i am the light of the world
In the face of so many varied messages that are communicated during the Christmas season, let us take a moment to drill down into the core reason for Christmas, as outlined in the above lesser known scripture reading in relation to Christmas, from the book of Hebrews chapter 2 by viewing the video below.
Imagine you are walking down the street. You reach a point where the road branches into two and you don’t know which way to go. Two men are lying there - one is dead, one is alive. Which one would you ask for directions? Three days after Jesus died on the cross, God raised him back to life again. And Christians believe he is alive today. We can communicate with him and find forgiveness, direction and purpose for our lives. ‘But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him’ (Acts 2:24).
Jesus is not physically present on earth today, but his Spirit is within every person who decides to follow him. This Holy Spirit guides us and strengthens us and helps us in our relationship with God and with other people. ‘When he, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth’ (John 16:13).
So, how can your relationship with God be restored? The answer is to look to Jesus. He is the only way to God. In fact, Jesus said these remarkable words: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6).
If we want to find the way that Jesus refers to, that will lead us into truth and help us live life to the full, we must take three simple, but life-changing, steps towards God: we must admit, commit and submit.
First, acknowledge that we are separated from God. Whether we have consciously rejected him, or just ignored him, we have to admit that we need a mediator who’ll step in and mend our broken relationship. And we must admit, too, that we deserve punishment because of our sin. As we look at what Jesus did on the cross for us, we see that he has taken the punishment we deserve.
When we commit our lives to Jesus, however, God forgives us and breathes new life into us. In the physical world, new life is created as soon as conception takes place. In the spiritual world, new life begins when you commit your life to Jesus. In receiving the Holy Spirit and the new life Jesus offers, you are, in effect, ‘born again’.
It’s one thing to admit that we have sinned and that we want to start afresh with God by committing ourselves to him. It’s quite another to live that relationship out, day by day. By submitting to God, we resolve to live as God wants us to live. As we allow God to work in our lives, we’ll gradually be transformed into the kind of person he wants us to be. God doesn’t want you to become someone completely different – in fact, he wants you to become more fully you: the person he created you to be in the first place, with all the potential in the world to love God and love others as yourself!
But the way you do that is to become more like Jesus, too. That’s the divine mystery - but the good news is that God doesn’t leave us to handle this alone. It’s not like turning over a new leaf or making a New Year’s resolution. The Holy Spirit comes into our lives to guide and strengthen us every day, to serve God.
If you want to begin a new relationship with God, then say these words as a prayer:
Heavenly Father, I admit that I have not kept your commandments and lived as you created me to. Lord Jesus Christ, I commit my life to you. Thank you that you paid the price for my sins so I can be forgiven. Holy Spirit, I submit to your power. Come fill my life with your presence that I may live to the praise and glory of God. Amen.
When we ask Jesus into our life, it’s not the last step on the journey, but the first. We set out on a journey of discovery - pursuing the way of God through our thoughts, our words and our deeds. Just as a plant needs light, oxygen and water to grow, so too, we need to get to know Jesus better by reading the Bible, growing in prayer and meeting other Christians at a local church. If this is the first time you have prayed this prayer, tell someone about it! If you can't find someone to tell, then give us a call at the church.
