There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
There was a man commissioned by God whose name was John the Baptist, a prophet and herald sent as His messenger. His appointed work was to testify about the Light so that people might come to belief through what he said, while he himself was not that Light and was never to take Christ's place or receive His glory. The Light he pointed to is Christ, the world's Savior, the eternal Word and Son of God made flesh, who is the source of all light and life and from whom all the light John had was received. As herald he was to announce Christ's coming, direct the nation and the world to His mission, and prepare the way for the greater Light who would complete the work John had begun by calling people to get ready to receive Him. His work stands as the pattern for gospel ministers and every minister today, who are likewise sent to bear witness to the Light by turning attention away from themselves and pointing people to Christ the crucified One from whom alone comes strength to overcome evil.
John Sent from God
The man named John in the verse is John the Baptist, a prophet, messenger and herald sent from God. His God-given work was to bear witness to the Light so that people might believe through his testimony. He himself was not that Light, was not to take Christ's place, and was not to receive Christ's glory. As herald he was sent to announce Christ's coming, to direct the Jewish nation and the world to Christ's mission, and to call people to prepare to receive Him. His mission was to prepare the way for Christ the greater light, who would complete the work John had begun.
He obtained his education in the solitude of the desert and among the trees of the wood by the seashore, where he heard the voice of God and beheld God's glory reflected in His works. His preparatory work began at a time of intense interest. It was done in the spirit and with the power of Elijah, with plain, pointed and convincing discourses that denounced the corruptions of the Jews and reproved prevailing sins. Many were brought to repentance and were baptized by him in Jordan as evidence of that repentance. Many others were convicted by the plain truths he uttered, but by rejecting that light they became enshrouded in deeper darkness and were thus fully prepared to turn from the evidences attending Jesus that He was the true Messiah.
His coming occurred when the whole agency of evil was working to oppose God and the world seemed wholly given into the control of the enemy, but when the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son at the appointed time. In the period from Moses, who recorded creation and the law, to John, who recorded the gospel's most sublime truths, written revelation was completed through human writers.
Christ the True Light
The Light to whom John bore witness is Christ, the world's Savior, the eternal Word and Son of God made flesh. He is the source of all light and knowledge, and the only source of light and life to sinful men. All the light John received came from Him, for John himself was not that Light but was sent to direct people to Him so that they might believe through his testimony.
Through that witness people are directed to the One through whom they may become God's sons and daughters. All who accept Jesus Christ are brought into close relationship with God, bestowed with the Father's love so that believers are called the sons of God. That true Light lights every person coming into the world, yet though He was in the world made by Him the world did not know Him, and though He came to His own His own did not receive Him.
His coming as Instructor gave the world evidence of God's love by His dying for the fallen race. He gathered to His own pure, sinless soul the penalty resting upon the sinful race and offered Himself as sacrifice, with a ransom found in Him as substitute and surety upon whom the iniquities of all were laid. This revealed both the love of God and the immutability of God's law, not a jot or tittle of which could be changed to meet humanity in its fallen condition, yet sinners were not left without hope to die in transgression. Those who receive Him as Savior are freely granted pardon and become members of the royal family.
The surrounding passage presents Jesus as the One who was in the beginning. He Himself formed marriage when He gave Eve to Adam as a helpmeet. He commenced His public ministry at the marriage festival where by His presence He sanctioned marriage as a sacred institution He had made.
Pattern for Ministry Today
John was sent to bear witness to the Light, not to be the Light himself nor to take Christ's place, and his work is the pattern for gospel ministers and for every minister. They are to point people to Christ, the Light shining in darkness and the crucified One, so that people may believe in Him. They are to direct attention and loyalty away from themselves and toward Christ, from whom alone comes strength to overcome evil.
Though some thought John was the Light, he refused glory that did not belong to him and would not receive Christ's glory. All the light he received came from Christ, the Word made flesh, who alone is the true Light and the only source of light and life to sinful men. The Holy Spirit inspired him without extinguishing his individuality, leaving him a human witness through whom God worked.
As John was a man sent by God, so God also sends messengers today to bear witness to the Light, which is Christ. The church's missionary work is to carry that light of truth shining in moral darkness to people everywhere. It is to spread the gospel and share its message of peace, hope, and joy.
His message plainly stated present truth, and it is the same plain truth of God's Word that the people needed in 1904. The verse belongs to John's verbal presentation that sets Christ, the image of the Father, before people. That verbal setting forth of Christ is to be used instead of artistic attempts to depict God, heaven, or Christ, because human art falls far beneath reality and cannot truly represent them.
The verse stands in the opening witness to Christ showing that all who accept Jesus Christ are brought into close relationship with God, upon whom the Father has bestowed love so that believers are called the sons of God, whom the world knows not because it knew Him not. Receiving Christ must continue day by day by confessing Christ as personal Saviour and being kept by the power of God. This requires humility acknowledging no sufficiency of self to think or to vindicate or to justify self, with the Holy Spirit alone guiding into all truth. Acceptance rests not on own merits or capabilities but on acceptance of light from God working to regulate conduct toward God in complete sanctification of mind and will by the infallible standard expressed in His law.
John himself was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of it, that all men through Christ might believe. That true Light lights every man that comes into the world, yet though He was in the world made by Him the world knew Him not, and though He came unto His own His own received Him not. This rejection of Christ is being repeated today and will be repeated again and again before the Lord comes in the clouds of heaven. Then the deceptions of Satan will be upon those who dwell on the earth, and the enemy will claim to be Christ and will deceive all except those who are steadfast and true to God.
