Every time I see Christmas lights, I think of Jesus- the LIGHT of the world

     

He is Lord 

He is Immanuel

He is God

He is Holy 

He is Truth         

                                                                    

No wonder the angels shouted: "Glory to God in the Highest!" as they left the shepherds in their fields.

Glory.  

Oh, the weight of that word.  The shining of it.  The brightness of it.

To God. 

 Who else deserves glory but Him?

In the Highest.  

In case we missed it the first time - He alone is worthy.

And when He brings the first-born into the world, He says: 

'And let all the angels of God worship Him.'

(Hebrews 1:6)

Those shepherds- they headed straight for Bethlehem and found the baby.  In a manger.  Just like the angel had told them.  

"And they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child." 

(Luke 2:17)

And how fitting... that a Star should appear, to guide wise men from the East, over a period of two years.  From east to west, they travelled to Bethlehem:

 "And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh." 

(Matthew 2:11)

Worshiping angels; message-bearing shepherds; worshiping wise men.  Accompanied by most glorious kinds of light.  Wow!

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overpower it."

(John 1:5)

Then came the crucifixion.  Had not the darkness conquered, after all?

"And when the sixth hour had come, 

darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour." 

(Mark 15:33)

The Light of the World had come to die.  

Inglorious paradox!

A death for my death - to pay for sin.

Rising again!

That I might truly live.  Forgiven. 

May the truth of that first Christmas light my every day.  

Jesus, Light of the World