Embracing the Light: Hope in the Darkness

In this Advent season, we are reminded of our deep longing for light amidst the darkness that surrounds us. This yearning is not just a physical desire but a spiritual one, as we reflect on the coming of Jesus, the light of the world. The story of Christmas is set intentionally during the darkest time of the year to symbolize the light piercing through the darkness, a profound reminder that no matter how deep the darkness, the light is coming. This season invites us to compare the societal understanding of Christmas with the biblical narrative. Society often portrays Christmas as a time for shopping, family gatherings, and generosity, yet it lacks a grounding in historical truth. In contrast, the biblical story of Christmas is deeply rooted in the history of Israel and God's promises to His people.

The Old Testament sets the stage for the Christmas story, where God formed Israel to reflect His light to the world. However, the darkness within and around Israel was overwhelming, leading to their exile. Yet, God promised restoration, a promise fulfilled in Jesus, the true servant of Yahweh. Isaiah's prophecies speak of a servant who would bring justice and light to the nations, a role ultimately fulfilled by Jesus. This servant is not just a figure of hope for Israel but for the entire world, offering redemption and light to all.

The story of the Chilean miners trapped underground serves as a powerful illustration of this hope. Just as the drill bit piercing through the cavern signaled the beginning of their rescue, the birth of Jesus marks the beginning of our spiritual rescue. Jesus, the light of the world, enters our darkness, offering hope, peace, and joy. This Christmas, we are invited to respond to this message, to allow Jesus to enter our hearts and transform us. Whether we face pain, loneliness, or confusion, Jesus offers healing, friendship, and clarity. While He may not change our circumstances, He promises to give us hope and joy amidst our challenges. As we reflect on the story of Christmas, let us embrace this light and allow it to guide us through the darkness.

**Key Takeaways:**

1. **The Symbolism of Light in Darkness:** Advent and Christmas are set during the darkest time of the year to symbolize the light of Christ piercing through the darkness. This is a reminder that no matter how deep the darkness in our lives or the world, the light of Jesus is coming to bring hope and transformation. [05:14]

2. **Contrasting Christmas Narratives:** Society's version of Christmas often focuses on materialism and family gatherings, lacking historical grounding. In contrast, the biblical narrative is rooted in God's promises and the fulfillment of those promises in Jesus, offering a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the season. [08:20]

3. **The Role of Israel and Jesus as Servants:** The Old Testament story of Israel sets the stage for the coming of Jesus, the true servant of Yahweh. While Israel struggled to fulfill its role, Jesus embodies the ideal servant, bringing justice and light to the nations and fulfilling God's promises. [19:19]

4. **The Chilean Miners' Rescue as a Metaphor:** The story of the Chilean miners illustrates the hope and rescue that Jesus brings. Just as the drill bit signaled the beginning of their rescue, Jesus' birth marks the beginning of our spiritual rescue, offering light and hope in our darkest moments. [25:24]

5. **Personal Transformation Through Jesus:** Jesus enters our personal darkness, offering healing, friendship, and clarity. While He may not change our circumstances, He promises hope, peace, and joy amidst challenges, inviting us to embrace His light and allow it to transform our lives. [28:58]

**Youtube Chapters:**

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:17] - Longing for Light
[05:14] - Symbolism of Advent
[06:43] - Societal vs. Biblical Christmas
[08:20] - Contrasting Narratives
[10:12] - Emotional Responses to Christmas
[11:30] - Biblical Story of Christmas
[13:28] - Israel's Role and Struggles
[14:23] - God's Promise of Restoration
[15:20] - Isaiah's Prophecies
[16:53] - Servant Songs in Isaiah
[18:27] - Identifying the Servant
[19:19] - Jesus as the True Servant
[22:46] - Chilean Miners' Story
[25:24] - Metaphor of Rescue
[26:41] - Personal Transformation
[28:58] - Invitation to Respond

**Bible Study Discussion Guide**

**Bible Reading:**
- Isaiah 42:1, 6-7

**Observation Questions:**
1. What does Isaiah 42:1 reveal about the characteristics of the servant whom God upholds? How does this relate to the role of Jesus as described in the sermon? [15:20]
2. In Isaiah 42:6-7, what are the specific tasks that God assigns to His servant? How do these tasks symbolize the mission of Jesus? [15:20]
3. How does the story of the Chilean miners serve as a metaphor for the spiritual rescue that Jesus offers? [25:24]
4. What are the contrasting narratives of Christmas as presented by society and the Bible according to the sermon? [08:20]

