The Gospel of John-3 – The Awake Believer Bears Witness to the Light

John 1:6–13

 

"There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." Amen.

 

Divine Intervention: History Initiated by God

Brothers and sisters, we have gathered here today to worship that very God. At the very least, we are people who believe we know who God is, or who gather under that premise. Perhaps some of you have come with a thirsty heart to discover more about who He is. If someone were to ask you, "How did you come to know God?" how would you answer? Some might say they found Him while reading the Bible, others through a sermon, and some might say they reached the conviction through deep reflection that a Creator must exist. However, today’s text presents an answer entirely different from our expectations. It tells us that although the Light has come into this world, it absolutely requires a 'witness.' Originally, the Bible defines the world as darkness. Ordinarily, when light enters darkness, it becomes bright instantly, and it is only natural for everyone to see and recognize its arrival. Yet, the Bible records that not only does the Light require a witness, but even though the Light shone, the world did not recognize Him. We must look deeply into this text to understand this paradoxical situation—that even with a witness, the world failed to perceive the Light.

 

The Text Verse 6 begins: "There was a man sent from God whose name was John." The phrase we must focus on here is "sent from God." One who is sent does not come by their own volition. This does not simply mean they did not come against their will; it means they did not come for themselves. It implies that there is a Sender, and the person exists solely to fulfill the purpose and will of that Sender. The declaration that "there is a Sender" is truly a marvelous thing. In our daily lives, we mostly live according to our own judgments and predictions. We think our businesses and daily plans flow according to our calculations, but in truth, there are traces in our history where a 'Sender' has intervened regardless of our will. This is evidence that the history we see is not everything; there is a reality of divine intervention planned by Someone who sends.

 

The reason this is so astonishing is that we call this history 'God’s History.' It is possible because God sent it. The Bible calls this divine intervention 'the hand of God,' or as many believers confess, 'the hand of love.' This hand has been beside us since creation and has now reached a man named John the Baptist. Reflecting on the history of the Old Testament, God reached out His hand countless times, yet humanity repeatedly rejected, killed, or drove away that hand. But our God is truly persistent and unique. Despite being rejected for so long, God sends someone once again. And the one sent this time is a person with a very special mission, distinct from the prophets who came before.

 

John, the Last Prophet, and the Beginning of the Gospel

John is the one who arrived just before Jesus Christ to prepare the way for the Cross. The Bible testifies of him as the last prophet to close the door of the Old Testament. Luke 16:16 states, "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it." John is the final runner of the Old Testament era, yet at the same time, he is the first person to open a new era in that he was the first to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Though Jesus and John the Baptist were relatives in the flesh, their life paths were starkly contrasted. While Jesus spent most of His daily life obeying His parents within the home, John lived in the harsh wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey and wearing camel’s hair—a figure reminiscent of the return of Elijah. Why did God send such a unique person? Here, we discover God’s relentless love for humanity. God’s love now moves beyond indirect revelation through creatures to the stage where the Light Himself directly manifests in the world. The fact that the beginning of the Gospel originated from God’s sovereign decision, not human desire, is a grace beyond words. It is because God sent Him before we even sought Him.

 

John came to witness to that Light. Here, we face a fundamental question: Does an absolute Light truly require the testimony of a creature? As mentioned earlier, if a light shines in pitch darkness, the radiance declares itself; there is no need to argue or prove its identity. Light is self-evident, so why was a witness like John necessary?

 

Testimony for a World Unable to See

When you turn on a light in a dark room, it brightens instantly. This is common sense. What more evidence is needed? The problem, however, lies in the Bible’s declaration that the world "did not know" that Light. If light shines in darkness and yet the darkness does not know it, there is only one conclusion: the one facing the light is 'one who cannot see.' If the brilliance is there but one feels no brightness, that person is spiritually blind. Inherently, light does not require external validation. It shines by its own nature; it does not become light because John calls it so. Therefore, if we understand John’s witness simply as an intellectual attempt to explain that Jesus is the Light, we are greatly mistaken. John’s mission was not merely about the transmission of knowledge.

 

In John chapter 5, Jesus made this point clear. The Lord does not become the Messiah or the Light because of John’s testimony. John 5:33–34 records: "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved." In other words, all that testimony was not for Jesus’ sake, but was a consideration for ours. In the following verses, 35 and 36, the Lord refers to John as a 'lamp that burned and gave light,' yet says He has testimony weightier than that of John—the very works the Father gave Him to finish and the fact that the Father sent Him.

