Today, let’s examine a part of Christmas that always sparks joy. Have you ever seen the look in a child’s eyes when you drive them through a neighborhood fully decked out with lights? Or an adult’s, for that matter! Year after year, the light spectaculars seem to get more and more, well, spectacular! Our family loved Disneyland at Christmas time (evidenced by the fact we went ten years in a row). Why? The effect the lights had on the atmosphere was magical! “It’s a Small World” during the holiday season is underwhelming at any other time of year.
Our eyes are specifically designed to capture light, but so are our hearts. In fact, everything before the nativity (B.C.) was described as “darkness" for God's people. Not a literal darkness, but a spiritual one. The birth of Jesus on that first Christmas night was prophesied this way:
𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝟗:𝟐 — 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦.
Jesus is the answer to all spiritual darkness. Which, to me, seems like good news. Maybe things feel dark for you at this time of year. Maybe you feel the pressure to feel merry, but you can barely see the next step in front of you. You’re not alone. God is not indifferent to our seasons of darkness. But the answer isn’t more glitter and glamor at the holidays. We don’t need more superficial light or light substitutes. What we need is to connect with the one true Light:
𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟖:𝟏𝟐 — 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.”
We need to know that the life Jesus speaks of no longer belongs to us. For when the true spirit of the holiday begins to manifest in our lives, we, too, become light-bearers. In other words, Jesus lifts us out of darkness not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others:
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟓:𝟏𝟒— “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥—𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯.”
So this year, as you roam the neighborhoods looking to admire the spectacle of lights adorning each home, try not to get lost in the carnival of it all. Instead, remember that the reason we are so easily captivated by each flicker of color is because God designed us, at our very core, to be drawn to the Light. To share the Light. To find our very living and being in the Light:
𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝟏𝟕:𝟐𝟖— 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨.
Merry Christmas,
PAC.
Our eyes are specifically designed to capture light, but so are our hearts. In fact, everything before the nativity (B.C.) was described as “darkness" for God's people. Not a literal darkness, but a spiritual one. The birth of Jesus on that first Christmas night was prophesied this way:
𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝟗:𝟐 — 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦.
Jesus is the answer to all spiritual darkness. Which, to me, seems like good news. Maybe things feel dark for you at this time of year. Maybe you feel the pressure to feel merry, but you can barely see the next step in front of you. You’re not alone. God is not indifferent to our seasons of darkness. But the answer isn’t more glitter and glamor at the holidays. We don’t need more superficial light or light substitutes. What we need is to connect with the one true Light:
𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟖:𝟏𝟐 — 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.”
We need to know that the life Jesus speaks of no longer belongs to us. For when the true spirit of the holiday begins to manifest in our lives, we, too, become light-bearers. In other words, Jesus lifts us out of darkness not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others:
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟓:𝟏𝟒— “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥—𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯.”
So this year, as you roam the neighborhoods looking to admire the spectacle of lights adorning each home, try not to get lost in the carnival of it all. Instead, remember that the reason we are so easily captivated by each flicker of color is because God designed us, at our very core, to be drawn to the Light. To share the Light. To find our very living and being in the Light:
𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝟏𝟕:𝟐𝟖— 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨.
Merry Christmas,
PAC.
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