Christmas Day: Gospel, John 1:1-14                                         

John 1:1-14

Have you ever had the experience of being in a dark room, I mean a completely dark room, when a match was struck and allowed to burn? I think most of us have. What truth is displayed? Well, it doesn’t take much light to swallow the dark. Our gospel reading on this holy weekend is about just that: light coming into darkness. And not just entering, but eventually defeating it.

What always catches my attention in this passage is the idea that Light needs a witness. Jesus is introduced here as the Light that enlightens every man, every woman and child. But someone is needed to point that out. Think back to the dark room and the match. No one is needed there to say, “Hey look at the light.” It’s evident. It is present. And it changes the nature of the space that it illuminates.

So what is (excuse the pun) being pointed to here. Well, we know there is no deficiency in the Light.  No, it is the gross nature of the darkness into which it comes, namely the unregenerate human heart, which needs the help. And no mere upgrade. Paul describes the change needed and received by the Savior as “old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17b). Or as the great old English revivalist preacher Leonard Ravenhill used to say, “Jesus Christ did not come into the world to make bad men good. He came to make dead men live.” And the Light is new. He makes new. Light from darkness, life from death.

So I need John to point the way to Jesus. So do you. And day by day, we need one another to point us back to the Savior again and again. I’ll do it for you. Will you do the same for me?

The Light is here. His name is Jesus. Let’s open our hearts to Him, not just as we celebrate His birth, but every day of the year. 

Merry Christmas!