The Light of Christmas: The Prequel

Darkness is...

How would you finish the sentence. Depressing, all encompassing, awful, is good to sleep in, etc.

Darkness is all around us.

There are many times when I think “this world is pretty dark”. I don’t say this expression because of good things happening but normally in the aftermath of horrific and sometimes evil things..

Isaiah 9:2 NIV

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Yet we have hope!

Light has dawned, Isaiah says. We have seen a great light. Or at least that is my hope this Christmas season is for us to be people of hope because we have seen a great light in Jesus and His Word. It is my hope that some of us who are living in the land of deep darkness a new light will rise in the east, to use words from the Magi of Matthew 2.

We celebrate because Jesus is coming back.

We celebrate advent in part because by looking back we understand the future. Light does not just reveal what may be coming upon us; but it also reveals what is behind us.

The Exodus was about darkness.

As we pick up our text this morning we are reminded there was once before in the nation of Israel dark times. Egypt was not always a “fun” and “easy” place to leave.

We can grow in darkness.

If we have hope about the future we know that the darkness we are experiencing is not the end of the story. From Genesis we know the nation went into Egypt with maybe 100 people or more. They go out numbering thousands.

God is still working, even in darkness.

We may not always see what is going on. In fact, we rarely see truly in the dark. But God is working even in the darkness. This may be a statement of great light, a new light being dawned for you. Though you may think God is silent, and maybe He is “speaking” much, He is still at work.

We have to walk out of darkness.

We cannot stay in darkness when the light shines. I mean, we could but this isn’t the point. Our story does not share with us whether any Israelites decided it wasn’t worth it to go out of Egypt. Maybe there were some who did stay, maybe not.

Others join in our freedom.

The Israelites were joined by others. Who are you taking with you into the Promise Land because of seeing the light?

God is guiding, leading and watching.

Through it all we have a picture of God actively engaged and watching His chosen people. Exodus 12.42 gives a picture of our task, we are to keep watching for His return. Is this why when we come to Isaiah the nation is in darkness? They have forgotten to keep watch. We see in chapter 13 that God is not going to just bring His people out and hope they can fend for themselves, he provides light to travel.

You are not alone!

In darkness we feel alone. We my not be able to see around us and thus conclude no one cares. Jesus cares for you. Jesus is willing to walk through the darkness with you. Jesus is watching in ways we do not know. Jesus is closer than you think.

Trust Jesus, the Light of the World.

I realize this is not easy. I realize when we get adjusted to the darkness and light is turned on it hurts. But, we cannot go crawling back into the darkness just because we know it. This was and is the struggle of the wilderness—who would they trust?