The Word

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

Religion & Spirituality, Religion, Religion & Spirituality:christianity, Christianity, Spirituality

4.8 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Light in the darkness is one of the ways that throughout history, Christmas has been celebrated. Lighting candles, and lights on trees, and lights at night. What is that all about? In John 1, John talks about Jesus coming into the world. It’s his way of talking about the meaning of Christmas. And in this very famous passage, the word “light” shows up seven times. Let’s look at how this tells us that 1) human beings need light, 2) there is a light, and 3) how we can connect to it and receive it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 27, 2016. Series: Jesus, Mission, and Glory: Advent. Scripture: John 1:1-11. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Gospel in Life. Today, Tim Keller is looking at a passage from the opening chapter of the Gospel of John.
0:11.6	John begins his account of Christ's birth not with shepherds or angels, but with the mystery of the word becoming flesh, God himself entering the world as a person in Jesus Christ.
0:22.7	Join us as Tim Keller explores the meaning of Jesus's birth.
0:33.0	Tonight's scripture comes from the book of John chapter 1, verses 1 through 11.
0:39.4	In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.
0:44.8	He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made. Without him, nothing was made that has been made.
0:52.2	In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
0:56.5	The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man
1:02.4	sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,
1:08.4	so that through him all might believe. He was not the light he came only as a
1:13.9	witness to the light the true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world he was in the
1:20.9	world and though the world was made through him the world did not recognize him he came to that which was his own, but his own did not
1:29.9	receive him. This is the word of the Lord. Well, we're going to be doing for the weeks of
1:38.3	Advent, which are the four weeks going up to Christmas, is taking a look at the first chapter of
1:43.8	John. We've been in John chapter 13 to 17. We're look at the first chapter of John.
1:44.3	We've been in John chapter 13 to 17.
1:46.5	We're looking at the first chapter because John chapter one is about Jesus coming into the world.
1:51.4	It's basically John's way of talking about the meaning of Christmas.
1:57.5	And even though there's many things that can be said about this very, very famous passage,
2:03.2	seven times the word light shows up here.
2:06.6	See where I circled it?
2:08.7	Can you see that?
	...

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