Light Shining Into Darkness

John 1.1-18
At the beginning of Advent we shared from Isaiah 9.2 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.

This passage in John 1 is the fulfillment of that prophetic vision Isaiah saw and wrote about. No wonder in I Peter 1.10 we are told "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing...

Some call John 1 "the Genesis 1 of the New Testament. Both contain many times the word "light" and many references to life. John 1 in addition to speaking about the creation of the world speaks of the new creation through Jesus Christ, Paradise Regained. In this passage we see the Christmas Story on a deeper level- In Matthew and Luke we are told of Christ's Coming to earth. John tells us of Christ's Coming from heaven.

Light Shining Into the Darkness.
Jesus was born at night.
He was born during a dark time in world history.
Notice from this passage in John 1:

1. Christ's Life Is the Light Of Men. -v.4
He shines and the Truth is revealed.
He makes clear the meaning of human existence and its destiny.
To those whom do not know Christ this is a blur.

He sheds light on the issues, the real issues, of life.
Take for example, taking advantage of people. Jesus taught that we are to treat others in the same manner we would want to be treated. He elevated standards to the highest. He brought to a sinful world the holiness of God. He taught love in a way it had never been taught before. He is love.

One out of seven I am told, verses which record Jesus' words, are about money. The number one cause of marital break down today is rooted in stress over money.

Colossians 2.2-3
Christ... in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
What a great reserve of wealth is in Christ. His glorious riches.

2. Jesus Shines In The Darkest Places. -v.5
Read some books about Faith Missions and you'll see how God makes the darkness light. The slums of Bombay, The Church of China- look at what the LORD is doing in Africa!
He does it in our lives- we who have received it.

Psalm 18.28 David declared, "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 27.1 The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear?

In obscure places like Bethlehem the Light shines. The wise men followed the star in a similar way the children of Israel followed the Pillar of Fire in the desert.

3. On the Night Jesus Was Born, Light Came Into The World. -v.9
In the manger.
In the shepherd's fields.
In the Eastern Sky.
Into the hearts of all who open up to Him.
He is the true light.
The Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

The Light has dawned

2,000 years ago

Celebrate His Love!

Christ's Cradle: The Manger

Luke 2.1-20

The preparations for the arrival of a new baby to a home are very interesting.

The room to be the nursery is painted and wall paper put up or some design, then sanitized. A new bed (crib) often arrives and is assembled. Hand sanitizers appear. Dipe wipes and baby toys are waiting for the arrival of the new life. When they arrive hospitals are squeaky clean and secure.

Christ Jesus was laid in a manger- no crib for a bed. This had great significance as did everything Jesus did and said when He was here on earth. The manger speaks of Christ.

1. The Manger Shows His Humility.

He is the Son of God. -Luke 1.35
He is the Son of Man. -Luke 1.31
The way He came into the world and the way He went out, the manger and the cross show His humility.

The manger was prophetic of how He would live. Matthew 8.20
"Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. " Following Him means we have a loose hold on this world's goods.
It was indicative of how He would be treated. Isaiah 53.3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of Sorrows, and familiar with suffering."

The manger shows us how we should follow His Life of humility.
Philippians 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, in very nature God,
made Himself nothing-v.6
He humbled Himself-v.8
Became obedient to death- even death on a cross!

2. The Manger Shows His Concern for the Poor.

Jesus was born in a stable. He had the poorest of births.
Great commanders have won the affection of their troops by sharing their hardships and roughing it with them.

When Jesus began His ministry He read from Isaiah 61.1
The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the Good News to the poor. He began His ministry by this proclamation.
Mark 12.43 ... this poor widow... put more into the treasury than all the others... out of her poverty she put everything - all she had to live on.
Mark 14.7 The poor you will always have with you and you can help them anytime you want.

