12.11.08 John 1:9-13 (NASB)
Audio Sermon File: John-1:9-13
Going Deeper: Study Guide
Unveiling Spiritual Tragedy and Transformation
Here are just some of the greatest tragedies of recent years that will mark our generation for years to come:
The Columbia - February 1st, 2003 - seven crew members of the space shuttle were instantaneously killed as their space shuttle disintegrated during re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. The Indonesian Tsunami - boxing day 2004 - leaving 130,406 dead - 36,836 missing - and displaced 504,518. Overall Damage from the tsunami is estimated at $5 billion.
Hurricane Katrina of 2005 was the United States most costly at 81.2 billion - and as well as one of its five deadliest in their history. It caused major damage along the Gulf coast. New Orleans was hit the hardest with every levee breached causing flooding to 80% of the city - and leaving at least 1,836 people dead. The effects of the devastation still are present today. Moving into 2008 is the Myanmar cyclone in May with a 12 foot high tidal wave wiping out entire villages - killing about 146,000 people, and thousands still missing. It is feared that the total fallout in human terms will be close to 1 million lives affected as foreign aid efforts was hampered by the military government. The sum of the damage is pegged at $10 million. Falling on the heals of this disaster was the 7.9 magnitude earthquake in central China also in May. The toll exceeded 69,000 deaths - and 86 billion in damage, being the 3rd costliest disaster in human history. It left 4.8 million people homeless - some estimating that figure to be up to 11 million. Then in July - this time in southern China was the mass flooding killing over 60 people and destroying 5.4 million acres of crops. Finally - the news of the past few months and weeks - as it relates to the sub-prime mortgage problems which have led to a worldwide financial credit crisis - this could be the economic tragedy of our generation.
Today in our passage from the Gospel of John - we are also going to look at TRAGEDY. This TRAGEDY is in the realm of the spiritual - which is of a magnitude greater than any of the physical tragedies I have just listed. It might be fitting that we are into this section of the gospel of John as we celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend. Because for us the Christian - it is a time where we especially fix our thoughts upon the things that God has done in our lives - as we examine the issue of TRANSFORMATION which we give thanks to Christ for. A spiritual TRANSFORMATION which frees us from the ultimate TRAGEDY.
Upon Christ’s entry into our world, man can find himself in 1 of only 2 categories:
TRAGEDY or TRANSFORMATION. We who find ourselves confronted by Jesus Christ the Light - can only be marked by TRAGEDY or TRANSORMATION. TRAGEDY brings about conscious eternal spiritual death, and TRANSFORMATION brings about the blessings of spiritual eternal life. So today as we unfold this passage we will ask these 2 questions:
1. Is my life marked out by spiritual TRAGEDY?
2. Is my life a witness to the TRANSFORMATION work of Christ in me?
John 1:9-13 states - There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 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, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Let us look at our first applicational question - and point one:
1. Is my life marked out by spiritual TRAGEDY?
(beginning at verse "9 and ending at verse 11"- or perhaps we could say verses 9-1-1 or "9/11")
The TRAGEDY that we witness is the outright rejection of Jesus Christ by those He created. In verse 9 we are given the concept of ‘truth’ which is another one of the central themes of this Gospel.
The word - ‘true’ in v.9 - indicates that Jesus Christ is steadfast, faithful, and dependable. Jesus Christ is the true Light and the Apostle John makes clear that this is the ‘real thing’ not some false Christ. In the previous verses (vv.6-8) as we examined the last time - John the Baptist - was only a witness to the true light.
It was Jesus Christ the light - who entered into the fabric of life in a way which had never been seen by the world. He enters our world into human time and space - God in the veil of human flesh - and speaking to us revealing the reality of God to all people. And becuase of this, people owe their existence to Him, but because of sin - people intentionally refuse to know Jesus Christ.
This truth is seen in Paul’s letter to the Romans 1:28-32:
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; [they are] gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Our world as a system - has no desire to comprehend the manifested Word and has no place for Him. You don’t have to look to hard to find evidence of people openly rejecting God and Jesus Christ. People openly are defying God ordained authority - like their parents, police, teachers, government. Unbelievers are essentially self-centered as a result of sin - and they will do anything to climb the ladder of self success - as opposed to doing things to please God.
This kind of depravity is the basis of rejecting Christ and casting hatred towards Him. Those around Christ when He was on earth, had a superficial comprehension of Him.
