AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY THE GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. (John 1:14)

The historical account of the birth of the Messiah as reported by the Apostle John is simple, straightforward, and factual. The WORD became flesh and dwelt among us! The WORD is the eternal logos of the living God. Indeed, the Apostle John relates that “In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was GOD. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of the world. The light shined in the darkness and the darkness overcame it not." (John 1:1–5)

THE ONE TRUE GOD, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

In the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy the Lord God told Israel, “Hear oh Israel: the Lord your God is One! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The great I AM, Jehovah, has identified Himself as being ONE GOD. Thus, when the Apostle John is writing that which God has revealed to him, he identifies the eternal WORD OF GOD, JESUS, as God Himself. In the fullness of time, the Lord God prepared a body for the Eternal second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He was born of a woman in Bethlehem in Judea. He is described as the Light of the world. He describes Himself as the Light of the world. He was prophesied to be the Light of the world.

THE PROPHESIED LIGHT

The prophet Isaiah writing according to the Holy Spirit of God stated, “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”(Isaiah 9:2) Isaiah goes on to say, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulders and his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. (Isaiah 9:6-7a).

THE DARK WORLD

Today the world is becoming increasingly dark. As each of us reflects on the light of the world we should be eternally grateful that the living God has caused the light of the world to shine on us and, indeed, to dwell in us. Do you know him?

Jesus Himself told Nicodemus, who was described as a ruler of the Jews, that “unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God". When one is walking in darkness, one cannot see anything! Light repels the darkness and allows one to see the Kingdom of God. Jesus is that Light, the eternal Messiah who came for the purpose of “saving His people from their sins". Jesus told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in the Son of God is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:16-19)

Though the world is growing increasingly dark, the Light of the World pierces the darkness and makes it flee so that we can see the Kingdom of God. However, there are still many who walk in darkness and have not seen the light, because while the light has come into the world, men have loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Have you seen the light of the world? Have you received the eternal Word of God, the Son of the living God? 

The prophet Isaiah, speaking by the authority of the living God, has declared unto us that the child of God was born unto “us”. He came for “us”. He came to seek and to save that which was lost and to give his life a ransom for many. “Unto US a child is born! Unto US a Son is given!” God sent forth his son unto US. He came for you and for me and for all who will receive Him. He gives everlasting life and causes them to be born again. They no longer walk in darkness, but they walk in the Light of the world. They no longer love darkness more than they love light, but the Light of the world dwells in them and gives them the righteousness of God. Indeed, Scripture says, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). The Holy Scripture calls this wonderful, marvelous, unspeakable, gift of a Son, given unto US, JEHOVAH TSIDKENU, the Lord our righteousness.

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS NEEDED

It is the very righteousness of God which one needs in order to escape the darkness that is descending upon the world. Indeed, it is the righteousness of God which one needs in order to escape the Wrath of God, which is even now being revealed from Heaven against all who are ungodly and all who are unrighteous, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Do you know Him? The eternal question “how can a man be right with God?" has been answered in Jesus, the Word who has become flesh and dwells among us. “He himself bore our sin in his own body on the cross that we might be dead unto sin and alive unto righteousness and with his stripes we are healed.” Another prophecy of God given through the prophet Isaiah fulfilled in the Word who became flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus came into the world to save His people from their sins. He came to live a perfect life as the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world, and to bear our sins; to take our punishment and our guilt; and, to give us His righteousness! He calls everyone to come to Him. Some will not. The reason some will not come to Jesus is that they love darkness more than they love light because their deeds are evil. Jesus says, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and you should find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light". (Matthew 11:28-30)

COME TO JESUS

We receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and, in Him, this NEW BIRTH, this LIGHT OF THE WORLD, by repenting from our sins and by placing our trust in Jesus alone for our salvation. Jesus said, “repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. He calls us to trust in Him by faith alone. He gives us the gift of repentance, and the gift of saving faith.

We should reflect on the Light of the world that has shined in the darkness and commands the darkness to flee. As we reflect on the Son of God who has been given unto US, it is my sincere hope that you will repent from your sin and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. Jesus said," this is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent ". (John 17:3) If you have never made your calling and election sure, make this Christmas the time when you receive the Light of the World. Surrender your will to the Lord's will and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. If you do know the Lord Jesus Christ, but you have children or grandchildren or friends or neighbors or acquaintances who you think have not made such a commitment and do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, tell them of Jesus who is mighty to save. Pray for them and pray that God would grant great repentance to this entire nation that the Light of the world would repel the darkness that is descending on this nation and indeed on the whole world.

CONCLUSION

Now May the light of the world shine in your heart and to all of your children and grandchildren and all of your relatives, and May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ his Son, to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen.