“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”

Friends, over the next several weeks of Advent, these postings will each be centered around Jesus as, “The Light.” It’s been this aspect of Himself that He’s impressing upon my heart, and I believe, wants to remind us of. ” The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” John 1:5. In these dark days, these turbulent and uncertain times in which we live, God is re-minding us: Immanuel is here, still. He is sending His Light forth, in this season of hope, that it might illuminate and refocus our hearts and minds on Him. Exposing their hardness and wayward tendencies, so that, His Truth might be rekindled within them; causing us to repent and return fully to Him. Our remembrance of His solemn promise stirred afresh within us: “He will never leave us, never forsake us.”

My prayer for each of you in this season of hope is this: that you will take the time to allow the Light of the world to dawn in your hearts and be re-freshed, re-awakened, or perhaps, awakened for the first time, to His Truth. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5.

The term Advent finds its roots in the Latin word, adventuske. Which means, “arrival”, “appearance.” In the Christian community, it is that four-week period preceding Christmas. Matthew’s Gospel refers to the dawing of this great Light— this Jesus who appears, dawns suddenly in the human heart, this way: “The people who were sitting (living) in [spiritual] darkness have seen a great Light, And for those who were sitting (living) in the land and shadow of [spiritual and moral] death, Upon them a Light has dawned.” –Matthew 4:16. That’s us. Our heart. Each believer. Each minister of the Gospel message. Each one who has been transformed. Made new. Those washed clean by the shed Blood of this same Light that commanded the darkness to give way to the light of the first day. We are “the people,” upon whom this permeating Light of Christ has dawned; piercing these, our earthly vessels through and through. Exposing us to His blinding Truth. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one abiding in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit. For apart from Me you are able to do nothing” –John 15:51. Now, ever changed by this Truth; our new hearts are eternally captivated by the One whom we now adore.

This advent of Christ in us laid to rest our old man with all its sins and stains. Darkness must take flight in the presence of Light. Now, made new, His resurrected brilliance shines through us. Our new man beckons to all who will, saying: “Come, see a man who told me all things I ever did. Can it be that this is the Christ?”

His Spirit alive in us—Immanuel. Fully God yet fully man. A deep mystery.

On that first Christmas Eve, Pure Light entered this world in a sullied, fleshly vessel in order that He might be akin to us. Experience every aspect of our frail humanity; in every way save sin. How better to mediate for any man except having experienced, in the truest, the most intimate sense, all that a man has seen and felt and done and lived through: good, or bad? This Light of which Paul is speaking descended from heaven that He might live within each of us, intimately. Making a way back to having a right relationship with the Father possible by the eventual laying down of His life. I saw it written this way: God descended heaven in the form of His Son to prepare the way back to Himself. He came to be Redeemer of a lost and dying world. First, it was God above, God far from us. Then it became, in Christ, God with us. Finally, through His gifting us His Holy Spirit, it is now God in us. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” –2 Corinthians 4:6.

This same Jesus, this Light that shone in the darkness 2000 plus years ago, beckons to you and me now—still. Leaving heaven He came to us as a defenseless babe. For a time, the all-powerful One, Creator of heaven and earth surrendered His power, entrusting Himself into the hands of Mary and Joseph, His creations. He came not to condemn the world, rather, to offer it salvation in Himself. In His death and resurrection, He offers you, me, them, each of us, eternal life. Without Him, outside of His dunamis (the Greek word from which we derive our English word dynamite) power in us: His strength, ability, His moral power, His excellence of soul, His inherent power residing in us, His very nature within His; we can do nothing of eternal value. Starting with saving our own souls. Impossible outside of Jesus. Hence why we have such a deep need of this Light we carry in these our fragile, earthen vessels, His alone.

In this advent season, this season of a million and one shining lights, won’t you ask the One True Light to come into your heart?

I promise, as one who has received His precious Gift, Jesus is, by far, the only Present you will ever need in this, or any season. “For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you” –Ephesians 5:14 (emphasis my own). And what is “this reason?” That you might leave behind every sinful thing, every deed committed under the cover of darkness. And, then, after having surrendered your life into His loving care be filled with His Light that you too will, in turn, shine it into this lost and dying world. Becoming a beacon then for, “whomsoever will…”