Responding to the Light

The title of my message today is Responding to the Light. Responding to the Light. As Passover season years, we're almost there now, we often reflect upon the many important aspects about our continuing commitment to God and to Jesus Christ and to the Church. And it's vital that we remember who and what Jesus Christ was and is. And so if we could begin today, if you'd turn with me, please, to John, book of John chapter 1 verses 1 through 5. And I'd like for us to read these very amazing wonderful verses. The book of John chapter 1 verses 1 through 5. Here we read, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made, that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Now regarding this last word here, this second last word, verse 5, regarding the word comprehend, perhaps in your Bible is in mind the New King James Version. In some Bibles, that word comprehend, it has a footnote, and the editors offer a second possible meaning, because the original Greek does share several meanings that English does include. My Bible says comprehend, but it also includes a secondary meaning of overcome. Thus we could read that verse this way, In the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. And that gives another very meaningful significance to that sentence. The sentence could then also suggest the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil, and of course, Christ's victory over death through his shed blood. Very significant verse, verse 5. Now writing more about that light, which was Jesus Christ, John adds this, verse 9. That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him, but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name. And then 14, John refers to the eyewitness account he is giving, and the other disciples would give. Verse 14. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Verse 14 again, John affirms that his words are trustworthy, for he and the other disciples witnessed for themselves Jesus Christ in the flesh. These inspired words of John established the profound significance of Jesus Christ coming to the earth willingly to be our sacrifice, to give his life for our sins as a perfect Lamb of God. He also gave up his immortal spirit essence as God, to become a human being subject to death. The word, our Creator, willingly and humbly put all this aside to fulfill his role as Savior of humanity. If you would hold your place here, and let's turn back to Philippians 2 verses 6 through 8. Paul writes of what Jesus Christ put aside, his sacrifice in another sense. Excuse me. Philippians 2 verses 6 through 8, referring to Christ, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And so, as we know and we believe and we strive to practice through faith and obedience in our own lives, that Jesus Christ's sacrifice became and is an example that all humanity ought to follow. He is the light. We ought to follow the light. But most of humanity does not.

Even when Jesus came, the people rejected him. They rejected the light. In the accuracy of John's words, back, we can turn back there, John 1, verse 11, I'll repeat it. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. That verse is attested to by the things the Jews did, his own people did, and said about him. For example, they called him a glutton. Excuse me, they called him a glutton and a wine-bearer, meaning a drunkard. That's in Matthew 11, 19. They alleged him mad out of his mind, called him insane. It's from Mark 3, 21. They accused him of being a liar. He deceives the people, some said, John 7, 12, 13. And perhaps the vilest thing they said of Jesus was that he was allied with Satan. He was allied with Satan. He cast out demons by Beelzebub, some said, the ruler of demons. You can find that reference in Luke, that verse in Luke 11, verse 15. Now again, they did not comprehend the light. They did not comprehend that they were accusing their creator of these things. Of course, the Jews did much more than insult him and accuse him of great untruths.

They came to hate him, enviably so. We'll consider just a few of those examples from scripture as well. A huge point of contention for the Jews was that Jesus was healing people on the Sabbath. The Jews considered it to be laboring, and thus a violation of God's law. If we turn back to Matthew chapter 12, verse 9 through 14, Matthew 12, verse 9 through 14, we can read about what happened when Jesus healed a man of his withered hand. Matthew 12, verse 9 through 14.

