light [the Life], which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9).