Darkness Does Not Win

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.   In him was life and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John 1:1-5

“I’m going to be ok.  But I’m worried about you; how are you doing – you’ve been too busy lately.” Those were the last words my friend Dot spoke to me from her hospital bed.  I was only in my late 30’s at the time, and she was in her early 50’s.  Her being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer had come as a shock to everyone.  That night, she went to be with the Lord.   She had asked her husband to have me do the funeral, and the room was absolutely packed with people trying to come to grips with the fact that their energetic and vivacious friend was gone.  But they all got to hear both about Jesus and about the hope of the resurrection that she held to while she was with us.   When I remember back to those final words, it has occurred to me that though she was trying to offer comfort because she saw the worry on my face (she was the kind of person to have that attitude), her words were neither merely kindness nor sentimentality.   When she said “I’m going to be ok,” she really was giving voice to her faith.    God’s plan for her didn’t end with cancer.   And the reason why is because God’s plan for Jesus didn’t end at the cross.

From these opening words to John’s gospel, the apostle impresses upon us that Jesus is the author of life.   He points out both Jesus’ power in the creation of the earth (“without him was not anything made that was made”), and also the power he exercises in bringing us spiritual life (“In his was life and the life was the light of men”).    And he closes with a summary statement that is both simple and profound: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”   In saying this, John is expressing faith in the redemptive power of Jesus both over death and sin.  

Jesus came to us, God incarnate, when we were spiritually dead – enemies of God.   Our sin was the direct cause of Jesus’ death.    And yet, as Jesus, the uniquely sinless Son of God, died as a direct penalty of our sin, it may not be said that sin won the day!   The darkness of our sin did not overcome the light of God’s holiness, because not only did Jesus bear the penalty for sin, he was vindicated by God as he was risen from the dead, as he ascended to heaven, and given the name that is above every name.  It is precisely because of this dramatic victory of Jesus over the sins of his people that we can now rest assured that sin doesn’t overcome God’s plan for us!    If favor with God was tied to our own obedience, we would surely be lost; instead, our triumph is tied to the obedience and triumph of Christ.   Darkness has not overcome the light.

The light is also not overcome by the darkness of the grave; Jesus’ triumph over death itself is such a cause for hope and rejoicing! At the power of the Holy Spirit, the grave had to release its spoils.  The author of life himself could not be held down by death, because death came as a response to sin.  Just as sin was vanquished, so was the grave.   Therefore, friend, if you know Christ, the word gives us the strong promise that just as the darkness of death couldn’t overcome the light of Christ, it won’t overcome you either.  The word promises that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will also raise us.    God’s plan for Christ, and for you and I as well, did not end at the cross.   The darkness will never overcome the light.   Just  you remember that and let its warm reminder kindle for you the fire of hope and love in Christ.

What Are You Waiting For?

“And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to
present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord ‘every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy
to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young
pigeons.’ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting
for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that
he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple and when the
parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took it up in his arms and
blessed God and said ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have
seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for
glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:22-32
Perhaps one of the things dog owners love most is the fact that most dogs seem to be single-minded in their devotion
for their people. Most dogs are not fickle in their displays of affection. In my household, when I come home and enter
in through the front door, I can expect about 130 pounds of furry, tail-wagging, high-leaping, face-kissing enthusiasm to
greet me. The dogs have been awaiting my arrival. When I come home, if the dogs could speak, they’d be saying
something like “I’ve been waiting! So glad to see you! All is right because you’ve come!” Their joy is very much akin to
that feeling we would recognize in ourselves as hope fulfilled. But the question is “what are we waiting for?”
In today’s passage, we’re told that Simeon was righteous and devout, and waiting for the consolation of Israel.
Consolation is not a word we use that often any more, but it means ‘that which brings comfort’. So in what way was
Israel in need of comfort? For those who recognized it, the comfort they were seeking was the fulfillment of God’s
promises to them both to give them a land, and (as time went on) promises to send the Messiah, the Christ. These
promises had been a long time coming, and in the intervening years, Israel had suffered deportation, and then return to
their land, but under submission to a pagan overlord nation. The true Jew had the expectation of God’s keeping his
covenant with his people. Apparently, by divine revelation by the Holy Spirit, Simeon, just one such Jew, immediately
recognized the Christ, even through his human infancy. And his response bears all the marks of hope fulfilled. He says
joyfully, in effect, “now I can die in peace,” or, if you will, ‘all is right because you’ve come!” And he offers up a tasty
morsel of prophecy for you and me regarding Christ: “my eyes have seen your salvation that you prepared in the presence
of all people, a light for revelation to the gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” In saying he’s seen the Lord’s
salvation, he is, by virtue of the arrival of the Messiah, counting the Lord’s work in redemption as completed. In this
infant’s new eyes, little hands, and snuggly helplessness, Simeon saw the cross, the empty grave, and the king of kings
returning on a white horse to the rescue of God’s people. Jesus’ coming meant that God was in the midst of keeping His
promise, and therefore all was well. Simeon tells us that Jesus has come as a light for revelation to the gentiles; and here,
then, we gentiles see the grace of God. We had no claim or right to the mercies of God, and the prophecies of old were
not given to our kin, but to the Jews. Here, however we see that God’s mercy reaches beyond the boundaries of
bloodline to invite us to the ancient hope of the prophets realized. Simeon says that Jesus comes as a light for glory to
God’s people Israel. In other words, all Jews should have danced with joy at the coming of the glory of God revealed in
His messiah. Jesus is the entire fulfillment of Jewish hopes fixed in their hearts from the time of Moses and even
before. In Jesus God has begun the final exodus- the greatest redemption.
So, friend, what are YOU waiting for? Like Simeon, I hope that you recognize Jesus as the Lord’s Christ, and I hope you
find yourself eager for his return. For at his coming all will indeed be right. We have his promise on it. We all have
both great hopes and lesser hopes – we can’t help it, being human beings. Sometimes our hopes are reasonable, and
other times, they’re selfish or even wrong-headed. It becomes our job, then to look at our hopes and ask “is this right
or not?” And for those hopes that are right, do we order them rightly? We can tell a hope’s importance to our heart by
noting how often we think of it, and how often it affects our decisions. What are you really waiting for? Friend, set your
heart on the voice of your master’s return.