As the world gets darker, there IS true light.
We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, with many following their favourite ‘celeb’ online.
‘Reality’ TV paints an artificial picture of people on their best behaviour – until they fall out.
Then there are the ‘influencers’ – those who seek to shape our opinions, lifestyles and the products we use. We love to make ‘stars’ out of quite ordinary people and ‘celebrate’ their talents and wealth.
Fallen idols
But the weight of all that adulation isn’t healthy – some ‘stars’ depend on it for their well-being, then crash and burn, while their followers commiserate or gloat. Another idol has fallen.
Because if you replace ‘star’ for ‘idol’, that is what they are. We live in a society where people have rejected God, but still need to look up to and imitate someone. We have a God-shaped gap inside us that we try to fill with anything but God.
A special star
Jesus was born around 2,000 years ago. His birth fulfilled ancient prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) about the Messiah, God’s rescuer who would come to redeem Israel.
First shepherds, then wise men, were told by angels (God’s messengers) to follow a special star to find this heaven-sent child.
Jesus grew into a man who went round healing, doing miracles and driving out demons. He made a huge claim: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). He was God in flesh, the “Immanuel” (meaning ‘God with us’) that the Hebrew prophets had foretold would be a sign from God: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
This claim alarmed the religious authorities and they handed him over to the Romans who executed him by the most excruciating death known to man – crucifixion. But this was God’s plan; it had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah centuries earlier (Isaiah 53).
Missing body
Three days later, Jesus’ tomb was empty. He had risen from the dead and nobody has been able to find his body to this day. His existence is attested by the Jewish historian, Josephus and thousands of New Testament manuscripts tell the same story of the miracle working rabbi from Nazareth.
But it was his disciples who proved that something supernatural had happened. They had seen him, touched his wounds and eaten with him after he rose from the dead.
The way is open
The resurrection of Jesus transformed them from fearful, defeated men to bold evangelists who turned the world upside down. They proclaimed that the way to God was open for everyone through belief in Jesus the Messiah, because he died for our sins and rose from the dead to prove that there is life beyond this life.
No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you have done, the way God is open to YOU through Jesus, who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The shepherds and the wise men followed the star of Jesus and worshipped him.
Jesus is the only ‘star’ who is worth imitating, the only one who will never let us down.
All our idols pale into insignificance before the dazzling light of Jesus.
He is the light of the world. He pierces dark hearts with his truth and restores broken lives with his love.
He’ll never leave you
Christians who have had near death experiences – or even died medically – report that Jesus is just like the Bible says – he has eyes like “a flame of fire” (Revelation 19:12) and infinite love
This Christmas – let the star who is Jesus be your guide.
As millions have discovered, he will never leave you or abandon you.
This world is growing darker. Now is the time to put your trust in Jesus who said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).