This world we live in belongs to God, and it is His world, created by Him through the agency of Jesus Christ as we recently examined in verses 3-5. Yet our world has pushed out the reality that it is controlled by Christ. Christ’s role in creation is rejected by secular theories - that we came into being through evolution. Jesus is rejected by commercial marketing that Christmas and Easter is replaced with happy holidays - and Thanksgiving is about turkey and not God’s provision. Jesus is rejected by making the Lord’s Day (Sunday) into a day for one’s own enjoyment and self focus. The spirit of this age has replaced the reality of a living Saviour who will judge sin - in favour of embracing a secular Jesus who loves and receives everyone into heaven. And Jesus is rejected by this world so that be reduced to a good man and one of many viable religious leaders - and that God is only an option. God is even being slowly depreciated within mainline evangelical churches.
Despite this world’s rejection of God, we are still the object of God’s love - as we are told in Jn 3:16-21:
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
The world did not know Jesus Christ, not in the sense of having an intellectual knowledge, but the Apostle John speaks about having a depth of personal knowledge of Jesus Christ - saving knowledge.
If we look to verse 10 of John chapter 1 - you will find the word - know. This word is a reference to a certain type of knowledge. In the Greek there are 2 words which can be translated into the English as ‘know.’ The first word for ‘know’ can be defined as a knowledge of someone, which is basically superficial. Well Tuesday is election day right? How many of you know who Stephen Harper is? All of you could say you know him. But none of you know him though personal experience.
Now there is also another Greek word translated as ‘know,’ which can be defined as a experiential knowledge. A knowledge that goes beyond the surface and into a personal relationship. This type of knowledge is like the way you would know your brother or sister, or you would know your husband or wife. You know that your wife likes chocolate. You know your husband hates clothes shopping. You know what make him/her tick because there is a personal relationship. So what is the importance of realizing the difference of these two Greek words?
The message for us today is - in which way do you know Jesus Christ? Is it by name only and on a superficial level? Or is it on a deeper level - on a level where there is a vital and active relationship between Jesus Christ and yourself - a personal relationship. Does your relationship with Christ end after you leave this building? Or maybe it has not even begun. Or does your relationship with Christ extend into the week? And you find yourself meditating upon His awesome glory, His Word, talking with Him, praising Him, worshipping Him, conforming your life according to His image. The point that the Apostle John is making can be summed up in this familiar saying - "it is not what you know - but it is who you know."
These are the kinds of spiritual challenges that the Gospel of John deliver to us today. It certainly would be a tragedy - not to know Jesus Christ in a personal relationship as your Lord and Saviour! It takes more than knowing the facts about Jesus. Mere facts, intellectual knowledge alone, will not save you… James 2:19 states: You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
Demons, ie - fallen angels, have a very good understanding of who God is….since they used to be in close fellowship with God. But even with this knowledge of who God is, they do not have a saving personal relationship with God. Despite their knowledge of God, these mere facts will not save the demons from eternal condemnation.
Jesus Christ made the world and it belongs to Him, it is His own property that Jesus Christ comes to visit; He inherently owns everything and has authority over it all - including each one of us - whether we believe in Him or not. When Jesus Christ came to His own creation (in the context of the people of Israel). But in verse 11 - the apostle John reveals to us that - His own did not receive His - they did not accept and embrace Him - as one might expect them to do
Jesus Christ was Israel’s Messiah and they knew about Him through OT Scripture, but when He came to them He was rejected, because they had no desire to know Him as Lord and Savior. They rebelled against the Creator’s authority over their lives - even though they were made by Him.
John is picturing the sad reality that when Jesus Christ (The eternal Word, God the Son) came to earth - coming in the likeness of men, the people that He created rejected Him. What a grim picture of this reality, Jesus Christ came to save those who were lost - Jesus Christ didn’t come to judge, but to offer eternal life - but He was rejected. John realizes that the world that he lived in was not a nice place, and John doesn’t present Jesus Christ’s entry into this world to make it nicer. John’s realization is still relevant today…for we live in a world that continues to reject the truth, and replace it with relative truths - lies - that vary from man to man.
Where do you stand today in relation to the true Light? Is my life marked out by spiritual TRAGEDY?
Despite this grim picture of TRAGEDY, it is through the coming light - Jesus Christ - that we might consider our second applicational question:
2. Is my life a witness to the TRANSFORMATION work of Christ in me?
John 1:12-13 states - 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, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
So it is in these verses that we find TRANSFORMATION…the TRANSFORMATION upon the sinners soul as it is changed by the Light. The infallible proofs of who Jesus Christ is, that were all laid out from verse 1, now come to a focal point in verse 12. This verse is the defining statement for those who are confronted with the eyewitness truths of John’s Gospel. These verses partner with the overall theme and purpose of the Gospel in 20:31 - but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
And as a result - people today - and perhaps some of us here today - need to seriously ask - "Have I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour?" "Do I have a personal, vital, and active relationship with God through Jesus Christ?"
