No matter where you turn in God's Word, you’ll find that Christmas is about light, for Jesus is the Light of the world. We love to sing "Silent Night, Holy Night," but this great carol is not about night or darkness. It's about light. “Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace."
We sing at Christmas because we have something to sing about. Light has come into the world. We need never walk in darkness again. John 1:1-5, 9 explains why.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. (John 1:1-5, 9)
Light is a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus
Jesus is the pure light.
When the Bible calls Jesus the "Light of the world," it's a reminder of His sinless, stainless purity. Jesus exposed sin but was never contaminated by sin. He was "in the world" (John 1:10), but not of the world. Jesus did not have His origin here. His birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning. In eternity past, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always were. There was never a time when “God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity…” did not exist. He has no beginning or end.
Because Jesus was not of this world, He is pure, incorruptible, the "true Light" (John 1:9) of Heaven.
Jesus is the constant light.
In the natural world, the speed of light is a constant. Albert Einstein said the reason he was able to construct his famous Theory of Relativity was because there is one thing in the world that is constant—the speed of light. Everything else is relative.
Jesus is our constant in the spiritual realm: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is unchangeable.
Jesus is the source of light.
The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb [the Lord Jesus Christ] is its light. (Revelation 21:23, added for clarity)
In the Holy City, Jesus will be our source of light. We will bask in the rays of His light forever.
Jesus is the vital light.
In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)
Light and life are inextricably interwoven. You cannot have life without light. When God brought order out of chaos in Genesis 1:1-2, He said, “Let there be light.” Life itself is built on sunlight.
In Bethlehem Jesus came to give us life. The light of the Gospel produced life where before there was only death. Everywhere Jesus went during His earthly ministry, He brought life. (John 10:10)
Let Jesus bring His light and life into your Christmas.
Praise God for the changeless, constant light of Jesus Christ! No matter how dark your world may seem, the glorious light of the Son of God will bring it back to life when He shines in your heart.
Light and life went out of Adam's race when Man sinned in the Garden of Eden. But when we make Jesus—the Light of the world—our Lord and Savior, the One who entered time and space in Bethlehem comes in, turns on the light, and life begins for us. He gives eternal life.
