[S] I want to tell you a story that occurred around Christmas around 1980 give or take a year. It was Christmas break in Fort Lupton, Colorado and me and two of my friends had gone duck hunting on the Holton farm which included the North Platte River. A fresh coat of powder snow had fallen overnight so there was 6”-8” of fresh snow on the ground and it was still snowing although it had tapered off. Bobby, Phil and I hopped in my dad’s 1972 4 wheel drive Chevy Blazer and once at the farm started to follow the white snow covered tire lanes through the fields. The snow had started falling heavier as we took our places along the river banks. Soon the little flakes turned into white silver dollar pancakes floating to the ground. Before long snow was starting to pile up as the snow came down and lots of it. And then the winds rose and the temperatures plummeted. We didn’t think anything of it and so we hung around until it dusk. And that was a mistake because before we realized it we were in a full blown blizzard.
We made it to the Blazer, started it up and began to the drive back to the farm house but the visibility was horrible. We couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us. We couldn’t even see our tire tracks from when we drove out earlier which is what we needed to follow to get back out. And then it happened. It felt like the earth opened up and swallowed the Blazer. We tried to open the doors to get out but couldn’t because of the snow. So, we opened the upper half of the tailgate, jumped out and quickly realized the Blazer wasn’t going anywhere. We had driven into an old eroded stream bed that had filled in with drifting snow.
We were stuck in a field in the middle of a blizzard as the sun went down. A blizzard that would end up dumping two feet of snow that night combined with single digit temperatures. And to top it off, this was before cell phones.
We had two choices. Stay with the Blazer and ride out the storm not knowing how long or how bad it might be and deal with the consequences of worried parents later. Or, try to walk back to the Holton home with worsening conditions and visibility. And to top it off, without being able to see landmarks, we really had no idea which direction that was. We decided to walk. And to make sure we didn’t get separated we walked single file with a hand on the back of the one in front of us.
It wasn’t too long after that that I wondered if this had been a good decision. We had been walking a little while and had no idea where we were or where the Blazer was at this time when we literally stumbled into a barbed wire fence. We were so thankful because it gave us something to hold on to in the wind. We also hoped that it would lead us somewhere better than where we were. But, we didn’t know which way to go. So we just kept heading in the same direction.
Sweaty, cold, numb, tired, and thirsty the ordeal was starting to take its toll. We were slowing down, having to wait on each other and encourage each other. I don’t remember how long we had been walking when someone yelled, “Light!” “Light!” “I think I see a light!” “Do you see it?” “Over there!” I looked up but didn’t see anything. And then fading in and out as if choreographed with the gusts of snow I saw a hazy light appear. “I see the Light!” We were so elated that we let go of the barbed wire fence and lumbered through the drifting snow towards the light. With each step the light grew brighter and brighter. It seemed like we would never get to it. But we did. And when we did it turned out to the big mercury light attached to a telephone pole on the backside of the Holton’s farmhouse.
We knocked on the back door and when the Holton’s opened it they were startled to see us. They thought we had left long ago. After melting the ice and snow off the zippers we crawled out of our insulated overalls and were served hot chocolate and soup. It never felt so good to be home.
Oh, what a difference that light made for the three of us that night.
I want to tell you another Christmas story about a light that makes a difference. This one was first told by John, one of Jesus’ disciples.
[S] “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” (John 1.1-18, NIV) [S]
John’s Christmas story is very different than Matthew and Luke’s. It’s not the warm fuzzy Charlie Brown Christmas. Instead of the manger, messengers and magi John speaks of darkness and light. Instead of a baby wearing footie pajamas there is this Word roaming the universe and piercing the darkness.
Darkness and light are recurring themes in John’s Christmas story and gospel. Darkness describes people living without the correct knowledge of God or those who are ignorant of the ways of God. Darkness represents sin, evil, despair, doubt and unbelief. People who live without the God of the Scriptures are said to be living in darkness. Darkness therefore refers to the human condition and the alienation that exists between God and persons.
Light on the other hand is good. Light represents truth. Lights shows things for what they really are. Light depicts the fulfillment of God’s promised revelation to the nations. Light represents God and the manifestation of his power, presence and will for humanity. People who live for the God of the Scriptures are said to walk in the light.
Like the mercury light at the Holton farm house Jesus is God’s gift of light to a world filled with people living in darkness. A light designed to lead us home to God.
[S] In John 8.12 Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (NIV)
When Jesus made this statement it’s believed he did so during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, also known as the festival of booths. God inaugurated this feast to help the people of Israel remember that God took care of them for 40 years as they wandered in the wilderness on the way to their Promised Land. Part of the tradition calls for families to build make shift shelters and camp out in them for a week reminding them of what their ancestors went through.
Along with the Booths there was a grand celebration that included the lighting of some
giant Menorah’s or candelabras that were said to be 75 ft. tall. At the top of each Menorah were seven huge bowls that held 9 liters of oil. With great pomp and circumstance the bowls were lit. Ancient accounts said that the light from these huge candelabra literally lit up the streets of Jerusalem and could be seen from everywhere. The fire and light from the Menorah’s represented the presence of God among the Israelites in the wilderness in the form of the Pillar of Fire which protected and guided them for 40 years. It’s against this backdrop that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Jesus was born in order to light the way to God. If someone wants to know God, they do so by knowing and following the Light that God provided to guide you to Gods self.
Rose Crawford had been blind for 50 years when the doctor slowly removed the bandages from her eyes after surgery. “I can’t believe it!” she exclaimed as she wept with joy at the sights. For the first time in her life she was able to see the light and the beauty of the world.
The sad thing about her story, however, was that the surgical techniques used to restore her sight had been around for 20 years. She could have had her sight at the age of 30 instead of 50. When the doctor was asked why Rose didn’t have the surgery earlier he replied, “She assumed there was nothing that could be done for her condition.”
As I thought about Rose I wondered why she assumed that? Did she think 21 years ago that she was born this way and it would never change? Had no one told her about the wonderful advances in eye surgery? Had she heard but thought it was too good to be true or was she scared about what a new life with light would be like?
One of the greatest tragedies in the world has to be when people continue to live in darkness when they can live in the light. Too many people still live their lives in spiritual darkness when they can live in the life changing light of Jesus the Christ.
When it comes to the context of your Christmas story, are you walking in darkness or the Light? If its darkness, I extend an invitation from Jesus himself to follow the light home tonight. Don’t leave here only to return to the darkness again. Choose tonight to follow the Light. If you’ve already made that decision, then rejoice and give God thanks for the gift of Light that led you home and remember all that God has done for you.
