It may come as a surprise to some to learn that the actual date of Jesus' birth is unknown. December 25 was chosen by Rome around the year 300. Why this particular date in the depth of winter?
In olden times before artificial light was invented, the season of winter was long, and dark, and dreary. And all of this was due to the fact that the sun had gone away. However, the people knew that at a certain point the sun began to come back, and things changed for the better. So they had a feast to celebrate this fact. It was known as the feast of the Unconquerable Sun (Sol Invictus).
To counter this pagan festival, the Church chose December 25th, which is close to the Winter Solstice, to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Instead of worshipping the Sun God, people were encouraged to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. The Church saw the coming of Jesus as fulfilling the prophecy if Isaiah: "The people that lived in darkness, have seen a great light;" Jesus described his mission in similar terms when he said "I am the light of the world."
December is the darkest month of the year. It's a time when we appreciate the value of light. Christmas means the coming of God's light into the darkness of our world. This night is made radiant by the light of Jesus. Our songs and liturgies at this time of the year are full of images of light and darkness. Someone once described Christmas as a pool of light in the inky darkness of winter.
How dark the world would be if the light of Jesus had never shone. The Russian writer, Dostoevsky, put it like this: "While we are on earth, we grope in the dark, and, but for the precious image of Christ, before us, we would lose our way completely and perish."
The teaching of Jesus, is truly a source of light to all who accept him. But it was, and is, through his deeds and encounters with people that his luminous goodness shines through. People come to him in darkness and find themselves bathed in light.
Jesus' light was not lit in Bethlehem once and then extinguished. Unlike the Sun, Jesus' light knows no setting. It continues to shine for all who believe in and follow him. The light of Christ is a persistent light, and has the power to draw people to its shining. It's not an illusory comfort, or a false reassurance that all is well when this is clearly not the case. It shines in the midst of devastation, disaster, and upheaval. The Gospel is a persistent and defiant light, which no darkness can understand nor overpower.
Jesus' light comes as a friend. It brings healing not hurt, freedom not oppression, life not death. Those who follow him will always have the light of life. He teaches us who we are and what our destiny is. We are children of God, destined for eternal life. May the Lord in his goodness give us a taste of that joy which the shepherds experienced when the light of God's glory shone around them on that first Christmas night.
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.