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        "Attracted by the Light"
        John 1:6-13
        Theme:         The new birth is available to all who respond to the grace of God in faith.

      I. The Substantiation of His Attractiveness - 1:6-8

        A. The Purpose of the Substantiation - vv. 6-7

          1. Having established the eternal pre-existence of the "Word" throughout the time of the OT, the Apostle John introduces another John - the "baptizer" - who served as a witness, testifying concerning the identity of the "Word"
          2. This man - John the Abaptizer@ - was "sent from God" - commissioned for a particular and specific purpose – "who came as a witness, to testify about the Light."
          3. Because of the tremendous significance of his role, he is identified by Christ Himself as the greatest of the prophets - cp. Matthew 11:7-11

            4. a) He is viewed with great such great respect and admiration by all who are the followers of God - so much so, that some felt that John was indeed the anointed one.

            b) The specific purpose for which John was commission by God was "to testify about the Light" - to substantiate who was to be the Christ.

          4. The purpose for this testimony was "so that all might believe through Him" - that is, come to faith in Christ Jesus by means of the testimony that John provides - cp. John 1:29

        B. The Preeminence of the Attraction - v. 8

          1. Because of how popular John the baptizer was, there were many who believed that it might be possible that he himself was the Messiah.
          2. John clarifies this issue here – "He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light."
          3. Instead, John was to merely point men to Christ as a type of chamerlain - man who introduces others to the Master.
          4. Christ Jesus is the Light, John merely the reflector - as a moon that shines forth the glory of the sun.
          5. This testimony was needed because Jesus, in his humiliation, appeared in a condition thickly veiled (the flesh, v. 14); Aand, in the condition of blindness into which sin had plunged man (ver. 5, the darkness), he could not recognize Him except with the help of a testimony. (Godet, p. 256).

      II. The Spurning of the Attraction - 1:9-11

        A. The Occasion to Understand - v. 9

          1. The ministry of the "baptizer" was merely the culmination of a long history of testimony concerning "the true Light" - the righteous Son of God.
          2. Throughout history, beginning with the first promise of a redeemer in Genesis 3, God had provided men with the ability to come to the Light of faith - this is the significance of the imperfect verb – "There was the true Light . . ."
          3. Hence, there was a tremendous culpability on the part of men who were in darkness because "the true Light" had always been being manifest, but they were blinded.
          4. Now, however, men were especially condemned if they were in darkness because "the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man."
          5. Simply put, every man, who is enlightened by grace so that faith is sparked, is enlightened by the true Light which has come into the world in such a absolute and unquestionable fashion as to not be able to be overlooked.
          6. That is, you cannot miss Christ - you can deny Him, spurn Him, reject Him, and mock Him --- but you cannot, and will not ignore Him

        B. The Obstinance of Unbelief - vv. 10-11

          1. In a constant manifestation throughout history, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him. . ."
          2. There should have been a clear recognition of Christ - He had been constantly among them, the ones He had created and even more specifically, the Jewish people He had chosen and strived with throughout the Old Testament.
          3. He fashioned the world as His delight and yet when He arrived, "the world did not know Him." - because of the blindness caused by the darkness of their sin - John 3:19
          4. Even worse, this unbelief is all the more pronounced because "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him."
          5. He did not go to strangers, but home . . . to those who should have been able to recognize Him – "his own" - and yet their rebellious hearts were darkened - cp. Isaiah 5:1-4; Matthew 21:33-41

      III. The Significance of being Attracted - 1:12-13

        A. The Regeneration through the Exercise of Faith - v. 12

          1. Despite the fact that the Nation of Israel as a whole as well as Gentiles in general rejected "the Light" - not everyone failed to respond - some indeed did respond with faith.
          2. "But as many as received Him" - a reference that is clarified later in the verse by the phrase ". . . even to those who believe in His name" - the only proper response is to believe.
          3. To those who do Abelieve in the revelation which He has given of Himself, as Logos, who have discerned under the veil of flesh the manifestation of that divine being, the only-begotten Son (vv. 14, 18), and have, because of this perception, surrendered themselves to Him (Godet, p. 266) - they are given a new birth.
          4. To those who receive Him, "to them He have the right to become children of God" - they have gained the status (Aright@) to become the "children of God."
          5. Thus, a substantive spiritual change occurs wherein a man ceases to rely on his own merits and achievements and puts his trust in Christ instead - and is thereby Aborn again@

        B. The Rejection of the Efforts of Men - v. 13

          1. This can only be accomplished or granted through the work of God and not by the effort of men.
          2. Saving faith, granted by the grace of God, is the trigger that enables this regeneration to occur.
          3. He clarifies this by stating that the ones "who were born" were supernaturally created, and not through human accomplishment – "but of God."
          4. He provides three statements that Aclose the door@ on the new birth being something that is naturally accomplished through the efforts of men:

            5. a) "Not of blood" - a reference to natural birth - the union of a man and women in procreation. No man is made a child of God through natural birth.

            b) "Nor of the will of the flesh" - a reference to the sensual impulses of a man or a woman

            c) "Nor of the will of men" -the desire of men in general - cp. John 15:16

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