God So Loved the World

Christmas Eve Meditation

John 3:16-21

For God So Loved the World

12/24/2014

Lynchburg, Virginia

HOMILY

John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

         We must remember our common verses. God loved the world and sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save the world. Even among God’s saints, we sometimes act as if God hates the world. We think He is disgusted with the world and will soon condemn the world to judgment and damnation. That thinking flies in the face of maybe the most famous verse of all time.

He does not hate the world. He created the world and He loves His creation. He loves it so much that He entered the creation to save it from sin, darkness and death. In Jesus, the light of God’s glorious redemption plan began to dawn and it is shining brighter and brighter until all the Earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

At Christmas, we thank God that the light of Jesus has dawned upon us and pray that it will continue to spread from person to person by the power of His Spirit until all the Earth is ablaze with the eternal flame of Jesus Christ. Then we will understand the full working out of God’s love for the world.

But some men love darkness rather than light. They fear the light because it reveals their deeds of darkness. And these men would suppress the light or even put out the light, if they only could. But the light that is Jesus Christ cannot be extinguished. His light so shines that it lights the entire world. From the smallest of beginnings, a little flicker, it grows brighter and brighter until all the shadows are passed away that the world is illuminated with the brilliant glory that is Christ, our Lord.

In this season, we rejoice that we are lovers of the light, looking to our redemption in Jesus who has brought us out of darkness into His glorious light. We are pleased to have His light reveal and chase away the darkness that is in us. May He so shine until all thoughts and intentions of the heart are revealed and every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Prayer

         Our Father in heaven, like John Baptist, we confess that we are not the light, but that we are here to bear witness of the light, that all men might believe in the true Light, the Lord Jesus Christ, who lights every man that comes into the world.  Let us bear testimony to Jesus, singing His praises, that all who are lit are lit by Him and that His light will shine, taking away the darkness of our sins and bringing light to all the dark places in the world.  We praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen.