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Youversion 

 December 20

Christmas Light, Part 4 – Shine

Series review:

• God created light and it was good
• Everything else from creation stems from that moment 
• Throughout the story of God light is a constant symbol of the presence and power of God 
• The prophecies foretold about the coming of Jesus 
• Christmas then is the dawning of LIGHT 

“on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

• And this light brings JOY and a calls us to respond 
• We are not just to observe the light, acknowledge the light, but WALK in the light 
• So the question this morning is: What about YOUR light?

What do you do about all of this Christmas light?

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people 

light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to 

everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see 

your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

• As they are listening, Jesus’ hearers would have known Light as symbolic of God Himself (2 Samuel 22:29, Psalm 18:28, Psalm 43:3, etc.).
• When Jesus proclaims “you are the light”, He commands His followers to be what He Himself claimed to be (John 8:12) 
• In response to this proclamation, you ARE the Light, Jesus gives us only two choices in the Sermon on the Mount (verse 15):
  • Shine ( “it gives light”) 
  • Cover your light (“put it under a bowl”) The implication is that, as believers, we have to actually work not to shine.

But the truth is this:

The greatest gift we can receive is His Light, 

the greatest gift we can give is His Light. 

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8

https://bible.com/events/47937072

YOUVERSION – December 13, Adrian
Title: Christmas Light, Part 3: Joy and Promise

Luke 2:8-16⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Matthew 2:1-122 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’^[b]”⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route

Throughout the Christmas season, our focus has been upon Light and it’s symbolism for all that Jesus did in overcoming darkness for us.The question for us today is: How will you respond to the light? 

Light played a critical role in the account of two Christmas-related stories, particularly involving “outsiders” (they were not religious leaders or even devoted Jews):An angel appeared to shepherds and the glory of the Lord “shone” around them. The primary description we have of this angel involves light – so bright that they were afraid.Magi “from the east” followed a light in the sky that moved along with them until the light settled on the place where Jesus was.In both stories we see an answer to the question: “How will you respond to the light?” 
The bottom line:The light is a promise (of joy) and a call (to pursue). 

A promise (of joy)The light represented a fulfillment of the promise of God and a continual promise that the light will overcome the darkness, no matter what is to come. Joy is evident in these stories because the light of Jesus represented hope for all people. 
Luke 2:10-11 ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 
Matthew 2:10 ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 

A call (to pursue) Seeing the promise of God is not enough. Ultimately, it requires a response. The shepherds and the magi made a choice not just to observe the light, but to pursue it. 

Luke 2:15-16 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Matthew 2:10-11When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

1 John 1:7⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

How will you respond to the light of Jesus? 

http://bible.com/events/47856551

Christmas Light, Part 2

Out of Darkness

In our series on Christmas Light, today, we study darkness.

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Think about two important words from Isaiah 9:1

Key Word #1: “Nevertheless”

Isaiah 9:1-2

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

² The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

This very famous messianic (Christmas prophecy) in Isaiah, is immediately preceded by something not as famous but just as important.

Isaiah 8:21-22

²¹ Distressed and hungry, they (God’s disobedient people) will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. ²² Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

(Isaiah 9:1) Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.

Key Word #2: “Gloom”

Isaiah 9:1a

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom (Heb: muw`aph –the greatest distress; hopelessness)

King James Version: Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as in her vexation.

            To be cursed, to have a sense of no way out…

But what does all of this have to do with you?

Ephesians 5:8-14

8 For you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

John 12:46

⁴⁶ I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

Reminders from Part 1 of the series

Biblically, light is a symbol of hope, life and truth. The very first thing we ever hear God say concerns light.

Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. ³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

1 John 1:5

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Matthew 4:12-17

¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

http://bible.com/events/47805233

Christmas Light, Part 1: The Dawn

Isaiah 9:1-2

9 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

• This prophecy foretells the coming of Christ by predicting certain things that will be true about that time:
  • There will be no more gloom
  • The people of God (Galilee) will be honored
  • Those walking in darkness will not only see, but see a great light
  • A new era will arrive, in the form of light dawning
  • To grasp the utter importance of this text, we have to go back. All the way back to when light was created
• To grasp the importance of this text, we have to go back to when light was created.

Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. ³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

• The first thing we ever read God saying, the first of His stated creative acts – Let there be light. 
• We learn from the very beginning that light will be something important and special.
• Everything in creation stems from that original creation of light.

1.  LIGHT IS GOOD 

Light is the first of the Creator’s works, showing the work of the divine in a world that is chaos without it.

• Light symbolizes life – “You have rescued me from death. You have kept my feet from stumbling so that I could walk in your presence, in the light of life” (Ps 56:13)
• Light symbolizes truth – “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path” (Ps 119:105)

2. GOD IS LIGHT 

“God is light, and there isn’t any darkness in him.” 1 John 1:5 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1

• Light to the world  – “You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14 
• Light yet to come – “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelations 22:5 

Matthew 4:12-17

¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.” 

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

• Any good Jew would be able to immediately read Matthew 4 and see how points us back to the prophecy in Isaiah 
• There is a clear parallel here between the initial story of creation of Genesis 1 (“Let there be light”) and the arrival of Jesus  (“a light has dawned”)
• Jesus’ affirms that God’s kingdom has come near. It is not just that “a light has dawned” but rather “our light has dawned” 

Bottom Line: 

He didn’t just come to be THE Light, He came to be YOUR Light. 

“The splendors of creation and the agonies of redemption combine in Christmas, this center where God in Christ invades existence with redeeming light and decisively defeats evil.” 
― Eugene Peterson

http://bible.com/events/47529342

Anatomy of a Storm: Feeding Hope

As we conclude our series, Anatomy of a Storm, we are going to talk about one unexpected gift this season has given us: the opportunity for hope.

Romans 5:1-5

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And weboast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces  perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

-We are justified (made right) before God because of Jesus, and not based on our works 

-Through Jesus we can have peace with God and we now have access to God’s grace (his favor). 

-The grace of God is our foundation. In this way, we are not just saved by God’s grace, but we are also saved for God’s grace. We get to experienced his incredible and unearned favor in our lives.  

Paul is highlighting two aspects of hope for those who put their faith in Christ:

-Hope THROUGH the storm – the promise we have that God will get glory on the other side of the storm ( “And weboast in the hope of the glory of God.”)

-Hope IN the storm – the realization that God can produce hope in us even while the storm is raging (“wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces  perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”)

Two things to remember about hope:

-Hope comes from God 

                -Hope is not something we catch, not something we produce, not something we can source 

                -The reason hope doesn’t put us to shame (Romans 5:5) Is because the Holy Spirit is pouring it out in our hearts. Hope is sourced by His Spirit at work in us.

-Hope grows 

                -Paul highlights that hope grows through a process (Romans 5:3-4)

                -Hope does not just begin and end with me, but continues to grow and even overflow (Romans 15:13). 

                -People with hope can’t contain it. They are determined to spread it. They refuse to let hopelessness have any ground in their lives or in others 

Romans 15:13

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Other Scriptures for Study/Reflection 

Romans 5:1-5 (The Message)

5 ^1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. ^3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!