Series: Wonder of Christmas 2023
Thesis: Do you have a wonder and awe for God over the historical event of Jesus leaving Heaven to come to earth? That event is called Christmas! Do you wonder at how Jesus is the Light of the World and do ponder the concept of light?
I love our subject this Christmas season on “Wonder”:
Websters Dictionary describes wonder like this:
1. Wonder (noun):
a. a cause of astonishment or admiration
b. Marvel - MIRACLE
c. the quality of exciting or amazed admiration
d. rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience.
Scripture: Psalms 77:14 NLT
14 You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
I look around each day and I am amazed at God’s creation. Scripture reminds us God’s signature of wonder is visible each day if you look at the creation around you!
Romans 1:20 (NIV)
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
Each morning God paints a new sunrise, each night a new sunset is etched across the sky. The great God of wonder puts on the greatest show on earth with His mighty creation. I see it the Sun, the moon, and the stars. I see it in the crashing waves of the ocean. I see it the rivers rushing to their destinations, I see it in the lakes and mountains. I see it in the snow and the rain and the storms. I see it in the rainbows after the rain. I see it in the desert and the artic – God is a God of wonder and amazement, and He is never boring – I get amazed at people who say I am bored then I say go for a hike, go skiing, go swimming, go sunrise and sunset watching.
Do you want to experience the wonder of God then open your spiritual eyes, ears! Go touch an animal, go taste some good food, and smell the flowers – it should set off with in you a sense of wonder at God and His creation.
There is a scene from the movie “We bought a zoo” were two of the characters who work the zoo are looking at the family that bought the zoo and the younger zookeeper looks at the other and says, “If you had to choose between people and animals who would you choose?” They both look at the family who bought the zoo and all the people visiting the zoo for the first time and the girl says, “I thought so – me too!” They both choose people!
Did you know that we as Christians should have a wonder for the God of wonder? Why? Because He created all of us unique and different and no two people have the same finger print – people should also cause you to wonder at the wonder of God and His creation.
Sermon: The Wonder of Light!
Scripture Texts:
Main Text: John 1:1-12:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Note these verses again:
John 1:4 “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”
John 1:7 “He came as a witness (John the Baptist) to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.”
John 1:8 “He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.”
Other verses to read ponder and wonder at:
John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 4:16 “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Revelation 21:24 “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.”
Wow – when was the last time you were awed by the Light – no seriously – Light – are you wowed by all the trees and there lights – by the lights on houses and in this sanctuary?
Thesis: Light was created by God – it’s true – it’s part of His creation and it was made visible by God’s design of our eyes. But God’s light is also seen in the birth and life of Jesus.
Introduction:
Jesus came into this dark world as the light of the world – this is why time was divided around his life and he is the most quoted person on the internet – the most famous person in history – Jesus was born to bring us the light to see just like the Sun brings daylight and warmth to cold dark nights – Jesus brought the loving warmth and sunshine of God’s love to this cold world. Jesus is the one who illuminates darkness with His spoken word of “Let there be light!”
Think about that for a moment! Ponder the wonder of God through Jesus birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection!
Jesus with His Word did the following:
He calms the storm “Mark 4: 39: He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He commanded the demon to come out with His Word and it did!
He spoke with His words and people were healed!
Wow – that is a demonstration of the Wonder of God through Jesus speaking the Word.
But Jesus came as a light to this world – His power to speak things into existence is a light to this dark world of who He is, was, and will be! Revelation reminds us of this truth! He is the light of the world – literally – it’s not figurative but a actuality.
Scripture repeatedly tells us that Jesus is the light of the world – the light that will lead people out of darkness!
The mystery of light still baffles many scientists: Have you ever wondered about light? Where does it come from? How does it help us see in the dark? No really, have you ever stepped back and looked at the light around you and pondered its scientific qualities?
As someone whose understanding of light pretty much began and ended with the flipping of switches as it most likely has with you too – I decided to do a little research on light!
Here is what I discovered: It caused me to wonder at the creative power of God!
Article thoughts: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/power-of-light
An article for National Geographic written by JOEL ACHENBACH states this about light!
There has been light from the beginning. There will be light, feebly, at the end. In all its forms—visible and invisible—it saturates the universe. Light is more than a little bit inscrutable. Modern physics has sliced the stuff of nature into ever smaller and more exotic constituents, but light won't reduce. Light is light—pure, but not simple. No one is exactly sure how to describe it. A wave? A particle? Yes, the scientists say. Both. It is a measure of light's importance in our daily lives that we hardly pay any attention to it. Light is almost like air. It's a given. A human would no more linger over the concept of light than a fish would ponder the notion of water.
