Son of God, Light of the World

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8: 12

Dear Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,

It is December 26, night has fallen, and a bit of the blues of another Christmas Past clouds my evening. Alas, all the house decorations, all the gifting particulars, all the music practices, and all the festive gatherings culminated in, what is now, yesterday. Christmas Day has come and gone. Already I await the First Sunday of Advent—next year! That sets my mind on something merry and bright for the next 52 weeks! O Come All Ye Faithful!

Thankfully the delight of Christmas lights that twinkle and shine in the neighborhoods, in the shopping centers and in the parks extend the spirit and the joy—hopefully until Epiphany, January 6. That is the celebration of the visit by certain wise men who brought gifts to the Christ Child. These men, who studied the position of the stars, for whatever reason important to the culture of the times, were fascinated by one specific star in the east. Familiar, also, to the Hebrew Scriptures, they expected the birth of the King of the Jews. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, verse 2 contains this narrative:

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

These highly educated men depended on the Scriptures and the knowledge that God gave them to seek Jesus in order to worship Him. What a precious reflection of the way God draws us to Himself—through His word and in His creation! We do not have to be academicians to know God. The magnificence of the creation tells about the Creator. Indeed, this is exactly what Paul states in Romans 1, verse 20:

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

They followed the star to find a King, and when they found Him, they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. Then they presented Him royal gifts: gold for splendor, frankincense for fragrance, and myrrh for soothing. Imagine that—not being Jewish themselves, there was something that moved them to worship this Child-King. Memorialized in the Gospel of Matthew, our Christmas traditions have, through centuries, included the wise men—and gifts—and stars.

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light.

In our dark world, where sin abounds, where anxieties and fears paralyze, where troubles and sickness hurt, where things and desires overtake, where hatred and warfare kill, we need the Perfect Light. That Light is Jesus, who took upon Himself our sins and guilt on a dark day in the midst of a blaming mob, so that we, who believe on Him and trust that He died on our account, will have eternal life with Him. Jesus, the only Son of God, left His resplendent Heavenly throne to become like us in every way, but sin, and obeyed His Father in every aspect, where we could never obey Him.

In retrospect, Dear Sisters, this day after Christmas has actually turned into a sweet and joyful time. Our Christmas tree never looked so sparkling, there are still a few radio stations playing Christmas music, and there are still some cookies in the tins. Above all, I am glad that you and I have spent this time together, reflecting on the True Light. Joy to the World!

Merry Christmas,
Mimi