Video of Evening Prayer is here. The sermon begins around the 23:45 mark.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Advent is the emphasis on light, especially as we come near to the darkest time of the year, the time with the least light. Here we are, gathered in this place, surrounded by darkness outside, and we’re using that ancient hymn, the phos hilaron, the joyous light. We have come to the setting of the sun, and we look to the evening light. God led the people of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day, but the pillar was fire in the night. “Enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ; may His Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (LSB 244, 245).

Sometimes people will claim that there are pagan origins to things like candles and Christmas trees, because people have always looked for light in the midst of the long, dark nights. Whatever the truth is about those various claims, I have no doubt that many people, no matter their religion, have looked for light in the midst of darkness. Now we talk about things like SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder. That is, of course, something that may be common to both Christians and unbelievers. The lack of sunlight affects certain people more than it affects others. So why should we be surprised that pagans tried to create more light, especially in the northern parts of the hemisphere?

And even if it were true that Christians used formerly pagan elements to celebrate the birth of the Lord, all that means is that Christians believe God owns everything in creation. There is nothing “pagan,” because it’s all God’s. And we recognize the same human needs that everyone has—but we know something about light that the unbeliever does not know: the true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world (John 1:9). But “this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20). While people may be searching for physical light in the darkness, we do not naturally come to the light of Christ. In fact, we prefer our light to be generic, vague, abstract, pagan, so we can fill it in with our own ideas of what is good and right.

But the true light is not generic or abstract: it is contained in the flesh of the man who says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). He appears not to shine for a little while, or in a small area, or for some people, but to destroy the darkness altogether. Of course, this is not simply the physical darkness of the night, but the darkness of evil, the darkness of lovelessness, the darkness of the absence of God’s mercy, where there is bitter weeping and angry gnashing of teeth.

When we come into the light, we are exposed. “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You” (Psalm 139:11-12). We are seen and shown for what we are—not what we wish we were, not what people think we are, but perfectly and completely. It is much easier for us to try to hide in the darkness than come into the light and be revealed for who we are and what we’ve done.

But “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The Lord knows you. Fear comes from having some doubt about this God’s intentions toward us. If you were to reveal your dark secret, your hidden thoughts, your unspoken words, your shame, your guilt—to another person, you might be afraid that the person would hold it against you, or tell other people, or lose respect or love for you. And, unfortunately, with sinners that may be a valid fear, even though the Church should be the last place where that fear should be realistic. But God is not like other people. His absolute and complete knowledge of you is not so that He can hold it against you forever, not so He can alienate you, or drive you by the whip and the lash of His perfect law until you get it right. His law is a light to reveal. It does drive you, not to your own resources, but to the one who is the fulfillment of that law, that light, in the world.

This world of sin and death and darkness tried to extinguish the light. He was willing to have your sins and mine piled on until no one could see any light, until the sun itself refused to shine and God turned His face. In the darkness, He cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1). But there is no answer, no light. The face of God is dark toward Him. But that same psalm that Jesus prays from the cross has this: “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him” (Psalm 22:24). This is the mystery of your salvation, both darkness and light, the face of God turned but not hidden, turned away from your sin upon the crucified one and yet turned toward you: “God, Yahweh, illumines us; bind the festival sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27). There is the sacrifice, and there is the Light of the world in the midst of this world’s darkness.

The refrain builds throughout the psalm: first, in verse 3: God, restore us. Your face shine, and let us be saved! Then, in verse 7: God of hosts, restore us. Your face shine, and let us be saved! Then, finally in verse 19: Yahweh, God of hosts, restore us. Your face shine, and let us be saved! First, God hears His Son and restores Him from the dead. “In [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot extinguish it” (John 1:4). Life and light, and so death and darkness must give way. Because He heard His Son, He will hear you. Your face shine, lighten, illumine; and let us be saved! “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51:12). “Enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ; may His Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.” Yes, “the darkness is passing away and the light is already shining” (1 John 2:8). “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Because of the darkness that day surrounding the One on the cross, the Father will not turn His face from you. His light will never cease to shine on you: His Word that is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. His Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies you by His gifts of Word, Baptism, Absolution, Supper. Restore us, God; Your face shine, and let us be saved! And He says to all His baptized, beloved, believing children: My Name is upon you: Yahweh bless you and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face upon you and give you shalom, the complete peace of His luminous and gracious face. Until, finally, we find ourselves in the City where the darkness has passed away completely, but there is no need of sun or moon to shine in it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb (Revelation 21:23). Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and restore us! Your face shine, and let us be saved! O God, enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, ESV). Amen.

– Pr. Timothy Winterstein, 12/5/23