There are exceptions, certain moments of sudden appreciation when a particular manifestation of light, a transitory glory (The Northern lights), appears—a rainbow, a sunset, a pulse of heat lightning in a dark sky, the shimmering surface of the sea at twilight, the dappled light in a forest, the little red dot from a professor's laser pointer. Stained glass in a church, backlit by a bright sky. The flicker of a candle, flooding a room with romance. The flashlight searching for the circuit breakers after a power outage.
Usually, though, we don't see light, we merely see with it. You can't appreciate the beauty of a rose if you ponder that the color red is just the brain's interpretation of a specific wavelength of light with crests that are roughly 700 nanometers apart…”
Are you starting to wonder about “The Light?”
Light – Have you ever wondered about it – it’s all around you today this Christmas Eve from the glimmering lights on the trees – to the strings of light in this sanctuary– to all the different trees in this building covered in lights from the festival of lights. We see it in the candles – on the screens with the images being portrayed - we are all looking at what’s around us with the help of lights – if there was no light you would not see anything only the piercing darkness – you would not be able to see me – we see light from the moon’s reflection – from the sun brilliant beams – from the stars. We see light reflected off the snow and the water. We can look into the Northern sky on a winter night if you are far enough North and see the Northern lights dancing across the sky. You can see light after a rainstorm as a rainbow is formed in the sky!
Have you ever pondered the mystery of light and where it comes from and what it does? And connected it with Jesus’ statement “I am the Light of the World!”
Light – the study of light has produced some interesting observations about the mystery of light! Many scientists scratch their heads in wonder at the properties of light and the origin of light!
A few years back I was sitting in the doctor’s office and picked up the Oct. 2001 edition of the National Geographic. It had an amazing article on the “Power of Light”. The articles introduction caught my attention:
“Light reveals the world to us. Body and soul crave it. Light sets our biological clocks. It triggers in our brains the sensations of color. Light feeds us, supplying the energy of plants to grow. It inspires us with special effects like rainbows and sunsets. Light gives us life- changing tools, from incandescent bulbs to lasers and fiber optics. Scientists don’t fully understand what light is or what it can do. They just know that it will illuminate our future (3).”
After just reading this introduction in the article I said, this article has spiritual insight for us as Christians. So, I read on and the verses on light in the Bible just raced through my mind. Wow I thought! The Bible tells us that God is light. I say “WOW” the wonder of the light! Lights properties are some how linked to the properties of Jesus “The light of the world!”
T.S.- Let’s explore some spiritual application points from the scientific study of light because they are all connected by the way – “Light reveals The Light!”.
I. Scientists tell us that light reveals the world to us. I thought this is true God Himself reveals the real world to us!
a. We never see the real world until God illuminates it to us through the lens of His Word and His presence. Same is true of natural light actually the design of our eyes helps us see the light around us and it’s awesome colors – if our eyes are not working correctly we could be color blind, or blind and therefore we cannot see the true colors around us or see at all.
i. I read in Genesis that God is the Creator of Light:
1. Gen 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
a. The scientist who invented life was God!
2. Gen 1:4 “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”
3. Gen 1:5 “God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
a. God spoke the Light into existence with His Word!
i. Jesus was there by the way at the creation of light in the beginning see John 1.
b. Psalm 36:9: “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”
i. How is you vision coming at this moment – is the light opening up your yes to “THE LIGHT?”
b. 2 Samuel 22:29 David sang, “You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.”
i. A few years back I picked up Charles Swindoll’s book called, Simple Faith and there it was beaming off the page to me, the importance of light. He made this comment about light,” What is the purpose of light? The answer is not complicated. Light dispels darkness “(60).
1. Did you hear that – do you see it – “Light casts out darkness – Light drives out darkness – light is more powerful than darkness – When light enters the scene the darkness disappears.”
a. Are you wondering yet?
b. Light helps us to see with the eyes of God and see things that before in life we could never see – why because we were immersed in the darkness.
c. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
c. Here are just a few things I saw after God’s bright light shined into my life.
