Advent 2020 Reflection – Day Twenty-Four
Day 24 – John 1 5
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Reflection
I wonder if you have ever found yourself looking for something, your glasses or your phone, searching high and low only to have someone point out that your glasses are perched on your head or your phone is in your pocket where it always is. Sometimes even something as obvious as this can be overlooked and missed.
Today John continues his brief but precise telling of the ministry of Jesus. Although the NIV uses “overcome” it also references “understood” as an alternative. John is saying in these 13 words that despite the fact that Jesus had fulfilled the prophecies of the prophets, had demonstrated through his ministry his very nature as God, had died and been raised to life, even after all of this God’s chosen people still would not “understand” that he was God.
We can approach these words in any number of ways but today I look at two. We can say to ourselves – if Jesus could not convince the world that he was the Messiah how are we to have any hope of doing so. Alternatively we can see that there is still work to do, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to find ways and means to demonstrate and explain the love of God. To ourselves become a part of that light shining in the darkness. We need not think that this will be beyond us for we can see the love of God embracing the whole of the world and help those around us to find him in their familiar places. What a glorious commission we have to continue as part of the story of Jesus, the baby, the man, God.
Silence
In our time of silence today we think on times when we had opportunities to point out the obvious about Jesus. Whether we chose to take advantage of the opportunities or chose to let them slip by.
Carol
I have chosen as my carol today Silent Night which is number 217 in Singing the Faith. It is a beautiful carol which gently reveals the purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world.
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God O how bright
Love is smiling from your face
strikes for us now the hour of grace
Jesus Lord, at your birth
Prayer
Loving God we thank you for your coming into the world as our Saviour. We pray for your light to shine into the lives of those we know and love who do not know you as their friend and Saviour. We pray that we will gladly and eagerly accept the opportunities to shine with your light in the world. Help us to see that sometimes simple words and actions are all that is required to show your presence in someones life.
Lord, we pray for oursleves, help us to always strive to understand you better. Draw us into your presence and purpose and help us to be part of your continual work of salvation in the world. Amen.