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.”

Jesus, the Gift of a Cure

December 24, 2020 • Don Willeman

REFLECTION QUOTES “We’re in a time where we exclude one major component out of this whole thing called life: God.” ~Kendrick Lamar, rapper, songwriter and producer “We don’t have any control. And so, if you don’t have any control, then maybe everything you have is a gift.” ~Riz Ahmed, actor and rapper, speaking on NPR about the pandemic “The Bible is God’s anthropology rather than man’s theology.” ~Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), leading Jewish rabbi and theologian “…the mystery…that Almighty God would come down…in the person of Jesus Christ and became one of us…. There is really nothing like that incredible social inversion of Almighty God coming here and living with us and dying with us.” ~Anne Rice, author of The Vampire Chronicles “That a god should put up with adversity, I could understand. The gods of Hinduism face their fair share…. Adversity, yes. Reversals of fortune, yes. Treachery, yes. But humiliation? Death? I couldn’t imagine Lord Krishna consenting to be stripped naked, whipped, mocked, dragged through the streets and, to top it off, crucified…. [D]ivinity should not be blighted by death. It’s wrong…. The Son must have the taste of death forever in His mouth. The Trinity must be tainted by it; there must be a certain stench at the right hand of God the Father. The horror must be real. Why would God wish that upon Himself? Why not leave death to the mortals? Why make dirty what is beautiful, spoil what is perfect? “Love. That was Father Martin’s answer.” ~ Pi’s response to hearing the Christian gospel in Yann Martel’s The Life of Pi “If you stumble at mere believability, what are you living for? Isn’t love hard to believe?” ~Yan Martel in Life of Pi “Love is divine only and difficult always.” ~Toni Morrison (1935-2019), novelist and college professor “Life is short. Death is sure. Sin the cause. Christ the cure.” ~Source Unknown SERMON PASSAGE Luke 2:8-12 (ESV) 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Immanuel

December 24, 2019 • Don Willeman