The speed of light at Christmas
I recently watched Oppenheimer once again, the award-winning movie about the making of the first atomic bomb.
The Christ of Christmas travelled from eternity, where time is not bound, to bring light amid the staggering darkness.
- Prominent physicist and father of the atomic bomb, Robert Oppenheimer, once said, “The best way to send an idea is to wrap it up in a person.”
- Sarah, a Sunday school student, said, “Some people could not hear God’s whisper, so God sent Jesus to tell them out loud.”
- Jesus’ own testimony is found in John 8:12 (NIV): “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In this extraordinary claim Jesus was boldly declaring that He was the Messiah. This is the second occasion that Jesus uses the familiar “I Am” formula (see Exodus 3:14) to assert His divine nature. The Messiah is referred to as the light in several Old Testament passages.
When Jesus shared these words, the Feast of Tabernacles was being celebrated within the Temple. Likely Jesus had been standing in the “Court of the Women” in front of the four great golden candelabras, each with four large golden bowls full of oil lit on fire. Observers claimed the light was so brilliant that it lit up all of Jerusalem.
Jesus stood in front of this great fixture and declared, “I AM THE LIGHT of the world.” The light emanating from the large candelabra was a symbol of the light their ancestors had been given by God to guide them on their dark journey.
Jesus now stands before us all stating that He is the promised Messiah, the Saviour, who acts as THE light to guide all spiritually lost people to safety.
During a Christmas pageant where Jesus was represented by a bright light bulb in a cradle, a little girl noticed the light bulb flicker and burn out. She blurted, “Who turned out Jesus!?”
Each of us has the potential to “turn off” Jesus in our lives. His light can make little transformative difference in our lives if we so choose. Let’s help others see The Light this Christmas.