A Light in the Dark

A Light in the Dark

Matthew 2: 1-2

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 

2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

   The world was a pretty dark place.  The Law was in effect and served to show people how sinful they were.  No one could live up to all the requirements of the Law and that fact had been proven over and over again.  By the close of the Old Testament, God sent a message to His people that He considered their offerings polluted and their priesthood corrupt.  Then He stopped sending Prophets and there were no messages from Him for over four hundred years.  It was a dark world.  There had been many promises of the coming Messiah, but after four hundred years not many people still believed and even less were looking for Him.

   So into this dark world a star began to shine, and the Wise Men living in the east saw the light low on the horizon.  They were among the few who were looking for the sign of the coming of the Promised One and they set out to find Him by following the light.

      In a field near Bethlehem, shepherds sat in the dark night.  The flocks had bedded down for the night and I imagine it was quiet around a small fire.  Then an angel appeared to them and told them something wonderful had happened nearby.  Then there were more angels, many more, lighting up the sky singing praises to the astonished shepherds. 

   The shepherds went to a stable.  Was it built of wood or was it a hollowed out cave?  Don’t know.  But we know it held a worried young man and a tired young woman and a little Baby.  I can’t imagine what Joseph thought when a bunch of dirty shepherds crowded around his Mary and the Baby.  “There He is!” one of them must have said. “Just like the angels said” says another. 

   If you look, you’ll see a tiny Baby trying to sleep.  He doesn’t look like much.  His eyes are closed and his face is scrunched up against the light.  A little fist works out of the swaddling clothes and waves in the air.  The hand doesn’t look like much either but that little hand is filled with the power of God and one day it will touch blind eyes and they will see and touch deaf ears and open them and touch withered limbs which will straighten.  That hand will even touch lepers and restore their ravaged flesh and dead people and bring life back into their bodies.  That hand will reach out to the sea and calm the waves and reach into the wind and rebuke it and it will cease.  That hand will break bread and pass a cup of wine around a table.  And that hand will be nailed to a wooden beam and hoisted up into the air.  Then the hand will be showed to a doubt-filled follower.  “Look at My hands.  Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 

      The light of His coming is the only light in this dark world.  The darkness in the world is total and unrelenting.  Many live their whole lives in this darkness missing the chance to come out into the light.  But here is the glory of Christmas:  Light has come into the world and we are called to bring that light to those living in the dark.  The light around that little manger has increased and multiplied and that light now shines in many parts of the world.  You are part of that light and where you go that light goes.  Don’t hide that light but let it shine like a beacon and push the darkness back. 

Stephen Cram                                                        December 22, 2013                      

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.