READ: JOHN 1:5; JOHN 8:12
I am told of a cemetery in rural Pike County near China Grove where someone years ago planted evergreen trees all around the graveyard. Every year at Christmas the caretaker of the cemetery strings beautiful white lights around those trees. A place of death is circled and illumined by Christmas lights. At first, I thought it was a strange place for Christmas lights, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. Isn’t the theme of Christmas that the light overpowers the darkness of death? John reminds us that at Christmas a light shined in the darkness, and the darkness can’t put out the light. Give God your darkness this Christmas. For some of you it has been a hard year. Give Christ your darkness, your grief, your depression, your sins, your loneliness, your guilt, your cancer, your addictions, your financial problems, your self pity, your low self worth. Jesus is in the light-bringing business. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Who ever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I don’t know what your darkness is, but I know it can’t put out God’s light and love for you. The darkness doesn’t win.
I am told of a cemetery in rural Pike County near China Grove where someone years ago planted evergreen trees all around the graveyard. Every year at Christmas the caretaker of the cemetery strings beautiful white lights around those trees. A place of death is circled and illumined by Christmas lights. At first, I thought it was a strange place for Christmas lights, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. Isn’t the theme of Christmas that the light overpowers the darkness of death? John reminds us that at Christmas a light shined in the darkness, and the darkness can’t put out the light. Give God your darkness this Christmas. For some of you it has been a hard year. Give Christ your darkness, your grief, your depression, your sins, your loneliness, your guilt, your cancer, your addictions, your financial problems, your self pity, your low self worth. Jesus is in the light-bringing business. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Who ever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I don’t know what your darkness is, but I know it can’t put out God’s light and love for you. The darkness doesn’t win.
– Dr. Tim Thompson