Join us for Christmas service! Celebrate the love of God with others. It won’t be the same without you, so make time to attend together.

This service will also mark the final week of Advent. This service will be a heartfelt reminder of the greatest love story ever told, as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas.

INTRO

The late Desmond Tutu once said, "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." These words were spoken by someone who lived through the deep darkness of South African apartheid, yet they resonate with all of us.

Have you ever been caught in a power outage at night and your phone’s not next to your bed? Everything feels disorienting. You stumble, feel lost, and long for even a small flashlight.

Life can feel that way too—dark, uncertain, overwhelming. But Advent reminds us that we don’t stay in the dark forever. Jesus, the Light of the World, has come.

Parts of your life might be feeling particularly dark these days. You might be filled with fear, dealing with addiction, facing uncertainty, overwhelmed by sadness, or experiencing spiritual oppression.

Where do you turn when life feels overwhelming? How do you find the light when the darkness seems so strong?

TRANSITION

The good news of Christmas is that God doesn’t leave us stumbling in the dark. He sent His Son Jesus to be our Light. John 1, our Scripture Reading today, tells us that this Light was no ordinary light. He is the eternal Word of God, the one who has always been, who created everything, and who brings life and hope into the world.

THE LIGHT THAT CREATES

Let’s start with how John introduces Jesus—as the Light who creates all things and shines in the darkness.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The word “Word” in this is the Greek term “logos.” To the Greeks, logos meant the logic or wisdom behind the universe. To the Jews, it was the Word of God that spoke creation into existence. John is saying that Jesus is the one behind it all—the Creator who brings life and meaning to everything, including us.

Before the world began, Jesus existed with God and was God. He is not a created being but the Creator himself.

3 Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made.”

Did you know it was Jesus acting in Genesis 1 and 2? It was Jesus who separated light from darkness and split the waters. It was Jesus who created the plants and the animals. It was Jesus who created you.

Jesus brings light to your life, showing your worth, purpose, and connection to God. Our sin brings darkness into the world, but Jesus’ light is never overcome, no matter how dark you feel your sin might be.

Have you ever walked around the house in the middle of the night without a flashlight? You figure—I know this room; I got this. And then you smack your toe into the corner of a dresser and reel in pain. I’ve broken my little toe twice doing that.

When I finally put up a nightlight, I wondered why I’d spent so long stumbling in the dark. In the same way, Jesus offers us a light for our darkness, yet we often try to stumble through life without him. Why do we resist the light that can save us?

PRAYER: What is one specific area in your life where you feel like you’re stumbling in darkness? Ask Jesus to bring his light into that place right now.

THE LIGHT THAT WELCOMES US HOME

Jesus doesn’t just create life—He invites us to experience that life fully, as part of His family. Let’s see how Jesus welcomes us home.

Verse 9 says:

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

This might be the most Christmasy verse here. Jesus is the true light. He gives it to everyone. And he’s coming into the world. That’s what we celebrate on Christmas—the divine Jesus coming into our world as the true light that reveals who God truly is and who you truly are.

But then we see the tragedy of rejection:

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Though Jesus made the world, many have failed to recognize him or receive him. People didn’t recognize Jesus because he didn’t meet their expectations of a Messiah.

Even now, we can fail to receive Him fully when we expect him to work in certain ways or when we’re distracted by other things. We struggle to welcome Jesus fully into our hearts, minds, and souls, especially when distractions, selfishness, or sin clouds our hearts.

But there’s good news in verse 12:

12 Yet, to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

I once had somebody say to me, “Aren’t we all children of God?” No, we aren’t. We are created by God and we bear the image of God, but that does not mean we are all children of God.

For everyone who believes in the name of Jesus, He gives the right to become children of God—not through our own work, but through His grace.

Some of you have seen this cup before. It’s 37 years old. The night I accepted Christ at 16, a couple of girls in the youth group—people I didn’t even know—stayed up late to make me a gift basket. The next morning, they gave it to me at school. Inside were small trinkets, candy, and this cup. It’s signed by everyone there that night and says, ‘Enjoy your life with Christ.’

I was overwhelmed. These strangers didn’t just give me a gift—they made me feel like I belonged. In that moment, I realized I wasn’t just joining a youth group—I was becoming part of God’s family. And that’s what Jesus does: He welcomes us into His family, no matter who we are.

“Yet, to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Have you received the light of Jesus? Have you allowed him to transform from a spiritual orphan to a child of God?

This is the heart of this passage and the heart of Christmas. Because of this baby in a manger, you can be adopted into the royal family of God. Adoption means belonging, identity, and purpose. It means that, in Jesus, you’re home.

PRAYER: Take a moment to reflect on your relationship with Jesus. Have you fully received Him into your life, or are there areas where you’ve been holding back? Ask Jesus to reveal any distractions, fears, or sins keeping you from fully welcoming Him.

THE LIGHT THAT DWELLS AMONG US

Being welcomed into God’s family isn’t the end of the story—it’s just the beginning. Jesus doesn’t just leave us on our own. He stays with us. He’s the light that doesn’t just guide us home; He dwells with us, bringing His presence into every part of our lives.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This is the theology of Christmas: The eternal, divine Word, Jesus, became fully human while remaining fully God and entered our broken world to live among us.

The phrase “made his dwelling among us” is literally “tabernacled with us” alluding back to the Old Testament tabernacle. This was a special tent where God’s presence lived among his people in the wilderness. This was a precursor to the Temple in Jerusalem that would be built 400 years later.

This tabernacle tent was a constant reminder that God was with them. Jesus takes this further by becoming the new and perfect Tabernacle—God’s presence with us, not in a tent, but in a person.

Jesus reveals God’s glory—not a distant, fearsome glory but one full of grace and truth. In Jesus, we see love and justice perfectly balanced in a way we can’t even imagine.

Jesus doesn’t just give us information about God. A sermon does that. A podcast does that. But a firsthand experience of Jesus himself make the Father known. He is the ultimate revelation of God’s heart.

So, does God live near you? Or is he distant, detached?

PRAYER: Close your eyes and think of a place in your life where you feel distant from God. Ask Jesus to make His presence real to you in that space right now.

CONCLUSION

Each week of Advent, we’ve lit candles to remind ourselves of the hope, peace, joy, and now love that Jesus brings. But now, just days before Christmas, we celebrate the fulfillment of those longings—Jesus, the Light of the World, has come.

Jesus the Light, offers you hope in the darkness, truth to guide your steps, and new life that can transform you. Will you let his light into your life this Christmas?

Some of you are walking in darkness. You’re hurting, and you’re tired. 2,500 years ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote these words to you:

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

• If you feel like you’re walking in darkness and don’t believe in Jesus, today is the day to receive him. Come to the light and let him bring you life.

• If you already know Jesus, let him remind you this Christmas that you are a child of God. Rest in that identity and purpose.

• For all of us, if you’ve experienced the Light of Jesus, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with someone who’s struggling in the dark.

Imagine standing in a dark room, holding a single unlit candle. As you light it, the darkness fades, and you can see clearly. That’s what Jesus, the Light of the World, does. He enters our darkness and brings hope, truth, and life.

This Christmas, let Jesus light up your life, and then you light up others.