Hope For Those Who Sit in Darkness | Christmas at Wonder Church “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” — Matthew 4:16 Christmas is supposed to be magical — full of concerts, lights, traditions, and moments we try so hard to savor. But what happens when the Christmas story collides with our story? What if this season isn’t festive, but heavy? What if joy feels far away, and hope feels impossible? In this message, Pastor CJ Witkoe explores Matthew 4:12–16 and the prophecy Isaiah spoke centuries earlier: the light of Christ breaks in for those who sit in darkness. Not just for the religious. Not just for the hopeful. But for the hopeless. The disappointed. The exhausted. The ones who have heard “no” so many times they stopped praying, stopped dreaming, stopped expecting anything to change. In this Christmas message, you’ll discover: 🕯️ 1. People who sit in darkness have often lost hope. When life says “NOPE” — jobs, relationships, health, dreams, even God — hopelessness begins to feel normal. 🌑 2. People who sit in darkness adjust their eyes. Sometimes we stop trying to get out. We settle. We succeed outwardly but feel empty inwardly. We lower our expectations because disappointment hurts too much. ✨ 3. But into that darkness… a GREAT Light shines. The hope of the Gospel is not faint — it is great. Jesus breaks in exactly where hope has died. As Tozer said: “It is in the dark that God does His best work in us.” 🌅 4. Those who see the light must decide. When the light appears, we either remain seated… or we run toward it. This is a message for anyone who has felt stuck, discouraged, numb, disappointed, or spiritually tired — and for anyone who needs to believe again that Jesus still shines in dark places… even here, even now. 📖 Scripture: Matthew 4:12–16; Isaiah 9; John 8:12 🎄 Series: Christmas at Wonder ✨ Message Title: For Those Who Sit in Darkness