The Church, the Body of Christ, around the world is the greatest relief organization. The continents are full of places where professional people left a career here is the States and journeyed and lived and worked in a humble setting to serve humanity in the Name of Jesus Christ. A church here on Long Island, where my friend Kevin Henesy pastors, served 8,600 meals this past Thanksgiving. History is full of "silent heroes" - people who went to places in Christ's Name to give. (II Corinthians 8.9, 9.15)

3. The Manger Was in an Inn- Free to All.
Jeremiah 9.2 Oh that I had, in the desert, a lodging place for travelers. Travelers would find water, a stable, and a place to sleep. Some like in the account in Luke 10.34 took him to an inn were paying inns, or least some of their services were charged for. Others like our state run rest stops were free. The Romans had erected these all throughout the empire. Many around Jerusalem to accommodate the crowds at the feasts. Jesus was likely born in shepherd's cave. Freely give as you have freely received.

4. The Human Heart is Like the Manger.
Untidy, dirty. Christ will go where He is welcome. Where Meek souls will received Him still the dear Christ enters in.

The cradle for Christ was the manger

Open the heart to Christ and it becomes holy. The King of kings laid among the animals- outside in a feeding trough. It speaks of Christ and those who follow Him today. The Creator of all laid in a manger at His Birth, the birth by which universally all time is measured. The birth by which God provided the Sacrifice for our sins.

Greatness in His Kingdom is being a servant just like our King!

The People Walking In Darkness

Isaiah 9.1-7

Christmas is a season of lights. Songs have been written which include words such as:
Strings of street lights, even stop lights, blink a bright red and green...

or

Broadway lights beaming, skyscrapers gleaming, children are dreaming, Its Christmas in New York...

The lights on the candles on the Advent Wreath, Christmas Trees and outside are all part of the season.

Interestingly enough as far as daylight goes the weeks leading up to Christmas and following Christmas are the shortest and darkest of the year. Temperatures fall up to and after the celebration for a number of weeks.

This points to the fact that darkness can not only be physical but it can be emotional and spiritual. This holiday like no other can bring warm feelings and good memories and it can bring a person down to a low point emotionally. Losses in our lives can make life difficult to say the least. I was speaking to someone at a funeral this week and said that more than any other time of the year we have memories of this season burned into our minds. I may remember certain things about another time but Christmas is a file of cumulative memories... from a child, a teen and through adulthood. We relate more memories to the elders in our lives and when they are gone miss them more it seems at this time of the year.

The message of Isaiah, the prophet, in this 9th chapter, was directed to people in northern Israel, 700 BC. When the invading Assyrian armies came into Israel, they came through the north. The tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to get hit and therefore bore the brunt of the battles.

The people walking in darkness have seen a Great Light...

1. The Darkness -v.2
There was much death in this region due to war, way more than in other areas of the nation. Because of this gloom, distress abounded.

Sinful living can do this. Breaking God's law breaks down people. It breaks them down personally and relationally. Say a person is embezzling money from their employer. They have to conceal it. They have guilt. Down deep inside they wonder if and when they will be caught. This adds untold stress upon their bodies and minds. When found out they are fired and perhaps prosecuted. There is shock among those who trusted them.

Unforgiveness ruins relationships. It tears up families. This time of the year brings it to bear. Darkness comes to people living in sin. They live in darkness.

Depression comes to people more at Christmas time than any other time of the year. Those who are grieving grieve more this month. It is a time when being alone takes on greater force. It is also a time if funds are short to buy gifts more depression can come.

It is a time when if family lives in another part of the country or the world sadness comes. The distance seems longer. Separation from people we love whether through death or distance (physically or emotionally) can bring darkness and even depression.

2. The People -v.2
Zebulun and Naphtali were the area of Galilee.
The people in Isaiah's time who lived there lived in the land of the shadow of death. They walked in darkness. We may feel like that today.

The feelings that there is no way out, like our lives will always be like this, makes it hard to lay hold of hope. But this section of scripture is full of promises for those in darkness.

God is interested in people. He cares about groups of people and individuals. He knows about our life situations no matter how alone we feel.

These people had suffered much. - now He is promising to honor them with the Light and that He did! The power of Light is greater than the darkness!

