Dear Christian friends:

The most profound and the most sublime words of Scripture are put together here in our text with the most sad and sickening ever written. "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men and the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." That's like saying: A brilliant light came, but it didn't do any good."

Sometimes I feel that way about Christmas: "Christmas came but it didn't do any good." Even the bold blatant sinners among Hollywood's elite join in proclaiming the Light through Christmas carols and hymns, but most comprehend it not. And we wonder how many who claim to be among Christendoms millions really comprehend the Light that comes through the Christmas Gospels and carols.

According to St. John's words here it is the usual, common thing that men do not recognize Jesus' Light when it shines. It's not that fault of the Light. John simply and beautifully states: "the light shineth." And oh how it has shined since if first began to shine in the garden of Eden after the Fall of Man into sin and consequent darkness.

God preached the first rays of light to Adam when He said to the Serpent: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel." Adam preached that gospel Light to His sons and his son's sons. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Isaiah and all the prophets proclaimed the light with little success. They are a mighty witness to our text which states, "the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not"

Finally the Light Himself came in human flesh as we read in verse 14, "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Yet even when the Light shone in all its brilliance men did not believe it. John states: "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." (verses 10-11)

So it is not the fault of the light - "the light shineth" It shines today. It shines again this very night in thousands of churches and homes throughout the nation and the world. In the past few days it has even been broadcast to all the nations of the world through the presidents Christmas message sent out from our latest U.S. satellite, "Peace on earth good will to men: "The Light shineth" oh how it shines. We have a super abundance of the Gospel being sung on T.V., radio and school and civic programs. One almost is nauseated with the repetition of it.

And then the beautiful Scripture text Christmas Cards a million times a day in thousands of homes proclaim the light of salvation in many artful ways, "The light shineth": That's not the problem. The problem is this: "the darkness comprehends it not." He's in the world and the world knows Him not."

He comes unto His own and His own receives Him not. And Jesus Himself put the problem very bluntly when He said: "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 on Him is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:17-18) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." "The light shineth" but we don't like it and don't believe it! We don't like to admit that our deeds are evil, that even all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags when compared to the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

We don't like to admit that we were so bad that it was necessary for the eternal Son of God to become our blood and brother and shed His innocent blood for our redemption. Such preaching insults our pride and dignity and man by himself will have none of it.

That's why the light shines and yet accomplishes little: Christmas comes and it does little good. That's the way it is, John says so. We need to be sure that it isn't that way with us. While John states that most reject the Gospel he does give hope that a few believe: "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God." (verses 12-13)

Human reason and pride, the flesh and blood of man's will cannot believe such teaching as the Trinity, the incarnation of the Son for man's blood redemption. The necessity for such extreme measures on the part of God to effect our justification is an offense to man's pride.

May we assembled here this night humble our selves before almighty and merciful God and accept His judgment and condemnation of sinful mankind and may we submit ourselves to His gracious will and wisdom in making atonement for our sins according to the plan that begins with the birth of His Son in human flesh. The light of men shineth. May He give us grace to comprehend it.

Amen.