By Rev. Dan Puckett, Life Action Ministries

As Christmas season nears, the lights go up. Streets, houses, trees and almost everything standing is adorned with lights. We enjoy the brightness, the creativity and express appropriate “oohs and aahs,” but is there something deeper that resonates with this unique expression of the Christmas season?

There is, but most of us never make the connection. Jesus said, in the gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 12, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness” In John, chapter 1, verse 5, the apostle John was speaking of Jesus and said, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

The light of Jesus Christ is the expression of a kingdom that he came to earth to establish. The kingdom was new, and it opposed the existing kingdom. These two kingdoms are described in the Holy Scriptures as light and darkness.Darkness is the world system characterized by the principles of force, greed, selfishness, ambition and pleasure. We know this system. The lure of it beckons us.

The kingdom of light is the life of Jesus Christ established through his death, burial and resurrection.  The resurrection is of vital importance. Jesus Christ is the Son of Almighty God and came to this earth, born of a virgin in the remote village of Bethlehem. Jesus Christ came from God and went back to God. His kingdom is light. Light pierces the darkness.

The principles of this kingdom of light, that is, the kingdom of Christ are love, joy, peace, grace, forgiveness, humility, sacrifice and surrender.

The two kingdoms and the principles they embody are diametrically opposed. But the truth is, the light will pierce the darkness while the darkness will never snuff out the light.

“Peace on earth, good will toward men” is light! Darkness cannot comprehend that statement.

Let us embrace the light.