Now when he had departed from there, he, Jesus, went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath that they might accuse him? They're setting him up. They wanted to accuse him. Verse 11. Then he said to them, What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. And then to make his point, verse 13, he said to the man, Stretch out your hand, and he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out. They didn't like it. Then they went out and plotted against him how they might destroy him. How they might destroy him. And when you think about it, isn't that just... that's just incredible. Their hatred wouldn't even allow them to rejoice and praise God for his miraculous healing of this man. It's amazing, and yet how sad. Jesus was doing miracles as only one cent of God could do. And yet they hated him for doing it. They planned to destroy him, kill him somehow. And what we see is that spiritual darkness, their pride, self-righteousness, anger, hate, it filled their hearts and minds. They could not comprehend the true light, and they sought to overcome it. Of course, a lesson here for us is that we must not let such evil thoughts and ways rest in our hearts and our minds. Now let's also turn back again to John 8. You might want to leave a book marker in the book of John. We'll be going there back and forth today. In John chapter 8, verse 52 through 59, let's look at another example. Jesus, of course, came from God and taught God's truth. But the Jews, particularly the leadership, rejected the truth, in this case about Jesus himself being God, and in this case, existing before Abraham. Here in John 8, verse 52, we read this dialogue. Then the Jews said to him, Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham is dead and the prophets, and you say, If anyone keeps my word, he shall never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead and the prophets are dead? Who do you make yourself out to be? And Jesus answered, verse 54, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father who honors me, of whom you say that he is your God. Yet you have not known him, but I know him. And if I say I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad. And then the Jews said to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? And Jesus said to them, Most assuredly I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am. The words that identified Yahweh. Then they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hit himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Now they all understood exactly what Jesus was saying. That's why they tried to stone him to death. They thought he was blaspheming. He was saying he was God. Jesus spoke and preached the truth of God. He was not a liar, and he did great miracles and signs that demonstrated he was of God, and yet they hated him. Yet their greatest animosity and loathing, perhaps this is our greatest animosity and loathing, emerged upon Jesus' greatest miracle to that time when he resurrected Lazarus from the tomb, in which he had lain a decomposing corpse for eight days. Lazarus was there, excuse me, four days, I hope I said that right, for four days in the tomb. Now John's account of that stunning miracle is the subject of John, chapter 11. I'm not going to read that particular account, but I highly recommend you read it. But if you would, turn to John 11. John 11, that account does show God's compassion for humanity and resurrecting Lazarus, Jesus' compassion, and it also shows just how much he hates sin, how much he hates death. But our attention now is on the reaction of the Jews. The reaction of the Jews after this absolutely astounding miracle happened. Let's read the reaction in John 11, verse 45 through 53. John 11, 45. Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, things Jesus did and believed in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, What shall we do? For this man works many signs. If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation. They're really panicked. It seems they were terrified of what Christ was doing. And one of them, Caiaphas, Caiaphas, being high priests that year, verse 49, said to them, You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.

Now this he did not say on his own authority. John was inspired to write, But being high priests that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that he would gather together in one the people of God who are scattered abroad. Then from that day on, they, the Jews, the leadership especially, plotted to put him to death.

Once again, in true to form, the Jews, the chief priests, and the Sanhedrin, gathered their dark thoughts together to plan how they must kill Jesus. And what becomes quite evident here is that they were perhaps most concerned about retaining their power and authority and control, the control over their people, the control they desired to keep. They cared nothing about the true light shining amidst them. Their focus was primarily inward upon themselves and upon how to keep the status quo as it then was under Roman rule and with themselves in positions of authority, positions of influence. But in due time, God allowed the final necessary scene to play out whereby Jesus would be unjustly charged so that his death by crucifixion would occur. This scene occurred after Jesus' arrest and during his interrogation before the chief priest in the Sanhedrin. This we read about now in Mark 14, verse 61 to 65. Please turn there with me. Mark 14, verse 61 to 65. Here, Caiaphas the high priest directly asked Jesus who and what he was. And starting with verse 61, beginning with the second sentence of verse 61, we read, again the high priest asked him, saying to him, are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed? And Jesus said, I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming with the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, what further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? And they all condemned him to be deserving of death. And then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him and say to him, prophesy. And the officers struck him with the palms of their hands.

As we've seen before, the truth Jesus spoke infuriated them. And this time, it sent them over the edge. They spat upon him, beat him, ridiculed him. Clearly, they rejected Jesus, refused to accept that he indeed was the Christ sent from God. He spoke truth, but again their darkened hearts would not comprehend it. It would seem that darkness was about to overcome the light. But it was not so. It was not so. The true light will always shine. Darkness will never overcome it. And as we know, Jesus willingly suffered excruciating pain and torture. He freely allowed himself to be crucified. He gave his life's blood in payment for all humanity's tremendous debt of death for sin. By his death, humanity was set free from sin and from death, if one would have it. What Jesus Christ did for us in all humanity goes beyond words and is a matter of faith, belief, and conviction. Now here, I don't mean to throw in an advertisement, but if you haven't yet read Scott Ashley's article, The Greatest Sacrifice, and the most recent Beyond Today magazine, I highly recommend that you read it. It's a very powerful read, and it goes in much more detail than I can do here at this time. Well worth meditating on. Now, I want to go back. I want to turn away from the darkness and think more about the light. I want to go back to Jesus' interrogation before the priest and the Sanhedrin. For you see, amazingly, amidst all this dark hatred and rancor against Jesus Christ within the Sanhedrin, which is so filled with hatred and desires of his death, as we just read, there were two men, at least two men, there in whose hearts and minds the true light shone in which darkness had not quenched. On the council, the Sanhedrin, were two men who were disciples of Jesus. One was Joseph of Arimathea. Now, he has mentioned in all four Gospels, Matthew says he was a rich man. That verse is Matthew 27, 57. Joseph was a rich man. Mark says that he was a prominent council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Mark 15, 43. Luke states that he was a good and just man who had not consented to their decision and deed. That's a reference to the Sanhedrin's condemnation of Jesus. You can find that in Luke 50. Well, I didn't put the chapter down. It's the chapter, verses 50-51. I'm sorry about that. And then in John, John says that he was disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. That's John 19, verse 38. That's Simon of Arimathea. Now, the second member of the Sanhedrin and secretly a disciple was Nicodemus. Nicodemus appears only in the book of John, and he illustrates how someone living in the midst of spiritual darkness welcomed and received God's true light and then persisted with him. Nicodemus gives us a brief yet compelling illustration of the words of John 1, verse 12, which we read earlier. John 1, 12 reads, But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name. Now, that was true of Joseph and Arimathea, but we see we can trace a little bit of the development here in Nicodemus. Let's do that. Let's turn to John chapter 3. John chapter 3, it seems that what we find here is that it seems that Nicodemus became interested rather early in Jesus' ministry. He was intrigued by the gospel Jesus preached. He wanted to learn more.