There was a man commissioned by God whose name was John the Baptist, a prophet and herald sent as His messenger. His appointed work was to testify about the Light so that people might come to belief through what he said, while he himself was not that Light and was never to take Christ's place or receive His glory. The Light he pointed to is Christ, the world's Savior, the eternal Word and Son of God made flesh, who is the source of all light and life and from whom all the light John had was received. As herald he was to announce Christ's coming, direct the nation and the world to His mission, and prepare the way for the greater Light who would complete the work John had begun by calling people to get ready to receive Him. His work stands as the pattern for gospel ministers and every minister today, who are likewise sent to bear witness to the Light by turning attention away from themselves and pointing people to Christ the crucified One from whom alone comes strength to overcome evil.
John Sent from God
The man named John in the verse is John the Baptist, a prophet, messenger and herald sent from God. His God-given work was to bear witness to the Light so that people might believe through his testimony. He himself was not that Light, was not to take Christ's place, and was not to receive Christ's glory. As herald he was sent to announce Christ's coming, to direct the Jewish nation and the world to Christ's mission, and to call people to prepare to receive Him. His mission was to prepare the way for Christ the greater light, who would complete the work John had begun.
He obtained his education in the solitude of the desert and among the trees of the wood by the seashore, where he heard the voice of God and beheld God's glory reflected in His works. His preparatory work began at a time of intense interest. It was done in the spirit and with the power of Elijah, with plain, pointed and convincing discourses that denounced the corruptions of the Jews and reproved prevailing sins. Many were brought to repentance and were baptized by him in Jordan as evidence of that repentance. Many others were convicted by the plain truths he uttered, but by rejecting that light they became enshrouded in deeper darkness and were thus fully prepared to turn from the evidences attending Jesus that He was the true Messiah.
His coming occurred when the whole agency of evil was working to oppose God and the world seemed wholly given into the control of the enemy, but when the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son at the appointed time. In the period from Moses, who recorded creation and the law, to John, who recorded the gospel's most sublime truths, written revelation was completed through human writers.
Christ the True Light
The Light to whom John bore witness is Christ, the world's Savior, the eternal Word and Son of God made flesh. He is the source of all light and knowledge, and the only source of light and life to sinful men. All the light John received came from Him, for John himself was not that Light but was sent to direct people to Him so that they might believe through his testimony.
Through that witness people are directed to the One through whom they may become God's sons and daughters. All who accept Jesus Christ are brought into close relationship with God, bestowed with the Father's love so that believers are called the sons of God. That true Light lights every person coming into the world, yet though He was in the world made by Him the world did not know Him, and though He came to His own His own did not receive Him.
His coming as Instructor gave the world evidence of God's love by His dying for the fallen race. He gathered to His own pure, sinless soul the penalty resting upon the sinful race and offered Himself as sacrifice, with a ransom found in Him as substitute and surety upon whom the iniquities of all were laid. This revealed both the love of God and the immutability of God's law, not a jot or tittle of which could be changed to meet humanity in its fallen condition, yet sinners were not left without hope to die in transgression. Those who receive Him as Savior are freely granted pardon and become members of the royal family.
The surrounding passage presents Jesus as the One who was in the beginning. He Himself formed marriage when He gave Eve to Adam as a helpmeet. He commenced His public ministry at the marriage festival where by His presence He sanctioned marriage as a sacred institution He had made.
Pattern for Ministry Today
John was sent to bear witness to the Light, not to be the Light himself nor to take Christ's place, and his work is the pattern for gospel ministers and for every minister. They are to point people to Christ, the Light shining in darkness and the crucified One, so that people may believe in Him. They are to direct attention and loyalty away from themselves and toward Christ, from whom alone comes strength to overcome evil.
Though some thought John was the Light, he refused glory that did not belong to him and would not receive Christ's glory. All the light he received came from Christ, the Word made flesh, who alone is the true Light and the only source of light and life to sinful men. The Holy Spirit inspired him without extinguishing his individuality, leaving him a human witness through whom God worked.
As John was a man sent by God, so God also sends messengers today to bear witness to the Light, which is Christ. The church's missionary work is to carry that light of truth shining in moral darkness to people everywhere. It is to spread the gospel and share its message of peace, hope, and joy.
His message plainly stated present truth, and it is the same plain truth of God's Word that the people needed in 1904. The verse belongs to John's verbal presentation that sets Christ, the image of the Father, before people. That verbal setting forth of Christ is to be used instead of artistic attempts to depict God, heaven, or Christ, because human art falls far beneath reality and cannot truly represent them.
The verse stands in the opening witness to Christ showing that all who accept Jesus Christ are brought into close relationship with God, upon whom the Father has bestowed love so that believers are called the sons of God, whom the world knows not because it knew Him not. Receiving Christ must continue day by day by confessing Christ as personal Saviour and being kept by the power of God. This requires humility acknowledging no sufficiency of self to think or to vindicate or to justify self, with the Holy Spirit alone guiding into all truth. Acceptance rests not on own merits or capabilities but on acceptance of light from God working to regulate conduct toward God in complete sanctification of mind and will by the infallible standard expressed in His law.
John himself was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of it, that all men through Christ might believe. That true Light lights every man that comes into the world, yet though He was in the world made by Him the world knew Him not, and though He came unto His own His own received Him not. This rejection of Christ is being repeated today and will be repeated again and again before the Lord comes in the clouds of heaven. Then the deceptions of Satan will be upon those who dwell on the earth, and the enemy will claim to be Christ and will deceive all except those who are steadfast and true to God.