3. The Light- v.2
Seen a great Light... a Light has dawned.
Hope. This was the dawning of the New and Everlasting Covenant.
The place where there had been so much death and darkness was about to be honored- given special glory.
The place of darkness was going to have a great light- the Light of the World.
This place of sorrow- deep sorrow was going to rejoice.
The place in the nation that suffered the greatest loss was going to be the host of Jesus' ministry on earth.

God keeps all His Promises. Let the Light within you shine this week. If you are walking in darkness may the reality of Christ's coming bring light into your heart.

May the dawn begin today in you.

A Wonderful Family Trait

Matthew 1.1-6
II Samuel 7.1-29
Luke 1.26-38

It is fascinating to watch certain family traits passed down from generation to generation. I have a picture of my dad and I from 1989 from a Father/Son Banquet. When it was developed (remember that- it was 22 years ago) it showed he and I seated in the exact same position, our feet in the identical position and our arms and hands as well. There was no mistaking that he was my father and I was his son.
Family traits are transmitted in DNA from generation to generation, both physical and emotional and even spiritual.

1. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a descendant of of David and had the same humble spirit. Luke 1.26-38

We read about David's response to the LORD telling him He was going to honor him by building him a house.

Mary, when greeted by the Angel Gabriel, was greatly troubled. This brought distress to Mary. She was agitated with alarm. She was stirred like a troubled sea within her soul. And yet she humbly submitted -v.38 I am the LORD's servant. May it be to me as you have said.

David, on receiving the Word of the LORD through Nathan the prophet, had a similar response.
II Samuel 7.18-21
Who am I?
What is my family, that You have brought me this far?
Is this You usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?

Go back to I Samuel 17 to his battle with Goliath.
He turned down the armor.
He went out with his shepherd's gear.
He said, "I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel."

You can see the humility in David and in Mary. She was more than a physical descendant of King David. She had the same humility when it came to the things of God.

When God sent Samuel the prophet to the home of Jesse to anoint one of his sons King over Israel, it was David, the 8th son, the baby of the family, the shepherd Whom God chose.
David was a man after God's own heart. - Acts 13.22

When God was ready to send His Son to earth, to be born of a virgin, He chose Mary, a humble servant, a young girl who was living in Nazareth.


2. Jesus Christ Humbles Himself. Philippians 2.5-8
In coming to earth from heaven.
In becoming a man. Christmas tells how it happened Matthew 1.18-
In making Himself nothing.
In taking on the very nature of a servant.
He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

3. Follow Christ in Humbling Yourself. I John 2.6
Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.
By claiming to live in Him we are testifying that we are part of the Family of God, that God is our Father in heaven and we are a child of His. This is proof we are His children- the fruit of His Spirit- family resemblance.
We are to be like Christ in His humility. He despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows. The manger and the cross- how He came in and how He went out.
*Humble yourself in times of trouble. James 5.13
*Humble yourself in times of honor and victory. I Samuel 18.17-23
*Humble yourself when you are suffering I Peter 4.19, 5.6-7
Christ's humility- Men may fear a throne but there is no fear at a manger.

Living a life of humility pleases the LORD. He gives grace to the humble. It is such a wise way to live. It is the way of peace. It eliminates many problems that pride brings in. Most of all it is pleasing to the LORD.

David and Mary, humble servants of the LORD.

Jesus, God in the flesh, God's Son.

Giving Thanks To The LORD

Psalms 103.1-8, 105.1-3, 107.1-3

These are Psalms for Giving Thanks.

Some have referred to the Psalms as the hymnbook of the Bible. These songs take us places in our hearts and souls we may never venture into. They take is places on earth and in the heavens and to God's Throne.

The Psalms we read this week all had a key verse which presented the theme of the Psalm. Each of these give direction in making Thanksgiving what God intends it to be with His people.

1. Remember All His Benefits.- Psalm 103.2

David is communing with his own heart here. We should do that.

Our souls should be stirred when we think of Thanksgiving, giving God thanks.

