December 15, 2020 – “The Light of the World!”

        When I grew up, no night lights were available. One morning, I walked into the kitchen, at sixteen, and Mother worked there in the dark, or so it seemed.  I turned on the light.  She caught my attention when she smiled and asked, “You really like light, don’t you?”

Then another year passed, and she gave me a song to sing, and the lyrics began, “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom then shall I fear?”

Pondering over the word Light, putting the thoughts together, and I can see why Light was the first Creation in the first book of the Bible.

Another scripture in Psalm 119:105, talks about light as an aid in walking. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

         In the beginning begins Genesis and so begins the book of John. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.  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 1:1-5.

         The Gift of Light that darkness cannot overcome belongs only to Jesus. He came into the world, and the world did not know Him.  Even when He proclaimed who He is. Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “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.

         This happened shortly before His crucifixion, when Jesus became the sacrifice for our sins. Our chief sin is to not love God and not loving others.  Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8.

How often we set ourselves up to judge others when our own life is a cluttered mess of sin. It is so easy to continue to push Jesus to the side and not believe His Words. No one understands how His love took much sacrifice and oh, how He loves us.

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.  So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.  I Thessalonians 5:5-6.  Children of Light, children of purpose, children who know the Lord Jesus!

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with Him.  I Thessalonians 5:8-10.

Our world is filled with culture static that threatens to pull us away from the love of Jesus with buzzwords like Trend. A trend is a passing phase, and the Love of Jesus is forever!

Traditions are ways to remember our past. Living in the love of Jesus is remembering our future when Jesus comes back. And He said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:6-7.

Who is this Jesus, Lord of all? In our living room, after our Dad delivered his last letter and package on Christmas eve, we sang “Away in the Manger, a crib for His Bed”, “Silent Night”, and “O, Come All Ye Faithful.”  Then Dad read the beginning of Luke 2.  In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7.

Then we heard the Heavenly Birth Announcement of the Christ Child to the Shepherds.  And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12.

Oh, the pictures these words drew in my head of the sky filled with angels and saying, Fear not!  The heavenly host praised God and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Luke 2:14.

This story of the birth of Jesus contrasts with the crucifixion, burial, and rising from the dead.  The Shepherds who heard the announcement and the Wisemen who came from the east following the star who didn’t know the for the purpose for His coming.

The shepherds made haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  Mary remembered all the happenings and pondered them in her heart.

Now it has been 85 years, since I first remembered hearing the story of Jesus as I watched the star on top of the Christmas tree shine forth its brilliance.  I, too, ponder this Jesus and His love that makes all things new. And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”  Revelation 21:5a.

What can separate us from the steadfast love of God?  None of the things mentioned in the verse below.  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:37-39.

         Merry Christmas, and rejoice, and fear not!  Jesus lives!  Celebrate His Love!