Grace, Salvation, Hope

December 24, 2024 Christmas Eve Year C Titus 2:11-14 Grace, Salvation, Hope Prelude Christmas Greeting Lighting of the Christ Candle Reader One: Beloved, today we welcome the Christ Child, the fulfillment of our joy, as we proclaim with the prophet Isaiah, “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Congregation: Christ our joy has come near. Emmanuel, God with us, has come to dwell with us as a tiny baby. “His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:7). Reader Two: We light this candle as a sign of Christ coming to dwell with us, to live in the neighborhood of vulnerable humanity as a vulnerable child. May the light of Christ warm our hearts and light our way as we share the joy of God’s salvation wherever we go. (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Light the center candle of the Advent wreath Words to Gather us Together A child has been born for us, whose name is called: Wonderful Counselor— Good Shepherd, Deliverer, Lamb of God, The Word; Mighty God— First and Last, Author of Life, Morning Star, The Light; Everlasting Father— Bread of Life, Resurrection and Life, Light of the World, The Vine; Prince of Peace— Chief Cornerstone, Lord of lords, King of kings, The Way. He is Immanuel. God with us! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Opening Prayer (Titus 2) Grace of God, you have brought salvation to all, by the giving of yourself. In your sacrifice of love, you have redeemed us. May we live lives that glorify you, as we celebrate your birth into this world. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Hymn Sing We Now of Christmas (verses 1-4) UMH 237 Celebration of Christ's Birth Heaven sings: sing of creation and life; sing of love and light. Earth sings: join the chorus, tell the story of salvation. Let all welcome the Messiah. Sun and moon proclaim the message of divine light. Ocean waves tell of life-giving water. Forests rustle with Spirit-filled wind. Field and vineyard give fruit for a heavenly feast. All peoples marvel at what they see and hear. Join with all of creation in praise. Sing of God's deeds of power and grace. For Jesus Christ is born this day: the One who was foretold by the prophets, and promised in ages past; the One who would triumph over death, and bring us life; the One who would forgive our sin, and heal our wounds; the One who would show us the kingdom of God, and how we might live. Born to set us free ... Born to give us life ... Born as a gift ... Heaven sings and earth rejoices: Jesus Christ is born. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem UMH 230 A Christmas Message: Grace, Salvation, Hope So we all know that Christmas is gifting time. We all have a whole theology of gifting – a belief system about giving gifts. Some of us spend months planning on just the right gift for the right person, some of us like to shop for gifts at the store, some of us like to make gifts from the heart. Some of us want people to open the gift right in front of them, others want the gift to be a surprise. Gift givng has not always been a part of the celebration of the birth of Christ. As a matter of fact, it is a relatively recent development. Truth is, America has a complicated history with Christmas, going back to the Puritans, who despised it and considered the celebration un-Christian. The concern that Christmas distracted from religious piety continued even after Puritans faded away. In 1827, an Episcopal bishop lamented that the devil had stolen Christmas "and converted it into a day of worldly festivity, shooting, and swearing." Christmas began to gain popularity when it was transformed into a domestic celebration, after the publication of Clement Clarke Moore's Visitfrom St. Nicholas and Thomas Nast's drawings in Harper's Weekly that created the image of a white-bearded Santa who gave gifts to children. The new emphasis lessened religious leaders' worries that the holiday would be given over to drinking and shooting and swearing, but it introduced another concern: commercialism. And, we have been battling that ever since with a notable lackof success and to the great relief of the nation's retailers who do their best business of the year just prior to Christmas. In the midst of our urge to give gifts, it is important for us to remember that the most important gifts don’t come from the store. They come from the heart. The story is told (by author Brian Joseph) about a five-year-old boy who unwrapped his gifts of Christmas morning. His mother let him play with them for a while, and then asked which one he would like to give away to a poorer child who needed a gift. “None of them,” the boy told her. The mother sat down with him and explained that the power of a gift was in its sharing. Helping other people was an important part of the holiday spirit. This was a hard sell, but the boy agreed to share one of his gifts. His mother let him think about it until the next day. This was a hard choice. There was a book, a toy flute, a Popeye book bag, and a toy dump truck with doors that opened. Finally, he chose the flute, and he and his mother took it to the Salvation Army, where they would make sure it got to a child who could use it. “How will