Are you happy?

Are you Happy?

John 1:1-13

Are you happy? Are you truly happy with your life? It seems that happiness is on the decline. According to the World Happiness Report 2024, for the first time since 2012, the United States has fallen from being one of the top twenty happiest nations. The United States is now ranked 23rd in the world, largely driven by a decline in the well being of young adults. Indeed, Americans under 30 now rank 62nd in happiness among roughly 143 countries, while adults sixty and above rank 10th.

When filmmaker Theo Trepca traveled across the country asking ordinary Americans if they were happy, most said no. In a New York Times street interview, one woman admitted, “I should be happy… but I wake up most mornings with a knot in my stomach.” A college student put it more bluntly: “I laugh a lot, but I don’t feel happy.” The same struggle shows upi places other than the US.  In Tokyo, when a young man was asked if he was happy, he answered, “I have friends online, but in real life I feel empty. I don’t think I am happy. I just keep going.” These stories echo what the surveys now confirm: for millions of people, happiness is slipping away.

What about you? If a film maker met you on the sidewalk, put a microphone in your face and asked, “Are you happy in life?”, what would you say? Now, don’t be nervous, we do not have a film crew in the parking lot, but it is a question I’d love for you to consider because I believe that true happiness, true life, is not found in your circumstances, but in joyful submission to your Creator, in trust in your Savior, and in your relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the theme of a hymn the church has sung for generations, 

“At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away.

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!”

That refrain reminds us that real happiness is not found in possessions, pleasure, or success, but in seeing the light of Christ’s sacrifice. At the cross, sorrow is lifted, sin is forgiven, and the soul finally rests in joy. 

That’s why John begins his gospel the way he does. He doesn’t start with circumstances, feelings, or human achievements; he starts with the eternal Word, the Creator, the true Light. If real joy and lasting happiness can only be found in Him, then we must turn our eyes away from the fleeting promises of this world and fix them on Christ. 

After a life lived with Jesus, and after years of study and meditation on true life and joy, John tells us where we all must go, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John begins with the Word. The message from God. The Word sent from God to communicate His message, not by mere words, but by His very person.

The gospel of John is the last of the four gospels. The first three, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels because they share similar stories. John’s gospel is different because it was written decades after the first three and focuses primarily on the end of Jesus' life. Writing from Ephesus, John gave a very clear purpose for his book. 

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30–31

John was written so that you would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior of the world, and so that, by believing in Jesus as the Son of God, you may have life in His name. John wants you to have eternal life. And this eternal life does not begin just there and then, it begins now. John 5:24 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.” 

If you want to be happy, then you need to see Jesus for who He is. Life, true life, eternal life, true happiness, is found in Jesus. Only in Jesus will your burdens be rolled away and will you be happy all the day. Today, we will walk through this text and ask four questions. 

Do you believe Jesus is eternal? (vv. 1–2)

The Bible begins, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Those opening words were a theological lightning bolt that defined this world in relation to the one true God. John begins his gospel the same way, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Who is this Word? The Word is Jesus. 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Jesus is eternal. He is not a created being. He is divine. The words of the Nicene Creed clearly articulate what the church must believe about Jesus, “We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten not made, one in being with the Father.”  

John does merely allude to who Jesus is. He does not give subtle hints. He simply gives a clear declarative statement: Jesus is God. “The Word was in the beginning with God, and the Word was God.” It’s hard to wrap our minds around the eternality of God. We live in time, and we can only truly comprehend things that have a beginning. But Jesus is without beginning and without end, and since that is hard to understand, many have tried to understand Jesus according to their own knowledge, thinking that He was a created being. In the early 4th century, Arius, a leader of the church in Alexandria, taught that Jesus was not eternal but was created by the Father. His views spread throughout the Roman empire. Jerome would later say, 

The church, rent asunder by the collision of opposing parties, was divided into two factions. And because the bishops of the whole world had been deceived, either by force or fraud…the result was that the whole world groaned, and was astonished to find itself Arian.

