John 1:6-10
 
John 1:6 (KJB)
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
 
Here John introduces John the Baptist. Now it must be understood that John the Baptist did not have a pre-incarnate existence. He was sent from God, and was born as all humans are born. He was a true believer and God had a special ministry for him. The name “John” means “Jehovah is merciful or gracious.” This is why the name “John” should never be associated with a bathroom. How many times have you heard someone say, “I am going to the john.” Well within that name is a great attribute of God which is mercy and/or grace and to associate that name with a bathroom, is basically taking God’s name in vain. John’s ministry was to introduce the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
John 1:7 (KJB)
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
 
John the Baptist had a specific ministry and that was not only to be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ but he was to bear witness that the Lord Jesus Christ was the one which all Israel was waiting for. (Mal 4:5-6 KJV) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: {6} And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. The coming of John the Baptist was foretold by Malachi about 470 years before. (Mat 17:12-13 KJV) But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. {13} Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. Now believers in the Bible are called light but here Jesus is called “the Light.” It is from Jesus where salvation is authored and finished. The believers who follow Jesus just bring the message to the world and testify to that message. The verse goes on to say that it is through the Light that all those who are predestined to believe will believe. Christians may send forth the message of the Gospel, but that message is centered on the Light who is the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is only found in Him and nowhere else.
 
John 1:8 (KJB)
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
 
Here John reiterates the fact that John the Baptist was not the Light but he was only sent to bear witness of the light. The same ministry is given to true believers that we are to bear witness to the Light so those whom the Lord had chosen before the foundation of the world would become saved. No believer can save anyone, only the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
John 1:9 (KJB)
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
 
True - Real or genuine
Lighteth - Give light to or make evident
 
Here John is detailing that Jesus is the true light that has come into the world. Now this verse is not stating that He lights every man which comes into the world or else then everyone would be saved. The ones that Jesus lights are the ones that He saves and the rest still remain in darkness. (John 12:46 KJV) I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. The spiritual darkness, which the whole human race is in, is displaced by the light of the Gospel in those who are saved. Darkness is the absence of light and spiritual darkness is the absence of God. Not everyone in the world is going to be saved so the light does not light every man, yet even the unbelievers have this light shining on them from the standpoint of the creation and the existence of true believers in the world who have become saved. The unbelievers can see the light even though they are not indwelled with the light. So the light is either shining on you or in you. If it is shining on you, then you are still unsaved but if it shining within you, you are saved.
 
John 1:10 (KJB)
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
 
John takes us back to the time when Jesus had come into the world through the Virgin birth. As the Son of God who created the world, He was now walking among the people He created. Since sin was ruling in the world and there was only a very tiny amount of believers, when He came on the scene those whom He came to did not recognize Him as the Messiah. At the point where John was baptizing in the Jordan, the Pharisees already sent representatives to see what John was up to and they did witness the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. At this point John’s declaration of Him that He was the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world was not yet understood but those who were witnessing, knew something was different about that day and that person.
 
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