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Title: “Celebrate the Light”Text: Luke 2:8-20Date: December 6, 2015 Place: DCOGTheme: Advent 2015

Do you remember the account Bob who lost his fiancé’s ring on Fifth Street?

Dan found him looking under a lamppost on Ninth Street and asked, “Bob, if you lost the ring on Fifth, why are you looking for it on Ninth?”

That’s easy replied Bob, “The lights better here!”

Light! Light is taken for granted in our culture. Flick a switch and we can see throughout our homes. Push a button and we light up our flashlight and we can see even in the darkest night. And for a modest fee, we can purchase a little illuminator from the Gaithers that will allow us to light up a concert.

Can you remember your first night baseball game? All because of light.

How about driving down the road at night? Possible because of light.

Reading the Bible in the evening is our privilege because the light shines forth.

We can celebrate the light that brings us so much joy.

Luke 2:8-20 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. [9] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [10] But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. [12] This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

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[13] Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, [14] "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." [15] When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." [16] So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. [17] When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, [18] and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. [20] The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Jonathan Frymire tells us that “God appears to want the birth of the Messiah to be a low-key affair; a humble beginning, contrasting the elaborate, extravagant births of kings and emperors. But God can’t keep too silent, He wants to celebrate the birth of his Son – the greatest miracle in history – with someone. So he sends an angel chorus to some shepherds out on the hills… “

1. A humble beginning.a. His family was spending the evening in a stable.b. Most likely a dugout place in the hillside where the

farm animals might find shelter.

*Through the years now many of us have spent an evening in a motel room. We have come to expect a big bed with lots of pillows. Our room will contain a desk where we can set our laptop that can connect with our free Wi-Fi. There will be a color TV with a very hi-tech remote, a small refrigerator and microwave, and numerous lights at our beck and call.

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Our idea of a humble room is one without hand lotion, on the second or third floor, without an elevator.

c. Not so for Jesus. This is about as homeless as most of us would care to be.

d. Not the kind of place where you would find a king.

2. Compare that with some elaborate digs.

*YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVjK9z_SXho2:25 – 2:45

All the rooms lit by magnificent chandeliers. Beautiful, costly, and fit for a king. Just not the place graced with our Jesus.

*Have you ever viewed or visited the homes of some of the rich and famous. Some of those are even shown as museum pieces today.

Even our Whitehouse in Washington, D.C. is portrayed as a place of beauty, refinement, and opulence.

This was not the choice of our God.

3. As a part of his plan, and prophesy, Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem in partial obscurity.

a. So as to make it difficult for Herod to find him. (Especially since Herod would want him to be killed)

b. The people would not understand this kind of a king. (33 years later and the people still did not understand)

c. He didn’t come to set up an earthly kingdom but a spiritual kingdom that could never be destroyed.

*Years ago I picked up the girls from school and bringing them home told them that I had a surprise for them.

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Keep in mind that Debbie was still normally at work, but this day she had gotten home early.

I thought this would be a nice treat for the girls. Wrong.What was it they expected? I don’t know. But I blew it.

*The Jews were expecting a Messiah who would lead them in victory of the Romans. This baby lacked wealth and prominence. Still…

God couldn’t keep it silent.

4. God wanted to celebrate the birth of His Son.a. The heavens were filled with the heavenly host.b. “Glory to God in the highest.”

*When Prince George was born to William and Kate, the whole world was at their doorstep. Everyone jockeyed for a little bit of news and everyone wanted to see as much of the newborn prince as they possibly could.

*It is a little bit like Mufasa holding up his lion cub Simba, so that the animal kingdom could celebrate with them.

*I can only imagine, but I do remember telling the world about the birth of my daughters and granddaughters. I did not remain silent, nor could I.

So it is that God filled the sky with His angels to sing of His new Son. But what did that mean to the shepherds? What does that mean to us?

Conclusion: I went to YouTube and watched several videos on Thomas Alva Edison, the wizard of Menlo Park. He invented the incandescent light bulb, along with a long list of other things. What hit me as particularly significant was the result of his lightbulb.

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He created a new source of light, a long-lasting light, a light that changed the world.

That’s what God did a Bethlehem a couple thousand years ago. He created a new light, one that would burn for eternity, one that changed the world then and continues to do so today.

People rejoiced over the invention by Edison. Let us rejoice over the light brought to us through Jesus Christ.

***Possible clip from the movie “Deck the Halls” (2006) with Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito.

Near the end when he lights up his house to be seen from space. It’s a celebration.

Can we do it better?