It was not until Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, refuted Arius that his position started to decline, and the church adopted The Nicene Creed at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. But it was not until even later, in 381 AD, at the Council of Constantinople, that a definitive nail was driven into the coffin of Arius’ heresy.

But even though the church has stated its official position and has held this belief for centuries, the Arian heresy continues to pop up. In fact, the Islam religion and Jehovah’s Witnesses still teach that Jesus was not eternal with the Father but was a created being. Yet, John’s statements in the opening verses of chapter 1 regarding the eternal Son being God will be clearly affirmed throughout the next 21 chapters of his gospel. 

From time to time, someone may come to you with a clever argument about the Greek text in John 1:1. They’ll say, “See, there’s no definite article before theos (‘God’) in that verse, so Jesus must not be fully God. He must be a created being.” Don’t listen to them. This is a distortion of grammar and a twisting of God’s Word. Greek scholars have long noted that John intentionally wrote it this way to emphasize both distinction and equality: “the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” To strip Jesus of His deity because of the absence of an article is to misunderstand both the language and the Gospel itself. The early church fathers fought this very battle against Arians who said the same thing, and the truth of Scripture has stood the test of time: Jesus is not a created being—He is the eternal Word, fully God, who was with the Father in the beginning.

Don’t lose the awe of John’s statements by getting bogged down in theological arguments. This is not a dry debate about articles and syntax—it is a breathtaking declaration of the eternal glory of Christ. John wants us to stand amazed, not with red pens in our hands but with wonder in our hearts. The Word who was in the beginning, the Word who is God, the Word who took on flesh—He has come near. Let’s not reduce this verse to an academic battlefield; let’s hear it as the trumpet blast of heaven, announcing that the Creator Himself has entered His creation to bring us life and light.

It’s like standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon at sunrise. At first, the landscape is dark and quiet. Then, slowly, the light begins to rise, and suddenly the canyon explodes with color and depth that had been hidden in the shadows. At that moment, no one pulls out a tape measure or debates the angle of the sun—they just stand there, stunned, and take it in. That’s how we should approach John’s opening words. The eternal Word, the true Light, has come—and the only fitting response is wonder, worship, and joy.

Do you confess Him as Creator? (v. 3) John continues to unpack Jesus’ divinity by declaring that He created everything. 

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3

John makes it very clear that Jesus is the Creator. He states it positively–all things were made through Him, and negatively–without Him was not anything made that was made. This verse deals a death blow to Arianism and its children, Islam and Jehovah Witnesses. The text is clear that Jesus made everything that was made. You cannot be “of creation” if you are the Creator. 

If John is right, and he is, that all things were made through Christ, then this truth cannot sit on the shelf as mere doctrine. It presses into our daily lives with power and urgency. If Jesus is our Creator, then that changes how we worship, how we trust, and how we live. It should cause us to: 

1. Worship Him with awe. - If Jesus is the One through whom all things were made, then every sunrise, every mountain peak, every star in the sky is a testimony to His glory. Christians must not take creation for granted but must let it fuel worship. As a believer, when you see the beauty of this world, your first instinct should be to say, “My Savior made this.”

2. Trust Him with your life - If Christ spoke galaxies into existence and sustains your every breath, then surely He is able to sustain you in trials, provide for your needs, and guide your steps. Recognizing Him as Creator gives us confidence that nothing in our lives is outside His sovereign care. Scripture makes this argument again and again:

Isaiah 40 reminds weary exiles that the God who “measured the waters in the hollow of his hand” and “stretched out the heavens like a curtain” is the same One who “gives power to the faint” (Isa 40:12, 29). Creation is proof that God can strengthen His people.

Psalm 12:2 says, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth”. The reason we can trust Him as our Keeper is because He is the Maker of all things.

