A Burning Witness to the Light
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By John Piper
About The Incarnation
Part of the series The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us: Sermons on John 1
A Burning Witness to the Light
John 1:6-8
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
Let's remember why this gospel was written. John 20:31, "These things were written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing have life in His name." So my aim this morning as a minister of these words is that you would believe in Jesus as Son of God and that you would experience newness of life.
The Way to Have Newness of Life
The reason I say newness of life is because in John 10:10 Jesus said that the reason he came into the world was that his sheep might have overflowing life: "I came that they might have life and have it abundantly." This word (perisson) speaks of excess, overflow, surplus. The idea is that Jesus gives life that is more than ordinary life. The life of a Christian is life upon life. Excess life. Life added to life.
And the way to have this life from Jesus is to believe in him. John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." Notice: NOT just will have eternal life some day beyond the grave; BUT has passed now (by believing) from death to life. You can have new life this morning: life that is more than the life you have known before, life that is so wonderful it is a passing from death to life. And even Christians who have weakened in faith and lost the full power of new life can find stronger faith and fuller life in these words this morning.
That's our goal: these things are written (in John) and this message is preached that you might believe in Jesus (like you have never believed before) and believing have life (like you've never had before).
Our text today can be summed up in three statements:
