MAGAZINE LETTER FOR DECEMBER 1989
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Dear Friends,

What do we celebrate at Christmas? What is the real purpose of our celebrations?

We celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. There would be no Christmas celebration if Jesus had not been born. Every birth is to be celebrated by the family and friends of the baby. The birth of Jesus is to be celebrated by all, for he brings joy to all.

But why is the birth of Jesus so special and why does it mean joy for all? Long before his birth, several hundred years before, the prophet Isaiah foretold why Jesus birth would be so special. In chapter 9 of his book in the Bible and verse 2, he writes, ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

These words have a wonderful joyous ring to them, and they make us feel good to read them, but what are they saying? Was it simply a foretelling of the experience of the shepherds on the hillside outside Bethlehem which is told for us in Luke’s Gospel chapter 2. The place where the night was made radiant with heavenly light for a short while around the shepherds as they were told by a great company of angels that a Saviour had been born to them in Bethlehem?

Not really! There is a far wider application than this. Isaiah was speaking of something more wonderful and which is for the whole world. Jesus birth brought light into the darkness of our world.

Our world walks or lives in darkness. Yes, this is true even with all our technical, educational and political progress. There is awful spiritual darkness in our world. We can’t get through to God or see the blessings which God gives. We can’t see where our true good, or joy and peace, come from.

There is also the darkness of impotence. Where there is a little light, we find our own natures and our institutions impotent and helpless to follow where the light leads.

There is darkness in the moral realm. We are not sure anymore what is good. We are unable to do the good we do perceive. We find we don’t want the good we know is best.

People are crying out for life and love, joy and peace, satisfaction and purpose, but how is it to be achieved? We think we know! We strive for these goals; but in the end we find darkness. What we thought would give life, doesn’t do so, and we see no light ahead.

The birth of Jesus brings light into this darkness, even into the ultimate darkness of death. Death is ultimate darkness. It comes and takes from us all that we have lived for, even life itself.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk In darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8 v 12.

Jesus is the light, the light which has come into the darkness of our world. He gives the light of life, or the light which comes from being given inner spiritual life.

Do we want this light? Then we can have it from Jesus. How are we to receive this light? We must come to Jesus. How do we come to Jesus? We must believe on him that he gives light, and trust ourselves into his care in complete obedience. How do we do this? We have to have in our hearts and minds this attitude of faith, and then by prayer we can ask Jesus to give us light.

Jesus always responds positively when we come to him like this. He gives us the light of Life. Life, new life, is given. Life which can live in, and therefore see, the spiritual realm of God. We can see the glory of God in the face of Jesus. We live in the light of heaven. We have communion with God. We want his good.

This makes Christmas something worth celebrating. We celebrate with joy the birth of our Saviour, who has given us the light of Life.

Your servant for Christ’s sake,