Jeremiah 32:17 confesses, “Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” Creation guarantees that nothing in our lives is beyond His ability.

In the New Testament, Colossians 1:16–17 declare that all things were created by Christ and that “in him all things hold together.” His ongoing role as Creator is the foundation for trusting Him as Redeemer and Sustainer. 

Happiness fades when we look to ourselves, but it flourishes when we look and trust in our Creator.

3. Obey Him as Lord. - If you are His creation, then your life is not your own. You owe Him allegiance, not just as your Redeemer but also as your Maker. To confess Jesus as Creator is to acknowledge His right to rule over every part of your life—your body, your choices, your relationships, your future.

Now friend, if you are here today and you have not yet trusted Christ, these words about Jesus as Creator are not just theological statements for Christians, they are deeply personal for each of us. These words confront you with who Jesus is, and they invite you to respond to Him. Three things for you to consider if Jesus is the Creator,

1. You cannot ignore Him. - If Jesus created you, then your life is not an accident. You exist because He willed you into being. To live as though He doesn’t matter is to deny the very One who gave you breath. Creation itself is God’s megaphone calling you to acknowledge your Maker. The question is: will you keep ignoring Him, or will you bow to Him?

2. You are accountable to Him. - If Christ is your Creator, then He is also your rightful Lord and Judge. You do not belong to yourself. One day you will stand before Him and give an account of your life. Every thought, every word, every deed will be measured. If you have not trusted Him, that day will bring sorrow, not joy. But the same Christ who made you now invites you to come to Him in faith and find mercy.

3. You can be remade by Him. -The good news is that the Creator did not only make you—He came into His creation to redeem you. The same Jesus who spoke the universe into being can speak new life into your heart. If you turn to Him, confessing your sin and trusting His cross and resurrection, He will forgive you and make you new. You don’t have to stay as you are. The One who made you can remake you.

This is the source of true happiness: ignoring Jesus leaves you empty, being accountable to Him without Christ leaves you fearful, but being remade by Him fills you with joy that no circumstance can take away. True happiness is not found in escaping your Creator but in submitting to Him.

Do you know Him as Life? (vv. 4–5)

Throughout his gospel, John repeats many themes. Life and light are two of the most dominant themes. It was John 1:4-5 that drew me to the idea of happiness as the aim of this message.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:4–5

John explained his purpose for writing in John 20:31, “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” His primary aim is for his readers to have eternal life, but I think he wants believers to manifest that eternal life now.

John returns again and again to the theme of life in Christ. In John 8, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). In John 10, He promises, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Life and light go together—where Christ shines, life flourishes. This is where happiness ties in: John does not envision eternal life as something waiting in the distant future, but as a present reality for those who believe. Eternal life begins the moment we trust Christ, and it brings with it joy, peace, and a happiness the world cannot offer or take away.

That’s why John’s opening words are so powerful—“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4–5). The very happiness the world is vainly chasing is already offered in Christ, the One who brings light into our darkness and life into our emptiness. The end of verse 5 can also be translated, “and the darkness has not understood it.” The word “overcome” is our English word “to grasp”. It can mean “to seize” or “to understand”. 

In other words, this verse carries two powerful truths: First, darkness cannot conquer the light. No matter how strong sin, Satan, or death may appear, they will never put out the light of Christ. The cross and the resurrection prove once and for all that the light wins. Second, darkness cannot comprehend the light. Apart from God’s grace, the world cannot make sense of who Jesus is. The light shines clearly, but in our blindness we fail to recognize it until God opens our eyes.

Both meanings are true, and John may have intentionally left it open so that we hear both—Christ’s light is undefeated and unmatched, and yet it is also misunderstood by those who remain in darkness. It’s like fumbling in a dark room with a flashlight you don’t know how to turn on. The light is right there, powerful enough to scatter the darkness completely, but in your confusion you can’t make sense of it. That’s what John is saying: the darkness cannot conquer the light, but it also cannot comprehend the light. Christ’s light is undefeated and unmistakable, yet apart from God’s grace, human hearts fail to recognize it for what it is.

