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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 1:4-5

Christmastime is here.  (Are you singing the Charlie Brown theme in your head right now?)  The decorations, the lights, the music – and that feeling of anticipation for something long-awaited.  We run from place to place in preparation and take part in things that bring incredible joy in the moment… but that often result in the great “December 26^th Let-Down.”  Do you know what I’m talking about? On December 26, it’s time to go back to normal: as we take down the lights and the tree, put away the music and the decorations, and start looking ahead, we begin feeling the weight and the pressures of the approaching new year.

How can we anticipate December 25^th with great excitement without dreading December 26^th?  It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the shift… and that’s where Jesus comes in and sits with us in the pile of crinkled-up wrapping paper, tree flocking and storage boxes.  While the worldly evidence of the season may disappear, the Reason for the season remains and will reign forever and ever.  The goodness of God and light of His glory will never fade. It remains tangibly evident in every element of His creation (Isaiah 55:12, Psalm 96:11-12).

“Light Has Come” was written as a testament of this truth and as a joyful declaration of God’s lovingkindness.  Its lyrics contain some of my favorite names of God, those which I frequently call upon in times of joy and sorrow.

• “King of Heaven” (Daniel 4:37)
• “Son of Man” (Matthew 18:11, Matthew 25:31-32, Mark 14:62)
• “Blameless One” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
• “Perfect Sacrifice” (John 1:29, Hebrews 10:12)
• “King of Kings” (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 19:16, Revelation 17;14)
• “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, John 14:27, John 16:33, Ephesians 2:14)
• “God’s Own Son” (Romans 8:32, John 3:16)
• “Messiah” (John 4:25-26, John 1:41)
• “Light of the World” (John 8:12, John 1:5, Psalm 27:1, 2 Corinthians 4:6) who has overcome darkness, sin and death (2 Timothy 1:10, Revelation 1:18, Isaiah 25:8, John 11:25-26)

Perhaps most frequently heard at Christmastime, Jesus is Emmanuel: “God with Us” (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14). We have a real and personal Savior, mighty enough to take away the sin of the world and merciful enough to love and help us every step from now through eternity.

He sees every high and low, standing with us on the mountaintops and equipping us with His sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) to navigate the valleys and wilderness without fear (Psalm 23:4, Psalm 118:6, Psalm 27:1, Romans 8:31, Philippians 4:13).  He shows His infinite lovingkindness and mercy (Psalm 145:9, Deuteronomy 7:9, Nehemiah 1:5, Psalm 100:5) to the least of these and calls us to do the same (Matthew 25:40, Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 10:42). He is kind to bring people and circumstances across our paths that provide opportunities to share the light of Christmas and the joy of the world throughout the year (Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 5:30, Matthew 5:13-16.)

With Jesus, God’s Christmas gift of hope, light and joy becomes a permanent fixture rooted deep within us and held fast by the Holy Spirit (Jude 24, John 10:29-30).  This unspeakable joy overflows and permeates every facet of life, compelling us to live it out loud and declare it boldly in words and deeds (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:16-20).

This sums up the message of “Light Has Come,” and my prayer is that this song and its lyrics will encourage your heart this season as we turn our eyes upon the Light and the Hope that came down to dwell among us more than 2,000 years ago in the frailty of human flesh (John 1:14).  In Jesus, that frailty was put to death (Hebrews 4:15) so that we could be raised to abundant life for all of eternity when we place our hope solely in Him (1 John 2:2).  May we keep Christ in Christmas and may we share the steadfast love of Jesus with the world during this season and beyond – during the silent nights and during the busy days.

LIGHT HAS COME

In a stable, history began

King of Heaven, born the Son of Man

A star shone bright, the angels sang

Wise men, shepherds, all they came

Knelt before the newborn Savior King

Innocence wrapped in Love’s pure light

Blameless One, Perfect Sacrifice

King of Kings, Prince of Peace

Lover of the least of these

God’s own Son, come to give us life

So light the candles, ring the bells

Climb the mountains, go and tell

Of Messiah’s love for us

It’s Christmas!

Emmanuel, God with Us

Hallelujah, Christ has come!

Sin defeated, death undone

It’s Christmas, it’s Christmas!

Sing joy to the world!

Joy to the world!

Sing joy to the world!

Light has come!