Sand Mountain Sermonette 41
John 1:4-5; John 1:12-14
Sand Mountain Sermonette 41
The Movie Projector
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it.” John 1:4-5
I will never forget my first job which I held when I was a Junior in High School. I was a relief movie projectionist for the two drive-in and one walk-in theater projectionists on their nights off during the week. Although I made only $7.50 a night, it was a dream job for me because I love movies so how much better could it get?
Now, allow me to tell you a little bit about the movie projectors from the 1970’s. Each projectionist room housed two projectors so while running one projector, the projectionist was loading the other projector with the next reel of film and so forth. Each projector housed the lens and threading mechanism for the reel of film along with an empty reel to receive that roll of film in front, a lever that would allow the light from the lamphouse to pass through the moving film and lens and onto the movie screen next, and in the rear of the projector, the big lamphouse in which the great light was produced that makes seeing the film possible in the first place. And it is the lamphouse I wish to share with you.
The fellow who trained me showed me how to set up the two rods within the lamphouse that, when the electric current was turned on and the motor which revolved one of the rods was set in motion and the two rods were touched, the light produced within was so bright that I was warned never to watch this process directly with the lamphouse door open for it could blind me immediately. There was a tinted small circular window on the side of the lamphouse door I could look through in which to see this amazing spectacle of light take place in a safe manner.
John tells us of the great darkness of sin, evil, and deception, that has overtaken man’s heart and the world through sin. But he also tells us of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is “the light and the life of men!” Jesus, who entered this world as “the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us” at His birth has enabled us to see the glory of the Father as Christ would reveal the Father’s grace and truth as made evident in Himself to every heart that would receive Him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12-14).
When we look through the lens of the cross, we see the brilliancy of the Father’s love for us!
The day Jesus died on the cross, a brand-new scene was displayed across the world; a film that will never break, lose its luster, and will keep playing all through eternity when we in Christ stand before the Father one day in heaven and witness the brilliancy of His splendor and His glory! John also tells us in the book of Revelation that we will also witness the nail prints found in Jesus’ hands and feet as well! Thank you, Jesus, for the light of your presence that has overcome the darkness on earth and for the endless light of your presence now and forever! Jesus, full of grace and truth!
Pastor Louie