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Faculty Publications - College of Christian Studies College of Christian Studies

1990 Christmas Lights... and the Light of Christmas Paul N. Anderson

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'/'.,, ''Ill_,..,,I, ,, -J.- Christmas Lights . .. and the Light of Christmas BY PAUL ANDERSON

y VIEWS ON the meaning of match. Darkness is simply the absence is like and how the Son sets us free. Christmas have undergone of light. Nothing more. And God's When we use our minds to seek an M two major changes. The first Word-become-flesh replaces the void of understanding (logos) of who God (theos) came as a six-year-old when I realized darkness with the fullness of God's heal­ is, we do "theologY:' In other words, the­ that Santa Claus, reindeer, and Frosty ing and saving presence. This is the ology is reflecting and thinking about the Snowman were different from baby core of the Gospel's good news-the the most important part of our lives as Jesus, donkeys, and manger scenes. power of Easter, as well as Christmas. In Christians: who God is and what God After all, Christmas is the celebration of the ministry, death, and resurrection of has done for us in Christ Jesus. Jesus' birth, not just a worldwide holi­ Jesus Christ, the powers of death and However, we are not simply left to our day filled with festivities and lights. darkness are overcome by the coming own devices, trying to fathom the The second change came when as a and triumph of the Son. The Light of infinite with mere human reasoning. young pastor, preaching an Advent Christ overcomes the darkness of the The Light of Christ also transforms our series on John 1:1-18, I came to see that world, and this reality touches our lives. thinking and leads us into God's truth Christmas is not confined to manger Since making this connection, I see by His Spirit. When this happens, we scenes, babies, and shepherds dressed in Christmas lights with new meanings. not only gain new understandings of bathrobes. Christmas also celebrates the Their shining stands as a sign that God's ways, but Christ also "opens" to us awesome realities that Light overcomes Christ has come to expose darkness and the conditions of ourselves and those darkness, we can become children of to liberate-to set us free from its grasp. around us. We come to see acute needs God, and we now behold the glory of Sin, deception, fear, shame, self­ in the world, and we become sensitized the Father through the coming of the centeredness all lose their power to precisely how God's healing/saving Son. In other words, John portrays because of God's decisive acting in his­ love can make a difference in it. Jesus' coming as a world-changing event tory. Indeed, good news for the world, Christmas is not about mangers and that transforms our lives. The Son sets and good news for each of us! babies. Rather, mangers, babies, and us free, and He reveals to us who God is. The other sense in which the coming wise men are about Christmas. The Light provides a striking image of how of the Son "extinguishes" darkness has to Christmas story is significant precisely all this takes place. According to do with our understanding what the because it points to the good news that, John 1:5, "the light shines in the dark­ Father is like. John 1:18 declares, "No in the coming of the Son, light over­ ness, and the darkness has not overcome one has ever seen God, but God the One comes darkness, and He reveals to us it:' (RSV) The word for "overcome" has and Only, who is at the Father's side, what God is like. The Light of Christ several meanings in Greek. It combines has made him known:' (NIV) While vir­ sets us free indeed: free from the bond­ two words, kata (down) and ballo (to tually all cultures and religions possess age of outward darkness in the world, put, cast, or throw), and means to over­ some notion about what God is like, and free from the inward darkness of come or to triumph over, as well as to Jesus Christ reveals God's character our minds. May the lights of Christmas comprehend or to understand. In terms uniquely. In Jesus we see that God is remind us that the True Light still of light, the darkness cannot extinguish not vindictive, but forgiving- not cruel, enlightens the world ... at Christmas, it. In fact, light "extinguishes" darkness. but loving. and always. Eil No matter how black the darkness, it Sometimes darkness exists in our is eradicated by the mere striking of a minds. We fail to understand what God

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