The Light

經文:John 2:10-18

12-24-2010

In the beginning was the Word. The Word that John refers to is Jesus. Tonight, we await for the beginning. Tonight, we celebrate the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus has been around since the beginning, he had not always been a part of this world. Until now. On Christmas, many moons ago, our savior was born into this earth to bring light and life into the world.

Light, of course, is something that we have always needed, from the dawn of time. In fact, as I was thinking about this sermon, in the light of day, we still needed to turn on the light. We can’t do anything without light—we can’t see, we can’t cook, and we can’t be productive. The light of Christ, then, is here to help us through life—so that we CAN be productive, so that we can see and be fed. There is nothing that can cover the light of Christ. But the light of Christ exists not only all around us, but also inside ourselves.

The light includes salvation and grace, as was mentioned in the passages we read. Tonight, however, we remember that this salvation is not only about our afterlives. This salvation is about living our lives in the NOW. Here, TODAY. Tomorrow—EVERY day. The present age, as it were. So tonight, we celebrate THIS world, rather than focusing on another world. We focus on what Christ will do as a human being—what we can learn from his life: his teachings, his messages, and his actions. The Son of God has been born and with His birth we are all given new life.

I invite you to take some time now to reflect on this year and think about how you lived your life. What are some struggles that you have had? What are some things you want to change? And when you are done taking this time, please have your candles ready. We will be getting the light from our candles from the person in front of us or beside us, and then we can gather into a circle fellowship. With the candles, we remember the presence of Christ, that he IS the light not only all around us, but also within us.

We have come into this world through Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit. All glory and honor belongs to the Lord, now and forever. Let us remember the light of the world, shining his light for us, in us, and through us. May we live a life where we can be witness to the grace of God. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.