**Interpretation Questions:**
1. How does the symbolism of light in Isaiah 42 connect with the theme of Advent and the coming of Jesus as the light of the world? [05:14]
2. In what ways does the societal understanding of Christmas differ from the biblical narrative, and why is it important to recognize these differences? [08:20]
3. How does the role of Israel as a servant in the Old Testament set the stage for the coming of Jesus, the true servant of Yahweh? [19:19]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the personal transformation that Jesus offers, even if our circumstances do not change? [28:58]

**Application Questions:**
1. Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by darkness in your life. How can the message of Jesus as the light of the world bring hope to that situation? [05:14]
2. How can you intentionally focus on the biblical narrative of Christmas amidst the societal pressures of materialism and consumerism? [08:20]
3. In what ways can you embody the role of a servant, like Jesus, in your community or family this Advent season? [19:19]
4. Consider the metaphor of the Chilean miners' rescue. How can you be a source of light and hope to someone who feels trapped in their circumstances? [25:24]
5. Identify an area of personal darkness or struggle in your life. How can you invite Jesus into that space to bring healing and clarity? [28:58]
6. What practical steps can you take to experience the joy and peace that Jesus promises, even amidst challenges? [28:58]
7. How can you use this Advent season as an opportunity to deepen your understanding of God's promises and their fulfillment in Jesus? [11:30]

Day 1: The Light of Christ in Our Darkness
In the Advent season, we are reminded of our deep longing for light amidst the darkness that surrounds us. This yearning is not just a physical desire but a spiritual one, as we reflect on the coming of Jesus, the light of the world. The story of Christmas is set intentionally during the darkest time of the year to symbolize the light piercing through the darkness, a profound reminder that no matter how deep the darkness, the light is coming. This season invites us to compare the societal understanding of Christmas with the biblical narrative. Society often portrays Christmas as a time for shopping, family gatherings, and generosity, yet it lacks a grounding in historical truth. In contrast, the biblical story of Christmas is deeply rooted in the history of Israel and God's promises to His people. [05:14]

Isaiah 9:2 (ESV): "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel surrounded by darkness, and how can you invite the light of Christ into those areas today?


Day 2: Rediscovering the True Meaning of Christmas
The societal narrative of Christmas often focuses on materialism and family gatherings, lacking historical grounding. In contrast, the biblical narrative is rooted in God's promises and the fulfillment of those promises in Jesus, offering a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the season. This contrast invites us to reflect on what Christmas truly means and how we can align our celebrations with the biblical story. By focusing on the historical and spiritual significance of Jesus' birth, we can find a richer and more fulfilling experience of the season. [08:20]

Micah 5:2 (ESV): "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days."

Reflection: How can you shift your focus from the societal pressures of Christmas to the true meaning of the season, and what practical steps can you take to celebrate in a way that honors the biblical narrative?


Day 3: Jesus as the Fulfillment of God's Promises
The Old Testament story of Israel sets the stage for the coming of Jesus, the true servant of Yahweh. While Israel struggled to fulfill its role, Jesus embodies the ideal servant, bringing justice and light to the nations and fulfilling God's promises. This fulfillment is not just for Israel but for the entire world, offering redemption and light to all. As we reflect on the role of Jesus as the true servant, we are reminded of the hope and restoration He brings to our lives and the world. [19:19]

Isaiah 42:6-7 (ESV): "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."

Reflection: In what ways can you embody the servant-hearted nature of Jesus in your daily interactions, and how can you be a light to those around you?


Day 4: The Hope of Rescue in Jesus
The story of the Chilean miners trapped underground serves as a powerful illustration of the hope and rescue that Jesus brings. Just as the drill bit piercing through the cavern signaled the beginning of their rescue, the birth of Jesus marks the beginning of our spiritual rescue. Jesus, the light of the world, enters our darkness, offering hope, peace, and joy. This Christmas, we are invited to respond to this message, to allow Jesus to enter our hearts and transform us. [25:24]

Psalm 40:1-2 (ESV): "I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt trapped or hopeless. How did you experience God's rescue, and how can you share that hope with others this season?


