Light and life he comes to bring
Sermon for Christmas Day, year C
Bible reading: John 1:1-14
Many years ago I took a Christmas Eve service in Bunbury. They had no pastor and didn’t plan a service. But unexpectedly I ended up taking a funeral in Bunbury that day and offered to take a Christmas Eve service. Hurriedly the small congregation got to work to arrange a service and invite everybody they could – and they came and filled the church at such short notice.
Now there was a little boy there that night, and he was like a mosquito in a bedroom. He was constantly on the move, constantly escaping from his embarrassed parents, constantly running to the front of the small church, with its humble Christmas tree, and little Nativity set under it, with Mary and Joseph and the shepherds and the wise men, and of course baby Jesus. This little hyperactive boy went for baby Jesus. Like a mosquito, this little boy targeted baby Jesus, and snatched him out of the nativity set, not once, but over and over.
We thought the boy was disturbing us. But he was really teaching us. I should have stopped my sermon, and just said: watch this boy, and do what he does.
Christmas is all about Jesus, coming down to earth from heaven. Coming to you in love.
Christmas is all about taking Jesus, and hanging on to him, and never letting him go.
On that dark night in Bethlehem and Bunbury, Jesus came to light up the world.
On that day of death, in Bunbury and Bethlehem, Jesus came to bring life to the world.
Light and Life he comes to bring
. So we sang in Hark! the herald angels sing. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people
, we heard in the Gospel. I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
That’s what Jesus says about himself in John 8:12, straight after some religious leaders were trying to stone to death a woman who’d been caught in adultery – and where was the man in this unjust world, this dark world which hides a multitude of sins under the cloak of respectability; this violent world, which resorts to the sword of death, rather than to the love and forgiveness which brings life.
And that’s why Jesus came down to earth from heaven, to bring light to this dark, and ignorant and sinful world, and to bring life to this world, which is trapped in the ways of death. We all know the world is in a mess. Whenever it takes a step forward, sliding two steps backwards quickly follows. Most people know their communities are breaking down. People hardly know each other any more. People are so busy making a fortune of making a name for themselves that they have little time for others. Most people know their relationships are in a mess… relationships are breaking down, with adults more sceptical and less trusting, and children left to suffer the pain, which is almost impossible to heal.
When the light of the world comes to bring new life, you’d think everyone would run to Jesus with hope and joy. But for most it’s the opposite. The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.
Too many of us are like men who know they’re sick, but put off going to the doctor, lest he tells us the bad news, and we have to face surgery. Yet it is only when the condition is diagnosed that it can also be healed. Jesus came to shed light on the sinful human condition, so he could bring us healing and eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Every year we are amazed how the meaning of Christmas is ignored to the degree that many no longer know it’s all about Jesus, or are totally embarrassed by it. The closest some are prepared to go is to say: Christmas is all about family. As important as family is, Christmas is not about our families. Mary and Joseph were rejected by their families:
- at home in Nazareth, where they were no doubt ashamed of this birth outside wedlock,
- at Bethlehem, where not one of Joseph’s relatives would take them in,
he came to his own home and his own people did not accept him,
he was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.
Wherever Jesus family went they were rejected, and Christmas is celebrated with complete strangers, outcasts and rejects. The birth of Jesus was not a family celebration. But the good news is that the birth of Jesus led to the birth of a brand new family. To all who received Jesus, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born not of natural means, but of God.
Jesus came and he keeps coming to be the light, which brings eternal life. He keeps shining in this world of darkness and ignorance, and his light may be ignored or rejected, but it will never be extinguished. The light shines through the darkness, but the darkness can never put it out.
People may ignore Jesus, but Christmas keeps reminding us that Jesus keeps coming to save us.
People may be so trapped in sinful patterns of behaviour that when the light comes they retreat into ever deeper darkness, but that light will continue to shine, continue to hold out love and forgiveness to all who will step out of their darkness into the light of Christ.
People may become so filled with hatred for God and his people, but God and his people will keep on loving them and even be prepared to die with Christ to rescue them from their journey to hell.
This Christmas Jesus is born to bring light and life to us to help us see our dire condition without Christ, and to show us the way to him and the eternal life he brings.
But how can we ensure that we see and receive? How can we ensure that this is not another Christmas where we don’t get it, where we don’t get Christ, despite our Christmas worship, and Christmas gifts, and Christmas feasts?
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We could focus on Christ. When people ask what you’re doing for Christmas, just say you’re thinking about Jesus, and meditating on him, and worshiping him, and praying to him, and relaxing and rejoicing with him. Let the spotlight be on Jesus being born for you, and loving you, and bringing eternal life to you.
We could feast on Christ. Remember Jesus was placed in a manger, in a feeding trough, because he came to be your food. Yes, eat your Christmas ham and pudding, but above all feast on Christ, as you read his word, receive his Sacrament, and look to him to sustain you every step of your life.
We could feed the world with Christ. People all around us are hungry for what only Jesus Christ can do for them. You can feed them. You can love them with the love of Jesus. You can tell them the good news of Jesus Christ.