Gospel Sermon

 Sermon: The Light Has Come: Believing in Jesus in the World He Knew

Opening / Introduction
Greetings to you all. When we read the Bible today, it’s easy to imagine that the spiritual world it describes is simple—just one God and nothing else. But the world Jesus walked in was far richer, far more vivid than we often realize. There were angels, rebellious spirits, a real Satan, a divine council, and a coming Messiah who would be exalted above all. These elements were part of the spiritual landscape Jesus knew intimately.

Jesus came into a world full of light and shadow—and He is the true light of God. He came not into a world of fantasy, but into a real spiritual world, where power, danger, and glory coexisted. Today, I want us to see that light clearly. We will explore the world Jesus and the apostles knew, how they originally understood God and His heavenly realm, and how later Christianity actually modified how we think of the faith today. Most importantly, we will see how the original faith in Jesus given to the apostles can bring us into the light today.

1. One God, Many Heavenly Beings
Let’s start with Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:4 says:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

God is one. But that doesn’t mean He is alone. The Hebrew Scriptures also speak of many heavenly beings: angels, “sons of God,” “holy ones,” even “gods” who serve under Him. Psalm 82 says:
“God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment… ‘I said, You are gods, sons of the Most High.’”

This pattern goes all the way back to the Exodus account, central to the light on which the faith was built. In Egypt, the priests of Pharaoh invoked their gods to challenge the God of Abraham and Moses. Some of them were even partially successful—they could reproduce some of the plagues God sent. But eventually God’s plagues outdid theirs, showing He is greater than all these other gods. The Israelites saw that these other gods have some real power, but God is King over all of them.

Even in Job 1:6, we read about the “sons of God” presenting themselves before the LORD—and Satan is there too.

The point is clear: The world Jesus knew is a spiritual world full of beings, real and active. God reigns supreme, but His heavenly realm is populated. Jesus’ light shines into a very real spiritual world, not a fantasy.

2. Satan and Demons Are Real
Some people today question whether Satan exists, but Jesus did not. Luke 10:18 recounts Him saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” And in John 8:44, He calls him “the father of lies.” Jesus confronted demons personally. In Luke 4, we read of a man possessed by an unclean spirit crying out, “Have you come to destroy us?” Jesus commanded the spirit to leave, demonstrating His authority and the power of God active in the world.

The light of Jesus Christ came into a world where gods are real and the evil one is real. To believe in Him is to believe that He conquers the darkness around us. It is to believe that He is the light sent by God Himself: sent by the one God in whom no darkness exists.

3. The Heavenly World in Ancient Writings
Ancient writings preserved before Jesus’ time, like 1 Enoch, offer a window into this spiritual world. They describe angels, rebellious spirits, and a pre-existent heavenly Son of Man. In 1 Enoch 48, we read: “In that hour, the Son of Man was named before the Lord of Spirits… All who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him.”

Jesus identified as the Son of Man, as this figure—the one God sends, exalted above all, bringing the true light into the world. He is the fulfillment of what the faithful had long awaited.

4. Jesus Among the “Gods”—Yet Above Them
When the religious leaders accused Him of blasphemy, Jesus quoted Psalm 82 in John 10:34–36: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? …how much more the one sanctified and sent by the Father?” Here, Jesus places Himself within the heavenly council, yet in a unique way—glorified and sent by the Father. He participates in the spiritual world but reigns above it. He is the light that no darkness can overcome.

5. The Apostolic Pattern: One God, One Lord
The apostles did not speak in the philosophical language of later centuries. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 8:4–6, summarizes the pattern: “There is no God but one… yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things… and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things.”

The apostolic understanding was simple yet profound: One God—the Father, and One Lord—the Son. This fits perfectly within the Second Temple worldview: one God, many heavenly beings under Him, and an exalted Lord.

6. How Later Christianity Reshaped the Faith
After the Temple fell in AD 70, Judaism became more rigid, rejecting ideas like a second heavenly figure beside God or a divine Messiah. Early Christians faced a question: how could Jesus be worshiped without being considered “another God”?

This led to centuries of theological development: modalism, early distinctions between Jesus and the Father, the Arian controversy, the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and the eventual formulation of the Trinity in the 4th and 5th centuries. These debates show how the church wrestled with understanding the light of Jesus in a changing world.

7. The Gospel Light Today
Here is the good news: Jesus is the light! He came into a world full of power, danger, and glory. Believing in Him today means trusting the one God, the Father, and believing this Father sent Jesus as the light of the world, then holding to the teachings he revealed to his apostles, as the New Testament records; it means honouring the exalted Son who is made Lord over all by God when He raised Jesus His Son from the dead; and then being led by the Holy Spirit’s power in our own lives, the Holy Spirit given by God to those who believe. Yes, doctrines are now different from those believed by the earliest disciples, so we need to dig down and find “the faith once delivered to the saints”: That Jesus Christ is the light sent into the world by the One God, the Father, and it is His teachings we should receive as that light. 