i. Number 1: I was lost and going deeper into the dark pit of hopelessness. But His light showed up (flooded my dark world) and showed me how to get out of the pit of darkness. My spiritual eyes opened, and I saw how I was too:
1. Walk toward the light.
2. How I was to repent of my sin and reject the dark ways.
3. Die to myself and let Him come in with His light and life.
4. Seek him with my whole heart, mind, and soul.
5. If I took these steps, then I would never be trapped in darkness again.
a. Personal story: I recall a time I spent a day in darkness. My dad and my Cub Scout troop went to some caves in Penna. We spent the day down in these caves; it was pitch black in them-no light. If we had not had our flashlights, we would never have been able to explore the cave or been able to find our way out. I hated this time in the cave, we were in there for 4-5 hours. But when we came toward the end of the cave I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I ran out of that dark dingy cave into a beautiful sunny day. It was a great feeling of refreshment. My attitude changed. I felt overjoyed with the sunshine and the beauty I could see in the surrounding mountains. I thought to myself there is no way I am going back into that black hole ever again.
b. I recall the same feeling when we went Ruby Mountain a cave and they turned the lights off on us!
c. It was the same when Jesus illuminated my life and brought me out of darkness.
i. I could see the light of the purpose of my life and I knew were to go.
ii. I felt the Son rushing over me like when the sun comes out on a warm day and shines it’s warmth on me - His sunlight of joy warmed my body in my life like I had never felt before.
iii. I felt hope rush into my soul- all because of His light.
1. Psalms 74:20 tells us, ”… That where darkness is there is haunts of violence.” NIV– other translations say:
a. KJV “…For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.”
b. LB “…For the land is full of darkness and cruel men.”
c. I had known the feeling of being in the darkness and how it haunted me!
d. I decided to choose to live in the Light!
d. Jesus came so all can see the light within. What light am I talking about? The Light that drives away the darkness of violence – loneliness- depression – confusion – anxiety – the haunting of darkness disappears when the Light is turned on. Who is this light? His name is Jesus – The Word - The Great I Am – He is the Lord God Almighty.
i. John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
1. Jesus promised if you follow Him, you will never walk in darkness!
ii. Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.”
T.S.- We have discovered that God’s light reveals the world to us. (The good, the bad and the ugly). We will also learn from the study of light and from my research that our body and soul crave it. Let’s explore this phenomenon.
II. Scientists say, “Body and soul crave it (LIGHT).”
a. Achenbach illustrates on page 18, “Moods darken when the sun goes into exile during winter in the northern Russian village of Lovozero… A shortage of light can unleash the winter blues, diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
i. Many medicate this disease with drugs and alcohol.
ii. Suicides increase.
iii. Domestic violence increases.
iv. When you don’t have light, you have SADNESS.
v. Spiritually speaking - God is one that dispels depression and sadness.
1. John 16:20-24 20I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
2. Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall, I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
vi. I agree! I remember that my Body and soul craved God. The scientists tell us that light is essential to our daily lives. This is why we crave it and desire it. Light is as important as air we have been told. Fish need water like we need light.
1. God is as important as air as a matter of fact he breathed life into man in Genesis 2:7 “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’
b. Scientists tell us that light gives us Vitamin D for healthier bones. It’s called the “Sunshine vitamin.”
i. God’s light makes us healthy and strong.
1. Proverbs 3:7, 8: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
2. Achenbach in His article in national Geographic tells us on page 14, “Visually impaired children swarm around a light table to learn shapes and colors at Marquette School in Detroit, Michigan. “The Kids crave light so much, “says Carol Walker who works with 30 students in the Detroit public school system. “The light levels in most homes are inadequate for them. They need more light to stimulate their vision.”
a. Light gives us sight and keeps us cheerful.
b. God’s light gives sight to the blind and fills us with joy.
i. Psalm 19:8: “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”
ii. 1 Peter 2:9 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
c. Light sets our biological clocks. It tells us when to rest, when to work, when to get up and face the day.
i. God’s light directs our path – daily if we follow it!
1. Psalm 42:8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.
2. Isaiah 48:17 This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.
d. Light triggers the sensation of color in our brains.
i. God triggers the color of His beautiful world in our brains. He helps us to see the rainbows in life. He helps us to learn to stop and watch the sunsets and the sun rises.
1. They are beautiful when you take the time to observe His beauty.
2. Genesis 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds; I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
3. I recall the sunsets at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp. Wow they were amazing! The sunrise and sunsets we saw in North Carolina and Florida this summer!
e. Light makes the plants grow which produce our food.
i. I Corinthians 3:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
ii. God helps us to grow as we follow His Word and direction.
T.S.- We have learned how are bodies and souls crave God’s light spiritually and we also need to learn that light – God’s light - gives us life changing tools.
III. Scientists tell us that, “Light gives us life-changing tools.”
a. Today we have many tools made from light.
i. Fiber optic cables which when pulsated with infrared light could each transmit ten million phone conversations at once.
ii. Light is now used for everything from laser eye surgery to telephone technology” (8).
iii. The light has created a potential for military tools.
