Light Shines on Us

Background Scripture: John 3:1-21; Luke 2:1-20
Lesson Scripture: Luke 2:8-11; John 3:16-21; Malachi 4:2

Introduction

The prophecies of Jesus’s coming were like a glow in the eastern sky, a promise that morning must inevitably dawn. His birth was like the first rays of the sun, the light of the promise at last giving way to the brilliance of fulfillment. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son” (Gal. 4:4).

A few short years later, darkness enveloped his death, and creation waited in somber shadow as the Creator lay entombed. The swaddled Baby of the manger was swaddled once more, this time wrapped in bloodstained burial clothes. Then from the dark of the tomb, Jesus Christ came forth as a Conqueror—the Light of the world in full noontide glory, the victorious Sun of righteousness. The world Jesus came to save grows weary and faded, but his glory has not waned. It never will!

Key Verse

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

“They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death” (Isa. 9:2). What forms of death may have lurked in the shadows of the hills near Bethlehem? The shepherds are often portrayed as humble, peaceful folk discussing Scripture by a flickering fire. They may have been exactly that, but it is also possible that the angel found them tense and alert—ready to deal swift death to robbers or other enemies. There may have been quarrels, seething tension, and mistrust among them. This does not seem unlikely, for “the whole world was lost in the darkness of sin.” 1

If the bright light of the angel’s presence revealed a scene of anger, hatred, and tension, that scene would have reflected the world into which Jesus came. Heathen Roman armies had moved into the political vacuum left in Judea by Alexander the Great’s successors. The Romans enthroned Herod, a despised Edomite, to enforce their laws and collect their taxes. The Jewish nation was divided and corrupt. Greek-influenced Sadducees controlled the priesthood and much of the nation’s wealth. Pharisees cloaked avarice and lust with a smothering blanket of religious tradition. Common people were cheated and mistreated by Roman and Jewish leaders alike. The physical darkness on the hills of Bethlehem was nothing compared to the darkness of hatred, anger, and oppression that covered the land.

Four hundred years had elapsed since a prophet’s voice was last heard. How many held on to hope as the midnight deepened and the old candles of faith flickered out? But it is not the watcher who brings the dawn. Dawn comes, whether a man sleeps or whether he wakes, and this was the hour of dawn.

“The thoughts of many hearts [shall] be revealed,” Simeon said to Mary (Luke 2:35). Jesus—the living, breathing Word of God—revealed the greed, lust, hatred, and hypocrisy of many hearts. That searching light was not welcomed then, nor is it today. But for the few who are willing to leave the dark hills and halls of human folly, there is still a light coming from the manger. That light is a beacon of hope in the dark night of sin. But it is far, far more than a beacon of hope. It is the dawn of unquenchable day.

Practical Truths for Today

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). The light that shone in Bethlehem the night Christ was born was like no other illumination the world has ever known. Not only does its brilliance reach to every latitude and longitude on the earth, it also shines back through time to its very beginning and shines forward through the centuries, lighting the life of every person that has ever lived or yet will live.

Jesus “lighteth every man,” but we are born facing away from his light. Most of us cannot remember the first time we heard the story of Jesus, yet we know what it is to stare into the abyss of darkness, the abyss of our own hearts. No Judean hillside was ever as dark as a heart without Christ.

As childhood innocence fades, the armies of sin seek to occupy our hearts, overrunning every part of us. What difference does it make if our lives are ruled by a Herod of lust, a Sadducee of covetousness, a Pharisee of legalism, or all three? Like the people of Judea, we are downtrodden and oppressed, helpless before enemies that are infinitely stronger than we are. This is the condition of every unregenerate heart

Like so many years ago when Jesus came, the Son of God still comes to just such restless and miserable settings. Down the dark streets of anger, on the cold hills of fear, through the tumult of modern living, He comes, seeking a place to be born within the hearts of men.

His birth in a human heart comes quietly and humbly, known to those who long for Him. A song is heard on the hills of our hearts that has never been heard before. Peace on earth! How can it be that a single lowly birth can transform our whole world? Yet it does. The new birth is the turning point of our existence. He comes in a lowly way, but He comes as a King. The black army of sin cannot ever resist his power.

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46). The presence of Jesus in our lives makes everything different. “Good will toward men,” said the angels, and that becomes reality, for at last we can truly love our fellowmen. By the light of Jesus, we can see their needs, their wounds, and their God-given potential. We can also see the path to the doorsteps of their hearts.

We can see the beauty of the church, the walls and ramparts of Zion. We can see, at least in part, God’s wonderful plan unfolding. The world sees darkness and trouble, but by the light of Jesus, we see the gates of a glorious city, and we see Him standing at those gates with open arms.

Illustration

A missionary in West Africa tells of a woman who began to attend church services. As she listened to the preaching of Jesus, her heart was stirred. Though she said the devil warned her that she would be killed if she spoke, she was able to reveal her long history of spirit worship. She told of how she had lured others, including her own daughter, into the secret rites of evil. As she called upon Jesus for help, He became her Deliverer. She stepped out of the kingdom of darkness and into the light.

The kingdom of darkness is a kingdom of illusion. The impoverished African woman testified that in the secret rites of her former worship, she became a beautiful person, wearing beautiful dresses. As she came out of her trance, of course, she came back to the ugly reality of her life. This is how the kingdom of darkness controls all its subjects. Fear turns possibilities into terrible realities in the mind it controls. Pride distorts natural abilities into something completely out of proportion. Anger magnifies a small incident into a grievous insult. Covetousness dangles satisfaction and pleasure just beyond grasping fingers. Legalism turns stiff dogma into imaginary righteousness. These are gates into the paths of darkness.

The kingdom of light is a kingdom of reality, but the reality is hidden from unbelieving hearts. It is easy to dismiss a baby born to obscure and impoverished parents during the rush of census-taking. Many sneer with Nathanael, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46), and go on with their busy lives. They walk right past the King of the universe without even noticing Him.

Only faith can look in the manger and see “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). The power and the wisdom of God have not changed in the years since angels lit up the hills of Bethlehem. He still comes quietly, in places we would not expect to find Him. Faith takes hold of the reality that our lives can become the dwelling place of the King of kings.

Still travails the heart in the birth of the King,

More strange than the wandering star,

The Word becomes flesh, an incredible thing,

But truest of things that are. 2

Questions

1. In what ways might we miss the birth of the King today? Do we, like most of the Jews, make the mistake of looking for Him in the wrong places?
2. How can we help someone who is looking for deliverance from the wrong source?
3. Zechariah 14:6 refers to a time when the “light shall not be clear, nor dark.” Is there ever a time when we must live in a twilight zone?
4. 1 Philip P. Bliss, 1838-1876, “The Light of the World Is Jesus,” Christian Hymnal
5. 2 A. H. Ackley, 1887-1960, “The Story That Never Grows Old,” Echoes of Christmas 2
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).