OPEN: We tend to take Christmas lights for granted. We see them on Christmas trees, and on bushes and buildings throughout the city. They’re in practically every store and mall, and sometimes we’ve seen them in synchronized musical displays on homes.
So, we tend to take Christmas lights for granted.
BUT Christmas lights haven’t always been around.
Tradition tells us that Martin Luther decorated his “Christmas tree” as far back as 1510. But the idea took several centuries to really catch fire (if you will).
• At first people glued small candles to the tree branches with melted wax or attached by pins.
• Around 1890, candleholders began to be used to hold those Christmas candles.
• In the early 1900’s, people started using small lanterns and glass balls to hold their candles.
On December 22, 1882 Edward H. Johnson (an associate of Thomas Edison) had the first string of electric lights created for his tree. There were 80 red, white and blue electric incandescent light bulbs about the size of a walnut hand-wired together. However the lights were so expensive that it took over decade for stores to use them and nearly 50 years for them become popular in the general populace.
But once they became accepted around 1930 - for the past 80 years electric Christmas lights have been commonplace. So we tend to take them for granted. And we’d have a hard time thinking about Christmas without them.
But as beautiful and pleasing as those Christmas lights are at Christmas, they are but a pale reminder of the REAL LIGHT of Christmas. John 1 tells us that…
“In (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:4-5
(PAUSE)
You remember the phrase: “Jesus is the reason for the season?”
He’s also “The Light Of the Season”
He is “The true light that gives light to every man...” John 1:9
This was a common theme throughout the Bible:
Isaiah prophesied of day the Messiah would come: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2 (Mt. 4:15)
During Jesus’ ministry He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
And again He said: “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46
Paul said that Jesus sent him “to open (peoples’) eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in (Jesus).” Acts 26:18
And Colossians tells us God “…rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” Colossians 1:13
So -what does this mean - that Jesus is THE light of the world?
Well, it helps to realize how important that concept is.
Colossians tells us God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness.
And Jesus said – whoever followed Him - would never walk in darkness.
Darkness?
ILLUS: The story’s told of little 5 year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go alone. "It’s dark in there and I’m scared."
She asked again and - he refused again.
Finally she said, "It’s OK honey -Jesus will be in there with you."
So, Johnny walked slowly to the door and opened it, and he peeked inside, saw... it was dark.
He started to leave --- and then all at once an idea came, and he said, "Jesus, if you’re in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup."
Now, why was little Johnny afraid?
It was dark in there.
People have always been a little afraid of the dark. That’s one of the reasons we have nightlights. If there’s a strange noise in the night – I’d just as soon have a light on. I don’t want to encounter things that go bump in the night without turning the lights on.
The dark can be a scary place to be.
The dark can hide scary things I don’t want to face alone.
The dark can rob me of my courage, my hope... my faith.
And what many people have discovered is that - the world can be a very DARK place.
It can be a place where scary things hide.
The world can be a place that robs me of my courage, my hope, my faith.
ILLUS: A few years back Hemant Mehta became the "eBay atheist" when he posted his soul on eBay. He became so famous started getting invitations to visit churches and share his thoughts.
At one point he visited a church where “… some people were asked to write down how they felt before and after becoming Christian. They said things like 'dark and light,' 'lonely and befriended,' which got me wondering: Is being down or lonely or desperate a prerequisite to finding God? Do these people think that others who have not yet found God are lost, scared or miserable? Do I have to go through some sort of trauma or crisis before finding some ultimate meaning?"
One of the major complaints of atheists is that they see Christianity as some kind of psychological crutch. They feel that people should be able to handle the difficulties of life without leaning on some god, and that’s what Hemant Mehta was reflecting on.
ILLUS: A student at Yale once challenged the chaplain at that university:
"Sir," he said belligerently, "religion is a crutch!"
The chaplain agreed: "Sure it is. But who isn't limping?"
But Atheists aren’t prone to accept that. From his comments, the Ebay atheist didn’t think that was true. It sounded like he’s never had to face hardships and difficulties in his life. Maybe he’s never been lonely, or lost or miserable. Maybe he’s never faced a trauma or a crisis.
But most of us have.
Because the world can be a dark place to be a harsh place… a place where scary things hide.
Henry Thoreau once observed “Most men live lives of quiet desperation."
And God knows that.
