Midweek Advent Two – Pr. Anderson sermon
Isaiah 9:1-2, John 1:1-9 “Lights – Jesus as the Light of the World”
December 10, 2025 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Savior of the nations, come; Virgin’s Son, make here Thy home! Marvel now, O heav’n and earth, That the Lord chose such a birth. Brightly doth Thy manger shine, Glorious is its light divine. Let not sin o’ercloud this light; Ever be our faith thus bright. Praise to God the Father sing, Praise to God the Son, our King, Praise to God the Spirit be Ever and eternally. Amen (ELH #90 v. 1, 6-7).
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
To be in the season that is considered the most wonderful time of the year, we are also in the season of darkness. Day after day and we continue to lose precious minutes of sunlight, watching as the sun goes down before we finish our day and get home from work. We use this time to brighten the night with lights of every color. As we gather in the darkness, and there are street lights and holiday lights to guide our way, we gather around a light many don’t know. This light we don’t physically see, it is a bright beam of light, continuing to guide us in whatever we do. It is a light that we desperately need. The more we see this light, the more we see how dark it is around us. For many, seeing the darkness we live in can be disparaging. For those who walk in the light, we see the darkness that attempts to blot out the light has already been defeated. As we prepare our hearts, they are prepared by a source of light we could never muster on our own. In the season of darkness, it is the most wonderful time of the year with Jesus as the light of the world, the light the darkness cannot overcome.
Though the darkness can’t overcome the light, it has been hard at work in its attempt. Throughout history, darkness has plagued the land where the light at one point shone brightly. At the height of Israel’s kingdom, King David sitting on the throne, and the promise of His descendant sitting on his throne forever, it was hard for them to fathom when the darkness came for them because they discarded the light. After the kingdoms divide, the northern tribes would be wiped out completely. They would face the terror of Assyria. With Assyria’s conquest, then Babylon, then Persia, and then Rome, the north would be covered in darkness. In the midst of that darkness, the light that had once been set aside, was never extinguished. It would burn bright again as prophesied, but there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zubulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The advent of the Savior would arrive in the north, a ministry of salvation. A ministry of the light which is the only thing that pushes away the circling darkness.
What looks like a darkness that has free reign is not the case. If the darkness can’t go wherever it wants, why does it seem like it is so prevalent? Though the world in darkness wants the light, it is unfortunate the world is the one who is casting the light aside. The son of David writes, the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble (Proverbs 4:19). Without God’s light, the sin of the world tries to reign and its reign is chaotic. Its darkness is so dark, the world can’t find its way out of it. It can be easy being in the dark and think the light has been blotted out or just doesn’t exist. Yet as David confessed, the light is always there for guidance. David writes about God’s Holy Word, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). The Word remains and the Word prepares hearts. It prepared the people in northern Judea as, the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Knowing that this prophecy is fulfilled with the wonderful light of the Savior, we can easily wonder, “why can’t the light just shine bright and make all of the darkness go away? If the light is truly present, the problems in this world should just cease to exist.” While we may search and search for making this world better, there is a reason the darkness doesn’t disappear into the night. Like King David and Solomon wrote, the light has been here since the beginning. After giving the great message of the Gospel, Jesus states, “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” (John 3:19-20). The darkness is here and continues to be here because it is loved by the people. At times, when we give into temptation, we love the darkness too and then the darkness has overcome our hearts. With the darkness engulfing us because of our love, there is only one way for our hearts to have this darkness expelled. We acknowledge why the darkness is in our lives and we flea to the light of the world.
And this light of the world has been the light since the beginning. The light of the world is the very Word of God that spoke light into existence. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3). The Word is the only thing that can light up the world. It shines brighter than any light because it is the light of heaven. And because of the mercy of God the Father looking out at His creation that brought darkness into the world, He promised and sent the light for its salvation. The people waited throughout history for its advent. And at the time hearts were prepared, Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16). A physical beacon of God’s love was found in the Word made flesh. Flesh, He did not have to put on. The flesh of an infant. Flesh, that takes on what fills our hearts with darkness so that the His light may take its place.
Rifting off of the first Words of Scripture, St. John records how this light comes to expel the darkness. He writes, 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 through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The darkness, even though it is loved by men, it only seeks men’s death. It doesn’t help men in any way shape or form. To remedy death, death that is rightly deserved, the life found in the Word made flesh lights the way for man and separates them from the final destruction of death. And once the Word became flesh for the salvation of men, the Word then confirmed how He is the One who will rid the world of darkness. 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” (John 8:12). He is the light, life, the path, He is what is needed!
There is no other hope to be found in this life to keep you away from the darkness. You know the days on which the darkness has wanted to consume you whole. God knows all of those days too and while you deserve the death that accompanies the darkness, in His mercy He gives you the light of life. A light that is worth much more than the lights that are put up only for the holidays. This light will never be extinguished and compels the darkness away because the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The light was here first and has known you from the beginning. The light laid aside His glory to put on your flesh and take on the cross with your sins of darkness as He said, “For this reason the Father love me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again” (John 10:17). And as Jesus took up His life again with His glorious resurrection, He gives you this same life. A life that you will live with His ever-shining light forever.
To be able to spend an eternity with this gracious light, you see how your hearts are being prepared like the hearts of those who were before you when the light came into the world in the flesh. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. With the coming of the true light, a light that lights up more than the holidays, your thanks and prayer is for the Lord to continue to send witnesses for the light. Your prayer is that you will be able to bear witness for Jesus, the light of the world. To prepare, you, take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (Ephesians 5:11). And when you see the love of the fruit of darkness, you once again throw it away and thank the light for continuing to shine in your presence. The light of salvation which saved you and the light that will continue to light your path until the day you live with Him forever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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