READ: John 1:6-18:
… That was the true Light … He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us … full of grace and truth …
Already from Genesis 3:15 it was testified that the Saviour would come. This provided the light of hope to God’s people, who could cling to this promise. Yet there was still much darkness of sin and destruction.
That begins to change when John the Baptist is allowed to announce the coming of the Light. He came into the world with that specific mission (Luke 1:5-17) and was announced at the end of the Old Testament (Mal. 4:5,6).
John had to prepare the people for His coming and also point Him out as the Redeemer. His most important task is to testify of Him. Through God’s revelation, he points out Jesus with certainty as the promised Christ. This is not a human invention but divine truth, and therefore a matter of undeserved mercy with a call to faith and repentance (v. 7).
Now the particularly shocking and sorrowful thing is that not only the greater part of the world but even the majority of God’s own people do not accept God’s Son, the true Light, as their Redeemer. Indeed, they even reject Him (v. 10, 11), even though the world came into being through Him and God’s people also received His promises!
Yet there is Gospel: all who receive Him are henceforth His children. They are reborn by God Himself (v. 12, 13). For those who know Him after His coming to earth, it is clear how glorious He is in word and deed.
As Jesus Christ, He is truly God’s only begotten Son, full of grace and truth. He came to free those who believe in Him from the power of sin and death, although they do not deserve it.
Throughout His life He also showed what truth is: the genuineness and faithfulness of God’s promises and God’s righteousness! Finally, as God’s Son, He taught us to know God the Father Himself as He truly is: merciful and just.
Can you understand that the majority do not believe?
Sing: Ps. 36:3
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