Tag Archives: light

1 Peter 2:9-10

Recap

Last week, based on 1 Peter 2:6-8, we talked about Jesus as the cornerstone of a new Temple that God is building. We saw that although He is precious to believers, to those who don’t receive him Jesus is like a stumbling stone or a rock of offense. We saw that ultimately people stumble because they don’t want to surrender their wills to Jesus, so they choose to ignore or disobey His word.

This week we look at the incredible blessings that are available to those who value Jesus as He deserves.

1 Peter 2:9-10

The song Marvelous Light  (Charlie Hall, 2004) gives a great introduction to our theme for this week’s study.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession
that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you
  • excellencies : virtues, excellent qualities. What are some of the excellencies of Christ?
  • who called you :  you did not become a believer by your own choice. You responded to a call from God. Ephesians 1:3-7.
out of darkness into his marvellous light
  • out of darkness: Acts 26:17-18
  • into his marvellous light : Psalm 36.9.  What is marvellous about the light of God?
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people

How has your life been changed by being added to God’s people?

once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

How has your life been changed by receiving God’s mercy?

 

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1 Peter 2:6-8

Recap – 1 Peter 2:1-5 – Key Thoughts

We were encouraged to crave pure spiritual milk like newborn babies, to come to Jesus, the living Stone, who is chosen by God to be the cornerstone of a new spiritual house that God is building.  In this spiritual house we are to serve as priests, offering sacrifices of prayer and good works.

1 Peter 2:6-8. Jesus – chosen cornerstone and a stone of stumbling.

Verse 6
I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone
  • Jesus is the cornerstone of the spiritual house that God is building
  • Psalm 118:22-23,  1 Corinthians 3:10-11
  • Traditionally, in a masonry building project, the cornerstone served to orient the building.
    It also had symbolic significance and was typically “set in a prominent location on the outside of a building, with an inscription on the stone indicating the construction dates of the building and the names of architect, builder, and other significant individuals”.
    (Wikipedia, Cornerstone)
  • What does the metaphor of Jesus as Cornerstone say to you about His significance and worth? Why do we need a cornerstone?
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame
Verses 7-8
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious
  • In what ways has Jesus become precious to you?
 But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

Imagine that you were in charge of building a large and important stone building, when to your surprise you were displaced by someone else who laid the cornerstone using a stone that you had considered and rejected.

  • How might you feel about this turn of events?
  • How do you account for the fact that people have such widely differing views about Jesus?
  • Explain how some might highly treasure Jesus while others might stumble over him.
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

Here Peter is essentially saying that if we don’t understand, receive or submit to God’s revelation about who Jesus is, we won’t value him as the cornerstone of our lives. Instead, we will stumble over the stumbling stone (i.e. take offense at him).

  • See Romans 9:30-33. Paul gives one key reason why this can happen.
  • Although Paul is here speaking of his own people, the Jews, many of whom rejected Jesus as Messiah, can the same thing also happen to Gentiles?
  • See Mark 6:1-4
Reflection
  • Have you ever been offended by any of God’s dealings with you?
  • Have you ever struggled to accept Jesus on his own terms?
  • During Ramadan, let’s pray for Muslims, who are fasting this month, and who don’t accept Jesus as the Crucified Messiah. Pray for their eyes to be opened.
  • Who else do you know who is blind to who Jesus really is?

 

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John 8:12-30

vs 12 : I am the light of the world

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Discussion
vs 13-20 : Jesus and his Father

So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

  • Your testimony is not true – on what basis did they say this? See Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15.
  • I know where I come from and where I am going. See John 13:3.
  • You judge according to the flesh – what did Jesus mean by this?
  • Where is your Father – What did the Pharisees think Jesus meant by his references to his Father as his other witness?
  • You know neither me nor my Father –  what did Jesus mean by this? What did they probably think he meant?
vs 21-22 : Where I am going, you cannot come

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

  • Where I am going, you cannot come. Was Jesus afraid to die? If not, why did he sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane?
  • What is the difference between temptation and sin?
vs 23-30 : I am He

He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

  • Unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins. See Exodus 3:14.
  • He who sent me is true. The Father is completely consistent within himself. So is Jesus.
  • I do nothing on my own authority. See John 5:18-19. This is a good goal for believers to emulate.
Personal Reflection
  • What stands out to you about Jesus from these verses?
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John 3:16-21

Belief and Unbelief, Judgment and Salvation, Light and Darkness

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe is condemned already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world,
and people loved the darkness rather than the light
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light,
so that it may be clearly seen
that his works have been carried out in God.

Overall comment

Most translations present this as part of Jesus’ response to Nicodemus’ question about spiritual rebirth in verse 9. However, the last statement by Jesus that is undeniably part of this dialogue is in verse 11.  After that, it’s impossible to tell from the Greek where Jesus’ words end and John’s words begin.

In the verses we are looking at today, the flow of thought seems to have shifted from responding to Nicodemus to laying out some of the key reasons why the Son of Man / Son of God came down from heaven. Although this could have been part of Jesus’ response to Nicodemus, this section reads as though it were addressed to a wider audience. It may well have been crafted by John, written from a post-Resurrection perspective as a commentary on why Jesus came to earth. This is, after all, why John wrote his gospel (see John 20:30-31).

vs 16

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son 

  • God’s mighty acts of creation and redemption are both motivated by love
  • He created the world because of love.
  • He desired a love relationship with us from the beginning.
  • This is a love that cost God something. He is emotionally invested in us.
  • He has compassion on us in our lost condition. Psalm 103:10-13
  • God gave his Son – knowing He would suffer greatly – because He desired our freedom.

