Light reveals the presence of God
Last week, we saw that
God created light on the first day of creation. We saw the light was good. We saw the light revealed the glory of God.
We see God’s light when the angel appeared to the shepherds in Luke 2, where it says,
“the glory of the Lord shone around them.” And again, in heaven (the New Jerusalem),
“The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its light is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23).
We also saw last week that Scripture depicts light as good, as truth, and as righteousness:
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“God is light; in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
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“In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:4).
- Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).
- Those who reject Jesus will be “doomed to outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12).
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“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.” (John 3:19).
So, God uses light in major ways to reveal His presence and nature to us.
God led the wise men with divine light
In the first Christmas, the star of Bethlehem was most likely
“shekinah,” a supernatural manifestation of light that God used to lead the wise men to Jesus. The star appeared to the wise men in the east, it led them to Jerusalem, and then it reappeared, to lead them to the home of Joseph and Mary. A typical star could not have done that.
God leads His children through spiritual light.
Just as the Magi followed God’s light and it led them to Jesus, so if we follow God’s spiritual light, it will lead us to Jesus.
We are first given light through nature. Romans 1:19-20 says,
"That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."
This tells us that God has revealed Himself to everyone through nature. He intended us to look at the stars at night and say in our hearts, “There must be a God!”
Then, when we accept that light… believe in God and choose to follow Him… God gives us more light, and leads us to Jesus. John 3:21 says,
“He who practices truth comes to the light.” And, as we saw in John 8:12,
"[Jesus is] the Light of the World; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." As we continue to live in the light of truth, God continues to shed His light in our lives, allowing us to live in greater and greater truth/light.
In practical terms, to follow the light means to trust and obey God. If we trust God, we walk toward the light. And we go wherever it takes us.
Then, as we follow the light… we become light to others. Matthew 5:14-16 says,
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and praise your father in heaven."
Conclusion
Consider this wonderful truth that I blogged about a number of years ago.
Jesus was born not merely to give us a good example to follow in life, though He certainly did that. But He was born to provide a way for our sins to be forgiven, to be reconciled to God and made ready for heaven.
Because of Bethlehem on earth, we have a Savior in heaven. Christmas begins what Easter culminates. The child in the cradle became the King on the cross.
And Bethlehem was just the beginning. Jesus has promised a repeat performance: Jesus will
return one day to culminate His mission.
But, there will be some noticeable differences between His first coming and His second.
- Instead of a star at night, Jesus will blaze like the sun at high noon.
- Few saw him in Bethlehem, everyone will see Him in the heavens.
- Instead of angels singing to a few shepherds, trumpets will sound to the whole earth.
For you see,
- Jesus isn't merely a good example to follow; He is a Great God to worship.
- Jesus isn't someone we include in our life. He is the one to whom we give our life.
- We will not stand and hail him as a conquering hero. We will kneel and worship him as our transcendent Lord.
That’s the importance of Christmas.
- No wonder the angels sang.
- No wonder that heaven and earth rejoice.
- No wonder the message is called the Good News.
May the true meaning of Christmas be central in our lives this year, and may we joyfully worship the child who has become our King. And let all the Christmas lights this year remind us of this magnificent truth.
I wish you a joyful and Light-filled Christmas.
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