Light of the World
Think of a time when you were in such heavy darkness you could not even see your hand when you held it in front of your face. The darkness almost seemed to diffuse a visceral weight. That depth of darkness unsettles the mind and can easily trigger anxiety. You may even fidget in the place you read this just thinking about that consuming level of darkness.
Now, imagine a candlelight introduced into the darkness. The light immediately demands your attention. The heavy weight of the darkness dissipates as the light radiates its glow. The single light brings comfort, joy, awe, and hope.
Jesus is the light of the world and gives this assurance, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). The world, before Christ came in the flesh, was dark because humanity’s sin separated them from God (Isaiah 59:2). The pre-Christ darkness had to feel hopeless, but the Israelites held on to the prophecy the Messiah was coming, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (7:14). Isaiah further described the hope, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6). God's people reflected on Isaiah's words in anticipation of their fulfilment for centuries.
When Mary gave birth to Jesus, the light of God burst into the world through this incarnational miracle. Matthew echoes Isaiah’s prophecy and translates for the reader what Immanuel means, “God with us” (1:23). Matthew’s reference to the prophecy informs Jesus’ identity as God and emphasizes prophetic fulfilment of the Messianic arrival.
One of the greatest tools we use in the church is repetition. We sing the same songs multiple times throughout the year, read on repeat the same Bible, rotate our children through a revolving Sunday school curriculum journeying them through the Bible several times from birth to graduation, pray often with recycled language, give every week, and persistently commune around the Lord’s Supper. Highlighting this repetition is not to criticize these rhythms as a monotonous drag but to emphasize their importance.
The greatest gift God gave His creation is Jesus. Setting up rhythms, or rituals, in our lives help us remember Jesus in creative ways. One ritual Jesus established for us was the Lord’s Supper.
James Smith said this about the ritual of Communion, “We don't need to reinvent the wheel. And we don't need to come up with the next best thing. We need to remember creatively the gifts that have been given to us.” There are other rituals you may have that help you remember to pray like a sticky note on the mirror. You see it often enough to where you get into the rhythm of praying every time you are in that spot.
Christmas is one of those rituals that helps us remember the glorious incarnation of God every year. As gifts pour in from all around and you give gifts to others, it serves as a reminder of the ultimate gift that outdoes them all: Jesus who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is God’s only Son and our Lord. Without His coming in the flesh, we would still be in the depths of darkness.
Tim Hughes wrote, “Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness, opened my eyes, let me see, beauty that made this heart adore you, hope of a life spent with you…King of all days, all so highly exalted, glorious in heaven above, humbly you came to the earth you created, all for our sake became poor.” As we celebrate this ritual of Christmas, let us renew our hope in the light which came through the baby boy Jesus. Merry Christmas and glory to the newborn King!
-Casey McDonald