they know it is for a child?” the boy asked his mother. She told him he would write a note and tape it to the gift. His note said: “Please be sure to give this to a kid who doesn’t have a lot of toys.” The next year they did the same thing, and then the next. It became a familiar part of their Christmas tradition. Some years, the decision was really hard. The year that he anguished over the gifts, and finally decided to give up a game of checkers, his mother came in later with a piece of cardboard and some bottle caps. They made a new checkers game out of those, and played on that all year. One year, his mother was out of work for part of the year, and there wasn’t much money for gifts. His mother told him that he didn’t have to give a gift away that year. He was excited at first, and then he told his mother that he wanted to give a gift away. He put his new football in the Salvation Army box. When he grew up, he talked to his mother about this tradition, and how it seemed strange that he had to give a gift away, since they were so poor themselves. His mother just looked at him as if he hadn’t learned much over the years. After some years passed, he became a dad himself, and his own son was now five. His son asked him what had been his favorite gift when he was a child. By now, he had learned a few things, but he still struggled to explain to his young son that his best gifts never came in a box. He told his son about the childhood tradition, and his son asked if he still did that. Yes, he said, he had done it every Christmas for over thirty years. The next day, the dad chose a new sweater, wrote a note on the box, and got ready to deliver it. As he was heading out the door, his young son asked if he could come, too. The father waited in the car for his son to get ready, wondering what in the world was taking so long. Finally the little boy came out the door, holding his new playdough set. “Dad,” he asked, “can you help me write a note?” (Found on www.katinkahesselink.net.) Is there a gift you can use this Christmas? Not a coffeemaker, a sweater, or a game, but a deeper gift? Has this past year held some sorrows for you? Are you looking for a gift of peace? Understanding? Some of you lost loved ones this year, and you’re wondering how you’re going to make it through Christmas. Some of you separated from a partner, and are feeling the loss keenly. Some of you faced serious illness. Some of you have health concerns, and are praying for your health to be restored. Some of you have loved ones who won’t be here next Christmas, and you’re savoring their presence this Christmas, in all its bittersweet-ness. For all of those things, God offers us the gift of hope, through the life-changing, world-transforming, soul-lifting gift of Jesus. This is the season of gifts, but our biggest and brightest and best gift is found in a manger, not under a tree or at a store. That is our gift in the birth of Jesus. For that stunning gift, ready to be opened, ready to be given away, thanks be to God. Amen. Usually on Christmas Eve we look at the scripture in Luke about the birth of Jesus, and we focus on the gifts that we bring to Jesus. This year I thought I would shake things up a little bit. I have never preached from the book of Titus. But I thought that it had an important message for us. Titus is more than a birth story, it tells the story of Jesus after his life, death and resurrection. It focuses more on the second coming of Christ, and not the first. Titus talks about the gifts that we receive from Christ, not the gifts that we give. Titus reminds us that God gives us the best gifts of all. God has a way of giving us things that we didn’t realize that we needed, but we are so grateful to have. The gifts that God gives us have a way of affecting every aspect of our lives. The book of Titus is a very short book, but it contains the entire message of the new testament in a few short chapters. Tonight I want to focus on three very special gifts that God gives us through Christ – grace, salvation and hope. Grace is more important to us than the air we breathe. It is God’s grace that allows us to move freely in life, it is god’s grace that makes the burden of life easy to bare, it is god’s grace that allows us to move forward, it is God’s grace that allows us to start afresh each day, it is God’s grace that supports us in our darkest moments. Grace is that gift that you can enjoy, when you didn’t realize that it was available and you didn’t realize that you needed to get through every moment in life. Salvation means more than just Christ saving us from our sins. It means more that us claiming Jesus as our Lord. Salvation is the confidence to live in God’s love in every moment. It is looking for the light in every situation and being willing to follow the light no matter how dark the situation. It is an assurance that God loves and supports you. It is an assurance that God will always be there for you. Salvation is a moment in time, but it is also a lifestyle. It is looking for God in every situation and finding God. Salvation is living in God’s presence and knowing that our lives will never be the same. Just yesterday, I had a pastor who said that he was expecting Christmas