 

We must pay attention to the fact that John’s witness was given strictly for us. It is common to think, 'John was an explainer who came to help us recognize and understand the Light, even if he couldn't make the Light itself brighter.' However, the words of verse 10 are sobering: "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." This is a shocking declaration that despite John’s wholehearted testimony, the world still failed to understand. The reason the Bible records this heavy truth is clear: to force us to face the desperate reality that without divine help, no matter how excellent the witness, humanity cannot recognize the Light. We treat knowing God as a natural right, but in reality, it is not so at all.

 

Human Total Depravity and the Knowing of God

Because you may have believed in Jesus for a long time, knowing God might feel natural; or perhaps you are not yet a believer but pride yourself on believing well. Generally, people think knowing God is not a difficult task. However, it is entirely possible to mistake religious habits for a true encounter with the living God. We must not confirm our faith solely by the acts of calling His name, attending worship, serving, or shedding tears. It is at this point that a crisis of faith begins. I urge you not to dismiss this text as a familiar introduction to the Gospel of John, but to deeply reflect on your spiritual state. At the root of our easy misconception that we know God lies the inherent 'religiosity' of mankind. Every human has a natural instinct to fear the unknown and lean upon an Absolute Being. This is because humans are creatures crafted in the image of God. Just as a craftsman’s touch leaves a trace on his work, the Creator’s mark is embedded deep within the human body and soul. Humans are wired to grope for God along those instinctive traces.

 

The problem is that our reason, emotions, and will—which we mobilize to find God—are holistically corrupted and fail to function properly. We clearly accept arithmetic truths like '1 plus 1.' Yet, the magnificent declaration "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" is difficult for the human mind to accept, even though it is more certain than any math. This is because our reason has fallen and lost its spiritual function. While claiming to be rational, we might agree with the premise that God is omnipotent, but when faced with specific history—like the dead being raised or Jonah surviving in the belly of a fish—we shake our heads, saying it is "irrationally unacceptable." This is the reality of our state. We vaguely affirm an invisible being but reject His specific reign; this is the portrait of human reason hitting its limit. We must seriously examine how distorted our thoughts and intellect have become.

 

Self-Centered Idols and Separation from God

Due to this holistic deficiency, we unknowingly turn our own established theories or subjective thoughts into idols. The key here is that this process happens "unknowingly." If we realized it, we would seek a way out of the error, but we usually do not even perceive that we are trapped in the framework of our own making. For instance, Rudolf Bultmann, a giant of New Testament scholarship, developed his theological logic by asking, "How can one believe in the resurrection of Jesus in this advanced age of moon travel?" This is a clear logical fallacy. Scientific advancement and spiritual truth belong to different dimensions, yet the intellect of the age became a ground for denying spiritual truth. We pride ourselves on living in an intellectual age, yet we are often blind to essential truths. This proves that humanity has lost the ability to use knowledge, emotion, and will harmoniously within God.

 

For our intellect, sensibility, and will to recover their original functions, we must first clearly define what a human being is. A human is a being that absolutely cannot exist independently. We cannot be born without the source of our parents, so we are connected to them, and we are woven into a vast web of children, friends, and society. To fully understand oneself, one must examine the context of all these relationships. For example, if a timid personality was formed growing up under a parent’s excessive expectations and stingy praise, one cannot explain the present self by excluding that past. Spiritual principles are the same. We can never fully define a human being without the God who created us. Attempting to explain oneself while leaving out the Source is like trying to prove one's existence without a father.

 

The issue is that we are currently alienated from that God. The Bible calls this tragic state of disconnection 'sin.' Humans separated from God constantly search for 'substitutes' to fill that void. This is an instinctive tendency shared by both high-ranking scholars and farmers tilling the earth. This is why superstitions and various religions never cease. We all have a substitute that makes us believe, "I cannot find meaning in life without this." For some, it is their children or work, or their career or health; sometimes, they even worship themselves. And perhaps the most formidable substitute is 'money.' In this way, we set up hollow substitutes in the place where God should be and live by making them idols.

 

Faith in God Beyond Religiosity and Morality

Stepping deeper, there is another factor that makes humans delude themselves into thinking they know God: the 'conscience' embedded within. I ask you to listen to these words solemnly. If you believe you have come to know God based on the religiosity or conscience mentioned earlier, that is not truly knowing God. One must not mistake moral self-awareness for an encounter with God. Of course, a saint should have a more sensitive conscience than anyone. However, the conscience of a saint transcends mere pursuit of universal morality. It is not about keeping a conscience to become a more ethical or cultured being.

