Verse 5 of our text says that the darkness could not “comprehend It,” the “It” being Jesus and all He is. The literal meaning is that the darkness could not grasp It. The question is: does that mean darkness couldn’t grasp It like “comprehend It,” or does it mean darkness couldn’t grasp It like “could not destroy It,” like something you have in your hand and try to destroy? Perhaps it means both, for darkness cannot grasp Jesus in either way.  

            God, however, wants you to grasp what happened on Christmas—not in the sense of destroying it (which you can’t do), but in the sense of believing it and holding on to it. Godwants you to both comprehend and hold on to a couple of things in our text. One: that we have a Child born to us who is the eternal source of real life and light. Two: He is this for all the world. Jesus came to bring us all real life. The life our parents give us is not real life. Real life is the eternal,spiritual, and physical life Jesus gives us—life that conquers death and darkness. Grasp that life with both hands.  It is for you!

How many of you are familiar with the Christmas song, “I’ll be home for Christmas?”  Originally recorded in 1943by Bing Crosby, it’s been re-recorded by over a dozen artists in the last 80 years – including Kelly Clarkson, Elvis Presley, Rascal Flatts, and Michael Buble’.  “I’ll be home for Christmas (ifonly in my dreams)” was originally written from the perspective of a World War II soldier dreaming of being home for Christmas.  It immediately became a favorite of soldiers deployed overseas who longed to be home around family and friends, especially at Christmas.

Imagine for a moment hearing that the war was over and either you or your loved one really would be home for Christmas.  What good news that would be!  How special that Christmas would be.

We hear again from Isaiah as he tells of the good news that the people of God were returning home:

Listen to the names given in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  (ESV)

Isaiah is an important part of Christmas.  Isaiah writes more about the promised Saviorthan any other Old Testament prophet.  Itis for this reason that Isaiah is sometimes called “The Fifth Evangelist,”right along with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

            As we enter the seasonof Advent, we do so with Isaiah.  Today,Isaiah tells us of the coming kingdom that Jesus would bring.  It is a kingdom greater than all others,which is for all people, and which brings peace.  Listen now to the words of the prophet ofGod, Isaiah, chapter two, verses 1 through 5: (Isa. 2:1-5 ESV) "The word that Isaiah the son ofAmoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountainof the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains,and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow toit,  3 and many peoples shallcome, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to thehouse of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walkin his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of theLORD from Jerusalem.  4 Heshall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples;and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learnwar anymore.  5 O house ofJacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD."

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Gratitude is a concept so very important for us in our Christianlives! It is important, for its presence or absence affects every one of our relationships either positively or negatively. This is true whether we are talking about our relationship with God or with one another. Gratitude is that feeling of appreciation and thankfulness which arises within our hearts when we recognize that someone has been kind to us. Such feelings motivate us to offer thanksgiving both to God and to other people. Let us, therefore, consider this morning how GRATITUDE IS BORN IN HEARTS THAT TAKE TIME TO COUNT UP PAST MERCIES! Let us do just that—count up past mercies bestowed upon us by God. For then our hearts will be filled with gratitude towards God as well as towards others through whom many of those mercies come. Based on Jeremiah’s words in our text, we will recognize that the mercies we receive are mercies we do not deserve, but which just keep on coming, and that all our blessings are in fact mercies proceeding from the LORD!

Text: (Hebrews 4:9-13 NKJ) "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.  12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  13 And there is no creature hiddenfrom His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Text: (Matt. 24:15-28 NKJ) "Therefore when you see the`abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place " (whoever reads, let him understand),  16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  17 "Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  18 "And let him who is in thefield not go back to get his clothes.  19 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  20 "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world untilthis time, no, nor ever shall be.  22 "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  23 "Then if anyone says to you,`Look, here is the Christ!' or`There!' do not believe it. 24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  25 "See, I have told you beforehand.  26 "Therefore if they say to you,`Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or`Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  28 "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Text: Galatians 1:8-9 (NKJV)

8 But even if we,or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we havepreached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, sonow I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you havereceived, let him be accursed.

Text: (Num. 32:1-27 NKJ) "Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, 2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, 3 "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 "the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." 5 Therefore they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan." 6 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: "Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? 7 "Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them? 8 "Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 "For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10 "So the LORD'S anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying, 11 `Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, 12 `except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.' 13 "So the LORD'S anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone. 14 "And look! You have risen in your father's place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel. 15 "For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people." 16 Then they came near to him and said: "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and

2

cities for our little ones, 17 "but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 "We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance. 19 "For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan." 20 Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, 21 "and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, 22 "and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 "But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 "Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth." 25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: "Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 "Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 "but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just as my lord says."