Verse 12 tells us that some did receive Him, and those who did - it effected in their lives belief. We who have received Jesus Christ are given the blessings and privileges that are part of being a member of the family of God offered by Jesus Christ. The Apostle John equates the two terms "received" and "believe" in verse 12. We might ask what does it mean to receive Jesus? Receiving Jesus Christ means that when He offers to you eternal life - you welcome Him and accept His loving command to repent of sin in your life and to be reconciled to God. It is to place your complete faith in Jesus Christ alone, to give your full allegiance to Him, and to acknowledge all His claims: He claims to be God in human flesh; He claims to come and take away our sins through the sacrifice of His sinless life upon a cross; He claims that you must trust in the historic reality of His life, death, and resurrection on the third day from the grave, etc.
John Piper writes this about receiving Jesus Christ:
If he comes to you as Savior, you welcome his salvation. If he comes to you as Leader, you welcome his leadership. If he comes to you as Provider, you welcome his provision. If he comes to you as Counsellor, you welcome his counsel. If he comes to you as Protector you welcome his protection. If he comes to you as Authority, you welcome his authority. If he comes to you as King, you welcome his rule.
Receiving Jesus Christ is to abandon sin and to submit and be obedient to His righteous ways. It calls for repentance as we examined last time. The picture of repentance in the Bible, is more than just an intellectual change. It encompasses more, and includes a change in a person’s thought and will. The emphasis of Biblical repentance is the person’s decision for the whole of himself to be changed.
Believing on Jesus’ name is the key element in receiving the revelation of the Word of God - who is Jesus Christ - that has come into the world. The resulting effect is that you instantaneously enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, who grants you the right to enter into the family of God as one of its members - and as an heir of all that He possesses as children of God. Believing in Jesus Christ’s name is more than just a ‘name’ which a person is given. So what does it mean to believe in the name of Jesus Christ? Believing in the name of Jesus Christ encompasses believing in the very character and person that the name is associated with. When I mention the name Hitler what comes to mind? When I say Wayne Gretzky what comes to mind? What comes to mind should be the character and deeds of that person.
Looking down at verse 12 - only Jesus Christ has the ‘right’ - having delegated authority / power to grant to the believing person the position of being a child of God through His gift of grace and faith. All of us have been given gifts - whether for a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas. When we are given a gift and we receive it, our action represents our confidence in the trustworthiness and reality of that gift (tangible or intangible) - that it becomes part of our possessions.
The result of receiving God’s gift of forgiveness for sins, through Jesus Christ, is that we become His spiritual child. Without Jesus Christ we are not His spiritual children and in fact a person in this category is a child of God’s wrath (Eph 2:3). Therefore as we are received by Christ, a change in nature takes place in our spiritual state. If we do not believe in Christ then we are under God’s judgement, but if we do believe in Christ then we - become children of God (v.12).
Today many preachers say all you need to do to become a Christian is to believe in the name of Jesus but what does this mean? It is not what you know and what you believe, but it is whom you know and in whom you believe in. There is no easy formula for believing - true spiritual change must be demonstrated in one’s life; no spiritual change = no eternal life.
In verse 13 - John continues and speaks about those who receive Christ - who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. The new relationship, between God and man which the child of God enjoys is made actual, not simply by a physical relationship, and certainly not via sheer human decision. But it is through a divine imparting of eternal life by Christ. This a new birth - spiritual rebirth, not physical / biological birth. Human birth is dependent upon the desire and will of a man and a woman. It is the uniting of the husband and wife, in bringing forth a child who is of a blood relationship. Spiritual birth is not by this means, but is wholly an act of God who grants a person saving faith in His Son the Word, Jesus Christ
Many people today would think they are saved because they may have parents that are Christians - or maybe they think that ritualistically attending church will save them - and on this basis they feel that they have an inside track to God - as if this would give us some brownie points with God. But this is far from the truth, because these things do not constitute a saving relationship that can be established simply through a blood connection. It also is not brought about by our own efforts. Saving faith through Christ, does result when we cease to trust and rely upon our own merits and achievements and come to trust solely upon Christ and His merit alone - as we come to him in repentance (the confession of - and the complete turning away from our love of sin).
Saving faith must be established by a right and holy relationship with Christ - it is a reconciliation which only Christ can grant to the sinner. Faith in Christ’s name brings hope of life, which only God can accomplish in a person’s life, therefore salvation cannot be achieved through human relationship, personal achievement, or by human will power.
