The spoilers are spoiled!

John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. ⁵ The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

⁹ The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. ¹³ They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

How many of you have not seen the new Star Wars movie? There are some big questions to be answered in this movie. Who is Snoke? Who are Ren’s parents? Why has Luke been hiding in a cave? Will Kylo Ren be redeemed from the dark side? Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil the movie for you. Shelley and I have our tickets to go see the movie tomorrow. So, don’t spoil it for me!

Don’t you hate it when someone gives you the spoilers? They give you the big plot twist to movies like “The Sixth Sense” or “Usual Suspects.” You record the Packers game to watch it later and someone tells you the score of the game. A few years ago, someone was upset at me because in my sermon, I gave away the plot and ending of the movie, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” while the movie was in the theaters. I told her that in my defense, the book had been published in 1950. She had 55 years to read it.

Although there can be movies and sporting events that can be spoiled, there is not spoiling Christmas.

Wait a minute, you say. Pastor, you don’t know my family. They can spoil anything. You don’t know the troubles I’m dealing with at home and at work. You don’t know what the doctor just tole me. You don’t know what’s going on with my finances.

There are a lot of things that can spoil Christmas. You are correct. I don’t know all that is going in your home or workplace or with your family or with your health. But, I do know that none of these things can spoil what God has done. Because He has come exactly for these reasons.

We heard once again this morning: “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” As we confess in the Creed: “He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human.” The Son of God became fully human in His incarnation. This is the Gospel writer John’s version of Immanuel – God with us.

This is an incalculable mystery. A mystery beyond all mysteries. A miracle above all other miracles. The incarnation. God takes our human nature into His divinity. He is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the some of the virgin Mary.

To save us from our sin, God’s Son became human just like us. As a human He could place Himself under God’s Law and earn our place in heaven by His perfect life. As a human He could take our place under God’s wrath, suffering and dying for our sins and disobedience. Being God His shed blood was able to pay for the sins of the whole world. Being God He could — and did — defeat Satan, sin and hell for all of us.

What can spoil the news of the incarnation of the Christ? What can spoil this miracle news? What can steal God’s glory made to shine in the darkness of our sins, problems, ills, fears, and anxieties?

“The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Have you ever been someplace so dark that you could almost feel the darkness? I’ve been in Mammoth Cave in Kentucky when the tour guide turns off the light. It is so dark, you can’t see your hand waving in front of your face. That’s the kind of darkness you might be feeling with your depression, your cancer, your ailing parents, your grandmother with dementia, your bills, your marriage, or whatever else you are experiencing.

Yet, the Light of Christ shines especially bright into all of this darkness. The Light scatters the darkness. The darkness of infection and affliction – that’s where the Light shines. The darkness of family troubles and marital problems – that’s where the Light shines. The darkness of financial debt and emotional depression – that’s where the Light shines.

“The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” No matter that all you can see is darkness, the darkness has not overcome the Light. No matter the cancer, the Great Physician can heal. No matter the depression, the God of joy can bring gladness. No matter the family issues, the Prince of Peace can bring peace into your family. No matter the sin, the Friend of sinners brings forgiveness.

“The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Not even death can steal the light or take from what God has accomplished. It is in the graveyard and the funeral home where the Light shines the brightest. The Prince of Darkness loves to gloat that he can steal all joy and happiness with the death he brought into the world. Yet, Light of the world uses death to usher His people from this world to into a world where there is no darkness. A world where there is no sun or need for external light for the light streams from Christ.

“The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God.”

The world is filed with spoilers – just like those who tell you about the movie you haven’t seen. The devil snickers thinking he can cast his long shadow of disappointment over everything. But not Christ. Not the Light. It shines, so the darkness cannot win.

Christ is filled with spoilers, too. But, spoilers of a different kind. Jesus spoils the devil’s spoilers. Everything that Jesus accomplished with His incarnation is yours right now. You don’t have to wait until the end of your life to be told what is waiting for you. Everything is laid out in Scripture already. You can read through the Book of Revelation to see how everything ends. Jesus wins! And because Jesus wins, you are already a winner. Everything I mentioned before about healing, gladness, peace, and forgiveness – Christ gives that all to you right now. He spoils the devil’s spoilers.

When Christ entered our darkness with His incarnation, the world did not recognize Him. Even that did not stop Him. His own people did not accept Him, so He welcomed strangers like you and me. To all who did receive Him, He gave the right to become His brothers and sisters. Though they were born belonging to Satan, in their Baptism, they were reborn of God.

I don’t know all that is going on in your life. I’m sure there are spoilers all around you. But these will end and Christ remains. Satan, the world, your worst enemies, your worst fears, your wounded heart, your failing body, your bitter memories – they cannot spoil Christmas. Christ came and Christ will come again – although, personally I’ve asked Him to wait until I’ve seen “Star Wars: the Last Jedi.”

In the manger, at the cross, at the open tomb – Jesus spoils the devil’s spoilers. The Light shines and the darkness cannot overcome it. Amen.