Well, in the final sermon of 2024, I want to give you the title from the beginning.

The title of our Christmas Eve sermon together is called The Darkness Turns to Light.

The Darkness Turns to Light.

Do you know why Christmas Day falls on December 25th? It's not like a rhetorical question. You can say yes or no. Some of you are like, I'm Presbyterian, we do not talk back. No, no, no, we sit, hands crossed or in pockets. And if you're Presbyterian, we love you. I went to a Presbyterian seminary and I got love for you, but you're here now, so we're going to respond a little bit. On Christmas Day, did you know, and I know, I don't, I hate being that guy, but I just need to tell you this, just so you're aware. December 25th is actually not Jesus's birthday. And I know how you're like, don't be that guy, even though we all know that. We don't want want to say that. We want to celebrate it like it is. But it's important to say that because some of the roots behind why this day falls, where it falls, is really powerful. And it's not because Jesus was born on December 25th. In fact, we think Jesus was probably born in early October because why wouldn't he be? That's like the best time of the year to have a birthday. And there's reasons why I and some scholars think that, but we're not here to get into that

tonight. I want to tell you why it ended up being December 25th in the first place. It's because

there was a pagan, and that's another word for people who reject the one true God as being

God. It was like a pagan festival around what's called the winter solstice.

It's the moment where days go from being shorter and shorter and shorter to longer and longer and

longer. And so what believers did, these are like our spiritual fathers and mothers a long time ago.

In Europe, they said, let's turn that pagan festival upside down and make it about the

birth of Jesus, not to mark his calendar birthday, but to mark the spiritual significance of what

he came to do. The darkness turns to light. Think about it. Every day gets shorter and shorter,

which means things are getting darker and darker and darker.

And then boom, the light comes.

And then from there, every day gets longer and longer and longer.

And the idea was, it's a picture that the Son of God was born to bring the light of heaven into the darkest moment of human history.

And he was brought to bring light because he represents the kingdom of light. So I've said over and over again, this is the final

sermon of 2024, but do you know the first sermon in our church of 2024 was way back in the

book of Acts? Remember that series? And I preached a sermon called Two Kingdoms Collide. And I told you that in the book of Acts, remember that series? And I preached a sermon called Two Kingdoms Collide.

And I told you that in the Book of Acts, as the church exploded and expanded, every new ground

the church was able to take. There was always resistance from another kingdom. And that kingdom is

called the Kingdom of Darkness. So did you know, even after the cross, even after the empty

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