Day 5: Embracing Personal Transformation Through Christ
Jesus enters our personal darkness, offering healing, friendship, and clarity. While He may not change our circumstances, He promises hope, peace, and joy amidst challenges, inviting us to embrace His light and allow it to transform our lives. This transformation is not just a one-time event but a continual process of allowing Jesus to work in our hearts and lives. As we reflect on the story of Christmas, let us embrace this light and allow it to guide us through the darkness. [28:58]

2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV): "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need transformation? How can you invite Jesus to bring His light and change into that area today?

And, uh, what a wonderful presentation so far this morning with the kids.

Um, despite some technical difficulties, it's just wonderful to hear and to, uh, to read that Christmas story again. It's almost as if I don't have to speak. I mean, that's really a testimony to what this season is all about and the story, what it's all about.

But let's pray as we get started, as we turn to scripture and think about this text together.

Father, we give you thanks for this opportunity to gather and to worship and to remember the birth of your son, Jesus, the coming of your presence into this world in a new way.

And we give you thanks for the gift of Christmas, the gift of you coming into this world, a light into this world to pierce the darkness which is in this world and in our hearts. Thank you for the gift of Jesus.

As we turn to your word, Lord, as we go to Isaiah and turn to your scriptures, we pray for continuing enlightenment. Help us to hear what you have to say to us today, this morning, in the season of our lives. Amen.

A few years ago, my family and I visited Horn Lake Caves on Vancouver Island. So, Horn Lake Caves are a series of caverns and caves on Vancouver Island, not far from Parksville.

And so what you do is you pay an admission fee, and they give you these hard hats with these little headlamps on them, and they lead you into these caves near Parksville that's kind of deep set within the hilly, rocky terrain in that area.

And they take you into these caverns, and sometimes you have to wiggle through crevices, and sometimes almost crawl through these narrow trails. And I think at one point you slide down this area and kind of climb up another area.

And after about 20 or 30 minutes, after you're deep inside these caves, they gather the group together and they ask you to turn off your headlights, your headlamps. So everyone does that.

And then what you experience is just pure blackness, pure darkness. I remember that feeling because you don't often experience complete, utter darkness in our world today, whether you're in the city or you're indoors.

There's usually some ambient light so you can kind of make out even the barest traces of things, objects around you. But when there's absolutely no light whatsoever, you can literally not even see your hand right in front of your face.

Now, I'm not someone who's normally afraid of the dark, but I remember this kind of feeling bubbling up inside me, this fear. Like, what if I get separated from the group? What if our group gets lost? What if there's an earthquake and suddenly we're trapped inside, you know, under hundreds of tons of rock and rubble inside these caverns?

This fear inside me and this longing, this longing just to see something, a longing for light. That's our theme this Advent season, a longing for light, a yearning for light, for the light to penetrate that darkness.

Now, that tour guide, that guy didn't leave us in the caverns for very long in the dark. It was just a few minutes, but I remember that feeling, and I'll never forget it. Just that sense of, I wish I could see, and I wish I could see what's around me, just because of all the darkness that was so overwhelming.

Well, as we journey through this Advent season, the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, the darkness is getting deeper every night. And intentionally, Christmas and Advent are set within the season for that.

Historical records don't tell us when exactly in the time of the year he was born. But church tradition has set Advent and Christmas within the darkest time of the year very, very intentionally so. It's very deeply significant, deeply symbolic.

Because at this darkest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, what happens, the church is saying, is that no matter how dark it gets, the light is coming. The light is coming. Light will pierce that darkness, and the darkness will eventually turn to light.

That's what Christmas being set during this time means. That's what Advent leading up to Christmas is about. That's why we light candles during the Advent season.

So that's what we're thinking about as we reflect on Christmas and Advent. This morning, I want to do a few things with us.

First, I want to just reflect on comparing different understandings of Christmas. I want to compare some of what we get in Christmas from society with the biblical story, which we've already heard this morning, the children read out to us.

