Comentary, John 1:6-9

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world.

Jesus did not come into his position because of his power. In the natural sense, Jesus had in no way earned the right to recruit followers or expect people to listen when he spoke. Jesus came on the scene all of a sudden. John looked, and there he was. Had Jesus’ arrival been as other religious and political leaders, through years of work and performance, he would have needed no witness. Those he served, entertained and motivated would have would have helped him tell his story. But such was not the case. Jesus began his ministry as he did everything else, when he chose and for his own reasons. Therefore, Jesus needed a witness, someone who knew him and understood at least to some extent the theology of his presence and one who was willing to direct the attention away from himself and toward the true light. John, a recognized preacher with a following of his own, was the one.

The point that John the evangelist and writer of the Gospel wanted to make clear was that this person, Jesus, who was on the scene to provide supernatural leadership, instruction, and protection for selected believers was also the one who created all people and provided the principle of life for everyone. All people are special. Every human being, the atheist, the criminal, the leader of a competitive religion, has value. And that value exists because of Jesus and the role he played in the creation of the world.