Video Illustration: Light in the darkness
Love Came Down pt 4
Thesis: Love came down to bring us the Christmas blessings of love, hope, peace, and light - light has many blessings attached to it and we will explore some in this message.
Reference Song: Love Came Down
We have been exploring the lyrics of the song Love Came Down over the last couple weeks:
Verse 1
In a moment, everything changed
On a silent night came the promised child
In a stable so humble and poor
Unto us was born the Savior of the world
Chorus
Love came down, Hope was found
A star lit the sky, the angels cried glory
Light broke through, the darkest night
Hope is alive, hope is alive
Cause love came down, love came down
Verse 2
In a moment, peace broke out, now the Prince is here, there’s no need to fear,
In a manger, eternity rests, Unto us was born, The Savior of the world
Today we are going to look once again at the song: Love Came Down’s the lyrics and highlight the phrase of The Light breaking through the darkness:
“A star lit the sky, the angels cried glory
Light broke through, the darkest night.”
Scripture: Texts: Isaiah 9:1-7
1Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan—
2 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.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
Christmas Is filled With the light of Jesus through all the celebration and decorations. Did you know that? The celebration of
Christmas ranks number 1 as the most favorite holiday of all time across the world. But few people understand the
meaning - the spiritual meanings behind many of the traditions of Christmas and the décorations of Christmas. Christmas
Is. A time filled with Love, Hope, Peace, Joy and The Light.
How was your Christmas Celebrations - did you enjoy the Celebration - and connect with the spirit of the season Jesus - did
you see the light of the Christmas Star - did you sun bath In His light?
What would have you missed this year If you could not have celebrated Christmas?
Illustration: Canada from my understanding went after Christmas and the celebration of it - forbidding people from having
Christmas gatherings. One pastor I know was fined for having a drive in service the price $32,000 - his name Is Leon
Fontaine - when people still tried going to church police blocked the entrances to the church In Steinbach - to stop the
church service. Can you Imagine that?
What if you missed the light of the world at Christmas? What would you have missed the most - If you missed Christmas?
ALONE ON CHRISTMAS
George Mason’s life was centered in his business. He lived alone and refused all invitations to socialize. His brother’s family had urged him to visit but the children always made too much noise. Besides, he didn’t want to buy presents for his nephews and nieces. Instead he bought some good records for himself and planned to listen to them and enjoy himself at home alone. On Christmas Eve after his employees left, George Mason went into the office vault to get a little extra cash. Soundlessly on newly oiled hinges, the great door swung shut behind him. Sudden darkness and the final click of the automatic lock startled him and he panicked. Desperately he pounded on the door, but before long he realized that no one would hear him. Everyone had gone home and he was in the office alone. Even the cleaning woman had gone. He recalled hearing of people suffocating in vaults. He was frightened out of his wits. Maybe he could make it through the night if he was quiet and breathed slowly. In the morning the employees would arrive, open the vault and he would be fine.
The he remembered that tomorrow was Christmas. The office was closed. Everyone would be at their homes. No work, no people, no luck! Rats! His heart pounded with fear and he wondered if he could get enough air to last two days. He calmed himself and tried to think. It was a new vault. It seems like the salesman said it has a safety feature of an air hole. He began feeling around in the darkness. All around and then up and down before he finally located a screened hole at the top. It was too small for a thief but large enough for air.
He sat on the cold floor of the vault and began his vigil of waiting for Christmas. Christmas Eve passed, Christmas Day passed. He had wanted to be alone for Christmas but not this way. He was extremely uncomfortable, hungry and thirsty. He needed to use the toilet. The air was getting damp and cold. It was awful. The darkness was so intense it was almost brushing his face.
The day after Christmas the chief cashier arrived and disengaged the automatic lock of the vault but did not open the door. Without anyone seeing him George Mason staggered out of the safe and made his way to the water cooler. He grabbed his coat and hailed a taxi and went home to his lonely residence. Later in the day he returned to the office. No one had missed him. As he pondered his experience he decided to make a sign and place it beside the safe door. It was for all to read but it was a reminder to him. The words were: “To love people, to be needed somewhere, that is the purpose of life. That is the secret of happiness.”
