Coming to the Great Light
Pastor Tan Thai · Dec 1, 2022
This sermon is based on Isaiah 9:1 and the Christmas narrative in Luke 2, exploring the true meaning of Christmas beyond romanticized portrayals. The world lives in the darkness of sin, and only Jesus Christ — the Great Light from heaven — can deliver humanity. Two main reasons people reject Him are fear and pride, both rooted in sin.
The sermon opens by questioning the true meaning of Christmas, contrasting the warm and romanticized images commonly associated with the holiday with the harsh reality recorded in Scripture. The stable and manger were dirty, dark, and foul — completely opposite to the beautiful Christmas cards people exchange. The preacher emphasizes that the first reaction of every character in the Christmas story was not peace or joy, but overwhelming fear.
The central message of the sermon is drawn from Isaiah's prophecy written over 700 years before Christ's birth: 'The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light' (Isaiah 9:1). The sermon analyzes the historical context of Israel in Isaiah's time — threatened by Assyrian invasion, ruled by corrupt and cruel kings, with people turning to mediums and fortune-tellers — to demonstrate that the external darkness was a direct consequence of the inner darkness of sin in human hearts. Scholar Edward Young is quoted to underscore that the darkness of sin can only be dispelled by the light of life that comes from God alone.
The sermon identifies two main reasons why people refuse to come to the Great Light, Jesus Christ: first, fear; second, pride. Regarding fear, John 3:19-20 is used to explain that people love darkness rather than light because they fear their sins being exposed. The image of Adam and Eve hiding after the Fall serves as an illustration — just as they covered themselves with fig leaves, people today hide their sins behind possessions, status, talent, and social relationships.
Regarding pride, the sermon points out that modern people trust in science, reason, politics, and their own strength to solve all problems, rejecting any need for God. The Enlightenment movement is cited as a manifestation of this pride, while the sermon notes that despite all scientific progress, the world remains filled with war, crime, and injustice. Jeremiah 2:13 is quoted to describe this sin of pride: the people forsook God, the spring of living water, and dug for themselves broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
The sermon concludes with a call to concrete action, drawing on the example of the shepherds in Luke 2 who overcame their fear to seek the child in the manger. Like them, each person must voluntarily come to Jesus Christ — not merely with emotion but with genuine decision and action. The story of a 39-year-old PhD patient who died of cancer is shared as a reminder of human finitude and the spiritual need that science cannot address.