Benefits= the dealings of One's own Hand. Remember all the good things that have come from the Hand of God. Everything good and perfect has come from Him! He is our Father in Heaven.

As a father has compassion on His children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.-v.13

We have so many blessings traceable to the Hand of God in Heaven. Are we individually conscious of His blessings?

This Psalm is a list of His benefits.

He has not withheld anything that would benefit us- v.5

Psalm 84.11 the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

I Timothy 6.17 God, Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

His benefits begin with the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of our health for which we have to be thankful for the rest of this Psalm is filled with His benefits as is our lives!

Praise Him and thank Him for them.

2. Tell It Everywhere What He Has Done. Psalm 105.1

Sing of His Faithfulness-Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Publicly proclaim it.

Give God the glory due His Name.

This is the responsibility of those who have been redeemed.

Israel's history encourages us with the might and power that God showed His people in the Old Testament.

Under the New Covenant we have the blessings of the church in the New Testament through this day- Old covenant fulfilled- ended- New Covenant- an Everlasting Covenant.

This is why we exhorted in II Corinthians 9.15

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

Our personal "History - His Story" - God's work in our lives - tell it!

Finally as we give thanks we are following in the steps of our LORD Jesus Christ.

John 6.11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks.

We can be very thankful that...

3. His Love Endures Forever. - Psalm 107.1-2

Endures= long duration, everlasting, perpetual, always, continuous, unending

Thinking about His love and talking about His love help safeguard us against ingratitude. A retrospect will help too.

Through homelessness, bondage, affliction, and storms. He brings us:

vs.4-8 From weariness to rest

vs.12-15 From darkness to light

vs.18-21 From sickness to health

vs.23-31 From danger to safety

We have abundant blessings today because we have Christ. Love Him with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Serve Him with gladness. Give to Him cheerfully. Give thanks to Him!

Eternal Blessings

Ruth 4.9-22

"From Tears to Great Joy"

Out of tragedy and loss God can bring great blessings.
Out of sorrow God can bring peace and joy.
Out of seemingly hopeless situations the LORD gives hope and eternal blessings.

One of the rewards of faithfulness and love for the LORD is seeing Him work in this way in your life.

Ruth is a story of famine, death and sorrow turning into fullness, new life and joy.

God many times overrules in the lives of men and women as He works out His eternal purposes.

There were blessings- eternal blessings coming upon Ruth, Boaz and Naomi from their Father in Heaven.

Look in verse eleven at

1. The Blessing Upon Ruth. v.11a
Ruth humbled herself- went to the fields to glean. God exalted her. The LORD placed this Moabitetess up with the woman who gave Jacob sons which would become the foundation for the nation of Israel!
Rachel was buried by Jacob in Bethlehem (Genesis 35.19) Now she is being likened to to the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
built=bana= to give birth to sons.

God was bringing a Moabitetess into the genealogy, the ancestral line of David and of Jesus Christ.
Think of where He brought this widow from!

Psalm 68.6 God sets the lonely in families. We do not know what happened to Orpah, her sister-in-law. Ruth's choices brought her from a widow in a country that because her own to blessings eternal.

2. The Blessings Upon Boaz. - vs11b-13
vs.9-10 show the magnitude of this man, the like the Josephs of the God's Word.
The blessing upon Boaz rings of blessings eternal.

This word "famous" means to be called out and appointed to something special.

For his kindness God richly rewarded him- gave him a permanent honor of being David's greta grandfather and in the ancestral line of the Messiah!

Standing= might and strength like of an army- this was fulfilled too. Boaz went from being a single man to a happily married man. Married to a fine woman, to be the father of Obed and a place in the most important genealogy in this world and forever.

The LORD did not forget about Naomi...

3. The Blessings Upon Naomi vs.14-17
Kinsman Redeemer
being famous throughout Israel
being renewed and sustained in her old age.
A daughter-in-law who loves her/ better than 7 sons (better than the bonds of the law are the bonds of love)
Naomi cared for him- Naomi has a son!

Finally amidst all of this we see...

