２０２５．7^th of Dec

Title: The Lord of true light

John 1：9～14

Good morning. May the peace of the Lord be with you all abundantly. Let’s exchange a greeting of peace with each other. “May the peace of the Lord be with you!”

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. We have lit two candles.

The first candle is called the “Prophet Candle.” Christ was born as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, and it represents “Hope,” signifying Christ's coming.

The second candle is called the “Angel Candle.” Angels are said to have praised the Lord saying “Peace on Earth” from the Psalms of the Old Testament, so it represents “Peace.”

The third candle is called the “Shepherd's Candle.” The shepherds were the first to be told of Christ's birth. They found the infant Jesus lying in a manger and were filled with joy, so it represents “Joy.”

The fourth candle is called the “Bethlehem Candle.” It represents “Love,” symbolizing the love of God and His only Son.

Verse 9 says “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” The first word of God in the Old Testament is “let there be light.”

Creation started with light. The result of this was the Garden of Eden. It was an environment with no lack. However, due to the sin of Adam and the woman, they were kicked out of this garden and started to suffer. Leaving the Garden of Eden means leaving God. Leaving God is the beginning of suffering and darkness.

However, the event of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, gave us light and a new world. The light which was given through Christmas is the true light. Whoever meets the true light is made anew. The Old Testament begins with the words “let there be light,” but the New Testament begins with the birth of Jesus, who is the true light.

While we received God’s judgment through Adam’s sin in the Old Testament, we received the true light and the path of salvation through the birth of Jesus Christ – this is the wonderful Christmas blessing in the New Testament.

We have left the era of the Old Testament which is symbolized by God’s judgement, and have been made anew by our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the true light. So we are in God’s amazing, unexpected grace filled with hope, peace, joy and love.

However, when we turn our eyes to the world, there are many sad things which strengthen the power of the darkness and make people lose hope. The number of suicides in Japan in 2024 was 20,268. We are in an era where there are many people suffering without hope of living.

A 12-year-old girl battled a disease called osteosarcoma for one and a half years. What she said right before her death was, “my true happiness is the fact that I am alive now.” For many of those who wish to live but cannot live, it is their happiness that they are alive now even though they have pain.

Another person became paralyzed from the neck down due to an accident. He wished to die because of the great suffering, but he thought he had to live even if life was bitter, with an idea that life is given and is important. However, after he learned what was truly important, he learned to live with joy of living with smile on his face. He is Tomihiro Hoshino, the artist of the art exhibition which started yesterday in this church.

When living day by day was a suffering for him, he encountered the grace of Jesus, the true light, and was made anew.

He confesses that his day-to-day suffering turned into a new joy, which guided him to live.

Yes, Jesus Christ is our true light. He is the most important thing which cannot be replaced by anything else. That’s why we sing “I’d rather have Jesus than anything.”

Are you bathed in the light of our savior, who is the true light? Do you turn your heart to Jesus, who is the true light? Are you trying to listen to the words of Jesus, the true light, which are being spoken to you?

Are you trying to listen, without doubt, to the words of the angels who tell you peace like the second candle of Advent? Let us believe that God gave His son Jesus Christ as a wonderful gift to the earth, and be thankful.

Let us believe in the light of hope on the first candle, and live with hope. Let us protect peace no matter what happens, and let us look up to Jesus so that we can be filled with joy and thankfulness.

I use my smartphone every day. My phone alerts me with an alarm whenever the battery is less than 20%. So I make sure to charge it. When the battery runs out, the phone becomes useless.

A smartphone kindly alerts us when the battery is low. However, when our faith is away from prayer, praise, worship, and service, in other words, when we are away from the true light and from the true vine, we cannot bear any fruits.

After we humanity left God and were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, we are blessed in a new life by the grace of the birth of Jesus Christ, and we can enjoy the life shining with glory.

Verse 14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The Word became flesh. Jesus was born as a human being. He is the God of Emmanuel, who is with us now and will be with us until the end of the world. He has given us joy of living with full of grace. This is an amazing grace. That’s why we rejoice.

I want to introduce a hymn which sings about the joy of believing.

Happiness is to live a pure life 　though it may not be luxurious

Happiness is to be thankful 　though I may not have a lot

Yet I have much to share though it may seem so small

Oh happiness, this I have, Happiness with joy

I can go to Jesus in prayer 　though my tears may falling down

I can endure many wrongs 　and I know it’s for the Lord

In this short and temporal world, happiness is to live out God’s will

Oh happiness, this I have, Happiness with joy　　Happiness, this is my Happiness with joy　　The awesome present of my God, the world can never know　　Happiness, this is my Happiness with joy　Knowing that I’m a child of God, No one can deny　　Happiness, it’s my true happiness.