Point of Grace Worship 12.21.25 – Advent 4 – “Coming Home for Christmas – Drawn to the Light”
Advent – This season of anticipation, preparation, waiting for what is coming – for Who came and
is coming back ………. Is now ushering in the season of Christmas … the season of Light.
We have been “Coming Home for Christmas” spending Advent in the prophet Isaiah who brought God’s message of hope to a people who were far from home … in exile because of sin and rebellion against God. The invitation then and now is “Come Home…. Come Home … Your Father has made you a way Home. He has given His Son as “Light to Lead You Home”
Isaiah 63:1-5
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy;
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Glory – “The Glory of God is the full potency of God, the manifestation of His greatness, character and power. The Glory of God is also His manifest Presence. “ – John Eldridge
It was the Glory God that filled the Temple in the Old Testament (Presence) and the Glory of God that raised Jesus from the dead (Power).
“God's glory comes freely. It comes apart from anything we do or say.
It still comes to us in Jesus Christ.
We are called to faithfulness, not so that Kingdom glory will come but because its advent is imminent. Divine light cannot be humanly generated we can only “Arise and shine because our light has already come” and is coming again.
Luke writes, (think Christmas story here) “An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” Simeon celebrates, “A light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.”, the Magi marvel, “We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him”.
What a light show! Majesty arrived in the midst of the mundane. The most holy appeared in the flesh in the presence of cattle manure. Divinity entered the world on the floor of a stable through the womb of a teenage virgin and the presence of a lowly carpenter. Jesus is the light of the world who took on flesh so that he might take you into his arms heal your hearts, forgive your filth and destroy your darkness. The Son of God became a human being not to demonstrate the innocence of infancy but to live the life we could not and to die our death so we need not!
Here is dazzling light, brilliant light and eternal light no wonder the Nicene creed confesses that Jesus is God of God and Light of Light” Reed Lessing
Isaiah 60
3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy;
So Jesus could say,
““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
and
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
at the same time!
Think “Snow Globe”!
How do I keep the “aperture” of my soul wide open to the Light especially during the holidays?
Time and Intentionality in the Presence of the Light
Practices to open our souls “aperture” – Worship, Word and Prayer (Daily Pause)
“Jesus, Come in …..”
“Let there be Light”