to be about celebrations, and parties, and gifts and special services. He was not expecting to hear the news of two friends who died of cancer recently. How do we deal with bad news, just before Christmas. By taking a deep breath, holding still, and knowing that our faith helps us to deal with the situation much better than if we had not faith. That is the gift of salvation. Titus talks about a lot of gifts that Christ’s presence brings us. But the most important – is hope. A young minister graphically described his involvement in an urban studies program which took him to the streets of San Francisco. One day he and several other ministers were instructed to put on worn-out shoes and old clothes and get into the line for free lunch at Saint Anthony’s Dining Rooms. The ministers moved along the line, exchanging nods with those who had to live for real the life the ministers were temporarily sharing. The ministers watched as the homeless people responded to each other, told stories, and scraped leftovers from others’ plates into little plastic bags to have something to eat for supper. Then, as the homeless people faded into the alleys and porticos of the city to return to their status as the lost and lonely, the ministers pulled off their dirty, ragged clothes and rejoined their instructors who had been involved in the same experience. The meaning of the Christmas Event is most sharply defined at this point. We cannot discredit those who change from their identification with the poor and resume their middle-class life. Most of us wouldn’t deign to dress down even one time. Today we celebrate the day of the birth of our Lord. The good news is the fact that our Lord stayed after the birth and will come to us again. So be it. The message of Titus, is that Jesus did not come to be with us just for one night. Jesus is here to stay. Jesus will be with us each and every day of our lives. Jesus is a gift that just keeps going. When we have hope in the Christ to come – we look to the future, and we realize that the best is yet to come. When we have hope, the gift keeps on giving. We have more to look forward to. When we have grace, salvation, and hope – every day is a gift from God. Christmas is a time of gifting others, but it is a time of receiving the wonderful gift of life in Christ. We need the grace of God that has appeared in Jesus, because here’s the deal… • The GIFT that is Jesus is not a gift you receive and put on your shelf. • The GIFT that is Jesus is not a gift you use when you simply feel stuck or on major holidays like Christmas. • The GIFT that is Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving all year, for all the years that have been and are to come. • The GIFT that is Jesus not only saves us but changes us and transforms us. If you could receive the most wonderful gift this Christmas – what would it be? If you could receive a gift that would change the trajectory of your life and what would it be? This year let us focus on the gifts that God gives us, that we use everyday, but sometimes take for granted. Grace, salvation and hope. Even in times when it doesn’t feel like it, there are always there. Titus says that the grace of God appeared to give salvation to all people. Sometimes the greatest gifts of life, just appear to us when we least expect them. Joy sneaks in as you pour a cup of coffee, watching the sunlight hit your favorite tree, your sight and you usher joy away because you are not ready for her. Your house is not as it should be for such a distinguished guest, but joy cares nothing for your messy home, your book balance, or your waistline, you see. Joy is supposed to slither in the cracks of our imperfect life, that is how joy works. (Donna Ashworth). Let grace, salvation and hope slither in with the joy. Let us pray….. Christmas Prayers of the People (See Insert) God of our Salvation, we come to you on this wondrous night to gather in praise, to lift up your name with friend, family, and stranger. In the beginning, your creative work began with a word, and tonight, your creation continues with the Word made flesh. On this holiest of nights, we join the everlasting chorus saying: Glory to God on highest! Great is your name in all the earth! Like Mary, we ponder these things in our hearts, and wonder how you could love us so much as to actually become one of us, one with us. We remember these stories this evening that remind us of your steadfast love, that affirm that you have never, and will never, give up on your children. Thank you for your steadfast presence in our lives! And yet, even on this night on which we celebrate the fulfillment of love, we recognize that there are many who are still waiting for fulfillment: the fulfillment of adequate food and shelter… the fulfillment of peace and the end of violence… the fulfillment of reprieve from the fierce grip of grief… the fulfillment of a restoration of a broken relationship… the fulfillment of a renewing of heart, mind, or body… the fulfillment of healing from a chronic illness… the fulfillment of an end to substance abuse… Giving God, give us the courage to do your work in the world and to share the peace coming to us in the manger this evening. We pray this night