I say that, for we find him first meeting with Jesus secretly at night. John 3, verse 1. We'll begin there. John 3, verse 1. And let's notice just how receptive and eager he was to learn. Verse 1, John 3, There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him. So Nicodemus admitted, confessed, revealed that he and others, quite possibly referring to the other member of Sanhedrin, Joseph, Arimathea, that they and others recognized that Jesus was a man of God.

And Jesus surely recognized that his curiosity and keen interest in his works were sincere. He was seeking to learn and to understand. He went to the source. He went to Jesus himself. Now, we need to pause here and consider for a moment from where Nicodemus' desire to seek Jesus and to learn more about him came from. Where does a desire to learn more about God come from? Think about it. Why would Nicodemus seek Jesus at night secretly, endangering his own reputation and status in the Sanhedrin, unless he felt a deep need, a deep desire to understand?

Well, we should recall that God the Father places the will and desire to learn about him through his calling. If you hold your place here, turn forward a few chapters, John 644. John 644. And we're also going to read verse 65. Here John recorded the words of Jesus.

He tells us that the Father, Jesus tells us that the Father calls. The word also means invites certain individuals of his own choosing out of this darkened world so that they might choose to receive Jesus, choose to receive his life and light. And so Jesus said, verse 44, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

And also a few verses down, perhaps next page, verse 65. Jesus again spoke. And he said, therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my Father. So what we're reading in John 3 would seem to be Nicodemus responding to the Father's calling. Jesus would have easily perceived this. And so if you recognize here, he immediately summarizes in brief the process of conversion. The process of a human being going forward from the Father's calling to conviction of belief, to repentance from sin, baptism, receiving God's Holy Spirit, continuing on to perfection, which concludes with being born again into the kingdom of God as a Holy Spirit being.

And so we read continuing now, verse 3. Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And Nicodemus said to him, he's trying really hard to understand, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time in his mother's womb and be born?

That's ridiculous. And Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. And so again, Jesus explained in brief how one is born into God's kingdom. It's a process, a process of conversion. And that is how it is that he would then will receive eternal life. Now Jesus also dispelled any notion that anyone has gone into heaven. They've died, but they have not gone into heaven.

And with that, he then pointed to the necessity of his own death by crucifixion. The process of conversion, if salvation is impossible, unless Christ shed his own blood. Verse 13, verse 11, now still, chapter 3, verse 13. Jesus said, no one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that is the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And so Jesus compared himself here. He's comparing himself to that bronze serpent, Moses nailed to a pole. You can read about that back in Numbers 21, 7 through 9. When the people looked to that bronze serpent on the pole, God spared them from death.

And his words here lifted up are a reference to his coming crucifixion of being lifted up and nailed to a cross. Jesus used the same words before his death. You can hold your place here and flip forward to John 12 verse 30 through 32. In John 12 verse 30, 32, Jesus said, And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself. Make sure I got that right. Yeah, John 12 verse 32. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself. Verse 33, this he said, signifying by what death he would die.

Now back to John 3. One more thing I want to highlight in verses 19 through 21. John 3 now, verses 19 to 21.