Although George never married he had learned a valuable lesson about family and the need for one another.
SOURCE: from “The Man Who Missed Christmas” by J. Edgar Park.
Illustration: FINALLY CHRISTMAS
Senator John McCain of Arizona was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict. He was shot down and held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi for 5 ½ years, 1967-1973, spending much of it in solitary confinement.John McCain said this, “When I was being mistreated by the North Vietnamese, many times I found myself asking to live just one more minute rather than one more hour or one more day. And I know I was able to hang on longer as a prisoner of war because of the spiritual help that I received through prayer.”“At Christmas, I was the room chaplain, not because of my excessive virtue, but because I knew all the prayers that went with a church service, since I had been in a boarding school and was an Episcopalian. We asked for a Bible, and the Vietnamese said they didn’t have any. Later we learned that thousands of Bibles had been sent to us.”“Four days before Christmas, I was told that I could copy prayers and stories from the only Bible the Vietnamese had available…Our service consisted of a biblical passage read by me, followed by an appropriate song by the choir. I talked about the birth of Christ and the choir sang, ‘Silent Night.’”“I looked around the room and there were tears in those men’s eyes. They weren’t tears of anger or fright or sorrow or bitterness or even longing for home. They were tears of joy that, for the first time in seven years for some of them there was a celebration of Christmas together as Americans.” SOURCE: Homiletics Magazine 14:6. Contributed by Fred Mueller, The Reformed Church of Locust Valley in "Hold On!" http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=53162
T.S. – Go over to the table with the 7 candles and high light each candle for each point. If you missed Christmas you would miss these 7 dimensions of light from the meaning of Christmas:
1. The first light of Christmas is the Prophetic light of the Word of God.
a. This morning I am going to focus on these candles to symbolize these lights that point to the great light of the world.
i. The word of God and the prophecy candle represents the story of Jesus - his birth. God’s special messengers announced that the Savior the Messiah was coming to the earth. These messengers were called prophets. I highlighted this briefly on Christmas Eve.
1. Our first Visual is the Bible the Great written Word of God which proclaims His prophetic messages of the past, the present and the future.
a. Some of these prophets who proclaimed the coming Savior of the world where: Isaiah, Micah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Malachi, Daniel, Moses, and David.
b. These men cried out to the people to be ready to embrace the one who would create a relationship between them and God. No longer would God be distant and isolated from them but he would open a relationship between his followers and himself. It would be a personal relationship and intimate relationship a meaningful-impact full relationship that would last forever.
c. Isaiah stated, “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold , a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
i. Which means, “God with us!”
ii. God dwells with us – he has a relationship with us-he talks to us- loves us – hugs us- cares for us- protects us. Yes, this baby born of the virgin brought forth a relationship with God almighty that will be personal and intimate. It will make a difference in your life because He will be with you literally.
1. Have you connected with Jesus this Christmas Season - through His Word?
b. God’s Word is a light that shines if you read it, open It, listen to It, watch It and you let it speak to you - the following points are from https://www.thewayinternational.com/gods-word-is-light/
i. The light of God’s Word is available to us today in the Bible, written so that we can learn it, apply it, and benefit from it.
1. Psalms 119:105: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
a. God’s Word is the spiritual light that gives us direction in life. With knowledge of His Word, we can live confidently. The Word of God clearly shows the best ways to walk in life, the paths that will be beneficial to our lives. The light of God’s Word enables us to truly prevail in life and overcome the darkness of this world.
b. God does not want us to live in spiritual darkness. He designed man to live in the light of His Word. He made this beautiful planet for us to live on beneath a bright, shining sun, and He gave us His Word so that we can live in the spiritual light as well. When we live in the light of God’s Word, we have fellowship with Him. Our fellowship is maintained by faithfully exposing our minds to the light of God’s Word and acting upon it.
i. Psalms 119:130: The entrance of thy words give light; it gives understanding to the simple.
