The world is constantly searching for answers to the purpose and meaning of life. When people hope in the things of this world, they are left with broken promises and unmet expectations. The world needs a hope that is irrefutable. When something is irrefutable it is impossible to prove it wrong. It cannot be denied, and it can be completely trusted.
Jesus is that hope. He is irrefutable.
Each Christmas, we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of years before He was born of the virgin Mary, God revealed through His prophets that Jesus would come, live, and pay the price for our salvation. These prophecies, along with the fulfillment of these prophecies, point to Jesus as the irrefutable Lord and Savior of the world. Without a doubt, Jesus is . .
. . . . God with us
. . . . the Light in the darkness
. . . . the Savior who came to us
. . . . the King who reigns forever
. . . . the Light and Glory of God
. . . . the Ruler who cares for His people
Share Christ. The Christmas season is an ideal time to point others to Jesus Christ. We gain confidence in sharing His story as we see how His life is a part of God’s grand design planned long ago. The birth of Jesus is not just a quaint story we tell at Christmas; it was prophesied centuries earlier.
Irrefutable: Prophecies That Point Us to Jesus
Session 1 God with Us Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25
Session 2 The Light in the Darkness Isaiah 9:1-3; John 1:1-9
Session 3 The Savior Who Came to Us Luke 2:4-12,16-20
Session 4 The King Who Reigns Forever Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:26-33
Session 5 The Light and Glory of God Luke 2:25-35
Session 6 The Ruler Who Cares for His People Micah 5:2-5a; Matthew 2:1-6,9-11
The
Passages: Isaiah 9:1-3; John 1:1-9
What
are the purposes of light?
- To see, to reflect, to warm, to lift, to expose, to provide revelation (make something known), to show truth, to give clarity
Have
you ever noticed that when someone pulls out a cell phone in a movie theater,
your eyes immediately go from the movie screen to the phone? That’s because
we’re drawn toward the light.
Today
we are introduced to Jesus being the light that shines into a dark world. And once
again, Isaiah tells us these things hundreds of years before it would come to
pass. Isaiah is a major prophet in the deepest sense of the phrase. One
evidence of this is that the New Testament writers quote from Isaiah more than
any other Old Testament book.
Dozens
of Messianic prophecies come from the pages of Isaiah.
- Last week, we were introduced to the virgin birth, and Jesus being Immanuel/God with Us.
Isaiah 9:1-3
Nevertheless,
there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he
humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee
of the nations, by the Way of the Sea,
beyond the Jordan. The people walking in
darkness have seen a great light; on those
living in the land of deep darkness a light has
dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice
before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing
the plunder.
Why
were people walking in darkness? What is spiritual darkness? Why would anyone
choose to remain in spiritual darkness?
Physical
darkness can be a dangerous thing but not nearly as dangerous as spiritual darkness.
The nation of Judah was living in spiritual darkness because of their rebellion
against God. Earlier, Isaiah had described how the people would “see only
distress and darkness and fearful gloom” (Isa. 8:22). They would face defeat,
but though the destruction and darkness would be great for the people of Judah,
they still had hope. Isaiah contrasted the coming “gloom for those who were in
distress” of Judah with what God did to the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali.
When
Israel split into two kingdoms after Solomon’s death, the tribes of Zebulun
and Naphtali, along with eight other tribes, became the Northern Kingdom
of Israel. Because the kingdom of Israel had rebelled against God, He allowed
the Assyrians to take over the nation around 732 BC. The Assyrians exiled the
people and brought in people from other nations to settle. Because these new
inhabitants were not Jewish, the region became known as “Galilee of the nations.”
This
area also included the village of Nazareth
where Jesus was raised. The prophet’s statement that “in the future” God would “honor” this area
probably points to the fact that this was Jesus’ hometown. Even though the
people had been rebellious and had been “walking in darkness,” that darkness
would be swept away by “a great light.” This
prophecy saw its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew describes
how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy: “Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in
Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill
what was said through the prophet Isaiah.” (Matt. 4:13-14)
When I
think of a great light – I think of the star the wise men followed to find Jesus.
When I
think of a great light – I think of the heavenly host of angels that announced
to the shepherds that Jesus – the hope and light of the world had been born.
What
aspects of our culture need the bright light of Jesus?
- All the evil that exists today – just want it to be exposed
John 1:1-4
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him
nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
How
does Jesus bring light into your world?
The
opening verses of the Gospel of John declare that the
glory of Jesus has overcome the darkness in this world. John did not
hold back on announcing who Jesus is. Jesus is God; “He was with God in the
beginning,” and all creation came through Him. Although Jesus came into the
world through the virgin birth, Jesus did not at that
point come into existence. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have
always existed, and they have always been in relationship with each other.
(Think about that for a moment)
God
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always existed – Why?