What really happens is that really is the story, the message of Christmas. And they're two quite different stories.

The second thing I want to do is look at the text in Isaiah that we had read this morning, which also reflects on this light of God coming into this world and connects back to this theme of Advent.

And then finally, I just want to give us an opportunity to reflect ourselves and respond to the message of God's light coming into this world and into our hearts.

Okay, those three things: reflect on Christmas, reflect on Isaiah, and then give us a chance to respond to this message of Christmas and Advent.

So every year at Christmastime, there are at least two messages of Christmas that go out, right? Society's version, and then the biblical story, the biblical version.

Now, according to society, at least according to the shopping malls, Christmas season begins once. When? November 1st, basically. As soon as Halloween is over, the next day, you go into the malls, the Christmas decorations will be out, the Christmas carols will be on, and it's an extension of the Christmas season.

It's kind of a marketing genius, really, because the longer Christmas season is, the more opportunities they have to entice you to come and buy their merchandise, right? So Christmas season almost begins November 1st, or if not, for sure, Black Friday with all the sales on.

Well, this is part of the message of society. But I want to say that this is not all that Christmas is. I mean, this is not really the biblical version of Christmas.

And I had a slide, which is great, but we won't be able to see it today. I made this comparison. Like, the Christmas story of society and the Christmas story of the Bible are so totally different.

It's almost like if you were listening to two different versions of music or styles of music. One would be like Taylor Swift, and the other one would be like Metallica.

Now, I'm not going to say which one is which. I think there's some Swifties amongst us, and I know maybe some metalheads or something amongst us. So I won't say which is which.

But the idea is that they're so different, Christmas from society and Christmas from the Bible, the spiritual message of Christmas.

And part of that message that society brings is that it's about shopping. It's about capitalism. It's about buying things. It's not all negative, though. Society also has this kind of a more innocuous understanding, and even good understanding of Christmas, because it's also about connecting with family.

It's also about spending time together. It's also about charity and generosity. These kinds of values are also brought out in Christmas.

But the thing about society's understanding of Christmas is that it's not rooted or grounded in any historical, concrete fact outside of ourselves.

So I remember watching the Elf movie. You know the Elf? It's an older movie. I think it's from the late 90s or something. So we watched it as a family together for several years. It's about Christmas, about this message of Christmas.

And so this elf comes into New York City, and he's actually not really an elf, but he's a human being. But the whole message of this movie is society is moving away from believing in Christmas.

But what is Christmas? It's just this belief, this faith that something miraculous, something magical happens. And the more people believe, then the more power inherently Santa will have, and he can kind of continue to do his thing magically.

But what are people believing in? What are people having faith in? They never define what that is about, what it is grounded in, except sort of just this ethereal, kind of unrooted understanding of belief and faith.

So Christmas is not all evil, but what is it grounded in? Christmas is not all evil, but what is it grounded in, in our society's understanding of Christmas?

Now, Christmas might bring up good memories for you. It might have lots of good, positive associations with your background. Maybe you think of Christmas trees, Christmas lights, Christmas presentations, and you think of family gatherings, these very good things, wholesome things.

But Christmas may also bring up negative connotations for you. If you didn't grow up in a family that celebrated Christmas very well, if you grew up in a broken family, if you grew up in a time when something happened during that time of year, Christmas can have very negative associations for you.

And so Christmas can be a very difficult time, a hard time for you. So Christmas, from a societal perspective, you might be drawn to it, or you might be repelled by it.

But I want to say that whether you're drawn to it or repelled by the societal understanding of Christmas, the biblical version of Christmas, the Bible's story of Christmas, has something to speak to us, something very important to say to all of us, no matter what our emotional gut response is to this time of year.

So what is that biblical spiritual understanding of Christmas?

Well, the best way to prepare for the Christmas story is exactly what we've been doing the last three months before Advent season, is to live in the story of the Old Testament, to live in the story of Scripture from Genesis on through to the prophets, because that's what the Christmas story is about. That's what it is completing.

We know how that story unfolded as we kind of went through it together over those three months. I'm going to summarize it for you in just a few sentences, those three months.

I mean, if you haven't gone through the Old Testament, that's what we did together as a church, or at least part of the Old Testament. I encourage you to do so. But what I'm going to do is just try to summarize in a few words.

