It's a living being. How do you define life? It's more than just chemicals and minerals combined. It's life! Man's life seems impossible to define by scientific terms.
How do we define the mind , will and emotion of man, they are not part of the chemical-physical makeup. Where does life come from? From our perspective life comes from other life, but where did that come from?
Without knowing God's truth about life and where it comes from, the origin and source of Life would be a mystery. John, However, gives us this truth.
It is only because God is living, that there is life at all.
John wants us to understand that Physical life and Spiritual life are made possible through the Son.
He also wants us to know that created Life gives light. Light that reveals, Reveals God through the Creation.
Let's examine our passage this morning and see How:
1. Jesus created All things
2. Jesus created Living things
3. Jesus revealed God through these things.
John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He Created all things.
Farther than the telescope can see, Deeper than the Microscope can observe
"everything was made" Through Jesus.
3, All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Why does John need to show that "all things" were created through the Word, the Son of God?
Because he is proving that Jesus is God. God the Father and God the Son give and sustain life. This is a foundational truth in understanding who God is. It's a foundational truth in knowing Who Christ is. If you reject God as the Creator of everything then you cannot even begin to understand His power.
If you reject God as the maker of all things then you have questioned His word according to the Scriptures.
It's Sad to say some religions and even churches that name the name of Christ have decided that they don't have to believe that God is the Creator.
They have swallowed the lie of evolution, which says the origin of life is from chance and time and not from the Creator.
The Word of God refutes the thinking of man that the "Non Living gave rise to the living through the process of Evolution." Evolution is really no different than idolatry. And Christians must understand the Danger of this thinking.
People that look to idols think that the non-living images can produce blessings and life. Evolution teaches that non-living produced the living.
The moment you worship the creation rather than the Creator you have fallen into
idolatry.
The moment you give Evolution the Credit for the Origins of life - You ascribe to it - Power that only God has. You reject what can be known of God through the creation.
Rom. 1: 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Just look around and see the Creation. God desires the praise and glory for what He has done, but how does man respond?
Rom. 1:23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
God gave evidence of an organized Creator in the world around us. But what does mankind in general do with this light? They reject the light!
There is a God - and Man is accountable. However, some will chose to believe the lie rather than the truth.
Rom. 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Have the creatures given us life? John's Answer is emphatically NO, Absolutely NOT. John said "All things were made through Him,"
The Biblical picture is this... Life came from the Living God.
We've already learned that the Universe is not Everlasting like God is.
The universe had a beginning, but God has no beginning.
The One who was before ALL, Created ALL. He created life. Every kind of life imaginable. Every kind of animal life. Every kind of Plant life. And He created everything they needed to survive.
Remember what John says, "without Him nothing was made that was made."
John wants the readers to understand the Real issues of life. God gives life.
Why should this important to you?
Because our hope is in the resurrection! God has and will give life!
John 11: 25 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.'"
John continues with the thought of Creation...
He Created Life .
Look at John 1:4 , "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
What does John means here? What is this life? John has just talked about the Word creating everything. And now he says that - "In the Word was Life."
How should we understand this?
Certainly Spiritual life comes from the Word. But is that what John means in v. 4 ? In v. 3, Creation is on John's mind. What ever this "Life is" it is LIGHT.
John does not say in v. 4, that the light comes from the Word directly,
He does say "Light comes from the Life."
Look at v. 9, "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world."
The true Light is obviously God the Father & Son. The true light has always been revealing Himself to man in some way since the creation. God continually seeks after man, and not the opposite. God kept on increasing the intensity of the Light of Revelation to the point that He sent the True Light.
Yet, Even the True Light was rejected. But before God sent His Son, there was light in Life, in Creation. That is why John could say the "true light - gives light to everyman coming into the world."
Could this light that everyman sees be the gospel? No, NOT all have heard.
But what exactly is this light that every man receives? It's the life he has.
The life he sees around him. It is God's creation that gives light that God is real. That His power is real.
How many people look up into the night sky and see the many constellations of stars with all their shapes and patterns and think to themselves, "How did this happen?"
illus. "I'd like to tell you about a flower and a bee that changed my life and thinking." (How God changed my unbelieving heart through His creation.)
It was not enough information for me to be saved, but now I had no excuse to deny the existence of God. No man or woman does!
Again turn to Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
The Creation gives knowledge of who God is. Look at what John says in v. 10
v. 10, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him."
Again, John points back to creation, "the world was made through Him,"
But he also says, that the world did not know the creator. Light that revealed the existence of God was given, but man rejected it.
Look at the progression of Revelation from God.
1. Revelation in Creation
2. Revelation as God spoke to some personally.
He sent prophets to reveal who He was. He sent John the Baptist... God gave light - revealed Himself.
And now He sends the True light which is the Word/ Jesus.
But just like all the other light that God sent, some will receive it and some will reject it.
2Cor. 4: 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
God sent His son, the very image of God, Who gives the knowledge of the glory of God.
Illustration: Like a plant that gets indirect light or Direct light. Plants will bend toward the strongest source of light.
Jesus was direct light. He was the knowledge of God because He was God. In the Creation you
receive some light as to Who God is. But with Spiritual life you receive far more light, beginning with the light of the Gospel message.
That's were John is taking us. He wants us to know that the One who gave physical life also gives spiritual life. And the power to receive spiritual life is also in Christ.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
No other Source of Spiritual Life:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Conclusion:
Our physical life depends on Him.
Our spiritual life depends on Him.
Yet, do we trust Him fully with our lives?
Think about this. Do we trust the One who will resurrect us - for our daily needs? Do we depend on Him for our spiritual needs?
He Created the Universe!
He Sustains the Universe!
Can He watch over you? Can He provide for your every need? Can He answer prayer?
Our Spiritual life starts with knowledge of God and it should continue with an increased knowledge of Who God is and what His will is.
John 17:3, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
"that they should keep on knowing"... "they should progressively perceive"
Receiving the light and Coming into a relationship with God is just the beginning of Knowing God.
Our lives were changed when we came into a relationship with God and they should continue to change as our knowledge of God increases.
Are you taking in all the light you can get? Is your knowledge of God increasing? I donšt mean from an academic sense. You can know
a lot about God without having a knowledge of Who He is. You might say, "I know He's the God who can move mountains," and never ask God to move things.
When you know God you have great energy for God, You purpose to obey Him and Do his will. Daniel said: , the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 11:32.
When you know Him, you want to serve Him.
When you know Him , you have boldness because of Him.
When you know Him, Your contentment is in God.
God has given us revelation of Who He is , in His word. If you really desire to know Him, you'll be in His word. Like the thirsty deer that pants after the water brook, you'll seek after God in His Word.
Like a ever growing plant, keep bending towards The Light!
