Seek the Light

A Light Has Shone

This prophecy from Isaiah is foretelling something to the people of Israel, but as we read it tonight this event has already happened. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light - Jesus. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone - Jesus. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given - Jesus was born on Christmas day and His life was ultimately given for us.

If Jesus has won, why . . .

But there is a danger in only emphasizing the fact that Jesus has come, that Jesus has already won the victory over sin, death, and the grave. Because that conflicts with people’s experience and can be a detriment to their faith. They might ask questions like:

If Jesus has won, why am I suffering from this chronic illness and why can’t the doctors figure it out?

If Jesus has won, why did my loved one die?

If Jesus has won, why is there war in the Middle East, why is there war in Eastern Europe, why are so many innocent people dying?

If Jesus has won, why are people still so greedy and selfish and sinful?

If Jesus has won, why is there so much hurt?

You ARE Saved

We look around us and we see all of these things that can make us question Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil. But we know these words from Isaiah to be true, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them a light has shone. Jesus came and He is our wonderful counselor, our mighty God, and our prince of peace. And I can tell you that for those who trust in Him and in His promises, you are saved - not that you will be saved, but that you ARE saved.

A Light in the Dark

But on the other side of this truth is that the light is still far off. Jesus promised that He would come again and that when He does His victory will be fully realized. Everyone get comfortable for a few minutes, because I’m going to ask for someone in the back to turn off the lights. Now, if you can see it, there is a candle glowing in the back of the stage. It’s only a little candle, but it’s light is visible in the dark. It won’t help you go anywhere or illuminate the area around you - you’re still mostly sitting in the dark, but the light is there, it’s just far off. It isn’t a perfect image, but in some ways this is how Jesus’ victory can seem to us. We know that the light has come into the world and that it will come again, but sometimes it seems far away from us.

Distracted in the Dark

But there’s a danger too with only thinking about the Light of the World as something that’s very far off. If we only think of it as an eventuality, as something that doesn’t impact our here and now, we can start to disregard it. And maybe we let other things distract us from the real light, like the light coming in from in between the shades - and we look over to the side. And maybe, in our distraction, other things start to move in that can make it harder to see the light like these curtains closing. And when we continue to not worry about it, to think of the light only as something far off, maybe we even get to the point where we get used to the dark and stop seeing it altogether.

When we think about Jesus’ victory as something far off, the distractions of this world and the brokenness of creation can make it harder and harder to see, and our own sinfulness can blind us to it altogether.

The Eternal Light

But the truth of it is this, Christ is coming again. There is nothing that can overcome that light, the darkness cannot put it out. And even when we get distracted or when things pull our minds from Jesus’ return - He is still coming. And when He does, His victory will be fully realized and the world will be remade in a perfect way. All of those things that can distract us or make us question His victory will be made right.

Advent

And this is one of the beautiful things about the season of Advent, the reason we are together this evening. Because we put ourselves, for a moment or two, in the place of those people who heard Isaiah’s words - in a place of waiting for the Christ child who would be born in Bethlehem. We know that Christ has come already, that His victory is won, but we realize that we are also waiting for Him to come again and for His light to cast out all the darkness.

And while we wait, we draw as close as we can to the light. We spend time together, spend time in His Word, spend time praising Him, spend time in prayer - we do whatever we can to focus ourselves on His light. And this Advent season, I want to put something on your minds - every time you see Christmas lights, I want you to remember the Light of the World and to remember Christ’s promises that are for you, to remember His promise to come again for you. Amen.