"In [Christ] was life, and the life was the light of men." - John 1:4 One of my favorite traditions of the Christmas season is to light up the night in lights. Before we even turn the calendar to December, neighborhoods and businesses, homes and churches all burst in patterns of red, green, and white. Who doesn't love decorating the Christmas tree, then turning out all the other lights in the room to enjoy the twinkling lights? Even a single candle burns brightly against the backdrop of the darkness.
This tradition is well suited to the real celebration of the season. The Bible says that when Jesus Christ was born, the light came into the world (John 3:19). In fact, more than 200 times in the Bible, God is described as light. Figuratively and literally, whenever God appears, light appears. It happened in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, all the way until the end of time when the book of Revelation tells us that in hell there will only be darkness and in heaven there will only be light. When we celebrate Christmas, we remember the day in history when Jesus stepped from heaven to earth, bringing with Him the light that drives out the darkness in man's heart. This is amazing news! You may be wondering, what does this have to do with me? Or, what does it mean to have the light of life? Those are the right questions to ask. There are many ways to describe the gift that God wants to give you, but let's start here. Ask yourself, What should I do with the light of the world?
Have you ever been in some pitch-black place when you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face? That's what life is like without Jesus. You can't fully appreciate the light until you feel the weight of the darkness. If you feel alone and trapped, searching but not finding--Jesus Christ is the light. If you feel cruelly crushed under the wrongs done to you--Jesus Christ is the light. If you feel perplexed by an issue or circumstance that you can't figure out--Jesus Christ is the light. Maybe that describes you. If you want to know the way out, you first have to admit that you're in darkness. You don't understand the purpose of life. You're not ready to die but you're also not fully living. You don't see any hope worth trusting. But it all can change right now.
Before any of us turned to Jesus, nothing made sense to us either. We couldn't sort out anything in this mixed up world. But since receiving Jesus as our Savior, we understand what's going on. Although life still isn't perfect we realize what sin does to our lives and we take hold of the provision of forgiveness. Suddenly Christmas is so much more than a stale exchange of gifts and some silly guy in a red suit. At Christmas we celebrate the forgiveness of sin that can only be found in Jesus.
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