Christmas at The Chapel: Light in the Darkness
Robert Louis Stevenson is the author of famous books like “Treasure Island” and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” He grew up in Scotland in the mid-1800s, and at that time, on the streets of cities, the streetlights were not yet electric like they are today—they were fueled with gas. So every night, the city lamplighter would come out with his ladder; he would lean his ladder up against a lamp post, climb up the ladder, light the lamp, adjust the wick, close the glass cover, climb back down his ladder, and then walk down the cobblestone street to the next lamp post. So Robert Louis Stevenson tells the story of when he was a little kid, and one winter night he was in his house, with his face pressed against the window, watching the city lamp lighter make his rounds. The family had a nanny, and the nanny said to Robert, “Get away from that freezing window—you’re going to catch a cold.” But Robert didn’t budge. Something about that scene was captivating his creative mind. Eventually he turned around and he said to the nanny, “That man is poking holes in the darkness.”
The moment I heard that story, I said, “That is the perfect description of why Jesus entered into this world.” He came to poke holes in the darkness.
Listen to how the arrival of the Messiah is predicted by the prophet Isaiah, about 700 years before the birth of Christ:
1a Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress…
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
Centuries later, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Listen to how the opening words of John’s Gospel describe the arrival of Jesus:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. In other words, Jesus, who has existed from eternity past as part of the eternal Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—at one point in history entered into this world as a human. And when he did, it was like light shining in the darkness. So brightly, the darkness couldn’t compete.
And everywhere Jesus went, he poked holes in the darkness.
When he healed sick people, he poked holes in the darkness.
When he spent time with diseased people, and poor people, and ethnically despised people, he poked holes in the darkness.
When he confronted the corrupt, self-righteous religious establishment, he poked holes in the darkness.
When he led with humility and gentleness, instead of force and intimidation like the Roman Empire did, he poked holes in the darkness.
And finally, he allowed himself to be arrested and tortured and crucified. And on the cross, he took into himself all the darkness of this world—including all of our darkness—all of our selfishness and anger and greed and all those things we’ve done that we hope no one ever finds out. He took it all on himself. And it says the midday sky became dark as night, as Jesus paid for the sins of the world.
It looked like the darkness had won. But on the third day, as the sun rose on Easter morning, the greatest miracle in history: Jesus rose. Because the darkness could not overcome the light. And it never, ever will.
So what does that mean for us? It means that if we believe in Christ, all our darkness gets forgiven. And it means we get to go through life, as representatives of Jesus, and join him in poking holes in the darkness. And tonight I just want you to dream about what that could mean for you.
One of my favorite things that I read in the news recently happened down in Atlanta earlier this month. A Delta Airlines flight was waiting to take off, and the plane sat there on the tarmac, filled with passengers, for over an hour. Ever been there? Strapped into your tiny seat, all sweaty and hot …just waiting? So on that runway in Atlanta, as the time crawled by, you could feel the passengers getting restless, and cranky, and uncomfortable, and annoyed. If you had to characterize that situation as light or darkness, it definitely felt dark.
But then someone had an idea. And from what I can tell, it was motivated by his faith in Christ. His name was Wayne Hoey. He was an army veteran, and he had actually played in the US Army band for twenty years. He called a flight attendant over, and he made an unusual request; the flight attendant went and asked the pilot, and she came back and said, “The pilot said it’s okay.” So Wayne went to the overhead compartment and got out his saxophone.
And in an act of courage, he said, “Who has a favorite Christmas tune?” There was an awkward silence, but finally someone said, “O Holy Night.” (imitate—best sax imitation). People started looking up from their devices; the murmuring of complaints quieted down. Someone requested “Jingle Bells.” Then “Holly Jolly Christmas.” “Here Comes Santa Claus.” “Silent Night.” This was like three weeks ago in Atlanta! He noticed a little toddler, and he walked up to her and broke into a classic: (hum “Baby Shark.”). That’ “Baby Shark,” in case you’re not cultured enough. (Someone took a picture of him playing Baby Shark).
One passenger on that flight posted this on her Facebook page: “I was surprised and delighted when this gentleman got up and put together his saxophone and started playing carols … up and down the aisle. The mood on the plane immediately changed. People were clapping, singing along and cheering this man for his playing. It was such a lovely thing to witness and such a gift to everyone during a stressful travel time…Thank you good sir, for your service then and now.” That post went viral, and it was picked up by several news networks. Wayne Hoey had no idea he’d become famous, until someone at his church said, “You have to go on Facebook and see this.”
You know what he was doing on that plane, right? He was poking holes in the darkness.
And the more I thought about that scene, the more I realized: that airplane cabin is a microcosm of life. Doesn’t life get annoying sometimes? Don’t we have to deal with all kinds of difficult people and delays inconveniences? And when that happens, isn’t it easy to get anxious, and angry, and cranky, and just get pulled into that dark place? What would it mean for you to rise up and poke holes in the darkness?
Maybe it means that over this Christmas break, you’re going to spend extra time with that elderly family member who spends so much time alone.
Maybe it means you’re going to secretly give a financial gift to someone who’s struggling to pay the bills.
Maybe it means you’re going to finally forgive someone that you’ve carried a grudge against for a long time.
Or maybe at a family gathering tonight, or tomorrow, you’re going to pull out your saxophone, or your guitar, and lead everyone in Christmas songs. Some of you probably shouldn’t. Because you play really badly, and it will just make things darker. But maybe for you, it’s exactly what you should do.
There’s always a risk when you do things like that. There was a risk for Wayne Hoey on that plane—people could have laughed at him or ignored him. But he took the risk, and light flooded in to the cabin of that plane.
What would this mean for you? This week? Be creative! Take a risk! How can you take the light that you’ve received from Jesus, and turn around and pour it out to others. There’s a dark world waiting for you.
Guys, we follow a Savior who came into this world to poke holes in the darkness…and now it’s our turn.
Host Team—come on up with your candles…and I invite you to get our candles ready.
[Dave light candle.]
Dave: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." I don’t have to tell anyone here that there’s a lot of darkness in this world. It’s all around us! But when we carry the light of Christ, it’s more powerful than the darkness. It overcomes the darkness. So let’s spread that light around this room.
Dave light candles of ushers
Musicians lead “ “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night”
Dave: What a beautiful sound in this room. Don’t forget this moment. Take it in; treasure it. And before you leave, let me remind you of one more thing Jesus said. Jesus said to his followers: [14] "You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
As we go out from this place, let’s carry the light of Christ into our homes, and our neighborhoods, and everywhere else we go.
Thank you for the privilege of spending Christmas Eve with you! And at this time, please carefully extinguish your candles.
God Bless you, and have a Merry Christmas. Good night!