“The Joy of Christmas”

Scripture:

Luke 1:78-79
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the Light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace. (NLT)

Observation:

Our gracious and merciful God has given the world’s people something, that since the beginning of time, we have not been able to find, and that, my dear friends, is a way out of the darkness that surrounds every living soul of this fallen world. The merciful Gift of God’s Light from Heaven was born into this darkened world the Savior (Luke 2:11). Christ Jesus came to us from Heaven, born with an eternal human body so that all peoples would have the same opportunity to escape the evil darkness that this sin-filled world chooses to embrace.

Application:

Through His physical life and ministry, and through His physical death and resurrection, Jesus lit the path of redemption for all to see, especially those who desperately cry out for God’s saving grace. Walking in the Light of God’s path not only cleanses us from all our iniquity and unrighteousness, but it also leads us through the Gateway of Heaven where we will live, both physically and spiritually, forever in the eternal Light of God’s Glory. This Wonderful Gift of redemption and salvation is the greatest gift one could ever ask for or humbly receive (2 Corinthians 9:15) . This gift is not only totally irrational by our human standards, but it is also a gift that is graciously offered to everyone, especially those who deem themselves unworthy or too undeserving. Jesus came to save the world from the curse of sin that plummeted God’s creation into this darkness. Jesus came to save each individual person (from the least to the greatest) from the self-destructive habits of our inherent sinful natures, which if continued to go on unchecked and unforgiven, would have lead us even deeper into the darkness that is inescapable . Jesus came to bring Light into the darkness. Jesus came to bring Hope to the hopeless. Jesus came to bring Joy to the world —the true and lasting Joy which the world had lost. The life and death of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ gives us more than a reason to rejoice and be glad—it gives us victory over death. Jesus is the Light of God’s most Radiant Son; the Light that completely eradicates all darkness and that which separates us from our Holy God.

Prayer:

Thank You dear Lord, for the Light that saved our world from the self-destruction of sin. Thank You for coming into this dark world and for giving us Hope. You are an awesome God who deserves all of our praise and glory.

Amen