2. Having a Bible is not enough in itself to get the light of God’s Word into our lives; we must open it, read it, learn to understand it, and maintain it in our heart, soul and minds.
a. Some of the ways we can maintain the light of God’s Word in our minds is by reading His Word daily, praying, remembering what He has done for us, and staying faithful to do what we know is true and right.
b. As we make maintaining God’s Word our lifestyle, we are living in the light. Living in the light keeps us out of darkness and puts us in a position to enjoy the benefits and blessings of God.
i. The New Year Is this week make a commitment to connect with His light each day through the Word of God.
T.S. - We see the prophetic light of God’s Word shines - but we must get in its light - We have learned how The Word spot lights Jesus as the reason for the season- it illuminates the birth of Jesus as a supernatural fulfillment of the prophetic words spoken by God’s messengers 100’s -1,000 of years prior to His coming. Jesus Is The Light of The World.
2. The second light of Christmas which points to the Light of the world is the Bethlehem light.
a. Here we have the nativity scene which represents Bethlehem.
i. I read and article from a paper talking about a pastor and his wife who collect nativity sets and scenes from all over the world.
1. The message of the nativity according to the article is this: “An Enduring symbol. Christ’s birth has been a powerful story through-out the ages. The Nativity is a three dimensional depiction of that timeless story and an enduring symbol of faith, hope, and love for Christians around the world. The Nativity also has developed into an international art form with a universal message that speaks to people of all faiths and cultures. It is a story of family, new beginnings, the miracle of life, and a spiritual presence” (Englert, 7).
2. The Beyeas say this about why the collect Nativity scenes “ Our faith means nothing, “Francis says, “If we’re not sharing it.”
a. They share their collection of the Nativity scenes to spread the Good News of Jesus birth.
b. Today as we look at this candle, the “Bethlehem” candle. This candle reminds us that Jesus left the glory of His home in Heaven to come to the earth to be born in Bethlehem.
i. He left his throne for a barn and He did this for you and me. Why? So that he could establish a relationship with us.
ii. Bethlehem was a tiny town out in the middle of nowhere just five miles southwest of Jerusalem in the hill country of Judea. God designed even the smallest details of the coming of Jesus his son. May we this Christmas continue to ponder the thought and see the beacon of the light that was born in the manager in the stable so that we could have a relationship with the Almighty.
c. The Prophecy of the birth of the Messiah In Bethlehem.
i. Micah 5:2 states: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
1. The fulfillment of this prophetic word was accomplished by Jesus at his birth.
a. John 7:40-43: 40On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” 41Others said, “He is the Christ.” Still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.”
T.S. - The candle of Bethlehem illuminates the fact that Jesus was the long prophesied Messiah that would come to deliver the people from their sin and establish a personal relationship with God Almighty.
3. The third beacon of light which points to the true light is the Shepherd’s light.
a. As we look at this candle I want you to focus on the Shepherd’s staff symbolized by our candy cane.
i. The candy cane story:
1. The red stands for the blood of Christ sacrificed for you and me. The white color stands for how the blood makes us pure as white as snow. The cane is in the shape of a shepherds cane to say, “This is what the good shepherd gives you and me!
2. The Cane represents that Jesus is the Great Shepherd and if you turn it over it’s the first Initial of Jesus -J!
a. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
b. This candle points to Jesus, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for his sheep. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus strives to keep his flock together forever. He strives to guide and to defend his flock from the clutches of the enemy. He also disciplines the wanders for their protection.
c. This candle also reminds us that we need to share the Good News like the Shepherds did after the appearance of the angels to them in the field.
i. The Bible states, “They made known the sayings which had been revealed to them in the night about this king who as born.”
