Defeating the Darkness - John 1:4-5; Psalm 139:7-12
The Light of Christmas (2020) • Sermon • Submitted
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Defeating Darkness
John 1:4-5; Psalm 139:7-12
©Copyright December 6, 2020 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche
We love the Christmas Story. Our hearts are warmed by the picture of the Shepherds, Wisemen, and sometimes even Santa bowing at the manger of Jesus. It is the perfect group picture for a Christmas Card - even if it did not quite happen that way.
Mary and Joseph were in a stable when Jesus was born because all the Inns were full of people returning to their family hometown for the census. The Shepherds did find Jesus in the stable most likely the same night He was born. The Wise Men came some time later . . . maybe as much as two years later (thereby accounting for why Herod commanded his soldiers to execute boys who were 2 years old and younger.) By this time the family was living in a home. And Santa? He never made it to the manger!!
There are many things about Christmas the world doesn't seem to understand. Just by appearances, you would think Christmas was a consumer indulgence holiday. In other words, this is the time we focus on "what we can give to others" or "what we hope to get from others." It is easy to miss the real point of the season which is to remember the best gift we have ever (or ever will) be given: a new opportunity, a reason for hope, sunshine in a gloomy world.
Sadly, when the holiday is over, we often drift right back into our doldrums (especially when we have to face the bitter cold of winter). This morning we want to continue with our look at Light and Darkness and how these things relate to the Christmas season.
We are going to spend the bulk of our time in John 1:4-5 and reflect on the coming of Christ into the world. We will see some of the reasons we celebrate Christmas.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:4-5)
Jesus gave life to Everything.
In the opening verses of the Gospel of John we are told,
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The declaration here is bold: The Word (which verse 14 tells us is Jesus) is eternal. He was in existence before there was anything else.
Second, John declared that this Word (or Jesus) IS God. This a very bold statement! John, of course was Jewish and this was considered blasphemy by fellow Jews. However, John was convinced of the deity of Christ so much that He went against that which He had always been taught!
There are many today who say Jesus never claimed to be God . . . it was something that was dreamed up much later as the church tried to deepen the loyalty of its people. It is easily verified that the gospels were written from 10-30 years after Jesus died and rose again. The gospels are clear in their declaration that Jesus claimed to forgive sins, speak with authority, have power over the demons, and even have power over death. Jesus was very clear in claiming to be God in human form.
John says the Son of God was not created . . . He is the Creator! When Christ comes on the scene as a baby in Bethlehem this is a big deal! God was entering the world in a human form! He is a divine messenger.
Jesus Brought Light so We Could See
The second thing we are told in our text is His life brought light to everyone.
Doctors tell us how essential sunlight is to our good health. We know that a string of gloomy days makes us feel tired and sluggish. Home confinement has made us lethargic because we aren't getting the vitamins that come from sunshine.
The world Jesus entered was simply plodding along. The nation of Israel was under the rule of the Roman Empire. Jews had lost their freedom. They also seemed to have lost touch with God. It had been 400 years since a prophet of God had come on the scene. We have been locked down to some degree for nine months. Imagine feeling that way for 400 years!
The reason John the Baptist created such a stir was he spoke as a prophet, and as he did, he pointed to another who was going to come and transform the world! John was like a glimmer of light shining under a closed door. With the arrival of Christ, the door was opened.
Jesus brought light and understanding to the world. I can't help but recall the two men on the road to Emmaus after it had been reported that Jesus rose from the dead. As Jesus taught, they listened with rapt attention. When he left them and they realized who they had been talking to, they said, "Didn't our hearts burn within us?"
These guys were not saying, listening to Jesus gave them heartburn! They were saying His words were exciting. They opened their understanding of the Scriptures. It was as if a light was turned on.
Anyone who has come into relationship with Christ understands this. We know there was a day when the lights came on and suddenly, we understood what the gospel was all about. It made sense. We may have heard the gospel all our lives but now, all of a sudden, there was an "Aha" moment. It became clear.
Do you remember when you were a child, and you would lay in bed at night and be a little freaked out by the sounds your house was making? You imagined people in your closet or under your bed. There was only one way to calm your fears: the lights had to be turned on and the closet needed to be examined and a parent needed to be examine under the bed and in the closet.
This is what Jesus does. He turns on the lights! He shows us the way we should go.
His Light Exposes What is in the Darkness
Our text tells us the "light shines in the darkness." That seems like an overly obvious point. But here is the thing about light and darkness: when the light gets turned on, what was hiding in the darkness can no longer hide!
We are told in Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
The Words of our Lord have a way of cutting right through our defenses. It points out the sin and the excuses we hide behind. Jesus is direct, exposing what we wanted to keep hidden. We are, in a very real sense, laid bare or found naked before Him. We go to great extremes to hide this exposure and nakedness! We will lie, twist, blame, distract and whatever we feel we need to do to keep people from seeing what we have hidden and want no one to see.
Jesus however, exposed our weaknesses and our secrets. This is one of the reasons the Pharisees and Sadducees hated Jesus: He exposed truth they did not want to face and did not want anyone else to know about. He showed them their inconsistencies, their twisted values and they sinful and self-righteous attitudes. They could not refute what He was saying, so they went on the attack.
The darkness is powerless over the Light
This leads us to the last thing we learn in this verse "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.
