Christmas 2016: The Light Shines into the Darkness
Scripture References: John 1:1-5 (Main) Isaiah 9:2; Genesis 3:15; John 3:1-8
Intro: Welcome to this sermon focusing on our deep, universal longing for a full, abundant life – a desire especially visible during the busy Christmas season. While we seek this fullness in many ways, the true source is Jesus Christ, whose birth was an invasion of Life and Light into a world of darkness and death.
Key Points:
- The Universal Quest for Life: All humans, regardless of background or belief, are driven by a desire for a full life. Our Christmas activities (parties, gifts, feasts) highlight this innate longing. This hunger points ultimately to Jesus.
- Christmas as Divine Invasion: Often sentimentalized, the first Christmas was a strategic invasion. Jesus (The Word, Life, Light) entered a world under the dominion of darkness and death, initiating its overthrow.
- Life is the Light (John 1:1-5): John's prologue emphasizes that Jesus is the eternal Word, and "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." His very being dispels darkness and overcomes death. Darkness cannot extinguish His light.
- The Ancient Promise (Gen 3:15): In the midst of pronouncing the curse (death) due to sin, God promised an "offspring of the woman" would crush the serpent's (Satan's) head. Jesus, born of a virgin, is the fulfillment of this promise – Life conquering Death.
- Hope for a Dark World: Jesus came into a world experiencing darkness (Roman oppression, spiritual silence). His arrival as Life and Light is the ultimate hope that darkness and death will not reign forever.
- Receiving True Life - Being Born Again (John 3): Our hunger for life can only be truly satisfied by Jesus. He told Nicodemus that entering God's Kingdom of Life requires being "born again" – a spiritual rebirth initiated by God's Spirit and received passively through faith, like physical birth.
Conclusion: The Christmas story is about God invading our darkness with His own Life and Light in the person of Jesus. He is the fulfillment of our deepest desires for abundance and meaning. True, eternal life begins by being born again into His kingdom through faith in Him.
Call to Action: Recognize your innate hunger for life as a sign pointing you to Jesus. If you haven't experienced the new birth, turn to Him in faith today and receive His life. If you are a believer feeling worn down by darkness, ask Jesus, the Light and Life, to shine afresh in you and push back the darkness. Receive His life as a gift.
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