Christmas Is The Celebration Of The Light Of The World
Christmas is here once again, and unfortunately so many of us get it all wrong. Countless people the world over just do not understand the true meaning of Christmas. They believe that Christmas is about Santa Clause, and about rushing around buying a ton of gifts, and about eating and drinking and decorations and all that stuff. I am from the island of Trinidad, and Christmas here is used as a launching pad for carnival, which is so unfortunate. It is so unfortunate that something so beautiful and life-changing should be overshadowed by such trivial things and events.
[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”B00005OAK7″ locale=”us” height=”320″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4191YHHCFPL._SL160_.jpg” width=”320″]Now don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with Santa and with buying gifts, and decorations and all that stuff. The problem is when these things are used to replace the real reason for the Season of Christmas.
So what is Christmas all about? I think it is very interesting that as I started this article, I received an email from someone at the place where I work that started, “Arise, shine, for your light has come. The Glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” As I read it, I thought to myself, “WOW! What a confirmation!” Christmas is a celebration of Jesus, the Light of the World.
Imagine for a moment, there was a major storm, one of catastrophic proportion. All the lights were knocked out and there is darkness all over. Everyone was wandering about in total darkness and unable to find their way. Then someone came with a light, a very bright light. So bright was it that it lit the way for all to see. This is exactly what has happened to our human existence. Because of sin, the entire human race became engulfed in darkness that could have spanned all eternity – but for the Love of Our GOD, who has loved us with a constant love, and through HIS love made visible in Christ Jesus – the Light of the world – we no longer have to mope around in darkness. HE has lit the way for us all. Have you ever experienced what happens when a small light shines in total darkness? All the darkness literally takes flight! This is what happened on account of Jesus’ coming into the world; darkness had to flee; and to them who received HIM as the Light of the word, HE gave the power to become children of GOD.
Light is symbolic of hope and Jesus the Light of the World, came to bring hope to a hopeless world. He came to bring light and be Light in a world that was totally covered in darkness and so desperately needed light.
In the gospel of St. John, chapter 1, the bible tells us, “In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him.” We know that the Word is Christ Jesus.
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The passage continues, “ What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men; and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it.” Jesus is that Light and He came to crush the darkness of sin and death and to set us all free from the darkness of sin and death. Before the coming of Christ, we were all moping about in darkness, hopelessly and helplessly. We were totally and completely lost and hopeless. We were doomed to die and destined for eternal damnation – BUT FOR THE STUBBORN LOVE OF GOD – A love that just never quit on us and from GOD who has always been faithful to us. Faithful unto death, Jesus the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, loved us all the way through Calvary’s Cross to Calvary, as the perfect sacrifice to take away all our sins and to make a way for us where there was absolutely no way before. Jesus the Light of the World came to fulfil GOD’S purpose for us which was to spend all eternity with HIM. That is what Christmas is all about.
John chapter 1 continues, “A man came, sent by God. His name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light. The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world.” I pray that this Christmas and for the rest of our lives, we, like John, will bear witness to the Light who is Christ Jesus our Lord. May the Light of Jesus Christ burn within our hearts and consume our very being. May His Wonderful and Glorious Light so shine on us, that it reveals all the areas of our lives that are still in darkness and therefore need to be illuminated by HIS Light.
