The Untold Christmas Story 1 – Let There Be Light
The Untold Christmas Story
Let There Be Light
The story of Jesus’ birth and the build up to this momentous event is filled with miracles, wonder and joy. Around the world the season of Christmas seems to hold something deeper than just a time of vacation or family. The giving of gifts usher in an almost euphoric time where everyone is appreciated and joy and peace abound.
But the story of Christmas is more about the preparation, more about the set up, more about the “making of” than a moment in Bethlehem in barn or cave.
The true Christmas reverberates through the cosmos and the universe and as such can not be limited to one day or a season.
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THE MOMENTOUS LIGHT
Genesis 1:1-4
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
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Sonar-luminescence: definition: Sonoluminescence is the emission of short bursts of light from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound.
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The verb in the Hebrew language here for “let” is yehi, translated to fiat lux in Latin. It is less about allowing something to happen and more like a command: “Light, exist!” God used the same commanding voice throughout Genesis
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Jesus being the WORD and the LIGHT being the effect of the WORD
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THE REAL REASON
John 1:1-9
The Word Became Flesh
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,[a] 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.
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This was not just moment it was a divine movement. It was a manifestation of a divine ripple that would permeate through every fiber of the cosmos.
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RESPONSE TO THE LIGHT
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1. FEAR (HEROD)
The Light Threatens Selfish Desire
Herod was an Edomite from the linage of Esau.
Jesus was from the linage of David which made him the rightful heir to the throne.
Herod was also very troubled and paranoid. He killed two sons and a wife because he thought they were trying to overthrow him.
Herod lived in “darkness”, the “Light” threatened to expose his evil deeds.(John 1:5)
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Darkness Deepens Fear
Herod tried to snuff out the light by having all the babies killed in Bethlehem. (Just like in Egypt when Moses was born)
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It is a Light That Can Not Be Extinguished
Herod failed to see the supernatural meaning of Christ birth and the salvation He would bring. He was focusing on temporal things, his kingdom, and missed the everlasting things of God’s Kingdom.
Darkness can never extinguish the light.
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2. ANTICIPATION (SHEPHERDS)
The Light is to be Shared
The Shepard’s at the time were believed to be keepers of the sheep that would be sacrificed in the temple.
Normal Shepard’s were required to keep their flock in the wilderness.
Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and their surrounding fields were not in the wilderness where ordinary flocks of sheep are kept. So according to the Jewish regulations, the flocks under the care of the shepherds near Bethlehem must have been for the Temple services.
This is symbolic because it represents Jesus the Lamb of God being the ultimate and final sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Therefore the shepherds would no longer have to tend sheep for sacrificial purposes.
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The Light Kind Of Fear
When the angel appeared it lit up the entire field. The sky split and the glory of God covered the whole area. Not to mention God hadn’t spoken for over 400 years at the time.
They have been waiting with anticipation for this long awaited Messiah to come. If you think about it the shepherds had to of known the spoken word from the past prophets about Jesus.
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Responding to the Light
They were excited. They ran to tell others about the good news they’ve heard and the things that they have seen. When the angel had finished speaking they said to themselves quick let’s go and see the WORD that was born.
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3. FAITH (US)
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
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1. The WORD is the source of light
John 8:12a Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
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2. The WORD is life
John 8:12b Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
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3. The WORD has an effect
1. Thessalonians 2:13 – Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe
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Our LIGHT comes from the faith-filled anticipation of the ongoing presence of the WORD and not the fleeting excitement of a moment.