ii. Quote by Alan Perkins on the Shepherds:
1. Let me tell you a bit about shepherds. They were the last people you’d expect God to take notice of. First of all, they were religious outcasts. According to Jewish religious law, these men were unclean. Their line of work prevented them from participating in the feasts and holy days that made up the Jewish religious calendar. Why? Well, somebody had to watch the sheep. When everyone else was making the trip to Jerusalem to make sacrifices at the temple, or to participate in one of the annual feasts, they were out in the fields, watching over the sheep. A modern day example might be a trucker or a shift worker, whose job keeps them from regularly attending church. It wasn’t really their fault. But they were looked down on, from a religious point of view. Whatever might have been in their hearts, they weren’t able to participate fully in the religious life of the community. Not only that, but shepherds were borderline social outcasts. Since they were constantly on the move to find new pasture for their flocks, they were looked on with suspicion. Kind of the way people today might look at gypsies, or carnival workers. They were often accused of being thieves. If something came up missing – it must have been those shepherds. They were not permitted to give testimony in a legal proceeding, because their word wasn’t considered trustworthy. And on top of all that, they really didn’t have much contact with other people. Most of the time, they were “living out in the fields” (v. 8). This was not a 40-hour a week job. They didn’t come home at night. They were with the sheep 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During the day, they led the sheep to grass and water. They watched while the sheep grazed. They kept an eye out for predators like wolves. And at night, they actually slept in the sheep pen with the sheep to guard against theft and animal attack. A good shepherd could identify each one of his sheep by sight. He knew his sheep and they knew him.
a. “The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” – John 10:2-4 (NIV) (Sermon Central –Shepherds- Alan Perkins)
T.S. - The light of the Shepherd points us once again to the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep so they might live- It’s of course Jesus - The Light of The World!
4. The fourth beacon of light which points to the Messiah is the Angels light.
a. This candle points to God’s helpers and messengers his angels. Visual and angel. Picture of our angel on the tree.
i. Angels are the messengers of God designed for the purpose to proclaim the messages of the Lord.
ii. Angels spoke to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds about the Birth of Jesus.
iii. They also ministered to Jesus in the wilderness and in the garden.
iv. They rolled the stone away from the empty tomb and were with Jesus at the Ascension back to Heaven.
v. Angels are still at work, according to the Bible, assisting , protecting and delivering God’s people.
1. Stories of Angels abound In history bringing messages to God’s people.
b. Texts: Angels text
i. Isaiah7:14: 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
1. Fulfillment:
a. Luke 1:26-31: 26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
T.S. - The angel is a messenger who delivers the message of the Light of the World to this world - the main message of angels Is - Jesus is God in the flesh the one who came down to deliver His people and to create a personal relationship with His people. Jesus Is the promised Savior of the world.
5. The fifth beacon of light which points to Jesus as the way the truth and the life is the Christmas tree.
a. The candle we lit symbolizes the tree.
i. Story of the Christmas Tree Tradition from Stories Behind The Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins (Page 70-75)
1. The universal acceptance of the Christmas Tree for Christmas happened in the 1800’s.
a. Story of St Boniface and what he stumbled Into
i. The Oak tree incident – the child sacrifice to Thor – his intervention - the miracle the Oak falls over – in the collapse a small fir tree sprung up – the fir he said represented the tree of life – his words impacted the men and salvation of these men followed and he rescued the boy.
ii. He noted also how the fir tree represented the Holy Trinity – The Father-Son and Holy Spirit.
b. The first fir actually called a Christmas Tree was put up in Latvia in 1510.
c. In 1521 Princess Helene de Mecklembourg married the Duke of Orleans and Introduced it to Paris.
d. Martin Luther took the tree to the next level by putting lights – (candles on His tree)
i. Luther taught his family and congregation that the tree represented the Love of God – connecting it to the Cross of Christ – He also pointed out how the Evergreen’s color does not fade in the harshness of winter -just as God’s love would never fade for us through the harsh times of life – no circumstance could ever diminish the love God has for us. He also taught that the candles on the tree represented the hope and light Jesus brought this world through his birth and resurrection. The tree evolved into not just a tree for Christmas but it represented the Christian faith in general.
e. During the Revolutionary War Hessian mercenary’s fighting for the Colonies introduced the Christmas Tree to the Colonies.
f. In the days of the Civil War the Christmas tree took root. It became a symbol of Christmas because everyone could afford one or get one.
g. Ace states, “The Christmas Tree is the most endearing of all holiday traditions that originated in pagan cultures (As a sign of life). Christmas Trees can be found in stores, churches, on streets and in yards, in schools and businesses, and of course, in hundreds of millions of homes around the world. For many, the tree that can survive even the most barbarous winter has come to represent the everlasting promise of eternal life offered through Christ. The lights placed on the tree represent the light that the babe in the manger brought to a dark and hopeless world. Because the evergreen is so strong and so resilient, it has also come to represent peace and hope to millions” (Page 75).