Verses 19 to 21, Jesus' words here aptly describe the reaction of the world and of the Jews to him, to him Jesus. And they also describe the position of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea into all those called of God and who choose to believe and receive God. Verse 19 to 21, And this is a condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light. Seems to refer, we can imagine, to God's calling us. That he who does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. To be called of God and then to choose to receive him is a challenge for anyone. It was a challenge for us who received God's call and chose to believe. It's a challenge for us now who are being called. It's a challenge because we live in this world, this darkness. But God the Father invites whomever he wills, and whenever, whenever he wills, to receive the true light which is Jesus Christ. Now, referring back to Nicodemus, I would imagine that Nicodemus found himself an Iraqi in a thorny situation in the Sanhedrin. Yet he welcomed God's call. He received it. And as we're going to see, he chose to believe and to follow Christ. We can also see Nicodemus's progress then and his belief and conviction. Let's turn forward to the second time we read about Nicodemus in John 7, verse 45 to 52. It's very interesting. John 7, verse 45, 52. Here we see that Nicodemus dared to defend Jesus before others. John 7, verse 45. Breaking into narrative here. Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, Why have you not brought him? Why did you not arrest Jesus? Why did you not bring him with you? That's what they're referring to. Verse 46. And the officers answered, No man ever spoke like this man. And then the Pharisees answered them, Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in him? Now, we got to pause there because the answer, they think the answer is no. No Pharisee or ruler has believed in him. But we already are learning the answer actually is yes. This person speaking doesn't know it. Verse 49. But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed. Now Nicodemus, he who came to Jesus by night, notices being one of them, he's now a disciple. He said to them, said to these Pharisees mad that Jesus wasn't arrested. He said to them, verse 51, Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing? That's a defense. He's trying to take a stand for Jesus, Christ. And they answered, imagine them turning on him, they answered and said to him, Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee. So they, today's jargon, we'd say, they quickly slapped him down. They weren't going to listen to him. But the point is, it took courage for Nicodemus to speak up and to defend Jesus. I believe what we can see here is that he was growing in faith. He was now considered one of them, a disciple.

The third and last time, the third and last time we read about Nicodemus is in John 19, verse 38 through 42. Please turn there with me. John 19, verse 38 through 42. Here we find ourselves after Christ, after Christ has died. Here we see Nicodemus, we see him undertaking what I think we could call a labor of love, a labor of honor, as well as great courage, along with Joseph of Arimathea, to prepare Jesus' body for burial. Let's read John 19.38. After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, verse 39, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and allos, about a hundred pounds. Not only was this a great weight, it was also very expensive. This was a very expensive thing. He was honoring Christ. Verse 40, And then they took the body of Jesus and bound it in strips of linen, and with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb. Elsewhere we learned that that new tomb was hewn out by Joseph of Arimathea. It was a tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus because of the Jews' preparation day, for the tomb was nearby. I believe it would have required great faith and courage for these two men, both disciples of Jesus Christ and leaders in the Sanhedrin, to do what they did in such an open manner at such a time. Consider how they willingly risked their reputations, their status. They had to have freely accepted the likelihood, perhaps we could say the certainty, of their being put out of the synagogue.

They ventured losing all they had and were to honor Jesus with their traditional burial customs.

Unlike others of the Sanhedrin who had rejected Jesus Christ, these two men received and believed the true light of God. They acted upon their convictions. They remained committed to honoring Jesus Christ even in his death. Now what happened to them afterwards? Scripture often does. We don't know. Scripture doesn't reveal any more about them. But I would gladly assume, I would gladly assume, that three days and three nights after they had rolled the stone and closed that tomb, they found profound reason to rejoice and to worship God.

Nearly 2,000 years later, we need to be following their example. I am sure they continued to obey and follow Christ. They would have received, if they remained true and committed, they would receive the help of the Holy Spirit as well, even as we. We must be doing the same. We must respond as they did in this darkened world to the true light.

So as we make our preparations, I would add our final preparations for keeping the Passover. This year we of need are doing it, keeping the Passover separately and at our homes. I urge us to remember our Father's precious calling. Remember when you were called.

Remember our Father's precious calling, without which we could not comprehend the true light of His Son, Jesus Christ, nor have the living hope of salvation, the eternal relationship with God and His Church. God has called us to receive His light in life amidst the darkness which most men still love, but which we know and believe will one day be gone forever. We know and believe that one day there will be only light. This Passover let us each remember our own calling, recommit ourselves to God. Now and always with profound gratitude and joy, let us yield ourselves to God in His light and truth, allow it to shine through all of our words, all of our actions in faith and obedience to God, and so that we may always glorify our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Yes, I.