But He also knows. We don’t have to live lives of “quiet desperation. We don’t have to live in darkness.
God has always known His people need light to survive.
That’s why when He created the world - God’s first command was “Let there be light!”
And that’s why He created the Sun and the Moon and the stars–to give light to dark places.
And that’s why, when God saw the darkness in our lives, He so loved us that sent His only begotten Son to this world so that - as John chapter 1 tells us - “(His Son) the Light shines in the darkness... ”
What does Jesus do to shine light into my darkness?
Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
So, Jesus came so I wouldn’t have to walk around in the darkness.
Have you ever walked in darkness?
ILLUS: There have been times I’ve been at the church building in the middle of the night.
One time, all the lights were out and I was trying to walk from the back of the sanctuary up here to the stage. It wasn’t entirely dark… but it was dark enough that I couldn’t see the chairs. What do you think happened?
That’s right – I ran into a couple of chairs.
I found I had to walk slower and more cautiously, and I had to stretch my hands out in front of me so that I would avoid hitting other chairs.
You know, when you or I try to walk in the dark
1. we slow down
2. we’re more uncertain,
3. more prone to getting hurt
All we need is a little light, and we’d have no problems at all.
A little bit of light and we’d have no difficulty seeing where we’re going.
Jesus came to be our light… so we could see where we were going.
So we’d never walk in the darkness.
But how does Jesus do that? How does He bring light into our lives and roll back the darkness?
Well one way is by being our example.
John writes that we should “…walk in the light, as he is in the light…” 1 John 1:7
Do your best to live your life the way Jesus lived His.
For example: Jesus taught His disciples: “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
What’s Jesus saying: Follow my example.
Do what I’ve done.
Another time Jesus said
“…Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34
Jesus set us an example… He taught us how we should live.
It seems almost a cliché anymore, but the old question still holds true: “What would Jesus do?” If we ask ourselves that question whenever faced with a difficult decision, and we make our decisions based on the answer – we’ll never wonder about where we’re going. The way won’t be darkened by uncertainty. We’ll always know what is right, because we’d be following in the footsteps of our Lord and Master.
Jesus also gave us light by taking the darkness out of our lives.
Paul said that Jesus sent him “… to open (peoples’) eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 26:18
Sin darkens our lives.
It darkens our past, our present and our future.
Jesus came to take that sin away.
He came to remove my guilt, my shame, and the self-hatred hatred that often accompanies the sin that overtakes our lives. But Jesus came so that you and I could have a second chance.
I Corinthians says: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I Corinthians 6:9-11
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been… or who knows about it. Jesus wants to remove that terrible darkness from your life and replace it with the light of His love.
But not everybody wants that light in their lives.
I recently read about something called the “Christmas Parade of Lights” down in Tulsa, OK. They’ve been doing this parade for about 80 years now, and lots of people show up.
Asked what he liked about the parade, a man named Brad said "The lights mostly. I like the light parade. You get to see some colorful lights and what not. And my children love it”
For decades people have come out to see this Christmas Parade. But then a 2009, the parade committee decided that “Christmas” was too religious and they changed the name to “Holiday Parade of Lights.” It’s one of those “Taking Christ out of Christmas” situations that get people so upset.
Well, it took a couple years but THIS YEAR somebody finally got so upset they decided to schedule their own parade on the same day at the same time.. in another part of Tulsa.
And they named it (pause) “The Tulsa Christmas Parade”
Result?
Well, I don’t know how well the “Holiday Parade of Lights” did but I do know the Christmas Parade was a smashing success.
In its 80 years of existence, the highest number of floats in Christmas parade was about 70. But when they launched the new Tulsa Christmas Parade… they had 88.
But what interested me the most about this story was that US Senator James Inholfe had ridden his horse in the Christmas parade every year for decades. But once they removed the name Christmas he refused.
His comment?
“They took Christ out of Christmas. And if He’s out, I’m out.”
What Inholfe and the new Christmas Parade committee was saying was – THE LIGHT of Christmas is Christ. And they were gently but firmly taking their stand for Jesus.
CLOSE:
Now, I admire that. But we need to realize that whether the parade in Tulsa is called a Holiday parade or Christmas that’s not nearly as important as whether we or not Christ is the light of our life. The culture war over allowing Christ to stay in Christmas will go on for decades but what’s important is to make sure Christ is IN you and stays in you for eternity.
