Advent 2025, Week 4: John’s Light of Christmas Past/Present/Future, Part 5
In the previous posts this week, I’ve point out how Jesus is the light of Christmas past and present.
Now we travel to the future, when Jesus, the light of the world, returns. In Revelation 21:23–24, we read a vision of that future light, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.”
Similarly in Revelation 22:5, “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”
That is the amazing description of the light of Christmas future. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not making any predictions, as if Jesus is going to return on Christmas Day. We don’t know which day Jesus was born on, we just celebrate it on December 25. We also don’t know which day he is coming again. He himself said “No one knows the day, time, or hour.”
My point is that when he comes, he is the light of the world, and it will be glorious.
But notice the light of Christmas past is available, not in its future fullness, but still available now in the present. We can experience his light in our lives.
Remember how I started this series of posts talking about my friend and his teenage daughter? They’ve been through a lot. You can read the story here.
My friend texted me recently with some positive news, “We are out of state for my nephew’s wedding. Great trip with my wife and daughter.”
Then my friend text something even more amazing, “I’m watching the darkness disappear in my daughter.” It’s been a long journey. Lots of tears, prayer, difficult conversations, trying to share the love of Jesus. Not always going so well. But he is seeing Jesus’ light dispel the darkness in his daughter’s life.
Then he texted one more thing, “These verses got me this morning.” And he sent me some scripture verses. 1 John 2, verses 1 and 8:
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One…Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”
May we take time to evaluate our hearts and lives this Christmas. Look for the places of darkness in us, in our relationships, in our community. Do the work of letting the light of Jesus into those places, sharing selfless love like he did. Sometimes the difficult conversations, the many prayers, the feeling like it is not working, not changing the darkness, the months and months of this, can feel like WORK.
Keep pressing on. Jesus’ light is available now. He chose to step into our darkness and bring us light, and we praise him for that, and we reflect his light by loving like he did.
Engaging Scripture 