4. The Blessing Upon the Nation and the World and Eternity
Obedience, love loyalty go way beyond our own family circle- although it starts there!
An alien woman becomes the ancestress of the Messiah.
Ruth, the great grandmother of David, a king after God's Own heart. David definitely had some of Great Grandma's character. I can see that in some of my grandkids- with even their great great Nana. Who you are passes onto to future generations... those not even born yet.

Those fields of Baoz became the place where David watched the family's sheep, probably where the 23rd Psalm was inspired if not also written. These fields of Boaz were in the area where the shepherds watched their flocks when the announcement came that Jesus had been born Savior of the world! The world has a Savior!

Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us!

A Prelude To Thanksgiving

Luke 17.11-19

Jesus was on His Way to Jerusalem. We read in Luke 9.51 "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." So on His way to die, on that final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, He encounters these 10 lepers on the outskirts of a village.

His popularity had grown in the 3 1/2 years of ministry in Galilee and the surrounding area. People knew about Him. Lepers, especially, held Him in high regard and believed that He was indeed the Messiah. No on could heal a leper except Jesus. They were outcasts They still are. In the book about Bob Pierce, Let My Heart Be Broken With the Things That Break the Heart of God, Elmer Kilbourne, of the Oriental Mission Society, is quoted, "The worst part of leprosy is the social isolation connected with it... it happens all over the world, wherever there are lepers. Leprosy can arrested. In many cases it can be cured. But even though a man may survive it, once he has been driven from his home he can't go back. His relatives, friends and neighbors simply will not accept him. So he has to live with other lepers." In Israel provisions were made for a return in the law. Verse 13 "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

These lepers believed Jesus could help them. They were asking Him to come to their aid in their affliction. The fact He could heal lepers had spread among those afflicted with the disease. He was their only hope.

Now we see the healing here and the subsequent ingratitude. We see it as a horrible thing- this scarcity of Thanksgiving. If you are a person who likes to give to others you have no doubt encountered this issue giving complete when there is that appreciation expressed. When there they like the gift? Was it discarded?

Before we tackle the obvious here let's think about Thanksgiving for...

1. Blessings Seldom Thought Of. v.11
These are blessings we often take for granted.
For example, if you received a public school education being thankful for those who paid the taxes so you could go.

The disciples were walking with Jesus. We walk with Him. Sometime we need to be reminded of His Presence with us, particularly when things are going well!

How about your health? Give thanks you are able to be here this morning. I spoke to our nursery school kids in their chapel this week and we talked about being thankful for our country. With all its flaws, we have freedoms that the majority of the 7 billion people on the earth today do not enjoy. Blessings taken for granted, seldom thought of.

As we think about Thanksgiving...

2. Give Thanks for the Obvious. vs.14-16
Jesus was giving them instructions from Leviticus 14.1-3
The Samaritan man came back praising God in a loud voice and threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him.

Thanksgiving springs from humility- an acknowledgment that everything good in my life has come from the Hand of my Father in Heaven Who loves me. (James 1.17)

Often there is a continent of blessing in our lives and just an island of praise. Gigabytes of blessing and kilobytes of thanks.

These 10 men were all touched by God. They were healed. It is wrong to pray for blessings, receive them and fail to thank God for them.

Things right in front of us- v.15 when he saw he was healed... obvious blessings: food, shelter clothing.

Psalm 103.3 Praise the LORD, O My soul, and forget not all His benefits.
More, much more receive benefits and than thank Him for them.

Finally in this prelude to Thanksgiving we see in this passage...

3. A Lesson For All Who Serve. vs.17-19

This man by passed the priest and went to the Great High Priest. The percentage of people who appreciate the work of God through your life will be low. Look to Jesus for approval not to men for appreciation. So often some gets something from the LORD what they want and they never come back. Excitement overwhelms them and they forget to give thanks.

Blessed are those who do not expect much appreciation for they will not be disappointed.

However the rewards of serving Jesus are overwhelming! There is much to give Him thanks for as you serve.

Give Thanks to God for His Indescribable Gift!