Seeking Jesus First Dec. 23, 2025
Bearing Witness to the Light
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe…” (John 1:6–11, NKJV).
After declaring that Jesus is the eternal Word and the true Light shining in the darkness, John’s Gospel introduces us to a man with a clear and God-given assignment: to bear witness of the Light. John the Baptist was not the Light himself. He did not draw attention to his own importance, gifting, or ministry. His life consistently pointed beyond himself to Someone far greater. In this, John gives us a powerful and clarifying picture of our own calling.
Scripture reminds us that Christ is the Word of God—the incorruptible seed planted in our hearts—producing His very life and light within us. John the Baptist’s role was never to be the Light, but to testify that the Light had come. In the same way, we do not generate spiritual light on our own. We receive it. We live in it. And from that place, we bear witness to it so that others “might believe.”
John tells us that Jesus is “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” This means no one is excluded from God’s desire to reveal Himself. Every person we encounter already stands within reach of that Light. Yet Scripture also reveals a sobering truth: “the world did not know Him,” and “His own did not receive Him.” The Light was present, but recognition and reception were missing.
This is where our witness matters.
To bear witness does not mean forcing arguments, winning debates, or striving in the flesh. As emphasized throughout our previous writings, kingdom culture is expressed through love, faith, obedience, and an evangelistic lifestyle that flows naturally out of intimacy with God. Light shines most effectively when it is lived, not merely spoken. When Christ’s life is growing in us—through His Word abiding in our hearts, through time spent in His presence, and through renewed thinking—our lives quietly yet powerfully testify that Jesus is real.
John the Baptist’s humility is especially instructive. He knew who he was not. “He was not that Light.” There is great freedom in no longer trying to be what only Christ can be. We are not saviors. We are not the source. We are connected to the Source. Scripture tells us that we are made one with Him by His Spirit dwelling in us. Therefore, we are witnesses—of who He is and of what He has done and continues to do in us. This understanding keeps us grounded, dependent, and faithful. As we have said before, God owns the garden, but He has entrusted us with its stewardship. Our role is obedience and faithfulness; God brings the increase.
Even Jesus Himself was rejected—by the very world He created and by people He came to save. This reminds us not to grow discouraged when our witness is not immediately received. Rejection does not invalidate the Light, nor does it cancel our assignment. We simply continue to shine, to love, and to speak truth as the opportunity is given.
Today, let this settle deeply in your heart: you have been sent from God into your sphere of influence. You are not the Light—but the Light lives in you. As you walk in Christ, let your life bear faithful witness to Him, trusting that through that witness, others will come to believe.