The FYI section of the KC Star this Christmas Eve morning had an article titled “We are aglow in the Light”
Lisa Gutierrez asks the question: “How could we celebrate anything without light?”
Take away the birthday candles and all you have is cake. Take away the fireworks and it’s just another steamy day in July. How could the holidays be the holidays without light? We light candles on the menorah and candles on the Advent wreath. We torch the yule log to symbolically carry light from one year to the next. Like the residents of Whoville, we gather ’round trees to admire the lights. Oooh! Aaah! Basking in the kilowatts, our faces shining and eyes sparkling, we are Cindy Lou Who-happy. Light does that to us. Artificial or natural, light chases the blues away by readjusting the chemicals in our brains, a cerebral tune-up desperately needed when winter envelops us. This seasonal shroud makes us so dang peevish, coming to work in the dark, driving home in the dark. As members of the human species, it is our nature to crave light, as do the sunflowers and the mighty oaks.
She concluded her discourse by saying: “Give me lights at Christmas, I say. And lots of them.”
Now I love Christmas lights. Sometimes I admit I get so rushed that I don’t even notice them. But the truth is that many people get so distracted by pretty Christmas Lights, that we miss the true Light of Christmas.
Christmas is the day we honor God’s Greatest Gift, the birth of the True Light of the World. 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 nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The truth is that most of mankind does not seek the True Light. Most of mankind does not pay attention to the truth of who Jesus is. John 3:19 says: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
In other words, most people choose not to follow the True Light of Christmas, because they want to go their own way and do their own thing.
Luke 2:25-35 (NIV) Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the light of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
In Luke 2: 25-35 we find a righteous old man named Simeon. Not much is known about Simeon, but from Luke we do know that he did an amazing thing: Simeon paid attention to God.
Now most people in Israel worshiped God, but very few paid attention to Him. In fact, Simeon was one of only a handful.
Today, many people in this world worship a God, but very few pay attention to Him. If you are a school teacher, you may know what I’m talking about. You may have a room full of students, but how many really pay attention to you.
Simeon paid attention to God. God spoke to Simeon and told him he would not die until he saw the Messiah. Now for Simeon to hear that and believe that was a big deal. But he was a big deal kind of guy.
Now most of you have finished your shopping and you found a LOT OF GREAT DEALS THIS YEAR. But I want to challenge you to pay attention to God this evening, and realize the greatest deal in the universe happened almost 2000 years ago, when Jesus Christ was born as a little baby boy.
Simeon paid attention and saw the greatest deal of His life. He discovered the True Light, and that Light gave him Life!
The Light of God’s Word became real to Simeon. When he saw the baby Jesus, he knew this was the one. There wasn’t a dove, or a flash of light, or a lightning bolt. He knew because he was a man who paid attention. I am praying that this Christmas, more than any other, we would be paying attention to God. He is speaking to our country, He is speaking to the hearts of men. We need to Seek and Discover God’s True Light for this world!
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the light of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
Simeon Saw the Salvation of God
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Salvation wasn’t hidden, it wasn’t for a select few, but was for all peoples. Salvation is to be seen. Simeon saw the Salvation of God in the life of Jesus. Each of us can see God’s Salvation if we open our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. You don’t have to wonder or think or hope. You can see the salvation of the Lord! For God so loved you and me that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him should not perish, but have everlasting LIFE! God gives mankind a choice. We can chose the Light of His Son to save us from our sins, or we can chose to walk in darkness. When you chose to give your life to Jesus, you have eternal Life. When you ignore the Light, you will live in eternal darkness.
Simeon Saw the Light for the Nations
When Simeon lifted up the baby Jesus, He was holding God’s True Light for all the Nations. Jesus Christ was the revelation of God to a dark and sinful world.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself declared that He was the True Light of the World:
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Jesus is the Light for all Nations, for all mankind. Not only did He talk a Righteous game, he walked a Righteous game. Satan tried to cover Him with the darkness of sin, just as he had Adam and Eve, but Jesus defeated Satan with the Light of the Word of God. Jesus is the Word! He is the Lamp unto our feet, the Light for our paths.
Simeon Saw the Glory of Israel
Simeon was able to see by faith that this little Baby would someday come in all His Glory as the King of the Jews. He indeed will reign upon Jerusalem as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
It takes a lot to pay attention to God. You need to set aside what you want to do, and look at what He is doing. You need to give God your heart. You need to see your sins and realize the stupidity of following your own way. You need to realize that this life is either about walking in God’s Light, or walking in man’s darkness. There is no in-between. It is either a life of Light though God’s Son, or a life of darkness in sin. Jesus is either in your life or He is not. You are either a child of God’s by the New Birth made possible by Jesus atonement for your sins, or you are a child of Satan’s, stained by the darkness of sin.
A couple years back there was a house near the entrance of a subdivision that kept their Christmas lights burning long after the season was past. They burned through January. Even through the first of February those outside lights burned every night. Finally, about the middle of February a concerned neighbor became a bit critical and said, “If I were too lazy to take my Christmas lights down, I think I’d at least turn them off at night.” But about the middle of March there was a sign outside of their house that explained why they’d left the lights on. It said simply, “Welcome home, Jimmy.” The family had a son in Iraq, and they had unashamedly left their Christmas lights on in anticipation of his return.
Lights are a symbol of hope. Christ in You is the Hope of Glory. Do you know with all assurance that when you die, you will behold the Glory of Christ? Do you know that the Light of Jesus Christ has given you eternal Life? Is that your testimony this Christmas? If not, believe in the Light while God is still giving you Light. Jesus is the Light of Revelation for our dark and sinful world.
John 12:36 (NKJV) While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
Loving the Word with the MudPreacher 