Advent: Born to Dwell With Bible Study FellowshipSample

Sidenote

In verses 6-8, John briefly shifts his readers’ focus from the Light to discuss the testimony of Jesus Christ’s key witness. This witness is different from this Gospel’s writer but is also named John. This John is the boy discussed in Luke’s Gospel, miraculously born to Zechariah and Mary’s cousin Elizabeth.

Luke describes the magnificent moment when Mary visited pregnant Elizabeth. Chapter 1 of his Gospel includes, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth declares, “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”

God sent John the Baptist to love and live for Christ. His ministry heralded the gospel message. He prepared all who would hear for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Faithful testimony prepares the world to believe in the light of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. John’s witness opened the door to joyous faith, but as this Gospel writer goes on to explain, the majority spurned the opportunity to welcome the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus.

Advent Announced!

John, the writer, combines the truth of John the Baptist’s witness with his testimony in this prologue. Verses 9-13 give a fuller perspective, looking back on Jesus’ earthly ministry after His Resurrection and Ascension. Let’s pause over a few key phrases in this day’s study:

True light … was coming into the world – This phrase declares the Incarnation of Christ, the Word. Fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ was born to give light to everyone. Accordingly, He calls His people to shine the light of His good news of salvation throughout the world.

Though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him – Here, the term world refers to the spheres of human life that operate without reverence or honor for God. Tragically due to sin, the majority of humanity (the world) in every age lives in alienation from its Maker.

Rejected by his own – In particular, verse 11 refers to Israel, the nation to whom God entrusted His revelation, the Old Testament. (1) The majority of God’s chosen people refused to have “this man to be our king.”(2) Today, these same words apply to many people born to faithful parents who previously attended a church or currently interact with true believers. Apart from God’s grace through faith, no one submits to Jesus as King.

Yet to all who did receive him … who believed – People today commonly speak of the commitment by which we “receive Christ” as “making a decision for Christ.” However, faith in Christ is never a self-willed resolution or emotional impulse. In John’s day, the verb to receive meant to openly profess Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah and the unique Son of God. (3) The verb to believe meant to affirm the truth about Jesus Christ’s person and work and publicly demonstrate commitment to live in light of this belief. (4) The action of believing and receiving Christ is sometimes expressed as “entering” into Him as the door into eternal life. (5)

Believe!

John’s testimony that the Word came into the world echoes a phrase that runs throughout the Old Testament: “the word of the Lord came.” From the Bible’s opening verses, God speaks. His message expresses and accomplishes His will. The Psalms, Prophets, and New Testament all display the same unstoppable creative power of the Word. (6)

John 3:19 delivers God’s verdict: “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” But by grace through faith, all who receive Christ become children of God. God adopts them into His family and cherishes them forever. (7) Everyone brought face-to-face with Jesus Christ is responsible for recognizing Him as the Light of the World and seeking Him with their whole hearts.

Will you adopt John’s testimony as your own? What better news could there be to proclaim about the Advent of our Lord Jesus? Will you take in these words as encouragement through faith: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Questions

1. The author John adds John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus Christ to his own. How could you add your voice to their witness by proclaiming the truth about the true Light who came into the world?
2. Consider this summary of John 1:6-13: We cannot know ourselves, the world, or how we should live without knowing the true God. True or false, and why?
3. Verse 13 says that those who receive and believe Jesus Christ become children “born of God.” It also describes this new birth. What do these words, receive, believe, and new birth, mean to you? (See John 3:6 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 for insights.)

Related verses:

1. Revelation to Israel: Deut 7:6; John 4:22; Rom 3:1-2
2. Israel’s rejection: Luke 19:14; John 19:15
3. Son of God: John 9:35-38
4. Belief: Luke 1:45; John 1:12; 20:31; Eph 1:13
5. Entering eternal life: John 10:9
6. Word’s Power: Word’s power: Pss 19; 33:6; 107:20; 119; Isa 55:10-11; Heb 4:12; Rev 19:13
7. Adopted and secured: John 10:28-30; Gal 4:6; Eph 1:5-6; 1 John 3:1-2