Light in the darkness

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

No one knows the day or month that Jesus was born. Although it is our tradition to celebrate Christmas on December 25th, there is nothing in the Bible to suggest this date, or any other.

And yet, for people living in earth’s Northern Hemisphere, late December has much to recommend it for the time when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Just a couple of days before Christmas, we observed the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice. Over the next 6 months, each day will push back the darkness with more daylight hours.

When Christ came among us 2,000 years ago, the world was shrouded in darkness—spiritual darkness. Most people had no idea who God was or what He was like; many didn’t even care. The bulk of mankind was more interested in money and popularity and sex than in spiritual matters. So God sent His Son into our world to dispel that darkness; when He was an adult Jesus said, I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46).

On church calendars, the weeks following Christmas are called Epiphany. Epiphany means "to see the light." Jesus came to show us the light of God’s truth. Sometimes that light is harsh, as it reveals ugly truths we’d rather not look at. Other times that light is comforting, enabling us to identify dangers so that we can avoid them. But the light of Christ is always reassuring, since it allows us to see the only path that leads towards heaven.

It seems fitting, then, to observe the anniversary of Christ’s birth at the darkest time of the year. The weeks following the Winter Solstice gradually brighten our dark world, as the days grow longer. In the years following Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, He revealed the light of God’s truth to educate the ignorant and drive back the forces of darkness. Thanks to Christmas, we have the light of God revealed through His Son, a Sonshine that grows ever more inviting and beautiful as our eyes adjust to His glorious brightness.

Merry Christmas!