A life marked out by TRANSFORMATION will evidence itself by having an intimate experiential knowledge of the work and person of Jesus Christ, through the Word of God. Since the Bible is God’s source and power unto salvation for the sinner. The relationship is based upon objective truth - therefore you can have a true relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world - Jesus declared this is John 8:12 - Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." The light has come and it touches all people including those hostile to God, as He demonstrates His love. The illumination that the true Light provides is this: the dispelling of the darkness of sin and unbelief. But - not every man desires to be enlightened by the light - because of his love of sin. There is only one hope - that our darkened and sin stained world has - and that is God through Christ. I know that we all would agree and are painfully aware, that the world that we live in is not perfect - there is no hope that we can save the world ….but ….we can have hope that our souls may be saved in Christ.
As we close off , I would like to read an illustration titled - One Cottage Burned (W. W. Weeks):
Years ago a fishing fleet went out from a small harbor on the east coast of Newfoundland. In the afternoon there came up a great storm. When night settled down not a single vessel of all the fleet had found its way into port. All night long - wives, mothers, children, and sweethearts paced up and down the beach, clasping their hands together and calling on God to save their loved ones. To add to the horror of the situation, one of the cottages caught fire. Since the fishermen who were also the towns firemen were all at sea, it was impossible to save the home.
When the morning broke, to the joy of all, the entire fleet found safe harbor in the bay. But there was one face which was a picture of despair— it was on the wife of the man whose home had been destroyed. Meeting her husband as he landed, she cried, "Oh, husband, we are ruined! Our home and all it contained was destroyed by fire!" But the man exclaimed, "Thank God for the fire! It was the light of our burning cottage that guided the whole fleet into port!"
True TRADGEDY is marked by a sole focus on the burned out house - a focus on ourselves and the world around us that we love so much. BUT true TRANSFORMATION is marked out by the saving results of focusing upon the eternally burning Light - Jesus Christ.
Is your life a witness to the TRANSFORMING work of Jesus Christ - which results in thanksgiving? OR is it marked out by thanklessness - an eternal spiritual TRAGEDY?
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Further Food For Thought
Perhaps today you have realized for the first time that you are responsible before God for the light you do possess. You must admit that it is true – this world and all that is therein did not just happen. And furthermore, your conscience bears witness to right and wrong according to the Law of God. The fool has said, "There is no God" (Ps. 14:1)! The Hebrew word fool is - nabal - meaning one who lacks character – it is moral and not intellectual foolishness. But, surely you are not willing to pin your whole future on rejection of the truth are you? There are consequences that are tragic – eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire forever and ever. Jesus Christ made the world; He made you – do not reject Him. He would have you to turn from your sin and confess Christ as Lord of your life. Do it now. To wait is a gamble that you might lose, because you do not know what tomorrow, or even the rest of this day holds.
Oh, believer, you know these things are true. But to address you – is there something in your life you hold to that you use to justify yourself or some sin that easily hinders your walk for the Lord. Now, turn from it. Trust the Holy Spirit to empower you to depart and not look at and harbor the unclean thing again. He can and He will if you will let Him. Be sure that we are accountable to a holy God. He is merciful and full of blessing. But He cannot deny Himself. He must deal with that that opposes His holy nature. Let us all with one voice lift up praise to God who dwells on high, let us glorify Him in word and deed.
By Noah Ressler
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A true saving relationship with Christ may be somewhat described with 3 words - HEAD, HEART, and FEET:
A vital relationship with Christ requires intellectual understanding of the person of Christ and our sinfulness, which causes spiritual change lead by the Holy Spirit. This is ‘HEAD’ knowledge that we acknowledge our complete sinfulness before a Holy God. We utterly realize that we need Christ alone to save us from our own depravity. We know that we will be judged according to our sins, if we choose to reject Jesus Christ.
A true saving relationship with Christ will also involve the ‘HEART’ - which signifies the personal, emotional aspects of a relationship with Christ. This will lead to a genuine humility before a Holy God. There is a broken-heartedness which manifests itself in confession and repentance from one’s sin. There is present, through the work of the Holy Spirit, a true love for God and a devotion to His glory.
And a saving relationship with Christ also incorporates the ‘FEET’ - as true believers we will walk in the paths of Christ’s righteousness and away from sin. We walk in obedience to the full counsel of His Word - the Bible. This is characterized by devotion to God’s ways. There exists continual prayer, and selfless love. We increasingly grow apart from the desire for the things that this world offers. Continued personal spiritual growth is observed. And there is a commitment to Christ through obedient living and the desire to bring and proclaim the Good News of Christ to others.
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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