3rd Sunday of Advent – December 11, 2016
“Light of the World”
“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” John 12:46
When you are in total darkness, it is impossible to find your way to where you should be without some kind of light.
We were once lost in the darkness. The word lost does not mean condemned or doomed. It’s merely being in the wrong place. When something is lost, it exists—somewhere. It’s just not where it belongs. We were in the wrong place. As Isaiah wrote, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”
We had moved away from God. And like the good shepherd of Jesus’ parable, who went out into the dark of night to seek out the lost lamb, so Jesus came down to a world in darkness to seek His lost sheep. He sought us out, picked us up, and carrying us on his shoulders, brought us into the fold where we belonged.
He brought us out of the darkness into the light, where we were created to dwell in the first place.
So as we light this third advent candle, let’s remember the light of the world who stepped down into darkness to rescue the lost. The world around us continues in darkness. Jesus called us to be lights to the world. As we live to follow Him, may we shine a light to the lost, a reflection of the Savior who died to save us all out of the darkness.
Written by a NHC teaching leader, author and speaker, Julie Coleman