Isn’t that the story of so many today? The world fumbles in the dark, searching for happiness, but not understanding that the true light is right in front of them. Darkness promises joy but delivers emptiness. Christ alone gives the kind of light and life that produces lasting happiness—the kind that shines even when circumstances are hard.

Yet, if we’re honest, many Christians today live with little joy because they have not fully grasped the life Jesus offers. We are often content with knowing about eternal life as something in the future, while missing the abundant life He promises in the present. We slip back into striving, carrying guilt, or chasing the same shallow pleasures as the world, and then wonder why we feel so empty. But John will not let us settle there. Again and again he asserts that eternal life begins now, and those who belong to Christ can taste His joy, His peace, and His happiness now even in the midst of trials.

Light helps us see, and we must see Jesus clearly as eternal, as Creator, and as Life, if we want to see and receive Him as Savior. 

Do you receive Him as Savior? (vv. 6–13)

In John 1:6, the Apostle John brings in John the Baptist. It seems odd to break the flow about Jesus with this paragraph only to return to Him moments later, but in the literary flow of the whole gospel it makes perfect sense. 

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

John was sent from God to bear witness, and at the end of the gospel, this is what he does to the church, 

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” John 20:21

John begins the gospel in the same way he ends the gospel.  John the Baptist came to bear witness to Christ so that all might believe through Him. 

Beloved, John the Baptist’s mission is now ours. We are not the source of light, but we are bearers of it. In a world stumbling in darkness, where so many confess unhappiness and emptiness, our joy in Christ must shine as a testimony to true life in Him. To witness is not an optional extra for the church—it is the very reason we are still here. Just as John the Baptist came to prepare the way, so we are sent to point others to Jesus so that through our faithful witness many might believe and find true happiness through eternal life in His name.

John is careful to tell us that the Baptist “was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.” That reminder keeps us humble and faithful. Salvation is never in our power; it belongs to Jesus alone. Our calling is not to outshine Christ or to take His place, but simply to point clearly to Him. When we bear witness, the responsibility to save remains His, and that frees us from both pride and despair.

It’s like a signpost on a mountain trail: you’re not the mountain, you don’t create the view, you just point the way so others can see it for themselves. Or think of a mirror: you don’t generate the light, you just reflect it. In the same way, the church does not save; we shine and reflect Christ so that those stumbling in the dark might see the Light of the world. We are not the Light, but when we point to Him, we point the world to the only source of true happiness, and true happiness, true life, is not something we achieve but something we receive. Jesus is the true light that helps everyone see God. 

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9–13

Jesus came to His own, which most likely refers to the nation of Israel, the people of His own possession. It probably also means coming to His own as in “all people of the world” since He is the Creator. 

John paints Jesus Christ with brushstroke after brushstroke, not to satisfy curiosity, but to leave us breathless before the eternal Word who is life and light. Jesus did not only come for Israel; He came for all. The Light came not only for Israel, but for all people. 

John’s gospel shows us that Jesus came for every kind of sinner. Maybe you see yourself in one of the people Jesus came to save. He met Nicodemus—a religious leader who looked righteous on the outside but was restless and searching within. He sat with the Samaritan woman—shamed, broken, and thirsty for living water. He healed the man born blind—helpless and forgotten by society. He forgave the woman caught in adultery—condemned by others yet freed by His mercy. He even saved the thief on the cross—hardened and guilty, yet welcomed into paradise at the last moment. John wants us to see that it doesn’t matter how respectable or scandalous, powerful or powerless, outwardly confident or inwardly desperate we may be, Jesus came as Light for all who sit in darkness, that we might find life in His name.

