Series Introduction
In John 8:12, the apostle captures one of the most simply stated, yet densely packed claims by Jesus.
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 is the light of the world. In this Christmas series, we’ll explore a fuller understanding of what that means.
December 7 | John 1:1-18
December 14 | John 12:44-50
December 21 | 1 John 1:5-2:2
December 28 | Revelation 21
From Genesis to Revelation, God uses light as a subtle yet powerful image to describe Himself and His activity of redemption.
In the New Testament, John builds upon the theme of light in significant ways. Being one of the three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration, John’s writings explicitly connect God’s light with the Incarnate Son.
In the Gospel of John, we observe a series of declarations–Jesus is THE Light.
His coming into the world is foundational, yet at the same time, it satisfies a centuries-old longing. God has stepped into humanity; He has walked among us as one of us. Christ is not merely our substitute; he’s the agent of our change. By the power of his light, we’re changed. His light becomes our light.
In 1 John, we wrestle with the implications of living according to this light: “Are we people of Christ or not?”
In the first of three letters, John causes us to look in the mirror. He guides us through a journey of faith assessment, testing, and sanctification. Do our lives testify to a divine infusion of light? Or, if we are honest, are we more at home in the darkness?
Finally, in Revelation 21-22, John culminates his corpus by re-centering our focus on the Son who is himself the fulfillment of the light from the very beginning.
Stepping into humanity, Jesus has brought the radiation of the divine up close and personal. And, in eternity, it is his divine light that will illumine the new creation. His glory will pierce through and overcome every shadow–darkness will flee from his presence, sin and death no more to return.
The light of the world has come.
Join us as we explore the riches of his brightness and warmth this December.
Will Jackson
Equipping Pastor
Bring your whole family and join us for a service of lessons and Christmas carols as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Join us to celebrate the birth of our Savior at our Christmas Eve service this year. Childcare will not be provided, so plan to sit together with your family for a brief, joyful gathering of worship and fellowship with the church body this Advent.
