Bible Study series: John 1:9-13. Has the light shone on you, or do you still walk in darkness?
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Scripture: John 1:9-13
9 The true light, which shines on every person, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world through him was made and the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who received him, to the ones who believe in his name, he gave the authority to become children of God, 13 not the ones born from blood, neither by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of a husband, but from God.
Commentary
9:
“light”: The true light is a metaphor, which symbolizes something. So how does Jesus symbolize the light, more specifically? His person, character, and message is the light of the world. He clarifies the truth. His message or word is truth. He is the truth (John 14:6). God is light (1 John 1:5). Many may claim to shine a light, but Jesus is the true light, which enlightens or “lights up” every person. But “every” is potential—it is not automatic. That is, everyone may potentially come to the light and some may actually receive it, while others may reject it. It is possible to reject or not know or not acknowledge the light that shines on everyone (v. 10).
So we have two gigantic categories of people: those who receive him, and those who do not receive him.
10:
“recognize”: this is the standard verb “to know,” which is relational, not merely abstract.
“world”: The Greek noun is kosmos (pronounced koss-moss). It could refer to the physical universe (17:5; 21:25). Or it could refer to humanity as a group. What we call humanity or humankind is, in John, the world. This is why God invades the kosmos. “The ‘world’ is the place or realm where God is at work, the place that is the main focus of God’s attention. God’s saving light invades the dark world. Jesus came to the dark world to save as many as those who believe in him and in his name. In sum, “it appears that the personification of the ‘world’ in John is the portrait of a class of people.” It is the dimension of a relational encounter between God and people (Klink, comment on 1:10, pp. 100-01).
11:
“His own people” could refer to the limited number of his hometown of Nazareth or the entire nation of Israel, noting however, that thousands of Jews did convert after Pentecost (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:7; 21:20). “If they remain in darkness, it is not because there is no illumination for them, but because they deliberately prefer the darkness.
Since the Greek is neuter plural (his own things), it could mean he came to his own creation and times, but most commentators just take it to mean his own people. John 13:1 is clearly about his own people: “Before the Feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to go from this world towards the Father. And having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). “his own” in that verse is masculine plural, meaning his disciples.
12:
A person has to receive him, and to those who have received him he gave the authority to become children of God. The KJV mistranslates it as “sons,” but Borchert points out that in John’s Gospel, the Greek word “son” is never applied to Christians, but only to Jesus (comment on v. 12).
Carson agrees: A believer becomes a child, but only Jesus is the Son of God. In Paul, believers are sons only by adoption. So both Paul and John “presume a distinction between the ‘sonship’ of believers and the unique ‘sonship’ of Jesus (comment on vv. 12-13)
“Authority” is the noun exousia (pronounced ex-oo-SEE-ah), and it means, depending on the context: “right to act,” “freedom of choice,” “power, capability, might, power, authority, absolute power”; “power or authority exercised by rulers by virtue of their offices; official power; domain or jurisdiction, spiritual powers.” In this context, it means he gives us authority to enter his kingdom and be born again (John 3:3). Now, inside of his kingdom, we can exercise his authority to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Believing is a deep, heartfelt commitment. Believing in his name means to believe in him, his person, his character, and his being—who he is, the Lord, the Son of God and the Messiah. The noun name stands in for the person—a living, real person. Let’s develop this thought, so it can apply to you.
What’s in a name?
You carry your earthly father’s name. If he is dysfunctional, his name is a disadvantage. If he is functional and impacting society for the better, then his name is an advantage. In Jesus’s case, he has the highest status in the universe, next to the Father (Col. 1:15-20). He is exalted above every principality and power (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). His character is perfection itself. His authority and power are absolute, under the Father. In his name you are seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). Now down here on earth you walk and live as an ambassador in his name, in his stead, for he is no longer living on earth, so you have to represent him down here. We are his ambassadors who stand in for his name (2 Cor. 5:20). The good news is that he did not leave you without power and authority. He gave you his. Now you represent him in his name—his person, power and authority. Therefore under his authority we have his full authority to preach the gospel and set people free from bondages and satanic spirits and heal them of diseases.
Remember that believing in his name is more than just intellectual assent or agreement with a doctrine. Belief has to go from the head to the heart (see vv. 6-8).
13:
In v. 13, this is talking about two kinds of birth, (1) one by blood (reflecting an early belief that blood carried a lifeforce or was the means of procreation, says Klink on v. 12), Or it could mean bloodline relationships (Borchert) and flesh (sexual desire) and by a husband, which some translations have “man.” However the sudden shift from one Greek word (anthōpos, pronounced ahn-throw-poss, meaning “human,” but also “man” in very few contexts) to another noun (anēr, pronounced ah-nair, meaning “man” or “male” but often meaning “husband”) tells me that a husband is in view. (2) The point is that God’s gift of a new birth is qualitatively different from humankind’s new birth, which will be elaborated on in John 3.
The point is that flesh and spirit produce different kinds. They go together as a unit, but they are distinct. The body dies, and the spirit / soul, born of God lives on, but the body and spirit / soul will be reunited at the final resurrection (John 5:25-29).
Word Study on Spirit, Soul, and Body
Is Humankind Two or Three Parts?
Sanctification of the Whole Person: Spirit, Soul, and Body
In John 3:1-8, Jesus will speak again about being born of God. So this theme is being introduced in the Prologue.
To conclude …..
Here, then, we have an anticipation of the theme which is elaborated more than once throughout the Gospel—that Jesus is ‘the light of the world’ (8:12; 9:5)” (Bruce, comment on v. 9, and talking about every human, not just Jews). Carson says that “his own” refers to the Jewish nation from which salvation comes (4:22). The expression “his own” is relational for John (1:41; 5:18; 10:3, 4, 12). It is not the status of Israel but its relationship with God and his Word (Carson, comment on v. 11).
Grow App for John 1:9-13
1. You have received him. You now have his authority to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. How it is going in that regard?
2. What does it mean to walk (live) in the light, for you?
3. Do you exercise this authority? What does it look like?
RELATED
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12. Eyewitness Testimony in John’s Gospel
4. Church Fathers and John’s Gospel
3. Archaeology and John’s Gospel
SOURCES
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Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 