That whoever believes in him should not perish

  • like the Israelites who perished by snakebite in the incident recorded in Numbers 21:4-9
  • those who looked on the bronze serpent on the pole did not perish
  • See vs 14-15

perish

eternal life

  • literally “age-long life” – i.e. the life of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5).
  • Life in fellowship with God. John 17:3, John 17:20-24
  • We can enter into this life now by faith.
  • We will experience the full glory of that life when that age begins.

vs 17

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world

  • Condemnation was not the purpose of his coming – though for some it is the result or outcome of Jesus’ coming

but in order that the world might be saved through him

  • Salvation was the reason he came

vs 18

Whoever believes in him is not condemned

  • Whoever believes in the innocent Lamb of God
    is treated by God as innocent because of the Lamb’s sacrifice

whoever does not believe is condemned already

  • has been judged in advance

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

  • Unbelief (rejection of Jesus) results in rejection by God

vs 19

this is the judgment

  • judgment = verdict, decision

the light has come into the world

people loved the darkness rather than the light

  • spiritual darkness and blindness are the predominant human condition in this age.
  • This condition seems normal to us because we are used to it.
  • We grow to prefer what we are used to.
  • Faith in Jesus seems strange to us until our eyes are opened.

because their works were evil

  • Light exposes our lost condition and the darkness of our ways.
  • This is why people reject the light. See 1 John 1:5-10.

vs 20-21

hates the light … does not come to the light

  • if we are used to living in darkness, the light hurts our eyes

lest his works should be exposed

  • living in the darkness breeds a mindset of fear. We start to fear the light.

whoever does what is true comes to the light

that it may be clearly seen

Prayer

Let’s ask the Lord for courage to walk in the light (for ourselves and others)

 

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John 1:1-14

Verses 1-5 The Word (Logos)

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 was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

  • Who is John talking about in these verses? (John 1:14)
  • According to these verses, what is the identity and origin of this Word?
  • John also affirms that this Word became a fully human being in Jesus
    ( John 1:14, 1 John 4:2)

Truth #1 : the Word is both human and divine.

  • What was the Word (who is Jesus) doing in the beginning, at the time of creation?
  • Can anything exist without him? ( John 1:3, Hebrews 1:3)

Truth #2 : the Word was directly involved in creating us and the world, and sustains us and all creation even now.

  • What did Jesus do about the darkness of human life?
  • Can the darkness understand the light? (John 1:5 NKJV)
  • Can the darkness overcome the light? (John 1:5 ESV)
  • How does the light overcome the darkness?

Truth #3: Jesus is the light of the world

Verses 6-8 The Witness

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

  • What was John the Baptist’s perspective on his relationship with Jesus? (John 3:25-30)
  • What can we learn from this?

Verses 9-13 The Light – rejected and received

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

  • Why did some people not receive Jesus? (2 Corinthians 4:4)
  • What does Jesus do in the lives of those who receive him? (John 1:12)
  • By whose power are believers born again?

Verse 14 The Word takes on human form

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Consider the bold claim made in this teaching. The Word (logos, eternal life-giving truth) that was with God at the beginning, the One who made all things, the One who made us and knows us through and through – this One has come to “pitch his tent among us” (buy a home in our neighbourhood). Amazing.

Consider the author of this simple, elegant yet profound teaching.

He was a fisherman, the son of a fisherman (Mark 1:19-20). He was unschooled (Acts 4:13). Yet he had been with Jesus. He spoke from personal experience when he said We have seen his glory. He had looked on Jesus and spent time with him, and he had been changed.

Takeaway thought

By identifying Jesus with the eternal Word who was with God at the beginning, John is highlighting that Jesus is the Father’s message to His creation. He embodies all the Father’s truth, intelligence, wisdom and love. His life, laid down so that we could become children of God, is the Father’s love letter to us.

You were created and redeemed by the One who is at the Father’s right hand. He came into this world, lived and died so that you could be reborn as a child of God. 

Despite all our failures He is unfailingly good. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

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1 John 1:5-10

Verse 5

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Background

This verse contrasts the God of the Bible to the gnostic view of God.
The Gnostics taught that …

  • the God of the Old Testament (the Creator) was evil, a lesser being who imprisoned people in the fallen, material realm.
  • the true God came in Jesus to lead people into the light by setting them free from the m
  • aterial realm. The way to this non-material salvation was through special knowledge.
  • Because of this, what you did in the body didn’t really matter

What does it say?

  • There is only one God and He is good
  • He is light and not darkness
  • the message we have heard from him: from Jesus.

Cross References

What does it mean?

  • There are no contradictions in God. He is consistent.
  • The Creator has the same character as the Redeemer
  • He is good all the way through
  • God is Light : He is the one who defines and reveals truth and reality.

How does it apply to my life?

  • I can rely on God
  • I can’t escape His light (His eyes of fire, His face like the sun)
  • The way to freedom and salvation is by walking in the light in this world, in real world relationships.

Verse 6-7

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

What does it say?

  • We can’t walk in darkness and walk with God.
  • Fellowship with God is conditional
    • requires spiritual honesty (humility)
  • Spiritual honesty
    • leads to forgiveness
    • leads to right relationships

What does it mean?

  • What is the end result of lying to ourselves or others about our relationship with God?
  • What is walking in the light?
  • Is forgiveness conditional or unconditional?
  • What key to right relationships is found in these verses?

How does it apply to my life?

  • Only you can answer that!

Verse 8-10

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

What does it say?

  • All have sinned.
  • God is merciful. He keeps His promises (He is faithful to his covenant)
  • We only receive forgiveness if we humble ourselves and repent.

What does it mean?

  • What is meant by “we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us“?
    • Who is the Truth? (John 14:6)
    • Who reveals our need to us and brings us to our knees?
  • If we confess our sins
  • If we say we have not sinned
    • What kind of attitude is this?
    • What does it lead to, if not rooted out?

How does it apply to my life?

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