The Light of Hope

I love Christmas Eve. The gatherings, the presents, the lights, the cookies. Singing the old Christmas Carols together and remembering the traditions from the Christmas’ of old.

The shopping, the parties, the food, the ugly sweaters… they are all a part of the traditions of Christmas and today is the night before Christmas. So let’s just rest and relax and reflect on what Christmas is all about.

Christmas is all about God coming to earth as a human, fulfilling the promise of salvation through a little Baby born of a virgin.

Christmas is all about the light of the world coming to earth and illuminating our darkness.

Christmas is the invitation, the drawing, the leading us to salvation.

Christmas is all about leading us to real peace, true love, and everlasting joy, so that we can fulfill God’s wonderful purpose here on earth.

Christmas is about new beginnings, hearing from God so that we can have even greater opportunities to worship HIM.

As we’ve been looking at the story of Christmas in Luke 2, we see a world that was full of darkness and looking for hope.

They didn’t find much hope in there government, there leadership, or the religious hierarchy. They were still wondering in darkness and searching for hope.

Jesus came into our hopeless and dark world through a poor and humble family. Jesus came to us 2000 years ago into a messy and a dark time. Born in a barn, laid in a feeding trough, in a town that wasn’t his home town and yet that was God’s plan from the beginning.

Yet Jesus came with the fanfare of angels and a star leading wise men from a distant nation.

The good news, the Gospel is that Jesus is still present in our darkness and this hope that came over 2000 years ago in the form of a fragile innocent little baby is still the hope for our world today even in our darkest of times.

Christmas looks much different now then it did back when I was a kid. It’s less about reliving the “magic” of Christmas as a kid, and it’s more about Emmanuel God with us. No matter what’s under the tree, God is still with us and that’s the greatest gift that could ever be given.

The birth of Jesus represents the fulfillment of ancient prophecies and the incarnation of God among us. He is the light that has entered our world, providing salvation and hope to all of humanity.

In the birth of Christ, we see the arrival of hope and light into a world in need, encouraging us to share that joy with others during this Christmas season.

Jesus came with…

1. Humble Beginnings, Sovereign Plan

Jesus was born into a family from Nazareth, an unimportant town, at a time when the Romans ruled over Israel. Mary and Joseph, who were from the linage of King David, had to go to Bethlehem to be counted in a census.

At that time Mary was very pregnant and was ready to have the baby. Since there was no room in the inn, they stayed with the animals in the barn. That’s where Jesus, the son of God, the messiah, the savior of the world, came into our world.

God didn’t enter our world born in a palace, or even a home or hospital…

Luke 2:6–7 NLT

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

It’s the humility of Christ that shines through the darkness. God’s sovereign plan has a way of being revealed in the seemingly mundane.

We often want the extravagant and we are drawn to the complicated and because of that we miss the beauty in the simple message of Christmas. Let me encourage you to seek the simplicity of Christ and to trust God's plans regardless of how things seem to appear.

2. Glorious News, Great Joy

Luke 2:8–12 NLT

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

The announcement of the birth of Jesus came to dirty shepherds working the night shift through an angel. It was the shepherds who first heard about Jesus, God’s promised messiah was born.

Jesus is introduced as the 'light of glory' breaking into the darkness, bringing good news of great joy.

After hearing this amazing news and receiving this divine invitation, they had to respond. The shepherds’ response to this wonderful message is a way that should inspire us. They embraced and proclaimed the joy of the Savior's birth.

Luke 2:15 NLT

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They responded with joy to this great news.

When we hear the good news about Jesus do we respond like the shepherds? It’s more then just hearing about the message of Christmas, we have to come and see Jesus personally.

3. Transformed Lives, Shared Hope

Luke 2:16 NLT

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

When the shepherds witnessed the Christ Child they were transformed. They heard the good news through the angels and God blessed them as they went to see that all of it was confirmed just as they witnessed it for themselves.

Seeing Jesus changed them because now they have seen God’s hope for all humanity. Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, exactly what they heard they are now beholding, right before their very eyes.

Jesus is the light that brings transformation, hope in our hopelessness, Jesus is what will illuminate our darkest darkness. The story of Christmas is not just something we share this time of year, it should be something that we share every day of the year. The shepherds couldn’t just keep it to themselves.

Luke 2:17–20 NLT

17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

If the story of Christmas has changed your life and has given you hope then don’t keep it to yourself. Respond like the shepherds, praise and glorify God and tell others about Jesus so they can know the real hope that only be found in Jesus.

Christmas changed everything.

Even as we face conflicts and trials, Jesus came to give us real and lasting peace.

Video - Silent Night

Slow down, take a break and share the hope of Christmas with others… neighbor, friends, classmates, son, daughter, grandchild… share the hope of Christmas with others.

Jesus is described as the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us.

John 1:4–5 NLT

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

No matter how dark things look, Jesus always shines brighter. It’s when we put our hope in Christ is when Christ shines through us. Christmas is all about new beginnings because Jesus is still the light that darkness can never put out.

Don’t hide it under a bushel, just let it shine.

Light the Candle - Sing Silent Night

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Merry Christmas and may the presence of Jesus be the greatest present you will ever receive this Christmas.

God bless and Merry Christmas.

Present - Forest Frank