1. Laser beams made of compressed light energy that could stop incoming missiles.
iv. Light tools are used in the medical field today to do surgery.
b. They were also right because God gives us life changing tools: Our transformed lives!
i. Ephesians 4:11 –16 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
ii. Our testimonies: Revelation 12:11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
iii. The gifts of the spirit are tools of light. The ability to communicate with God is the tool of light.
iv. The love to diffuse wars is a tool of light.
v. His grace and mercy to heal wounded hearts is a tool of light.
vi. His Holy Spirit to guide and lead us through life is a tool of light!
vii. The tool of forgiveness to live a joyful life.
viii. The tool of repentance to receive life.
ix. The ability to see the truth and to reject lies is a tool of life.
T.S.- Light gives us life- changing tools and yet we still don’t fully understand light as it applies to the Lord and even light itself.
IV. Scientist’s do not fully understand what light is or what it can do.
a. Achenbach says, “There has been light from the beginning. There will be light, feebly, at the end. In all its forms-visible and invisible-it saturates the universe. Light is more than a little bit inscrutable. Modern physics has sliced the stuff of nature into ever smaller and more exotic constituents, but light won’t reduce. Light is light-pure, but not simple. No one is exactly sure how to describe it. A wave? A particle/ yes, the scientists say. Both.” (8).
i. It’s like God man has tried to dissect Him but God is pure but not simple. No one knows exactly how to describe him. We give bits and pieces of Him to others but to totally describe and understand Him is not easy. We have described him as the Father, yes! We have described Him as the Son Jesus, Yes! We have described Him as the Holy Spirit, yes! Theologians say. He is all three!
ii. Man I agree God is someone I don’t fully understand. But He is the light. I see his light in this dark world breaking holes in the darkness. But I don’t fully understand all that He does in lives. God is far beyond my simple understanding.
1. He is all knowing, according to the Bible- How’s does he do that?
2. How could God be manifested in three ways Father, Son and the Holy Spirit?
3. He is in all places. Wow I have just wanted to be in two places a few times and I could not do it.
4. He sees everything that’s going on in this world! Amazingly he must have a lot of eyes.
5. God can do more than I could have ever thought was possible. Things that I have said are impossible become possible with Him.
6. He can heal supernaturally when there seems no hope.
7. He can do miracles in life.
8. He can change people’s hearts.
9. He can bring about so many amazing coincidences in my life that I sit there and scratch my head.
T.S.- We do not fully understand the Lord, but we know he will illuminate the future.
V. Scientists just know that light will illuminate our future.
a. I shouted there right! When you find God’s light it will illuminate your future. He will guide you and lead you.
i. He will tell you what to do and what not do!
ii. He will show you which path to walk down!
iii. In Revelation 21:23 - 27 “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
iv. Yes it’s true! In the end we will not need the sun or the moon because God’s light is what lights up Heaven. Why? Simple God is light!
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
Answer: Have we seen and embraced the Light of The World so we can see?
Why do we need to know this truth?
Answer: We need to realize that without “The Light of The World” we are lost in darkness and we can never find our way out of the dark with His light.
What do we need to do with this truth?
Answer: We need to embrace The Light with open arms! Then we need to follow “The Light” Then we need to allow our light turned on by his light to light up my life.
Question: Is your light – lit within your spirit for all to see? Or are you hiding it under a veil or cover so no one notices it? Are you giving hope to the blind in darkness by letting them see your light shine?
Charles Swindoll gives us some interesting advice as we close today by talking about the Wonder of Light. He states:
When you live in darkness, you not only have no ray of light, you don’t even know where home is. That is the way it is for the majority in the world. Some folks are born, raised, and die in cultures that have never seen their first flashlight of hope. Imagine it! When the truth of that hits me, I find myself a little impatient with Christians who do nothing but shine lights for themselves. They even have what we might call flashlight parties where they just shine the light on each other. Lots of light! Too much light to be hoarded! Jesus says to shine for the world. Shine your light into the darkness; that’s where it is really needed. Spend less time in your own little well-lighted all Christian world and more time there in the darkness (63)!
Truth is our culture has been engulfed in darkness. Our city here has darkness in it and we are to be the light in it. Jesus tells us we must let our light shine. Light will draw attention from those in darkness. They will move toward the light. Just like mariners follow the lighthouse we can be a lighthouse in this bay for the Lord. They will come if we shine!
So we have to let the light of Jesus shine if we want to lead others out of darkness!
Truth is this:
No God – No Light – No sight
Know God – Know light – Know sight
Choice is yours! Will you let the light shine?
Let’s Pray!