especially for those who have traveled to be here… for those who have lost loved ones in the past year… for those who struggle with mental illness… for those who fight alcoholism’s onslaught… for those who will be traveling in the coming days and weeks… for those who work on Christmas: especially medical workers, police, and emergency personnel… for those who cannot make it home for Christmas… hear us we pray, O God, Restore us and make your face to shine that we might be saved. In all that we do and in all that we are, send your Spirit to send us forward with the majesty of this night and to share the grace we find with everyone we encounter. Submitted by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, NY Lord’s Prayer Offertory Prayer Glorious God, as the shepherds rejoiced at the angel's news, we too bring our offerings with joy. Bless these gifts, that they may spread your good news of great joy to all people. Use them to bring peace, justice, and hope to our community and beyond. In this season of Advent, may our giving reflect the light of Christ, and may we be your instruments of love and generosity. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. (Luke 2:1-14) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Communion This text is used by the pastor while the congregation uses A Service of Word and Table II (UMH 13–15) or III (UMH 15–16) or one of the musical settings (UMH 17–25). The pastor stands behind the Lord's table. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty (almighty God), creator of heaven and earth. You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets. In the fullness of time you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and at his birth the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn: The pastor may lower hands. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The pastor may raise hands. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and there found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected. As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so by the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread. As your Word became flesh, born of woman, on that night long ago, so, on the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the cup, or touch the cup, or lift the cup. When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." The pastor may raise hands. And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread and cup. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. The pastor may raise hands. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God ), now and for ever. Amen. Passing the Light “Silent Night, Holy Night UMH 239 Benediction (Isaiah 9, Titus 2) In darkness we arrived. In light we now leave. Though once we stumbled, we now walk with confidence. Rise up and go, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. May the light of Christ lead us forevermore. The Story continues………. Illustrations: To paraphrase one of William Barclay's memorable sayings, when we see Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry, or forgiving the reprobate, we cannot help but think to ourselves, "So this is what God is like." The epistle to Titus reminds him, and us, that the Christ has promised to stay always. The grace of God that first appeared in Bethlehem continues to “teach us” as we wait for the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (vv. 12-13). The grace appears in the nativity of our Lord. It stays with us as a teacher. It will return to us in glory. On the night of the performance the school auditorium was filled with family, friends, and other well-wishers who looked forward to the annual Christmas play. As the curtain was drawn back from the stage the audience initially beheld Joseph leading a donkey across the stage, with Mary astride. The narrator told the story of how Caesar Augustus had ordered a census of the whole world, and it was necessary for Joseph to travel with Mary, his pregnant wife, to Bethlehem to register. Upon their arrival the couple looked for a place to stay but could find no room in the local inn. As the play continued, Caitlin’s parents wondered where their daughter was. Based on what she had said, they were sure that she would have the role of Mary or one of the shepherds, but so far she had not been present on stage. Then the narrator spoke of the birth of Jesus and with this a brilliant star arose over the stable to mark the spot of Jesus’ birth. Caitlin was carrying the star above her head. Wherever Mary went with Jesus in her arms, Caitlin followed behind; the star never left Jesus. When the play concluded all in attendance and the participants gathered in the cafeteria for a celebration of cookies, cake, and beverages. Caitlin asked her parents, “Did you enjoy the play?” Her parents responded, “We loved it; it was great!” Her father continued, “Caitlin you told us that you had one of the leading roles but we noticed that you carried the star. We thought you might be Mary or possibly one of the shepherds or magi.” Caitlin responded, “I had the most important role. It was my task as the star to lead others to Jesus. There could not be any more important task and privilege in the entire