The Light of Christmas

December 24, 2023 • Don Willeman • John 1:1–5, John 1:9–14, John 3:16–21, John 8:12

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” ~Source Unknown   “Darkness is only the absence of light. Turn on a light and it banishes the darkness.” ~Terry Pratchett (1948-2015), English author and satirist   “There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~Edith Wharton (1862-1937), first woman to win Pulitzer Prize in Fiction   “The darkness always passes, and the light comes back.” ~Khaled Hosseini in The Kite Runner (2003)   “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” ~Victor Hugo in Les Misérables (1862)   “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~Martin Luther King Jr. in Strength to Love (1963)   “The deepest thing in Christianity is God’s love for earth. That God is rich in his heaven is something known also by other religions. That he wanted to be poor together with his creatures, that…he wanted to and did indeed suffer for his world, and that through his Incarnation he enabled himself to prove the suffering of his love to his creatures: this is the hitherto unheard-of thing.” ~Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988), Swiss Theologian   “The Bible is God’s anthropology rather than man’s theology.” ~Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), leading Jewish theologian-philosopher of the 20th century SERMON PASSAGE John 1:1-5, 9-14; 3:16-21, 8:12 (ESV) John 1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 3 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”   John 8 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Immanuel

December 24, 2019 • Don Willeman

The King Born to Set Us Free

December 24, 2016 • Don Willeman

REFLECTION QUOTES “To be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal.” ~Simone Weil (1909–1943) “Behind the debris of our self-styled, sullen supermen, there stands the gigantic figure of one person because of whom, by whom, in whom, and through whom alone mankind might still have hope: the person of Jesus Christ.” ~G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer and journalist “…in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God. Henceforth, any attack even on the least…is an attack on Christ, who took the form of man, and in his own Person restored the image of God in all that bears a human form. Through fellowship and communion with the incarnate Lord, we recover our true humanity, and at the same time we are delivered from that individualism which is the consequence of sin, and retrieve our solidarity with the whole human race.” ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1909-1945), German pastor/theologian executed for his opposition to the Nazi movement “That God is rich in his heaven is something known also by other religions. That he wanted to be poor together with his creatures, that in his heaven, he wanted to and did indeed suffer for his world, and that through his Incarnation he enabled himself to prove the suffering of his love to his creatures: this is the hitherto unheard-of thing.” ~Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988), Swiss Theologian “Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man.” ~Anonymous “God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” ~St. Augustine (354-430), bishop in North Africa SERMON PASSAGE 24 DEC 2016 00:00|17:17 Matthew 2:1-6 December 24, 2016 preached by Pastor Don Willeman Download Time of Reflection Quotations “To be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal.” ~Simone Weil (1909–1943) “Behind the debris of our self-styled, sullen supermen, there stands the gigantic figure of one person because of whom, by whom, in whom, and through whom alone mankind might still have hope: the person of Jesus Christ.” ~G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer and journalist “…in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God. Henceforth, any attack even on the least…is an attack on Christ, who took the form of man, and in his own Person restored the image of God in all that bears a human form. Through fellowship and communion with the incarnate Lord, we recover our true humanity, and at the same time we are delivered from that individualism which is the consequence of sin, and retrieve our solidarity with the whole human race.” ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1909-1945), German pastor/theologian executed for his opposition to the Nazi movement “That God is rich in his heaven is something known also by other religions. That he wanted to be poor together with his creatures, that in his heaven, he wanted to and did indeed suffer for his world, and that through his Incarnation he enabled himself to prove the suffering of his love to his creatures: this is the hitherto unheard-of thing.” ~Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988), Swiss Theologian “Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man.” ~Anonymous “God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” ~St. Augustine (354-430), bishop in North Africa Sermon Passage Matthew 2:1-6 ¹After 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.’”