Conclusion / Invitation
So, the light has come! Jesus Christ shines into our darkness, conquering evil, guiding our steps, and calling us to faith.

Today, He calls you: Believe in the Son of God. Follow Him. Keep His teachings as light from God. Honour Him as Lord. Pray to His Father as the one true God. Step into the light that no darkness can overcome.

Christ died for you, and He lives forever by the power of the One God who sent Him. 

Slides

Opening / Introduction
Slide Title: The Light Has Come
Slide Content:

• Jesus entered a world full of light and shadow.
• A real spiritual world: angels, Satan, divine council, coming Messiah.
• Goal: See the light of Jesus clearly and follow the faith of the apostles.
  Visual Suggestion: Light breaking through darkness, maybe with subtle angelic figures or a faint divine council in the background.

1. One God, Many Heavenly Beings
Slide Title: One God, Many Heavenly Beings
Slide Content:

• God is one (Deut 6:4)
• The world is populated: angels, “sons of God,” “holy ones” (Ps 82; Job 1:6)
• Jesus’ light shines into a real spiritual world.
  Visual Suggestion: A throne in heaven with angels around it, representing God’s sovereignty.

2. Satan and Demons Are Real
Slide Title: Satan and Demons Are Real
Slide Content:

• Jesus saw Satan fall (Luke 10:18)
• Jesus confronted demons (Luke 4)
• Believing in Jesus is believing He conquers the darkness.
  Visual Suggestion: Light shining in darkness, with shadowy figures retreating.

3. The Heavenly World in Ancient Writings
Slide Title: Ancient Writings Reveal the Heavenly World
Slide Content:

• Texts like 1 Enoch describe angels, rebellious spirits, pre-existent Son of Man
• Jesus as the Son of Man fulfills this expectation
• Brings the true light into the world
  Visual Suggestion: Scroll or ancient manuscript imagery with faint heavenly figures above.

4. Jesus Among the “Gods”—Yet Above Them
Slide Title: Jesus Above All
Slide Content:

• Quoting Ps 82: “You are gods” (John 10:34–36)
• Jesus participates in the spiritual world but reigns above it
• The light that no darkness can overcome
  Visual Suggestion: Jesus elevated above a council of angelic figures, radiating light.

5. The Apostolic Pattern: One God, One Lord
Slide Title: One God, One Lord
Slide Content:

• Paul: One God (Father), One Lord (Jesus Christ) (1 Cor 8:4–6)
• Apostolic faith: simple, yet profound
• Fits the Second Temple worldview
  Visual Suggestion: Two figures labeled “Father” and “Son,” with a halo of light connecting them.

6. How Later Christianity Reshaped the Faith
Slide Title: Faith in Transition
Slide Content:

• Post-AD 70: Judaism becomes rigid; question of Jesus’ divinity arises
• Centuries of theological debates: Modalism, Arianism, Nicaea, Trinity
• Shows the church wrestling with Jesus’ light in a changing world
  Visual Suggestion: Timeline of church councils with question marks and light emerging from Jesus.

7. The Gospel Light Today
Slide Title: Jesus, the Light Today
Slide Content:

• Trust the one God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus
• Follow apostolic teachings, guided by the Holy Spirit
• Find the faith once delivered to the saints: Jesus as the true light
  Visual Suggestion: A person stepping from darkness into radiant light with open hands.

Conclusion / Invitation
Slide Title: Step Into the Light
Slide Content:

• Jesus Christ conquers evil and guides our steps
• Believe, follow, honour, and pray to the one true God
• The light has come—no darkness can overcome it
  Visual Suggestion: Open path of light leading forward, symbolizing faith and journey.

Different worlds, different faiths

 One God, Many Heavenly Beings, a Real Satan, an Exalted Christ,and How Later Christianity Reshaped This Faith

Most people today imagine that ancient Jews believed in only one God and nothing else in heaven. But the world that Jesus and the apostles lived in was far richer and more populated. Their faith included:

• one God
• many heavenly beings
• a real Satan
• real demons
• a divine council
• an exalted “Son of Man” figure
• and Jesus placed above all heavenly powers except God Himself

This was normal Second Temple Judaism — the faith of Jesus’ time.

Later Christian centuries reshaped this worldview into the philosophical doctrine of the Trinity.
But to understand that later development, we must first understand the original world of Jesus and the apostles.

1. The Bible Teaches One God — But Also Many Heavenly Beings

Scripture says clearly:

Deuteronomy 6:4

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

Yet the same Scriptures speak of heavenly beings called “sons of God,” “angels,” “holy ones,” and even “gods.”

Psalm 82:1, 6

“God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment…

‘I said, You are gods,
sons of the Most High.’”

Job 1:6

“The sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.”

