Light of Hope
Scripture Reading — John 1:1-14
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
In this season after Christmas, we rejoice in the fact that Jesus was born. We rejoice that God loved the world enough to send his only Son. We join our voices with the angels and the shepherds and with Christians throughout the centuries who have sung praise to God for the wonderful gift of Jesus’ birth.
John describes Jesus by talking about “the Word.” When he describes the event we celebrate at Christmas, he says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John talks about the great good news of Jesus’ birth, saying, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
But after sharing the good news of this light, John does not pretend that the darkness is completely gone. There is still darkness in the world. It’s not literal darkness, but the darkness of sin and despair.
The truly good news in John’s message, then, is that the light that has come into the world in Jesus is stronger than the darkness. The darkness cannot overcome the light that has come into the world in Jesus.
What wonderful hope this gives us! The light of God’s love for the world in Jesus is so strong that nothing can take away its power.
God of light, give us hope in the power of Christ, whose light is so powerful that no darkness can overcome it. Thank you for the amazing gift of Jesus’ birth. Amen.
About the author — Rebecca Jordan Heys
Rebecca Jordan Heys serves as a pastor at Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She and her husband, Kyle, are the parents of two children.
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