Victory, Witness, Rejection, Family

John 1:4-13
January 30, 2022
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Christian life is all about Jesus. It’s all about knowing everything about who Jesus is what he has done for our salvation. And there is so much to learn and understand.

In today’s passage, John tells us four important truths about Jesus - about his victory, his witness, his rejection, and his family. These are all truths that we need to know as believers in Christ. Let’s go through them today. And I hope that your love for the Lord will grow as you wait and prepare for his return.

First, we need to know about Jesus’ victory. Verses 4-5 says this: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Praise the Lord. The darkness of our sins was vast. The darkness of our lawlessness and disobedience before God was immeasurable. We were once people of darkness. We were evil, unrighteous and dead in our sins. But the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Our darkness was vast. But Jesus’ light is more. Jesus’ light shines upon our darkness and overcomes it. Jesus’ light defeats and destroys our darkness. And his light is his life. A life of forgiveness of sins. A life of resurrection hope. A life with him. This was all God’s plan so that his mercy and grace and love would bring him glory. And this was all God’s plan so that you would be more than conquerors through him who loved us. This is the victory of Jesus. Praise the Lord.

Second, we need to know about Jesus’ witness. Verses 6-8 says this: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.”

Praise the Lord. We have real witness and testimony and historical facts and truth about Jesus. Imagine a witness in a courtroom setting. John the Baptist was sent by God to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And countless others in the Bible also served as witness of Jesus. They witnessed the incarnation of the Son of God. They witnessed the death and the burial of the Savior. They witnessed the resurrection of the Lord. They witnessed the ascension of the King. They all bore witness about the light. And why? So that all of us might believe in Jesus. Everything that we believe about Jesus is true. It all happened. It was all real history. It is all written down for us in the Bible. And it was all God’s plan so that you would be able to know Jesus and repent of your sins and believe in him. It was all God’s plan so that you would have assurance and conviction about Jesus. This was the witness of Jesus. Praise the Lord.

Third, we need to know about Jesus’ rejection. Verses 9-11 says this: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

Praise the Lord. Even though sinners rejected Jesus, Jesus still lived and died and rose again for sinners. The world rejected him. The Jews rejected him. None of us in our total depravity chose and received him. But he in his total humility chose and received us. This is amazing. Jesus created all things. He has sovereign authority over everyone. Who were we to reject him and rebel against him? And yet, Jesus in his humility and grace was kind and compassionate and patient toward us. This was all God’s plan so that the stone that the builders rejected would become the cornerstone. And this was all God’s plan so that his kindness would lead us to repentance. This was the rejection of Jesus. Praise the Lord.

Fourth and finally, we need to know about Jesus’ family. Verses 12-13 says this: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Praise the Lord. God is our Father, we are his children, and we have a new family and a new home with Jesus. Imagine being an orphan. And now imagine being adopted. This is who we are now. And this identity and status can never be taken away from us. The reason why is because our identity and status was not made by human ways. We were not born by blood or flesh or the will of man. We were born by God. It was all God’s plan that you would forevermore be a Christian believer. It was all God’s plan that you would belong with him. This is the family of Jesus. Praise the Lord.

Jesus’ victory. Jesus’ witness. Jesus’ rejection. Jesus’ family. These are all truths that we need to know as believers in Christ. Dear Highland, may you be strengthened by the fact that we have victory in Jesus. May you grow in confidence and boldness knowing that there is truthful witness about Jesus. May your hearts be warmed as we remember how Jesus was rejected by sinners. May you find comfort in knowing that we children of God and a part of Jesus’ eternal and unbreakable family.

Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Come, Lord Jesus, come soon.

May God’s grace be with you all.

Soli Deo Gloria