world.” "The grace of God has appeared ... training us ... to await our blessed hope." Tonight we Pause. Waiting, listening for the sound of the One who is coming; who bridges heaven and earth and reclaims us. Is he coming -- as he said he would? Will he join us in our Christmas Pause? Will we see his footprints or those of another? "Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded...." The grace of God has appeared and trained us ... to await our blessed hope, to await the One who gave himself for us to redeem us -- to return to us our worth. Christmas Pause. All I want for Christmas this year is grace — just grace. The story of Christmas is, after all, at its heart, a story of grace. The coming of Jesus Christ into our world is the affirmation of God's unmerited favor to us. Look again at that little New Testament "postcard" (it's hardly long enough to be called something as high falutin as an "epistle") to Titus: "For the grace of God that brings salvation ... Jesus ... has appeared to all..." (Titus 2:11). Grace — the essence of Christmas. Grace — that is what I want for Christmas this year ... grace. You, too? I want to be a grace-giver, too, because I know that will begin to make this world more the place that the gracious God who sent us Jesus wants it to be. Oh, and Merry Christmas. It does feel good to say it. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit, by David E. Leininger That is really important. It answers that most basic question that every person asks. From the moment we are born, we begin to look out at the world that surrounds us and ask, "What is all of that out there? What is it all about? How does it relate to me? And, how should I relate to it?" The answer we come up with to that basic question will do more than anything else to determine the shape of our lives. And the answer is not always easy to guess. The world around us gives mixed signals. People come up with lots of different answers. As a result, people live lots of different kinds of lives. But Christians believe that, in the coming of Jesus, that greater reality which is present in all of the little realities that bump up against us, did something special to make us able to know that God loves us, and that God loves everybody, and that life is a good gift given to us by God. Think about the love of the ones who love you most. Then, think about a love even bigger than that coming from the one who gives you life and comes to meet you in every new day of life. That is grace. Learn to believe that and to live as if it is true and that belief will make a big difference in your life. That is why the text goes on to say, "Grace has appeared, bringing salvation." Salvation means a lot more than many people think it means. It means more than having your guilt atoned for so that you can go to heaven after you die, wonderful as that is. It also means being set free from the power of fear and greed and hate and indifference and all of the other things that can mess up our lives and generate all of that guilt. It means being liberated for a life of freedom and purpose and love. If you learn to live trusting God's love, God will enable you to live in love. That interaction will become a lifelong process of having your life shaped and fulfilled by God. It is a very complex process because it works itself out differently in the life of every person. But it is also a very simple process because it is always a working out of the impact of God's love on your life. Think of a message that brought you the news of a new possibility that changed your life, a college scholarship, a new job, acceptance of a marriage proposal. Then think of another new possibility many times better than any of these. That is salvation. The text goes on, "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all." - "For all!" God loves everybody just like God loves you and God wants fullness of life for everybody just as God wants fullness of life for you. As you grow in love and learn to love as God loves, you will learn to love others as you love yourself and to want fullness of life for all others just as you want it for yourself. That love will be a part of what shapes your life. It will generate in you a commitment to justice and well-being for all people and it will also generate in you a compulsion to share with others the good news that is shaping your life, the good news that the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all. Think of the thing that stirs up the greatest commitment within you, love for your country, love for your family, love for life. Christ hopes to stir up in you just that kind of commitment to the salvation of the world. That will indeed reshape our lives. "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly...." Yes. God works in our lives to make us into the very best people we can be. That is part of the process of the salvation that Jesus came to bring into our lives. The apostle links the living of "sober, upright, and godly lives" to "awaiting our blessed hope, the epiphany of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." If life is to have purpose, we must have a vision of the final goal. Once a Sunday school teacher tried to explain to her class how they should play the game of life. One puzzled child asked, "How can we play the game when we don’t know where the goal posts are?" In the light of epiphany we know where the goal posts are. We know that the future belongs to Christ, that his ultimate triumph is certain, and that we share in that triumph. Thus the light of epiphany transfigures even the night of death. When our pilgrimage on earth is over and we must step into the shadows "black as the night from pole to pole," they are shadows of good things to come, the unsearchable riches that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man has imagined. Then we shall know in its full glory the life that is clear and clean and good. