LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Introduction

-{Isaiah 9}

-There is a story about a teenager who was walking home from his late night shift at the local Burger place. To get home he usually took a short cut through a cemetery. This particular night was more dark than normal, and the teenager could not really see where he was going. He stumbled and tripped over several objects not being able to see, when he then fell into a freshly dug grave that he could not see in his path. Probably at least seven or eight feet deep, the teenager struggled to get out without any luck. He finally gave up and decided to just settle in for the night hoping help would come in the morning.

~That same night an old farmer nearby decided to do some possum hunting in that same cemetery. The farmer ran into the same problem of it being too dark, and he stumbled and tripped over everything. But then he too fell into the grave. He too began a desperate attempt to get out of the grave, but because of the dark he was unaware that anybody was there in the grave with him. The teenager couldn’t really see the farmer, but just listened to the farmer for a few minutes trying to get out, but never making the farmer aware of his presence down there with him. Finally, wanting to console the farmer, the teenager reached over in the pitch black darkness, placed his hand on the farmer’s shoulder, and said “You can’t get out of here.”

~To this day the teenager’s not sure how that old farmer jumped straight out of that deep grave in one giant leap, but he’s pretty sure it would have been a world record...

-That may be a silly story, but I think it speaks to the condition of the world and maybe the condition of some individual’s lives. The world embraces sin and turns away from righteousness, so it is in the dark. Those who are without Christ are groping in the dark. But even those of us who belong to Jesus might be going through some things that make it seem like our lives are shrouded in darkness, and we seem to be just stumbling and tripping around in life, feeling like we’ve fallen into a deep, dark hole.

-Even when Christians are in the dark, it gives a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Sure, we put on a front and a mask in front of everybody else, but inside is still the darkness. And if Christmas reminds us of anything, it ought to be that there is a light. Even in the midst of the deepest, blackest darkness of the soul (or, as the Church Fathers called it, THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL), there is a light.

-This season I have been looking at how the Old Testament, through prophecies and types and pictures, gives us a fuller understanding of who Christ, Immanuel, is and what it is that He accomplished for us, to give a greater appreciation of what we have in Christ. And I want to encourage us that, whenever we have that dark night of the soul, there is a light that will shine that dispels that darkness.

Isaiah 9:1–7 ESV

1 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. 2 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. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

-{pray}

-While the prophecy that Isaiah gives has a direct impact on the circumstances for the nation of Israel, it also pointed forward to the ultimate help that God would send in the person of Christ. I’ve gleaned three quick principles from the passage to help us embrace the Light that is Christ this Christmas season to encourage us in the hope of God’s promises. First, God wants us to know that:

1) Our circumstances are not beyond God’s light

--vv. 1-2 mark a bit of a transition in the fuller prophecy that Isaiah gives. He tells of the soon-coming army of the Assyrians that would lead the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity and would also be a thorn in the side of the southern kingdom of Judah. Isaiah forewarned that there would be times of great distress, gloom, and affliction because God’s judgment would fall upon Israel, with the Assyrians being His tool of judgment, and the kingdom would have untold hardship at their hands. He tells them at the end of 8:22 that THEY WILL BE THRUST INTO THICK DARKNESS.

-Israel was now a society that was pagan and carnal and idolatrous. Those who were faithful to the God of Israel were mocked and ridiculed and shunned. Some were in spiritual darkness and far from God. Some were in a darkness imposed upon them by their society or their circumstances. And now their circumstances of possible destruction shadowed over them, making the darkness even darker if it were possible. And these same problems plaguing the northern kingdom of Israel had seeped into the southern kingdom of Judah.

-Things seemed pretty dire all around. And yet, in the midst of doom and despair, God said that there might be darkness for a time, but those same people experiencing the darkness will see a great light. No matter how hard things were for Israel, God says He is going to shine a light in that darkness that no one would be able to snuff out. And that light is Jesus Christ, who said of Himself:

John 8:12 (ESV)

12 ... “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

-The darkness in Israel and Judah seemed impossible to overcome, and yet nothing is impossible with God. Jesus is the ultimate light—the light of life, of truth, of hope, of peace, of love. John the apostle said of Jesus:

John 1:4–5 ESV

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

-The circumstances of the world and our own lives might seem overwhelming, but nothing is impossible with God. Christ’s light will shine in the darkness, and nothing can overcome it. Christ is the answer to the promises given to the nation of Israel, and Christ is the answer to the promises given to us. Immanuel is the light that no darkness can snuff out.

-In his book entitled Breakthrough Prayer, pastor Jim Cymbala tells of a young man who literally was cursed from the start. If anyone would be beyond God’s reach, it was Nicky Cruz. