Summary

Darkness and Light Word on the Week 20th December 2025.
The anti-Semitism which had been bubbling beneath the surface broke through in Australia’s famous Bondi Beach last week. The Jewish gathering to celebrate the start of Hanukkah, an eight-day festival – each day being marked by the lighting of a candle at dusk on the Menorah, an eight branched candlestick.
It was into this gathering of worshippers that a father and son fired their weapons killing at least 15 Jews and wounding many others. The perpetrators appear to have been trained for the task and were well armed to wreak death on the softest of targets.
Where lies the root of this anti-Semitism? It appears to be global in its spread. Could it be related in some way to their ancestors chilling reply to Pilate’s offer to release Jesus, “Let His blood be upon us and our children” (Matthew 27 verse 25). Over against this is the Apostle Paul’s prayer “Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them” (Romans 10 verse 1).
Isaiah saw this salvation. In Isaiah 40 verse 9 he heralds the good news and declares to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Years later Simeon saw this salvation (Luke 2 verse 30/2) to be a light for the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. What Simeon saw was God taking on flesh to dispel the darkness.
It has never been hard for us to see the darkness, it’s all around. Proclaimed in the media, newspapers etc. Actually we find it hard to see the light! But God has come to us, breaking through the darkness and bringing salvation. “In Jesus was life (he raised the dead) and that life was the light for all peoples” (John 1 verses 4/5).
Jesus described himself as the light of the world (John 9 verse 5). He is the sinners hope providing, in his death on the cross as our sin bearer, the means whereby the guilty can be forgiven. No amount of darkness can overcome our resurrected Saviour (Romans 6 verses 3).
The Menorah gives candle light, one candle for each day of the festival. The light goes out when the candle burns out. Jesus’ light does not burn out. His Spirit is in the believer (John 14 verse 17). The song captures something of the incarnation: -
‘Light of the world You stepped down into darkness Opened my eyes let me see’
Only our triune God can give this sight. Go to Him in prayer and ask him to ‘open my eyes let me see’ (1 Peter 1 verses 3 to 9).