b. When you look at your Christmas tree think about this Scripture found in Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Then verse 14 states, “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
i. Story of Couple In North Carolina and homeowners association who said they had to take down their cross because It Is not a Christmas symbol.
ii. That promise is eternal life. When you look at the star on top of the tree think upon the star that the wise men saw that lead them to the messiah king. When you look at the ornaments think about where most of them came - the stories behind the ornaments of the lives that gave them to you and the sentimental meaning behind all the lives reflected in the ornaments.
1. You can see Christ in the Christmas lights on the tree.
a. Remember what Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12).
b. When you look at the lights on the trees or the lights on the houses – think about Jesus the light of the world and thank the Lord for sending Him.
iii. History of the tree by Jeff Strite –Sermon Central
1. The Christmas tree tradition was started in Germany in the late 15th century. At that time a popular play depicted the expulsion of Adam Eve from Eden, by a fir tree hung with apples. Soon trees were placed in the homes of Christians who interpreted it as a symbol of the coming Savior. The apples were replaced with small white wafers to represent Communion. Later, the wafers were replaced by small pieces of pastry cut into shapes of stars, angels, hearts, flowers, and bells.
a. Christmas cookies.
T.S. - The Christmas tree light illuminates the fact that Jesus was born to die on a cross – a tree – for each one of us so we could be set free and connect to the light of the world.
6. The sixth beacon of light which points to Jesus as the everlasting father is the Poinsettia’s.
a. I light of this candle reflects these plants to remind us of the meaning behind this plant.
i. It was interesting while we where in India I actually saw a poinsettia tree.
ii. Story of the poinsettia:
1. A legend tells the story of the Poinsettia.
The legend tells us that the parishioners at a church in Mexico brought great quantities of flowers to the altar each Christmas. One day, while hundreds of people carried flowers to the cathedral, a little girl cried because she had no flowers to give. A priest found her and asked the reason for her tears, “I have no flowers to give to Jesus” she cried. The priest told her to pick a weed which grew near the roadside. The little girl wondered why the priest should tell her to pick a weed, but she did as she was told. When she placed the weed on the altar, the large green leaves glowed with a soft red light, and was the most beautiful flower presented. Since that time, the legend says, the poinsettia plant has been the special flower of Christmas.” Charles L. Wallis
T.S. - The light of the Poinsettia shines forth the truth that God loves us and He embraces our gifts to him that come from the heart even if we or others think they are worthless.
7. The seventh beacon of light which points to Jesus as the mighty God is the Christmas wreath.
a. I light of this candle symbolizes and reminds us that this wreath is a symbol of victory.
i. You can see Christ in the Christmas wreaths adorning the doors of many homes. The wreath stands for victory. The victory of Christ defeating the enemy and giving us New Life.
1. I Cor. 15:54b-57“…Death has been swallowed up in victory. ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
ii. It is also the symbol of the unbroken ring of God’s love for His people.
T.S. - The wreath’s beam of light focus’ on the fact that Jesus defeated death and gave us the victory over death. His life and death took away the sting of death and it gave us eternal life if we choose to embrace His great gift.
Conclusion:
All of these beacons of light point to the one Great light of the World- Jesus!
* We celebrate the birthday of this baby Jesus because his life and death gave us the greatest gift of all eternal life and connection with The Light of the World.
# John 3:16: 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
* Christ has earned the right to be the center of all things this Christmas season and every Christmas season that follows.
* He is the one who wants to establish a personal relationship with you this Christmas and into the New Year. He wants to impact your life so that this Christmas season He lights up your life like never before.
At the Conclusion of the Service:
Altar Call: The Question I want to ask you this morning is this one. Do you want a personal intimate relationship with Jesus this coming year - do you want to connect the Light of the world.
Pause!
If the answer is yes – Then stand with me and lets pray for a new relationship or even a renewed relationship with the Light of the World!