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Good News For All Seasons, by T. A. Kantonen First make the tree good, says our Lord, and then the fruit will be good. To be put right with God through his own saving action means that the tree is made good. The relationship with God, broken by sin, has been restored. That little branch of humanity, your life, has been grafted into God’s life so that the power of his Spirit can flow into it to produce fruit that pleases God. Our own determination to turn over a new leaf is never enough. A businessman may find, upon taking inventory, that he is bankrupt. But he cannot simply say, "Let bygones be bygones, from now on I shall do better." The creditors too have something to say. The mistakes and failures of the past must be rectified. The "good news" of the gospel is that God has done just that for us. He has wiped the slate clean. We have hope for the future because the sins of the past are forgiven. We have a genuinely fresh start and power for a genuinely new life. Thus our Lord says, "Go and sin no more," only after he has said, "Your sins are forgiven." First the Gabe, as the Germans express it, then the Aufgabe, first the gift of forgiveness, then the task of living the good life. A television commercial advertising a soft drink says, "Sprite is what you want the world to be - clear and clean and good." Whether or not Sprite deserves such praise, certainly that is what we want the world - and our own lives - to be, clear and clean and good. And it is precisely in these terms that the apostle describes what the coming of Christ means to us. The apostle uses the word epiphaneia, the original for our word epiphany, to describe both the first and the second coming of Christ. He tells us, "the grace of God has made its epiphany for the salvation of all men," and now we are "awaiting our blessed hope, the epiphany of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." Epiphany means appearance, becoming visible, the coming into view of what was hidden. Thus when Luke portrays a storm on the Mediterranean Sea and an impending shipwreck, he says that the ship was driven by a strong wind and "neither sun nor stars made an epiphany for many a day" (Acts 27:20). But throughout scripture, both the Old Testament and the New, the appearance of light is used as a symbol for the coming of the Messiah. In the word of prophecy, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord will be seen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you" (Isaiah 60:1-2). When the New Testament announces the fulfillment of the prophecy, it likens the coming of the Messiah to the glory of daybreak, "the dayspring from on high has visited us to give light (literally, to make an epiphany) to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death" (Luke 1:78-79). The epiphany of Christ makes life clear and clean and good. We cannot live normal lives in darkness. Admiral Peary, the discoverer of the North Pole, said that the greatest obstacle in his Arctic exploration was not the cold but the darkness. The continual absence of sunlight depressed the spirits of the explorers. We have some experience of that. An extended period of overcast days begins to get on our nerves. We wonder how long a person can stay in complete darkness without losing his sanity. Primitive men feared darkness, for they imagined that the ghosts of the dead prowl about at night and vampires lurk to suck their blood while they were asleep. We have not outgrown this dread of the dark. Our fears and anxieties beset us in the stillness of the night. Anyone who has tossed sleepless through the night knows what the Psalmist had in mind when he prayed, "My soul waits for thee as those who watch for the morning." And he can appreciate the prophetic description of the coming of the Messiah, "The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings." All of us have received presents that made us wonder why we got them. Like the present I got from my mom 15 years ago: an extension cord and a very large pair of women’s underwear. That was a little confusing. Five years ago my dad gave us a rice-cooker. No confusion there—we were expected to use it whenever he came for dinner. Not every gift comes with a “why?” But some do. When a young man asks his girlfriend’s parents to coffee? There’s a why. When you receive an abrupt text that reads, “You’re welcome!” you’ve received a gift that came with a why. And if a gift comes with a why, you better know it.