 

For example, when faced with the exhortation "Do not lie," the world says, "Lying is bad, so Christians should naturally be kinder." But this is a dangerous idea that dilutes the essence of faith into moralism. The Bible does not teach simple moral cultivation. The fundamental reason a saint shuns falsehood is that the act is diametrically opposed to God’s holy character. I reject it because it is something God hates, not because I pride myself on being morally superior to others. This is the decisive difference between a believer and a non-believer.

 

The most common mistake we make in our walk of faith is equating 'believing in God' with 'living a good life.' The moment faith is substituted for a moral life, the power of the Gospel vanishes. Of course, one who fully trusts God will possess a higher level of ethics and a nobler conscience than the world. However, the path of believing in God is not something that can be exchanged for good deeds. We must clearly recognize that we naturally reflect His character because we stand on God’s side; we do not approach God by presenting our own goodness.

 

The Limits of Legal Knowledge and Spiritual Blindness

Now, I want to look into an even more fundamental and painful reality. Many believe that if they accumulate biblical knowledge, they surely know God. You might ask, "How could I not know God when I know the Bible so well?" But let us reflect on ourselves using the Israel in today’s text as a mirror. True Light came to Israel, yet they neither sensed nor knew that Light. Was it because they didn't know the Bible that they failed to recognize the Messiah? Not at all. God entrusted the Law and the Scriptures to them. Within those holy records were God’s will, His heart, and the specific path of salvation. Then why did they, the guardians of the Law, reject the Protagonist, Jesus, when He arrived? There is only one reason: they lacked the spiritual eyes to read those words. They could see the letters, but not the reality; they were spiritually blind.

 

What use is a book of letters to one who has lost their sight? Lacking the ability to read, they relegated those precious scrolls of life-giving words to mere tools for daily chores or scratching an itch. Yet, outwardly, they treated them as family treasures, cherishing them as the most useful heirlooms. If someone approached and asked, "Do you know the true purpose of this writing?" they would react with prideful anger rather than admitting ignorance, saying, "Do you think I don't know the value of this?" This was the reality of the Pharisees and the tragedy of Israel. If the veil of the Law were removed, one would see the single sentence "You must believe in Jesus to live" flowing through it, yet it was utterly invisible to those whose spiritual eyes were closed.

 

Brothers and sisters, be warned by the stubbornness of Israel. We are no different from them. Are we not holding the life-giving Word of God in our hands while ignoring its essential vitality, settling for religious comfort and warmth, saying, "These are truly good words"? Humanity is this ignorant. That no one can see the Light by their own strength is the stern conclusion the Bible draws.

 

John's Conclusion: The Lamb Who Came to Die

Let us now reflect on the true meaning of the testimony proclaimed by John the Baptist. His witness is for the salvation of humanity, but it is not the kind of doctrinal guidance we often expect: "Look, here is Jesus, so listen well to my explanation and discover the light." The core paradox John witnesses is that 'the Light has arrived, yet no one among humanity can identify that Light on their own.' John testified to the limits of humanity so thoroughly that he showed even he was powerless to recognize the Light without help. The event later where he sent disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come?" shows that the human perception cannot fully contain the Messiah.

 

The truth John realized is clear: this Light is not a realm one can reach through human learning, discipline, or religious passion. Whether you strengthen intellectual education, pass through fires of tribulation, or throw yourself into the hot tears of a revival meeting, you cannot 'get' the Light through human methods. What then is the final conclusion John reached? It is the declaration that Jesus 'came to die.' If the Lord had approached only with brilliant eloquence and sermons, would we have understood? The Lord was the greatest preacher in human history, yet people heard His words and did not understand, instead driving Him to the Cross. Did the Lord speak evil words? No. He proclaimed the supreme love of "Love your enemies," yet human darkness could not endure His goodness and murdered the Light.

 

John 1:29 declares: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" This is the conclusion of the Gospel John presents. The purpose for which the Lord set foot on this earth was not a grand reign, but a wretched death. If the Lord had not drunk the cup of death then, the Christianity and the thrill of salvation we confess today would not exist. It would have ended as a dry record in a history book: "A sage named Jesus appeared, left noble teachings, and ended his life." But the Bible testifies: Jesus came as a 'Lamb' from the beginning. A lamb is an offering whose value is proven only when it dies upon the altar. The Lord came to die with us, and by passing through that valley of death, He finally led us out into new life.