- Christ, the eternal Word, is God. The Word is preexistent, coexistent, eternal, and equal with God. Christ as the Word was an agent of creation.
How
should we understand the “Word” described in these verses?
John
described Jesus in a unique way: He referred to Jesus as “the Word.” We often
refer to the Bible as “God’s Word”— God’s revelation of Himself to us — but
Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. He is
the Word who most fully reveals God because He is God!
We
desperately need this Word! In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve enjoyed the
light and privilege of walking with God. Unfortunately, they sinned against
God, and that sin brought separation—a separation that was passed down to all
humanity. With that separation comes ignorance, darkness, and even death.
Isaiah had prophesied that light was coming into this world, and John now
proclaimed that the Word — Jesus! — is that light.
In
Christ, we have the privilege and joy of being “the light of the world” (Matt.
5:14-16)—reflecting the light of Christ to those around us. That is critical
because only the gospel of Jesus can truly shine light in this dark world. He
is the light of the world, and He alone offers the life change we truly need.
When you surrender your life to Christ, you receive His light and join with His
church in being the light of the world.
What
are the practical implications of Jesus being the Light of men?
John 1:5-9
The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was
John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through
him all might believe. He himself was
not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
How
does the light of Jesus illuminate a person’s understanding?
God
sent a man named John.
John
1:6, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John."
Why
Introduce John Here?
Why
does John, the writer of this gospel, introduce John the Baptist like this
right here? It seems abrupt. Verse 5 is talking about the light shining in the
darkness and the darkness not overcoming it, and verse 9 goes on to talk about
the light coming into the world. And verses 6–8 seem like an interruption. Why
not get Jesus all the way introduced, and then introduce John the Baptist?
Well,
John could have written it that way. But he didn't. And the effect of the way
he did write it is to make crystal clear from the very outset that God's way of
letting the light of Christ shine in the world is by
human witnesses. God's way of pushing back the darkness is by human
witnesses.
And
Jesus said there wasn't a greater man who ever lived (Luke 7:28).
Be
ready and open to God's call on your life to send you to bear witness to the
light; and be ready and open to recognize the word of God to you when it comes
from others that God has sent to you.
The
way God uses people to spread the light is by their testimony.
Jesus
gives light to everyone.
- God sends out witnesses to testify about the truth of Jesus. Jesus, as the Light, came to shine into the life of everyone who would believe in Him.
1. Bear
Witness
The
role of a witness is to answer questions truthfully and give an honest account
of what they have seen and heard. As Christians, we can be light in the
darkness by responding to non-believers with truth and testifying to what God
has done. Remember, it is not our job to make people believe, but to share the
truth boldly and lovingly.
What
do you know to be true about the Lord Jesus Christ?
What
has He done in your own life?
These
are essential questions that you need to be able to answer. Answering these
questions prepares you to testify to the truth and to be light. John bore
witness to Jesus because he knew without a doubt Who Jesus was and what He
would do for the world.
2. Follow
Jesus' Commands (John 8:12)
When
you choose to follow the commands of the Lord and reject the ways of the world,
others will notice. Especially when you hold fast to what is true, your light
will shine. Though people may reject it, there will be some who are drawn in,
curious as to why you live differently.
The
challenge for us is to keep our eyes on the One we follow. For the moment we
take our eyes off of the Savior, we will be tempted to slip into the darkness
of the world. Just as Jesus set his face like flint toward the redeeming cross,
we too must set our faces like flint toward the Redeemer.
The
Bible says that if we claim to be in communion with the Lord, but walk in
darkness, we are not practicing the truth. My prayer is that we will take
Jesus’ commands seriously and live as light in the darkness by walking in
obedience.
3. Put
Yourself Out There (Matthew 5:14-16)
It can
be a little scary thinking about shining the light of Jesus for all to see.
It’s much safer to casually mention Him, in hopes of not offending anyone.
However, Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 5 that His disciples were the light of the
world. They were not to remain hidden. They were called to shine their light as
a city set on a hill.
We are
Jesus’ disciples too. We’re not meant to stay tucked away in our protected
corner of the world. We are to boldly let our light shine before men!
Close: This is the message found in the story of Christmas, a message of light and truth to be shared and rejoiced in. Rejoice that in Jesus, God revealed Himself and made it possible for us to be rescued from the darkness of our sin. He is the Light who has come.
Ultimately,
each of us is called to be light in the darkness. That doesn’t have to scare
us. Most of us can remember a time when we walked in darkness ourselves. And
from that experience, we know how strongly it contrasts to walking in the light
of the Lord.
"For
you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of
light." (Ephesians 5:8)
As
Christmas Day approaches, what will you do as part of this season’s celebration
to create opportunities to celebrate Jesus as the Light who shines in darkness?
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