John 3:19-21 states, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Christmas lights are a huge part of the Christmas season. One year I made a large star, five feet in diameter, with white lights all over it. I put it on top of our windmill so it could be seen on the road a mile away. I drove a distance to take a look and was disappointed—it only looked like one bright light, not a star.
God is the great master when it comes to lights, or anything. When God created the earth, a formless mass covered in water and darkness, He immediately spoke and created light—not sunlight, that came later (Genesis 1). I’m not sure if that light traveled at 186,000 miles per second, like the sunlight or electricity. Darkness still existed, but was separated from the light. In Revelation 21&22 we see the new heaven and new earth. Revelation 21:1 says, “…for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Then in Revelation 22:5, “And there shall be no light there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
So what about the Christmas light? Let’s look at three lights. The first would have to be Jesus. In our text we see a “light that is come into the world.” This is definitely speaking of Jesus. John 1:4-5 states, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” Jesus Himself said, “…I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
The second Christmas light I would have us see appeared to the shepherds in the form of the glory of the Lord (Luke 2:9). This was not something new. Prophets had seen it in visions. Moses literally saw it in visions. The Israelites saw it in a pillar of cloud. When Moses reared up the tent of meeting—the tabernacle—the glory of the Lord filled it (Exodus 40:34&35).
The third Christmas light appeared to the wise men in the east. They believed it to be the star of Jesus. It may have appeared exactly when Jesus was born. Some have explained it as two stars converging, but I believe it was a God-given light that was described as a star. It actually came and stood over where Jesus was as a young child. Of all the stars Jesus made, this special star was glorious.
When we think about the true Christmas light, our text talks about those who come to it or hide from it. When the Father allowed His Son, the Light of the world, to hang on the cross for us, there were three hours of darkness (Luke 23:45). The sun couldn’t hold a candle to the CHRISTMAS LIGHT!