 

The Miraculous Opening of Eyes and the Joy of the Saints

Brothers and sisters, the fact that we have come to know Jesus and face God is a massive miracle in itself. This is not a result reached because you heard an excellent sermon or diligently built up biblical knowledge. It was possible because your spiritual eyes were opened one day by the intervention of the Holy Spirit. To one whose eyes are opened to face reality, what further explanation is needed? No logic is required to say that what is visible is visible.

 

A person who has witnessed the majesty of the Grand Canyon cannot fully express that inspiration in words. Would the vast resonance be conveyed by listing figures—how many meters deep it is and how wide? It is nearly impossible for one who has not seen it to fully understand the explanation. The only clear and correct answer is to say, "Go and see for yourself."

 

A saint is one who has had their eyes opened like this. True Light has come to one who originally lived in darkness without even realizing they were blind. When a pitch-black life is suddenly brightened, those who live joyfully, soaked in the thrill of that light, are the saints. We must deeply realize how marvelous this event is. We often reverse the order of faith. We calculate that because we believe in Jesus, God will add something to our lives, make our environment abundant, and turn us into more impressive people. But the Bible instead returns us to the essential point.

 

Whenever the waves of life crash down and we are frustrated by a stifling reality, the Bible asks us: "You have come to believe in Jesus, haven't you?" This is because it is the greatest miracle of life. The mystery that was impossible to know is now visible, and the event of believing in the Cross that once looked foolish. How can we explain this supernatural situation—confessing that we cannot live a single day without the Lord’s Cross and that He alone is our life?

 

The Life of a Witness Serving the World

Therefore, we who are called as believers must inevitably accept loss because we live as 'those who see' in this world. However, fearing that loss, not a few people live with their eyes closed once they step outside into the world. Their spiritual sight has been restored, but they pretend to be blind, trying to conform to the world’s ways while keeping their inner convictions hidden. But friends, living with your eyes open is more exhausting than you think. This is because the vast majority of those around you still have their eyes closed. From the world’s perspective, a saint is a truly humorous being. Though there is no worldly guarantee, they proclaim, "The Lord is my guarantee," and even in the place of failure, they confess, "There is God’s good will." It may be a language that makes sense among ourselves, but to the world, it sounds like hollow talk.

 

Nevertheless, we cannot reject the grace flowing within that confession. How can we help but have our eyes well up with tears at the promise that "God will never give up on my life"? How can we be indifferent when we feel that love—that He sent His only Son for me, and that He constantly seeks me, I who am so prone to betrayal? Do not expect the world to understand this thrill. Explaining the refreshing blue of the sky to one who cannot see might sound like an insult or mockery to them.

 

The purpose for which we were called is not to judge the world or boast of superiority. Because I too was the same blind person but opened my eyes only by grace, I am stationed here to catch those who are heading toward a cliff. It is not love to watch people walking toward the path of destruction and remain a bystander. Even if you hear criticism, you must grab their sleeves and cry out, "You must not go that way!" This is the mission of a witness. Also, like the words of Jesus, we must live not as those who reign, but as those who serve. Just as the Lord, who is Light, came to serve us in the darkness, we who have seen that Light must also willingly give of ourselves to the world. Even if we are ignored and misunderstood, it is the proper life of a saint to endure them with love to the end.

 

You have been called as witnesses like John the Baptist. We are not the Light itself, but those who witness and testify to that Light. Therefore, rather than temporary joy coming from worldly success or the prosperity of children, possess that grand joy of 'I who was spiritually blind can now see.' May you be filled with the joy of salvation that can never be taken away, rather than a joy that wavers according to the situation. As those who have seen God’s abundance, I hope you possess the margin and love to willingly lose for the sake of the world. If there are any who feel that light is still dim, I bless you to humbly admit your powerlessness and walk fully into the Lord’s light.

 

Let us pray.

Lord, who examines our every move, we are truly sorry and thankful that You call such flawed people Your children. We confess our stubbornness in resenting and despising You, using the excuse that we could not fully understand Your will. Forgive our rudeness in exalting the Lord with our lips while treating You merely as a means for our convenience and comfort in our lives.

 

Despite this, we are overwhelmed by that great love—that You are not ashamed of us, but seal us as sons and daughters and prepare an eternal home for us. Now, let us live lives worthy of the noble name of Your children, and grant us the boldness to not be ashamed of the Lord in any place.

 

Hold our weak hands and help us to walk even a single step in Your likeness during our journey of faith. Let the knowledge of God be the highest joy of our lives, and let the realization of that immeasurable love for us be our only daily pleasure.

 

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our true Light. Amen.