That life is found in faith. It is seeing Jesus for who He is: the Savior of the World. It is believing in His name and believing in what He did. It is believing in His name and trusting in what He accomplished on the cross and in the empty tomb. What did the eternal Word made flesh do? Jesus came down into our darkness, taking on flesh, entering fully into our brokenness. He lived the life we could not live—perfect, sinless, obedient in every way to the Father. Then He went willingly to the cross, not for His sins but for ours. There He bore the punishment that we deserved, absorbing the wrath of God against sin, so that justice would be satisfied and mercy could be extended to us. 

He cried out, “It is finished,” because the debt of our sin was paid in full. He was buried in a tomb, but on the third day He rose again, conquering death and breaking the power of the grave, and His resurrection opened the way to eternal life for all who believe. Now He reigns at the right hand of the Father, interceding for His people, preparing a place for us, and promising to return. This is what Jesus did—the full, finished, saving work of Christ, and when you believe in Him, His death becomes your death, His resurrection your life, His righteousness your covering, and His joy your joy forever. 

Friend, this is what Christ has done for you—He lived the life you could not live, died the death you deserved, and rose again to give you life that never ends. But knowing about Him is not enough. You must believe in Him. You must receive him as Lord. Turn from your sin, and trust Him as your Savior. Today can be the day you move from darkness to light, from emptiness to joy, from death to life. If you will receive Jesus as Lord, you will be born of God. 

Beloved, if this is true for those who are still in darkness, how much more true is it for those of us who have already received Him? If we have been born of God, not by our striving but by His grace, then that changes how we live every day. New birth is not only the doorway into eternal life, it is the foundation for the Christian life here and now. We have the Spirit that gives life so we can abide in Him. 

Church, John reminds us in John 1 that those who become children of God are born “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). That means salvation is not a human achievement—it is a divine miracle. You did not climb your way into God’s family by your works, your lineage, or your willpower; you were brought in by His grace. This frees us from pride because none of us can boast, and it frees us from despair because it does not depend on our performance. Our new birth is the gift of a sovereign God who loved us, pursued us, and made us alive in Christ when we were dead in sin. 

So what does this mean for us, church? How should those who have been made alive in Christ walk in the light of that new life? The new birth should remind us to: 

1. Walk in Humility - If our new birth came not through our will or worth but by God’s mercy, then pride in our works cannot give us happiness, and boasting cannot sustain us. True joy flows from knowing we are all debtors to grace, standing together at the foot of the cross. Humility before God and gentleness toward others allow the happiness of Christ to flourish in the church.

2. Rest in Assurance. - If salvation is God’s work, not ours, then we don’t have to chase happiness by striving or fear we’ll lose our place in His family. The God who gave us new birth will keep us to the end, and that gives us a deep, settled joy this world cannot shake. Happiness is not found in our performance but in His promise.

3. Overflow with Gratitude. - Grace fuels gratitude, and gratitude fuels joy. When we remember that every breath, every blessing, and our very salvation are a gift of grace, thanksgiving overflows and brings with it a happiness that endures even in suffering. Happiness is not the reward of circumstances but the fruit of a heart anchored in God’s grace.

As we’ve seen, John began his gospel not with a whisper but with a trumpet blast: “In the beginning was the Word…and in the Word was life, and the life was the light of men.” This is not just theology for our heads, it is good news for our hearts. The world is chasing happiness in the dark and never finding it. But the light has come, and in Him is true life and lasting joy. 

John the Baptist bore witness to the Light, and now the baton has been passed to us. We are not the Light, but we are called to shine, pointing others to the One who is, and with that comes a promise: “To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). That is where real happiness is found—not in circumstances, not in possessions, not in ourselves, but in Christ who makes us new and brings us into God’s family.

Let me leave you with this: happiness is not something you achieve, it is something you receive. It is not found by looking inward but by looking upward to the eternal Word, the true Light, the risen Savior. Friend, if you do not know Him, come to Him today. Church, if you do know Him, then walk in humility, rest in assurance, and overflow with gratitude—for the Light has shone in your darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.