Don't miss these words! The Darkness can NEVER extinguish it. The Jewish leaders (and Satan) thought they had silenced and extinguished the Light at the cross. But Jesus, of course, did not remain dead! The light shined more brightly than ever. It has been said, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."
In the book of Acts we read of the persecution that was designed to snuff out the light of Jesus which was now reflected through His followers. The more they attacked the church the brighter that light became.
There is good news and bad news in these words for those who follow Christ. Let's do the bad news first. There are things about the gospel message and about YOU that people are not going to like because your life, your joy, your consistency is like a light that shines on their empty lives. You may get made fun of as a "religious nut" or a "prude" or an "oddball." You may be excluded, whispered about, or ridiculed publicly. When you head to some classrooms teachers are going to call you names and make fun of you as intellectually inferior because of your walk with Christ.
These people do not want to examine the truth! In examining the truth, they would have to confront the sinfulness and stain on their own heart. They are unwilling to admit they may have been wrong in their life until now. Instead of giving arguments most of these "teachers" or "friends" will simply attack you!
The promise is this: The darkness CANNOT extinguish the light. It is impossible. Darkness can create a ruckus. It can make a lot of noise and even have lots of devoted followers, but it CANNOT extinguish the light!
David reflected on this reality in Psalm 139,
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
Applications
What are we to learn from all of this? First, we learn Jesus is the One who enables us to see clearly in the darkness around us. The answer to the problems of life is not education, it is not science, it is not philosophy. These things are enlightening only insofar as they reflect on what God has revealed as truth in the natural realm. They are not bad . . . they are simply limited in what they do.
Only the Word gives us an inside look into the heart and plan of God. As we read His Word, we see truth that penetrates to the deepest part of who we are. It tells us a truth that others will not touch.
Second, we must learn to expect opposition. Light exposes what is in the darkness. People don’t want the darkness in their lives and hearts exposed. People are fine as long as the conversation stays superficial. However, when it gets specific, they feel the Word of God is meddling. Scripture reveals things we don’t want to admit to ourselves much less to anyone else.
The world around us is filled with people who have convinced themselves they are “pretty good people.” The Bible however, says, “we are rebellious people.” We are people who are steeped in sin, deserving of the wrath of God. As you might imagine, it is not a popular message!
Even the message to “repent” is considered offensive. Repentance requires we admit what we did or are continuing to do, is wrong. People don’t want to do that.
There are people who have gone on record saying they wish churches would close and never open again! Why, because they don’t like the message of the gospel.
It is like when we were little kids. We wanted to do something, and our parents said “No.” We got mad and screamed, accused, complained, and sometimes even ran away from home. Why? Because we don’t want to be told “No”. That doesn’t change when we get older. Most of us don’t have a tantrum any more . . . we generally just do what we want and figure no one can tell us what to do. We take that same approach with God. It is a bad idea.
When we are His messengers, when we tell others the truth of the gospel, we should expect to face opposition.
Third, we learn that we have nothing to fear. Neither the Lord, nor His people are going to lose the battle. We live in world that is filled with darkness and gloom. It is discouraging to hear people talking about de-funding the police, watching rioting and racial conflict on the evening news, and seeing a political landscape that is about power rather than the people. Add to this the Covid-19 virus and there is a feeling of darkness that surrounds us. The message is clear . . . the darkness cannot overcome the light. Even if there is only one solitary candle, the darkness cannot put it out. The power is with the light. Light can disperse darkness, but darkness cannot snuff out light.
This is not a reason for reckless living or a license to assault people with the message of the gospel. The point is simply that as we continue to trust and follow the Lord, we are unstoppable. Even if the enemy is able to pick off a couple of light bearers, the light will continue to shine.
Jesus told us that we are the light of the world and we are to share that light like a beacon on a hill. Not everyone will welcome the light. We need to accept that fact. However, we must not be silenced out of fear.
Finally, we learn the importance of walking in the light rather than the darkness. Surely you have all run into something in the middle of the night before. I know sometimes walking through my own home I will run into a chair because it is in a different place than I remembered it and because I could not see it, I had a collision. I suspect if you really looked around a hotel lobby at breakfast you may see more than one person limping just a little after running into something in their unfamiliar hotel room.
As enticing as the darkness appears on occasion, it is a mirage. It will not stand up to the light of the righteous sacrifice of our Lord and the Holy Spirit who lives within us. All walking in the darkness does is increase our frustration, regret, and shame. It moves us backwards rather than forward. It siphons joy rather than produces it.
God sent Christ into the world to give light to guide our steps. If we wander from the light or turn our light off, we are headed into dangerous territory.
As we move forward in this strange Christmas season share your light with others.
· Bake some cookies and share them with someone and tell them the true Christmas story.
· Write a note to let someone know they matter to you and then tell them the good news they desperately need to hear about Jesus.
· Buy gifts that have a Christian symbol behind them as often as you can.
· Make sure your children know Christmas is about the best gift given to us and it wasn't brought by Santa Claus.
· Write a note to those who are shut-in and tell them you are praying for them.
· Play Christmas music that talks about the actual story of Christmas.
Be creative! Find ways to shine in this dark world. Our job is not merely to receive the light, it is also to use it to help others see. We can do this fearlessly because there is no way the darkness can silence the light.