Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Sermon Text: Matthew 13:23, John 1:1–18, Come, Lord Jesus to Him Who Brings the Enlightening Word, December 25, 2019

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The texts for today’s sermon are from our texts this morning:
As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
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 was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     It is a marvelous thing, to be surrounded by candlelight in a dimly lit church, where the sparkling lights of the tree give us feelings of joy and happiness.  I think you can mimic that feeling a bit in your own homes or driving down a nicely decorated street.  Sometimes, depending on how many people have cut me off, I even get that feeling driving at night on the highway, surrounded by red lights.  But, you know, I think it’s the light that really drives the feeling.  When we’re surrounded by darkness, a light shining around us seems so much brighter than it does in the day time.

     It’s no surprise, then, that the Church really has picked up the idea of light, especially around Christmas time.  It’s a symbol of the enlightenment that we have in Jesus Christ by faith.  Christ, through His Word, has enlightened our hearts that we might hear His Word and keep it.  And with than enlightenment come peace and joy, all good themes we hear at Christmas.  The light of God’s Word casts away the darkness that surrounds us, even our own sin, and brings the peace that comes by grace through faith.

     John really brings that out this morning in his text.  He writes,
“In the beginning was the Word… All things were made through him… In him was life and the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Jesus is the true light of God, and He comes into this sin-darkened world with a ferocity that can only comfort those who await it.

     Here’s the thing: when you’re in the dark, your eyes kind of get used to it.  Eventually, you adapt and start to make out some details.  It may not be as sharp as the daytime, but it’s enough to get by.  But that’s only because somewhere, as little as it may be, there’s a little light.  I remember laying in my bed as a kid and watching the corner of my room change.  The darkness in that corner seemed to grow and fade.  It made shapes and patterns.  It was enough to be really scary.  As an adult, I know that’s because the light from outside the house, and even the light under my door, would change and my eyes were readjusting.  But, as a kid, I was so scared I didn’t want to move for fear of attracting the dark to me.

     Do we have a problem with darkness today?  I’m not talking about the dark of night, or the dark of your basement when the power goes out.  I’m talking about the darkness of sin, the darkness that comes when the knowledge of the Lord disappears.  We’re talking about enlightenment today, but enlightenment only happens when light overcomes the darkness.  And for that enlightenment to happen, you must consider the dark.  You must see it for what it is: war against God through sin.  We’ve talked all Advent about the devil, our sinful flesh, and the world.  These dark villains seek to plunge you into the dark abyss, where fire without light licks at your heels.  Do we see that as an issue?

     To combat the darkness, we need knowledge, we need wisdom, we need understanding.  I’m not talking about the encyclopedia, or Wikipedia, or however we gain knowledge in this world.  I’m talking about something greater.  I’m talking about the knowledge of Christ.  We can’t solve, ultimately, our problems with worldly wisdom.  Things might get somewhat easier or more accessible through the world, but the knowledge the world has to offer to us is not enlightening, it’s entrapping.  It might extend your earthly life, but it’s not enough to bring us to eternal life.  Why?  Because the world comes at you through sin, death, and the devil.  They offer you cookies when you really need broccoli and red meat.  They offer you sweet, but damning, morsels when you need the bitter death of Christ.

     But, if you don’t have a problem with the darkness, if you’re willing to accept the knowledge of the world in place of the knowledge of God, if you’re willing to put all your eggs in the basket of this life, then this sermon, really, nothing here this morning is for you.  You will be content to walk in the darkness forever, and when the light comes, you will only see it as an assault.  Has your power ever gone out and it takes all day to restore?  When night comes, you get into bed, even with no power, and go to sleep.  All of the sudden, you wake up violently, with light shining around you.  Your eyes are hurting and can’t see anything because it’s just too bright.  You’ve gotten used to the dark.  When you went to bed, you forgot to turn off the light switches, and all the lights in the house are on.  If you want to be in the darkness, the light is only an assault.

     But, if you desire the light of the world, then, even though you walk in the valley of darkness, you’re looking for the light.  It might hurt when it’s revealed to you, but it provides a welcome guide to your path.  John writes of Jesus that, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”  Jesus is the true light, and He was coming to the world through the flesh of a little baby as He became a man, and the world didn’t want Him, they didn’t know Him, they rejected Him.  They wanted the dark, they loved the dark, and so rejected the light.

     But, for those who had waited for the promised Messiah, they rejoiced.  Mary, the shepherds, the angels, the prophets, all rejoiced at the light of Christ which was now in the world.  He is the light of the Word of God made flesh.  He is our Savior.

     When we hear this Word, when we hear of this Jesus, we are enlightened.  We are given an understanding of God’s Word that He is who we have always been looking for.  We have been struggling through the darkness and now the light appears, giving joy and peace to the world.  Even when the darkness of Good Friday fell as He hung upon the tree, He was the light of God to the world, lifted up that all may see Him.  There the sin of the whole world was brought to this one man, and though the dark of sin covered Him, it could not overcome Him, and by His power, He rose from the grave, literally shining with the light of God.

     This Jesus, shining with the light of God’s power, His peace, His mercy, His righteousness, shines also in your heart.  Through His death and resurrection for you, He brings to you His light that He may always shine into the darkness around you.  If you hate the darkness, you will love the light.

     When Christmas lights then decorate the world through this season, we should remember this: they are a pale shadow of the light that is in you through Christ.  When the world’s enemies comes against you, they cannot overcome the light of Christ that is in you.  When the devil assaults you, he cannot extinguish the light.  When the world floods you with its demands, the flood of Baptism has already washed over you and the light shines ever brighter.  When your flesh tries to trap you and entice you, the flesh of the Son of God you receive through Communion shines even more as it  strengthens you until your last day.

     Word and Sacrament feed us through this Christmas season and thus give us the enlightenment we so desire, where the light of Christ in us seems to shine ever brighter.  It shines onto a darkened world that we may see our way through it.  It makes our paths straight and our journeys safe.  When the Word of God is our hearts, on our lips, in our ears, on our minds, the light of Christ is there, too.  There we may find peace and joy, especially at this Christmastime.  You are enlightened in Christ, my friends, through knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.  He has granted these to you, that you may be safe in this world until our Lord reappears, until He comes again in glory, to bring you to Himself forever.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

     Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord!  Amen.

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