A Study of John's Gospel

John 1:6-8: Sent to Bear Witness About the Light

A study of John 1:6-8

"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."

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:

-Sent: "apostellō", "ἀποστέλλω"; verb - to order (one) to go to a place appointed, whence or by or from whom one is sent.

-Was John: "iōannēs", "Ἰωάννης"; proper masculine noun - John = "Jehovah is a gracious giver"; John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, the forerunner of Christ. By order of Herod Antipas he was cast into prison and afterwards beheaded.

-A Witness: "martyria", "μαρτυρία"; feminine noun - in a predominantly dogmatic sense respecting matters relating to the truth of Christianity: of the testimony establishing the Messiahship and the divinity of Jesus (see μαρτυρέω), given by — John the Baptist.

-Bear Witness: "martyreō", "μαρτυρέω"; verb - in general; absolutely, to give (not to keep back) testimony, to bear witness concerning one.

-Light: "phōs", "φῶς"; neuter noun - is used to denote truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity congruous with it; especially the saving truth embodied in Christ and by his love and effort imparted to mankind; in a pre-eminent sense is Jesus the Messiah called φῶς (light).

-Might Believe: "pisteuō", "πιστεύω"; verb - used especially of the faith by which a man embraces Jesus, i. e. a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah — the divinely appointed author of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God, conjoined with obedience to Christ; through one's agency to be brought to faith.

Observation/Summary(short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

God sent a man named John to bear witness about the Light. John the apostle opened this gospel by calling Jesus the "Word", and now he calls Him the "Light". So, God sent John to bear witness about Jesus, the Light. This man John was not himself the light, but rather, God sent him as a witness, to bear witness, or tell others about the Light so that all who heard might believe in the Light through his faithful witness.

This is not John the apostle, the writer of the gospel of John. This is John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus and the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth. The name John means "Jehovah is a gracious giver". And Jehovah gave, or sent John the Baptist ahead of Jesus as a forerunner, to declare that He was coming, and to call the people to repent of their sins and believe in Him when He appeared.

Implication (what does this mean to us):

The fact that John the Baptist was sent to bear witness to mankind about the light illustrates the darkness mankind had fallen into. Humanity, who was created by God, the Light, and had His light in them to illuminate the soul and mind with wisdom, an understanding of moral good and evil, and an ingrained knowledge of the Creator, existed blind and in darkness under sin's curse, and needed a witness to come and bear witness about the Light. Jesus Christ is the true Light who came to enlighten mankind with the Light of His grace, mercy, and love, and in so doing bring eternal light and life to mankind. All who reject Jesus, who is the source of Light, are doomed to an eternity of darkness. This is why we need a Messiah, a Light that the darkness cannot overcome to deliver us from darkness, death, and eternal misery. This is who John the Baptist was sent by God to bear witness about, and this commission has been extended to Christians today. We must bear witness about the Light, Jesus Christ, to a world who has been enlightened by Him with reason and conscience, but is still in desperate need of the Light of His mercy and grace for sin.