Living in the Light with Anne Graham Lotz

Episode: “Jesus, His Name is Lord”
Date: December 14, 2025

Overview: Main Theme

In this episode, Anne Graham Lotz delivers a powerful teaching from the opening verses of the Gospel of John, focusing on the identity and mission of Jesus Christ as the “true Light”, the inescapable Lord, and the incarnate Word. Her primary aim is to encourage listeners to move beyond a cultural, surface-level acknowledgment of Jesus, calling them instead into a personal, transformative relationship with Him—emphasizing that Jesus alone is the true Light for all people, and is inescapable and essential for salvation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jesus as the True Light

[00:29–03:25]

• Jesus is described as “the true light that gives light to every man…coming into the world” (John 1:9).

• Anne contrasts Jesus as the “true Light” with the “artificial lights” of the world, which offer only temporary or empty solutions.

• She urges courage in proclaiming the exclusivity of Jesus despite pressures toward religious pluralism.

  “There are lots of artificial lights out there, aren’t there? …But Jesus is the true light, and he’s the light for every man.” — Anne Graham Lotz [00:33]

• Jesus’ light is not regional, racial, or limited by religion. He’s for all humanity, regardless of background.

• Darkness can’t overcome the light, but believers can hide that light due to fear or feelings of inadequacy.

  “Even if it’s a small little candle flame of a light, it penetrates the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.” — Anne Graham Lotz [02:50]

2. Jesus is Infinite, Invincible, and Inescapable

[03:26–07:30]

• Jesus is “inescapable for the entire world”—every individual must ultimately confront Him, either now or at God’s judgment.

• The choice about what to do with Jesus is universal and inescapable: everyone, from every culture and religion, faces this choice.

• Anne breaks down the two-fold choice: to receive or to reject Jesus.

  “Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess. One day all of us will stand before the judgment of God. And we’re going to be face to face with our judge. Who is Jesus? He’s inescapable. And he offers you a chance to make a choice.” — Anne Graham Lotz [04:16]

a. Rejection out of Ignorance

[04:35–05:40]

• The world, made by Jesus, didn’t recognize Him (John 1:10)—ignorance is a form of rejection.
• Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse before God, hence the importance of sharing the Gospel.

“To be ignorant of him and not to recognize him due to ignorance is a choice to reject.” — Anne Graham Lotz [05:07]

b. Rejection out of Intolerance

[05:41–08:30]

• Jesus’ own people (the Jews) rejected Him because He didn’t meet their expectations of the Messiah.

• Anne parallels this to many in the modern church who claim Christianity but deny “absolutes” about Jesus.

  “He comes to his own, and his own people don’t receive him. The people who ought to love him most.” — Anne Graham Lotz [07:10]

• Anne shares a poignant illustration (her smallpox vaccine) showing how many have “just enough” religion to become immune to a real relationship with Christ.

  “They have just enough religion that’s caused them to build up antibodies and an immunity against a real relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.” — Anne Graham Lotz [08:03]

c. Receiving Jesus

[08:31–11:44]

• To “receive” Jesus is a deliberate, personal act—not merely friendly association or external practice.

  “How many people do you know have that sort of a threshold relationship with Jesus? …They have never stepped away from the threshold, opened the screen door and received him into their lives.” — Anne Graham Lotz [09:00]

• Anne explains “believing in His name” (John 1:12): receiving Jesus as Lord (Master), Jesus (Savior), Christ (Messiah).

• One is not born into God’s family by heritage, determination, or tradition, but by God’s supernatural work (regeneration).

  “It’s not of generation… You can’t be born into the family of God just because of the physical earthly family that you have… It is regeneration. It is according to the will of God.” — Anne Graham Lotz [11:00]

3. The Miracle of New Birth

[11:45–14:10]

• Anne draws a parallel between Mary’s literal conceiving of Christ (Luke 1) and the believer’s spiritual “conception” of Christ at new birth.

  “When you place your faith in the name of Jesus and you receive him into your life, you conceive spiritually the life of Christ. He is born within you and you have the life of Christ within.” — Anne Graham Lotz [12:45]

• This is a supernatural act—one that can’t be forced, inherited, or generated by human means alone.

4. Presenting Jesus: Not an Option, But Essential

[14:11–15:00]

• Anne challenges common evangelistic approaches that make Jesus sound optional or like an add-on to life.

  “He’s not an option and he’s not someone you add to your life. He is your life. Would you present him as he presents himself?” — Anne Graham Lotz [14:28]

5. The Incarnation: Fullness of God’s Glory and Grace

[15:01–20:20]

• Jesus is the incarnation of God’s glory (character) and grace (John 1:14; 1:16).