In symbolic language, what has gone on in the Old Testament. God formed Israel to reflect his light and truth to this world. God formed Israel to reflect his truth and his light to this world, establishing a nation with Jerusalem as its capital.

But the darkness around Israel, surrounding Israel, and the darkness even within Israel, was too great, was stronger than the light that they were given. At least it seemed to be.

And so this nation was abandoned by God, and they were scattered among the nations. This nation was abandoned by God and scattered throughout the nations.

Yet, in the darkness of that moment in history, God promises to do something new, and he begins to gather his people again. He brings them back to the land.

In the darkness of that moment in history, God begins to gather his people again and bring them back to the land. Those few sentences form the backdrop for the Christmas story.

Without understanding those sentences, without understanding that backdrop, we really can't understand the significance of what Christmas is all about.

Because Christmas is the beginning of the end of that story. Christmas is the beginning of the end of that story, that story of the Bible.

Okay? So that brings me to the text that I would like to reflect on with you a little bit this morning, Isaiah chapter 42.

And we had it read out to us already by Heather. I'm going to read out a couple of verses to us again. And I encourage you, if you have your Bibles on your phones or if you brought it with you, you can turn to it and refer to it.

The text is a little bit more, it's set within a context that we won't cover entirely. But if you have it before you, then that can sometimes help you focus and concentrate, especially since we don't have it in front of us on the overhead.

So Isaiah chapter 42, I'm going to read out a couple of verses, verses 1, 6, and 7 to us again.

Behold, my servant, this is Yahweh the Lord speaking, behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the nations.

And then verse 6, I am the Lord. I am Yahweh. I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you. I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison, those who sit in darkness.

Verse 6 said, a light for the nations. And that's what partly we're reflecting on today and in this season.

Now, as I mentioned, these verses are set within a larger context in the book of Isaiah. A context in which prophecies were given to Israel. Israel was in exile in Babylon, and they had been sent there because of their disobedience over generations, over centuries.

But while they were in exile in Babylon, God starts to speak to them. He speaks to them a message of comfort and of hope that this won't always be the situation. They're not always going to be in exile far from God. And he speaks to them of restoration.

God speaks to them beginning in chapter 40 all the way to the end of Isaiah of the restoration of his people. He will bring them back home.

But in the midst of these chapters, from chapters 40 onwards in Isaiah, there's also this message. There are four very distinct passages that scholars have kind of identified, and we call them the servant songs.

Songs because most of Isaiah is written in poetry, and these are actually poetic units. So they are songs. But servant because they refer to a servant, very specifically, something, someone who has certain characteristics, certain qualities.

Songs that describe this servant of Yahweh's, chapter 42, which we read, and then chapter 49, and then chapter 50, and chapter 53, servant songs in Isaiah.

But the question I want to ask is, who is this servant? Who is this servant of God that is identified in Isaiah?

Because if you read these chapters in Isaiah, it seems like there are two different kinds of servant. Israel is one of these servants. Israel is named the servant of God in some of these texts from chapter 40 on through to 66.

But Israel often is referred to as a stubborn servant, as a blind servant, even after their exile, even after the return from exile. They're referred to as continuing to be blind and failing to serve God.

And so even after the return from exile, their experience is still that God somehow is not fully present to them in the way that he had been in the past, in their exodus, in Mount Sinai, at the temple.

Somehow God's presence with them in the past was different than their experience in the past. And so even after their return from exile, after they built the second temple, God's presence didn't come down on it in the way that it had in the past.

And so there was still this longing for a true Israelite to fulfill God's promises, a true servant of Yahweh to finally bring about God's purposes in history and in the world.

And that brings us, of course, to the Christmas story because we believe that in Jesus, that servant of Yahweh is now fulfilled.

We identify Jesus as that servant. Hundreds of years written, prophesied hundreds of years before, it was intended to be Israel, but Israel not living up to God's expectations and God's hopes for Israel.

God then sends Jesus, His Son, the true Israelite, the true Israel, to redeem Israel and beyond Israel, the world, a light to the nations.

Let me tell you a true story that happened in 2010. This is a story of a tragedy that ends up with a happy ending.

