You Now Have Life as the Children of Light :: John 1:11-13

But to as many who did receive him, to those believing in his name, he gave them authority to become children of God, not having been begotten of blood, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of the desire of man, but of God.

We have before us tonight one of the more beautiful promises in scripture.

The Word of God has come, the Word of God continues to come, and the Word of God will come again. And to those who receive him, he gave the authority to become children of God. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. And nothing can take that away from you.

The Word of God that created all things doesn’t change his Word or promises. He comes into the very world that turned its back on him. He came once to suffer the darkness of sin and death on the cross before rising into the Light of Life. More than that he continues to come into this corrupted world that we might be forgiven and granted hope, peace, and joy. Rising again, he comes in the message of his church, so that many would hear him and believe in him and receive him. And to as many who did receive him, to those believing in his Name, he gave them authority to become children of God.

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That’s the whole focus of John’s Gospel. John wrote his Gospel to lead darkened sinners away from themselves and into the Light of Salvation ... to believe in him who has come ... to believe that in him there is forgiveness ... to trust that in him there is escape from temptation and ultimately salvation. In him is life, and his life is the light of men.

Jesus comes and he opens our eyes and ears to this truth. We who once were blind can now see the Gospel in water and bread and wine. We who were once deaf to the Gospel can now hear that we have the forgiveness of our sins. We not only recognize the truth that we are sinners, we believe that in Christ we have a savior. 

Consider this: John uses the verb “believe” more than any other writer in the New Testament ... and it’s not even close. Matthew uses it 11 times; Mark uses it 14 times; and Luke uses it 9 times. But John? John writes “believe” an astonishing 98 times! Ninety-eight times! 

John’s first and last thoughts call us to believe ... to believe that this Word of God that was in the beginning was made flesh so that he could enter into his creation which we had spoiled with sin. He came to be seen and heard. Jesus entered the dark, filthy, and corrupt world in order to shine upon it, cleanse it, and rescue it. This we can believe. That is John’s purpose in writing.

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John certainly knew a thing or two about all of this. John walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, and knew Jesus as well as anyone could. John was on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured. He saw for himself the divine and eternal light shine through the body of Christ. He listened to, learned from, and prayed with Jesus. He witnessed the darkness of the cross, and the light of the resurrection. He then began preaching the glorious Gospel ... that on account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, Christ our Lord gives all who believe in him eternal life. 

Everything John writes and proclaims is inspired by the Holy Spirit so that you would hear and believe. 

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Even though the crowds that followed Jesus were large ... even though his teaching never silenced ... and even though his miracles were public knowledge ... many people still refused to believe in Jesus. Some of them said his followers had been deceived. Some said his miracles were the work of demons. Then in John 6, many turned away from him because ... instead of appealing to their sinful feelings and desires ... Jesus gave them a “hard saying” that the forgiveness of sins comes through the Word Made Flesh and his sacraments.

Our world is still doing and saying the same things. The Word of God is available in more than 100 languages and can be carried around in our pocket ... yet many turn away from it. 

The world has reduced Jesus to something less than God. They reject the Gospel that declares your sins forgiven on account of Jesus. They reject the virgin birth we will celebrate on Sunday. They reject the resurrection. They reject that they even need the forgiveness of sins. 

We often speak of small sins and great sins. Every sin however small it may appear to us is an offense against the majesty of God. And the world refuses to acknowledge any of it. Even if they start to do it, far too many people prefer instead to work toward their own salvation. That is to say, they love the darkness more than the light. 

The world, shaded by the darkness of their sin, has misplaced trust in their personal feelings, but they never forget the truth. The world mutilates and manufactures a body to fit their feelings ... but they always know the truth. The world desecrates the church’s teaching of repentance. They would rather be told “to be who they are” instead of “to be who Christ desires you to be,” and then they go and find teachers to suit their own desires ... but the truth remains. 

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Jesus’ message is still the same ... Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near.

Which is why, as John says, to those who did receive him, to those believing in his Name, He gave them authority to become children of God, not having been begotten of blood, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of the desire of man, but of God. 

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Brothers and sisters in Christ, you who hear God’s Word have been brought to faith to believe in Jesus ... that he became the spotless Lamb of God who takes away your sin. He has saved you not because of who you are. He has saved you by grace through the faith he gave you in baptism so that you can’t boast before God ... that is, by the desire of your flesh. He has brought you to trust that in your baptism God has given you new life. He has brought you to confess your sins and believe his absolution ... that by his word, your sins are indeed forgiven on account of Christ. He has given you assurance that he has chosen you.

You have been brought to believe that our Lord Jesus delivers to you the forgiveness of sins in his holy supper. See what kind of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called children of God. You, the children of God, now follow this Light of Life ... seeking his grace for your good and his glory. You now believe him when he says, you are heirs of everlasting life in your Father’s kingdom.

Therefore walk as the children of the day. Do not walk in darkness, but in the light. Then you will know the will of God by the Word of God that proclaims forgiveness, life, and salvation found in the Word made Flesh. 

As John calls all to believe in him, so you have heard and believe and now have the Father of Creation as Your own heavenly Father, through his Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.