Christmas Eve- White light shining straight down from night sky with mountains in foreground

Christmas- 4 Characteristics of Light

The reason we celebrate Christmas is surrounded by two dramatic events…

Matthew 2:2-9… and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 
5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. When He was born it was night, and there was a star that lit the way. This darkness of night is a representation of people in darkness and spiritually blind.

The second dramatic event is at the death of Jesus. He was killed during the day and it quickly became dark when he died. Jesus was the light when he walked among us, and the world was filled with darkness when He left the earth.

We gather on Christmas Eve here at the church in reflection of the birth of Jesus that took place at night. The star in the sky led the people that were observant to Him where He was born. Jesus is the guiding light.

  1. Light is used to guide. The star in the east was what guided the Magi to reach Jesus. It took them two years to get there. Let us be reminded that God guides us wherever we go. He lights our path.
  2. Light gives hope. When we see the light we know that we have come to the end of the darkness. Where there is no light, there will be darkness.
  3. Light can carry signals or information. This is a reality with FIOS that was developed by Bell Labs.
  4. Light reflects. In the midst of it being so dark, you can see the reflection of light that shines on reflective surfaces. We are not the light, but Jesus’s light is what people see. Like the shepherds we need to be the reflection of the light of Jesus. You are that light in the midst of all darkness.

Remember what God was doing some 2,000 years ago. We celebrate Christmas because of what God did. He sent Jesus to example how our lives should be. Walk in the light before darkness overtakes us.

Continue to believe; put your faith in Him!