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The Light Shines On You
John 1:6-9, Matthew 2:1-3 5:14-16, Isaiah 60:1-3
Message for the second Sunday of advent
Andy Nagahara
Christmas is the time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. And the four weeks before Christmas are called Advent. We light two of the four candles that are placed in the chapel only at this time of year, for today is the second Sunday of Advent. As you can see, we were also able to decorate for Advent and Christmas last Sunday after the service.
Decorations for the season have been common for quite some time, even in non-Christian households, and the Christmas tree appeared every year in the home where I grew up. The lights there did not blink in a complicated way as they do now, but they were simple lights, yet for some reason they brought a special feeling to my young child’s heart. Why do we humans, both adults and children, get so excited to see shining lights? There are many kinds of light. Some lights, like light trap for killing insects, can “take your life” if you wander too close to them. But the light I speak of today is a “life-giving” light. Let us take a look at some texts from the Bible.
Let’s begin with the Gospel of John 1:6-9.
A. Christmas: The celebration for the coming of Jesus(John 1:6-9)
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
Last week, in the first message of Advent, we learned about the birth of this man named John from the Gospel of Luke. It is John the Baptist who was born just before Jesus was born and pointed to Jesus when he appeared to the world as the Christ, saying, “Follow this one”. The text describes Jesus as “the true light” and John as “the one who testifies about the light”.
In our recent series on the Gospel of John, we learned that those of us who have come to know Jesus are like John the Baptist to those who do not yet know him. That explains our relationship with the Savior who was born on the world’s first Christmas. Many people live their lives without being aware of that light. The grace of Jesus is not so intrusive that anyone would not notice it without being introduced to this person as the “true light”.
After Jesus finished his earthly life and returned to heaven, the Christian church was formed by his remaining disciples to practice the way of life he taught them and to tell those who did not yet know him. However, it was not until the fourth century that the Church began to celebrate Christmas. In the time of Jesus’ birth, no attention was paid to personal birthdays in any culture. So it is not surprising that no one knows the exact date of Jesus’ birth. The Church in the fourth century designated December 25th not as “the birthday of Jesus” but as “the day to remember the Nativity of Christ”.
What is important is not which day is real, but the fact that He came. I think it was very wise for the church to choose December 25th out of many possible dates to remember this fact for themselves and to tell people about it. It was the winter solstice, or the longest night and the day with the least amount of sunlight, according to the calendar adopted in ancient Rome. I can think of no more appropriate day to remember and celebrate the Nativity of Christ who is the true light, in a world that seems to be in darkness. Jesus is the one who came to bring light to the darkness of the world, of society, and of human hearts.
B. Christmas: An Inconvenient Fact for Some People (Matthew 2:1-3)
Now let’s read Matthew 2:1-3.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
It is written that while there were the Magi who came to visit from afar, who rejoiced to know that a Savior was to be born, both the king and the citizens were anxious. For a king, the birth of a king outside his own lineage means the downfall of his dynasty. He actually took cruel precautions, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 2:13 and following verses. But it was not only the king. The people of Jerusalem were equally anxious.
What kind of people would fear the appearance of the light that illuminates the darkness? It was people who were living unrighteously by taking advantage of the darkness. The authorities and religious leaders of the time were exactly like that. This is because in the light, injustice would be exposed and false piety would be uncovered. Those who tried to kill the newborn Jesus, King Herod, his child Herod Antipas who had John beheaded, and the religious leaders who crucified Jesus were all people who felt inconvenienced by the presence of the true light, Jesus.
There are still many people who find Jesus’ presence inconvenient. People who want to continue to do things that Jesus hates and grieves do not want to hear from Him. There are many people out there who consider themselves Christians, but are inconvenienced by the presence of Jesus. Those people interpret the words of the Bible to suit themselves and turn their backs on Jesus while they claim to be following the teachings of the Bible.
Mahatma Gandhi, whose nonviolent resistance was a model for Reverend King’s civil rights movement and who led India to independence, loved Jesus very much, but he despised Christianity, since it had become a pawn in the colonial policies of European nations and had caused suffering in Asia and Africa.
Jesus is not the God of Christians. He is the Lord and God of those who walk in the way of Jesus. What does it mean to walk in the way of Jesus? Please listen to Isaiah’s prophecy.
C. Shine as reflected light！(Isaiah 60:1-3, マタイ Matthew 5:14-16)
1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
As verse 2 states, Isaiah was indeed prophesying in the 700s B.C. about a Savior who would come as a light to illuminate the darkness. But verses 1 and 3 say that it is “you,” not Jesus, who shines the light, and that nations and kings walk toward “your” light.
It means that Jesus illuminates the world in an indirect way. We came to know Jesus before many others so that we might receive the fullness of the light that shone upon us and reflect it back to illuminate the world. Jesus teaches about this as follows.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
I am sure there are a number of people whom you would like them to get to know Jesus and to become more intimate with Him. What is needed for this to happen is not to share Christian teachings. Rather, it is to let the light of truth shine through you to that person.
How can we be a light for someone else? There are two essential points for a mirror to reflect a light source and effectively illuminate where it is needed. They are the angle of the mirror and the condition of its surface.
Let’s think about it in terms of angles. Turning your back on God’s light is out of the question. First, we must receive that light ourselves. But if we focus too much on our own relationship with God and think only of God, our light will not reach anyone. If we are so intent on the Bible and the church that we are not mindful of our surroundings, our faces may shine with God’s light, but our surroundings will remain dark.
Also, if the state of our hearts toward God is like a cloudy mirror, God’s radiance will not reach people properly. And if we are like a distorted mirror, God’s grace may be conveyed in the wrong way. What we need to do to maintain our hearts in good condition, without them becoming clouded or distorted, is nothing more than to give importance to worship and to keep our relationships centered on God.
If we take care of these things, the Holy Spirit will work in our hearts to maintain them and keep them in good condition.
（Prayer）
Thank you, God, for coming to us like a shining light in the midst of darkness. We are glad that you have not only been a light to guide our steps, but that you have made us shine with your light and commanded us to be the light of the world. Yet we know ourselves to be weak and sinful. Please prepare us in our heartfelt worship, in our relationships centered on You, and equip us to be worthy to be Your light-deliverers.
We pray in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Summary
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Jesus came into this world as a light shining in the darkness. It is to give us the light of hope, and it is also for you to shine with that light and become the light that brings hope to the world.
For Discussion
- What kind of people don’t want that light to shine through the darkness?
- What do you want to shine for?