Light of the World
December 9, 2018
Most people are attracted to light. I know I am. I love a raging campfire. I love a full moon. I love when the planets shine their brightest. Venus has been putting on a show lately in the early morning hours. At this time of year we love to tour neighborhoods that have great Christmas lights and see who has the best displays. Light is a symbol of hope and goodness. After 9/11, NYC set up two huge light beams at the site of each building, shining in parallel lines as far into the sky as you could see. Light was used to show that we will not be intimidated or defeated. Our love affair with light shouldn’t be a surprise when you think about it. God designed the human eye to work through the use of light. The pupil and cornea allow light to reach the retina. The retina receives images and transforms them into electric impulses that are carried by the optic nerve to the brain. The brain translates the impulses into images and so we see. We are made for light and light was made for us. For this reason, light is a familiar theme in the birth stories of Jesus and throughout the Bible in the Bible. We see God’s use of light over and over again to reveal, lead, and attract.
TO REVEAL: Light was used to revealgood news to the shepherds keeping watch by night.
Luke 2:8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shonearound them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
TO LEAD: God used light to leadthe wise men to Jesus.
Matt 2:9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the starthey had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
TO ATTRACT: Jesus attractedthe people to Himself using the metaphor of light in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In that verse we can see that we have a choice. Some people choose light Some people choose darkness…
John 3:19: This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light,for their deeds were evil.
Romans 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
For those who have chosen light over darkness, at Christmas we celebrate that Jesus, the light of the world has come into the world. Light is contrasted with darkness over and over again in the Bible. It’s a symbol of hope and goodness. How does Jesus represent hope? HOPE:His coming into the world should cause us to have great hopefulness. 1) Hope in humanity: Is it possible to have hope in humanity? Probably not, but other than following tragedies like 9/11, I think we are at our best at Christmas. At least we tend to be more generous and charitable. 2) Hope in the future:We have a Savior who came into the world to help us in times of trouble. There is no trouble we experience that He did not experience, and no trouble that He won’t be there to help us through. Ps. 46: God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble.3) Hope in eternity:Because of His life and death, we know that we will spend eternity with Him. John 14:3:If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
How does Jesus represent GOODNESS? Jesus has never done anything out of selfish motives. Never! Is that hard to believe? He was hungry at times, tired at times, wanted to be alone at times, and yet at all times, everything He did was for the benefit of others. Who can live a life on earth and not have one selfish thought or action? Only Jesus. He came because He is good and He wants us to make us more like Him and to have eternity in heaven with Him. And not only us, but others too. He wants us to be focused on others as He was.
We can often be selfishly consumed with our own problems. The future is so uncertain. Who knows what’s around the next bend? All we know is that Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble, and we all have. But Jesus also said to take heart because He has overcome the world. I pray that this Christmas, because of what Jesus has done in coming to the world, that we could look beyond ourselves and our problems, to the larger storyof which we are a small, but integral part. Jesus is building His church. We are stones built on top of the foundation of the apostles as Paul said in Ephesians.
There are more stones to be added. Our larger mission is not to worry about ourselves and our problems much, but to be like Jesus, the light of the world. Like light we should be symbols of hope and goodness. We should reveal, lead, and attract people to Jesus and add them to the church. Jesus said John 5:14“You are the lightof the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lampand put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives lightto all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shinebefore men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus came into the world as light to give us peace, joy, and hope. Those who have chosen darkness look to the world for peace, hope and joy. It won’t be found there. We have to look to Jesus, not the world for peace, hope and joy. The world is temporary and passing away, and so are our problems. Jesus offers us ETERNAL peace, hope and joy; not just in heaven but right now. We don’t have to wait until heaven to experience peace, hope and joy. Because of Christmas, we can have those things today, and we can share the light of Jesus with others. That’s what the church does. We lead others to Christ. We show people the goodness of Jesus. We bring peace, hope and joy to a world that greatly needs it, all because the light of Christ came into the world on Christmas day.
