THE DAWNING OF LIGHT

Background

We learn from the Gospel of John that about a year had passed from the baptism of Jesus to the arrest of John the Baptist. During that year He had turned the water into wine at the wedding in Cana, He cleansed the temple, He spoke to Nicodemus, and Jesus had ministered in Samaria.

Herod Antipas had thrown John the Baptist in prison. The crime? John had reproved Herod for taking his half-brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, for himself.

After John’s arrest, Jesus withdrew into Galilee and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. Why did He go there? Was He on the run from Herod since John was now in prison? No. He did it so that He would fulfill the Scriptures.

Isaiah 9:1–2 “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

John 8:29 “And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.””

Capernaum, the town where Jesus moved, means “village of Nahum” and was possibly named for the prophet Nahum. But Nahum means “compassion”. I can’t help but think that it was named that because the Lord planned to pour out mercy and compassion on that place, as we are about to see.

The People Dwelling in Darkness

The region of Galilee originally had been given by the Lord to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali when they came to take possession of the land of Canaan. God had told Israel to drive out the Canaanites from the land, but Zebulun and Naphtali failed to completely drive them out. Because of their disobedience to the Lord, the pagan Canaanites remained in the land and ended up marrying and corrupting many from these tribes with their pagan practices. Then in 722 BC, Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and took a large number into captivity. They were replaced with Assyrians and other non-Jewish people. By New Testament times, this region still had a heavy Gentile presence.

John 7:52 “They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.””

John 7:41 “Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?”

Why were they said to dwell in darkness?

Ephesians 2:11–12 “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Proverbs 4:18–19 “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”

John 3:18–20 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

Romans 1:21 “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Ephesians 4:17–18 “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”

The Dawning of Light

Luke 2:30–32 “for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.””

John 1:4–5 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

John 12:35–36 “So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.”

John 12:46 “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

How to Escape the Darkness

Mark 1:15 “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

2 Corinthians 4:4–6 “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,”

God calls each one of us here to 1 of 2 responses. If you are lost in the darkness of sin, flee to Christ and escape the punishment of being cast into the outer darkness of hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And for those who are saved, we are called to proclaim the excellencies of the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Matthew 25:30 “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

1 Peter 2:9–10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”