• John, as eyewitness, saw God’s “character” in Jesus’s full human experience: both divine and relatable.

  “I’m telling you, I have seen the character of God. God, full of grace and truth.” — Anne Graham Lotz [17:32]

• Grace, not the Law, is the true source of transformation and blessing.

• Anne encourages listeners to count their blessings, especially those described in Ephesians 1—“one blessing after another”.

  “Through his grace, we have all received one blessing after another.” — Anne Graham Lotz [18:50] “Instead of counting sheep, count your blessings. And that’s his grace that he gives us blessings like that.” — Anne Graham Lotz [19:20]

6. Knowing God Through Jesus

[20:21–20:55]

• Anne reiterates that knowing Jesus is the way to know God.

  “You want to know what God is like? He is exactly like Jesus. Jesus is full of grace and truth. The very completeness of God.” — Anne Graham Lotz [20:29]

7. A Story of Love: Amy Carmichael and the Indian Girls

[20:56–22:15]

• Anne illustrates God’s love through a story of missionary Amy Carmichael, relating it to Christ’s incarnation (“God so loved the world that he came”).

  “For God so loved the world that he came. He drew near… Who is Jesus? He is the living Word of God. Infinite, invincible, inescapable, incarnate. Do you know him?” — Anne Graham Lotz [22:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On artificial light vs. true Light:
  “Don’t let anybody intimidate you into thinking that in a pluralistic society, it’s somehow not fair or it’s offensive to lift up Jesus. …It’s not all right, because Jesus is the true light.” [00:39]

• On hiding your light:
  “Are you hiding your light under a bushel? …Just throw away the bushel and let your light shine.” [02:10]

• On religious pluralism:
  “Jesus is the true light for Russians and Africans and Israelis and Chinese and Koreans and Spaniards and South Americans, and we could go all the way around the globe…” [01:04]

• On true salvation:
  “God has no grandchildren. Just because you’re born in a garage doesn’t mean that you’re a car. …It is regeneration. It is according to the will of God.” [11:00]

• On presenting Jesus:
  “He’s not an option and he’s not someone you add to your life. He is your life.” [14:28]

• On the fullness of Jesus:
  “Jesus is full of grace and truth. The very completeness of God. The incarnation of God’s glory. The incarnation of God’s grace.” [20:29]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:29 – Jesus as the true Light; artificial lights vs. the true Light
• 02:20 – Hiding your light; overcoming fear and inadequacy
• 04:16 – Jesus as inescapable for all humanity
• 05:07 – Ignorance as rejection of Jesus
• 07:10 – Intolerance as rejection—parallel to today’s church
• 08:03 – Immunity to faith: “vaccine” illustration
• 09:00 – Threshold vs. true receiving of Jesus
• 11:00 – Born again by God’s will, not human will
• 12:45 – Spiritual conception of Christ in the believer
• 14:28 – “He is your life”
• 17:32 – Eyewitness testimony to the character of Jesus
• 18:50 – Blessings through grace
• 20:29 – Fullness of God revealed in Jesus
• 22:10 – Amy Carmichael story and God’s love incarnate

Conclusion/Call to Action

Anne concludes with a heartfelt challenge and prayer [22:54–24:40]:

• Exhortation to Personal Relationship:
  “Do you know him? Would you worship Jesus? Would you receive him into your life if you have not? And then would you go tell somebody who Jesus is?”

• Prayer for Listeners:
  Anne prays that listeners would know, worship, and proclaim Jesus, sealing the message in their hearts.

Brief Addendum: Invitation to Revival and Peace

[23:12–24:16]

• Anne calls for revival – a return to God’s Word, as seen in Nehemiah, leading to personal and corporate awakening.

• She reminds that true peace, both personal and societal, comes only through reconciliation with God through Jesus.

  “Be part of the solution to what’s wrong in our world. Celebrate this year by coming to the cross and claiming the peace that only God can give.” — Anne Graham Lotz [24:14]

Summary

Anne Graham Lotz’s message urges listeners to recognize and proclaim Jesus as the unique, irresistible Light and Lord for all people. She calls for an authentic, personally transformative faith that receives Jesus as Savior, Lord, and Messiah—leading to new birth and fullness of blessings and grace. Her challenge: Don’t settle for a lukewarm or inherited belief. Receive Jesus wholeheartedly, and share His reality with a dark world in need of the true Light.