7004 - A Witness - John 1:6-9

Today we are looking into John, chapter 1, verses 6 through 9. Listen as David reads them:

“There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

The subject of this paragraph is a person called John the Baptist. He is not the John who wrote this gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That man was one of the apostles of Jesus.

Little is written about the background of John the Baptist. The book of Luke gives us some early facts about him.

The father of John the Baptist was a priest named Zechariah. His mother was named Elizabeth. They both were righteous people and they both were past middle age.

On one occasion when Zechariah was serving priestly duty before God in the temple in Jerusalem, as he burned incense an angel of the Lord appeared to him. Zechariah was fearful, but the angel assured him that his prayer had been heard, that Elizabeth would bear a son. The angel gave some direct instructions. The son to be born was to be named John. He would surely be a joy and a delight to his parents. Furthermore, the angel said he would be great in the sight of the Lord. He was not to drink wine, and he would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth (Luke 1:11-25). He announced that John was to be the forerunner for the Lord, and that many people of Israel would be turned back to the Lord their God as they prepared for the Lord to come.

About thirty years later John the Baptist began his ministry and words from John’s gospel give us an insight into the ministry of John the Baptist in the Jordan valley. His ministry was introductory to the ministry of Jesus on earth.

So when verse 6 tells us there was a man sent from God, we rejoice that God is so great in dealing with people on earth. He prepared John to pave the way.

Notice the emphasis that John the Baptist was sent as a witness to testify concerning the light. In previous study we found that the term ‘light’ was a title affixed to Jesus early in His ministry.

John’s message was that Jesus Christ, the Son-of-God was the true light, and He was coming into the world.
These references to light are not to energy and radiance like a street light. No! This is much deeper – a radiance emanating from the inner being of a person which is transmitted through your spirit. It may cause the eyes to sparkle, or a smile to illuminate your face, or your words to brighten the thought of others around you.

When Jesus enters an unbeliever’s heart, then the light of Christ vanquishes that inner darkness of life – that unholy, grim spirit which resides within the lost.

Actually it is the radiance of the Spirit of God flowing from the inner being of a Christian.

John the Baptist was the witness to the light which was the light of men, who was coming into the world to give people hope for life, hope of eternal being.

This passage assures us that John the Baptist was not claiming to be the light himself. His mission on earth was to tell people about the true light soon to be revealed openly in the world. John was saying: “Be alert! Keep your eyes open so you may receive union with this ever-lasting light who was soon to be manifest in the world.” Jesus is the only one able and qualified to give light to any person.

The Lord told Paul that he was sending him to open the spiritual eyes of people and to turn them from darkness to light, so that they might receive forgiveness of sins and be sanctified by faith in Christ (Acts 26:17-18).

Be assured that Christ has committed to every believer the message and ministry of reconciliation (2Cor 5:18-20). So each of us is commissioned to be a messenger of Christ’s good news message to people whom He places along our path.