No Darkness Shall Ever Overcome This Light (John 8:12-13)
Gary McManus, 01/07/2024Part of the Christmas series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
January 7, 2024 John 8:12
“No darkness shall ever overcome this light.”
(ESV) --John 1:5
“Three Kings Day” See Matthew 2:1-12.
A birth SO important. . .that the wise men themselves
sought to see with their own eyes this child born.
Just use Matthew and the Bible and conclude the wise men
WERE from a foreign land and therefore, they were also of
some foreign pagan religion.
The appearance of the Magi fulfilled scripture (Isaiah 9:2).
This light coming into the world would shine on people who
lived in DEEP DARKNESS (as the Magi did).
DCC affirmation of faith from 1 Peter 2: Jesus called us
out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Do you remember or know this darkness?
That we seek the light and we seek to walk in the light
does not make us superior but it does make us blessed.
King Herod is a good example of a man who lived in
darkness--even living in DEEP darkness.
In darkness a person cannot see that other people are
valuable. A person in darkness believes they are or ought
to be the center of the world.
Justice means nothing to people of darkness.
Justice has something to do with fairness or equality.
People of darkness are not interested in fairness or equality.
See Genesis 4:23.
Contrast the adult Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:39-45.
The light illuminates that God made you and God made everyone
else for God’s purposes, not our own purposes.
All of creation is to serve God, not us.
But we love the darkness (John 3:19).
The Apostle Paul sought the good of all (1 Corinthians 10:33).
Paul did not want fans of Paul but Jesus followers
(1 Corinthians 1:12-13).
Paul saw THE light (Acts 9:3).
The wise men also fulfill. . .begin to fulfill Isaiah 60:3.
God brought all the light (Genesis 1:3)
The Hebrews did not worship the sun, they worshipped
the one who created the sun. What a shift in thinking!
This is the shift from darkness to light.
Somehow the Magi understood this. (See Romans 1:19-20)
We have all seen these people who love darkness.
Some of us were once among them.
But now we have seen the light that has come from
the Father. . .so, too, did the wise men see this light.
See Ephesians 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, and our
Own Christmas carols
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
“Silent Night, Holy Night”
Friends, continue in the light, abide in the light
for our Lord Jesus said: (John 8:12)
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Amen.
Also see John 3:19-21, 1 John 1:7, Acts 13:47-48.
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