Sermon Tone Analysis

Life, light, some thoughts

What is the purpose of the Gospel of John, do you remember?

I think as we continue to look at this book to bring belief that you will see life, light are some key themes.

May we be reminded a few things as we get started tonight.

I want you to sit back for a few as I journey through a few things to get our minds, hearts set for the finish of the prelude into the gospel.

Open your bibles to John 1, we will be there shortly.

Life, this theme is expressed 36 times throughout the gospel with the most important (Jn20:30-31)

What is essential for human life?

Light, air, water and food

Jesus is the light of the world (Jn8:12)

jn8:12 “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.””

Without light everything would die, nothing would be able to grow.

Jesus is the Sun of righteousness (Mal4:2)

mal4:2 “2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.”

Jesus is the the Son of righteousness that Malachi spoke of!

Better than sunlight he is the Son of light and life.

Jesus is the breath of life (Jn3:8, 20:22)

jn20:22 “22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Through Jesus breathing life into man (Gen2:7); He breaths Holy Spirit as noted in Jn20:22

Jesus is the water of life (Jn4:10)

jn4:10 “10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.””

Jesus is the bread of life (Jn6:35)

Jn6:35 “35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

Jesus does not only give life, but He is life and all life is through Him.

Light and darkness are recurring themes in the gospel

He is the light of men (Jn1:4)

Jn1:4 “4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

God is light (1Jn1:5)

1JN1:5 “5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

God created Light (Gen1:1-3)

Gen1:1-3 “1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

New life begins with light (2Cor4:3-6)

The coming of the True light brought conflict with darkness (Jn1:5)

Jn1:5 “5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Darkness did not comprehend the light.

Such spiritual truths like (Let me just reference some) maybe you want to make a note of these

The temple being the body (Jn2:19-21)

The new birth (Jn3:4)

The living water (Jn4:11)

Eating His flesh (Jn6:51ff)

Death as sleep (Jn11:11-13)

Jesus lived, demonstrated his life, his love.

They heard his words, they observed His life.

But yet they did not grasp the truth and walk with Him.

He is the light, He is the Life and yet they crucified Him.

We need not make the same mistakes they did then, even though they beheld His glory and that is what we are looking at today.

The word glory means majesty, dignity, splendor according to Barnes notes commentary.

When it comes to Jesus it is his personal excellence or majesty.

Here is what I hope to cover tonight.

They beheld His glory (Jn1:14-18)

And we too can behold His glory today (various scriptures)

They beheld His glory

Do you remember holding your child for the first time, grandchild?

That was beholding something great, wasn’t it?

This is speaking to the people in Jesus day who had the opportunity to behold the glory of God.

What did they see (v.14)?

(also ref Lk9:28-32; 2Pt1:16-18)

His glory, the glory of the only begotten that was full of grace and truth from the Father

Such glory, splendor cannot be obtainable from anyone.

This glory was displayed, seen at the transfiguration

Lk9:28-32 “28 Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.

30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.”

Now that I summarized that look at

His signs manifested His glory (Jn2:11)

Manifested the glory of His grace

As we continue in our passage now, grace and truth came through Jesus

Important facts about this grace and truth are seen testimony of John the baptizer (v.15-17) what do you see?

He who comes is higher rank, existed before

Through him we have grace upon grace.

Grace and truth realized through Jesus Christ

So, maybe I better back up some about this glory of the only begotten, and the glory.

The glory of His deity (v.14)

The glory of His grace (v.14, 16-17)

That brings us to the next one:

The glory of His truth (v.17)

Barnes states “he was also full of truth.

He declared truth and is truth.

In Him was no falsehood.

We know there are false prophets and even false Messiahs who were proclaiming things that were not the truth.

We also know he is not like the “types” we read in the O.T.

He is the fulfillment for He is the truth, the glory of God’s truth in the flesh.

That is why He could be

This leads to to

The glory of His preeminence (v.15)

The preeminence as noted by John the Baptist (Jn1:27, 29-30)

By virtue of His preexistence

Jn1:27 “27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”” and then a few verse later

Paul noted his preexistence and creative powers (Col1:16-17)

Oh, we are not done with the beheld glory, now our next one.

The glory of His revelation (v.18) (ref: Num12:8, Isa6:1-13)

Please don’t read into this to mean that no one has witnessed the manifestation of God.

For he did to Moses and the prophets (Num12:8; Isa6:1-8)

Or that beautiful passage in Isaiah, I suggest you read it all, but let me give you an overview

Isa6:1-13 “1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!