So the biblical picture is:

• One God
• Many heavenly beings
• Satan included

This is the spiritual world Jesus assumed as normal.

2. Satan, Demons, and Rebellious Spirits Were Fully Real in Jesus’ Time

Modern people debate whether Satan exists.
Jesus did not.

Luke 10:18

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

John 8:44

“He… is a liar and the father of lies.”

The New Testament also describes demons speaking, attacking, and possessing people.

Luke 4:33–36

“A man who had the spirit of an unclean demon cried out…
‘Have you come to destroy us?’”

This was normal belief among Jews of Jesus’ time.

3. Ancient Jewish Writings Like 1 Enoch Show This Heavenly World Clearly

1 Enoch, widely read before Jesus’ time, describes:

• angels,
• rebellious spirits,
• evil spirits,
• archangels,
• and a pre-existent heavenly Son of Man.

1 Enoch 6:1–2

“The angels, the sons of heaven, saw and desired the daughters of men.”

1 Enoch 15:8–11 (excerpt)

“The spirits of the giants shall be called evil spirits on the earth…
They shall oppress, corrupt, fall, and make war.”

1 Enoch 48:3–6 (excerpt)

“In that hour, the Son of Man was named before the Lord of Spirits…
All who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him.”

This worldview shaped how early Jews understood Jesus, angels, demons, and the Messiah.

4. Jesus Places Himself Among the “gods” of Psalm 82 — Yet Above Them

When accused of blasphemy, Jesus quotes Psalm 82:

John 10:34–36

“‘Is it not written in your Law, “I said, you are gods”?’…

do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world,
‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”

Jesus points out:

• If Scripture calls heavenly beings “gods,”
• how much more the one sanctified, sent, and anointed by the Father?

So Jesus places Himself:

• within the heavenly “gods” group
• but above all of them
• by the Father’s appointment

5. The Apostles Teach the Same Pattern:

One God, the Father — One Lord, Jesus Christ**

Paul gives the clearest summary of early Christian belief:

1 Corinthians 8:4–6

“There is no God but one…

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things…

and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things…”

This is not the Trinity language of later centuries.
This is the simple, original pattern:

• One God — the Father
• One Lord — the Son
• One Spirit — the power of God

This fit perfectly into the Second Temple worldview with many heavenly beings under one God.

6. After the Temple Fell, Judaism Became More Strictly Monotheistic

After AD 70, Jewish leaders rejected the older belief in:

• a second heavenly figure beside God
• a divine Messiah
• a heavenly Son of Man
• exalted “gods” under God
• the “two powers in heaven” idea

This new, stricter monotheism put early Christians in a difficult position.

They had to explain:

• how Jesus could be worshiped
• without worshiping “another God”

This pressure from both Jews and Greeks shaped the next centuries of Christian theology.

7. LATER DEVELOPMENTS:

From the Early Church to Nicaea and the Trinity**

Below is a simple, short summary—not detailed, not academic—of how Christian belief shifted in the centuries after the apostles.

1. Modalism (2nd–3rd centuries)

To defend strict monotheism, some Christians taught:

• God is one Person
• Father, Son, and Spirit are different “modes” or appearances of the same God
• God becomes the Son when He appears as Jesus

This preserved “one God” but erased the real relationship between Father and Son seen in Scripture.

2. Other Christians reacted

Because Jesus prays to the Father, obeys the Father, and is sent by the Father, others insisted:

• The Father and Son must be distinct
• But the Father is still greater
• The Son comes from the Father
• Yet the Son is divine in some way

This was the most common view before the 300s.

3. Arius (early 4th century)

Arius tried to protect monotheism by teaching:

• Only the Father is eternal
• God created the Son before the ages
• The Son is the highest heavenly being
• but not equal to God

This sparked a huge conflict.

4. The Council of Nicaea (AD 325)

Nicaea declared:

• The Son is not created
• The Son is eternal
• The Son is “of the same essence” as the Father

This was meant to protect Christian worship of Jesus without making two Gods.

5. The Trinity (4th–5th centuries)

Later councils added:

• The Holy Spirit is also fully divine
• God is one Being in three Persons
• Father, Son, and Spirit are coequal and coeternal

This was the final shape of mainstream Christian doctrine.

Final Picture

The faith of Jesus and the apostles

• One God, the Father
• Jesus as the exalted Lord under God
• The Spirit as the power and presence of God
• A real heavenly world of angels and spirits
• A real Satan
• A divine council
• A heavenly Son of Man beside God

The faith of later centuries

• One God in three equal Persons (the Trinity)
• Father, Son, and Spirit coeternal and coequal
• Jesus fully God and fully man

These two expressions of faith are related, but they come from very different worlds:

• the biblical / Second Temple world,
• and the later philosophical world.

Understanding the first helps us understand how and why the second was formed.

Stephen D Green with much of the succinct wording by AI