So in 2010, in back then, the gold copper mine near the town of Copiapó, Chile. I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing that as well as I should.

But in this town in Chile, 34 men were working deep underground in this gold copper mine. And it was a day that started out like any other, but there were some rocks that began to fall.

And some of you will remember this story in 2010. Because the mine collapsed on top of these 34 men. One of them escaped, but 33 miners were trapped deep underground, about 1,200 feet underground in the tunnels, these mines in Chile.

Now that initial massive collapse triggered also smaller collapses. So the ventilation shafts and the other shafts that were leading forward, that were leading to the surface were all sealed off.

Now, fortunately, this group of 33 men were able to scramble their way to the shelter, which is located about 1,200 feet below surface level. But there, they gathered and they had two days' worth of food.

Two days' worth of food. And so they rationed it out as well as they could, and they would have only one spoon, a spoonful of tuna and one sip of milk every two days because they didn't know how long they would be underground.

Now, they waited in the darkness and waited and waited. On day 15, 15 days underground, they heard some drilling far away, but then the drilling stopped.

They thought that everyone had given up hope on them being trapped underground for weeks now. Now, on day 17, more drilling, and it was much closer.

Then on day 17, they finally penetrated that cavern where a drill bit came through the surface and rocks were falling, and they finally were able to have contact with the surface.

And when that drill bit penetrated through that cavern, they left a note on the tip of that drill bit saying, "All 33 of you. All 33 of us are safe." In Spanish, they said that.

And then they were able to communicate with the surface. It was not until day 69, day 69, that they were finally rescued from that mine, 52 days after making contact with them.

But they escaped all relatively healthy and still alive. This is what one of the miners testified after his rescue. He said, "We were swallowed up into the bowels of hell, but we have been reborn."

We've been swallowed up into the bowels of hell, but we have been reborn. I tell you this story because I think it's a graphic illustration.

The tip of that drill bit coming through, piercing through that cavern, that is the Christmas story. It's the beginning of the end of the rescue that God is sending to this world.

It's not the end of the story. We're going to have a chance to walk through that story again in January as we turn to the Gospels, and then at Easter we'll celebrate the good news, how that story finally ends, because we're included into that story through Jesus' resurrection and then through the birth of the church.

But the tip of that drill bit is the beginning of the end of their rescue, just like it's the beginning of our story of rescue.

God sends his son Jesus into this world in the form of a human being, a baby, right? That's the Christmas story. That's a story that we get to participate in.

That's why we celebrate Christmas at this time of year. It's that light piercing the darkness, the darkness of the world.

We know that this world needs Jesus. We know that this world needs light, but also the light, the darkness. That's also in our own hearts.

We know, don't we? And people who know us well also know that there's this darkness that's inside our own hearts that we wrestle with.

And God is sending Jesus right into our hearts so that we can change, so that we can be obedient in the way that he wants us to be, so that we can become the kind of people he wants us to be.

So I just want to close now this simple message with this opportunity to respond. Because this message is not just for Israel, it's not just for the nations, but it's also for you and I, for all of us.

It's an opportunity to believe in what God is doing in this world, to believe that he actually came in the form of a human being, and that he wants to live in our hearts and in our lives and transform us by his love for us, his power, the power of his spirit.

And so if there are things that we're wrestling with, if there's pain in your life, Jesus offers healing. If there's loneliness in your life, Jesus offers friendship and community.

If there's confusion in your life, Jesus offers purpose and clarity. Now, Jesus may not change your situation. He might. He certainly has the power.

It's my experience and the experience of believers throughout time that he certainly has the power to do the miraculous and change things that otherwise could not be changed.

He may or may not change your situation where things are challenging, where things are difficult. That's not the promise.

The promise is that if you believe in him, if you receive him, if you believe that the Father sent him, he will give you hope, he will give you peace, he will give you joy.

We're reflecting on that today. Joy. Joy, even in the midst of the suffering, even in the midst of the hardship, even in the midst of the challenges.

That's his promise to us. And I invite you to consider that and to really ponder that as we reflect on the story of Christmas.

Let's pray together, and then we're going to have a chance to take communion together. And I'll invite us into a time to continue to respond to the Lord in that. Amen.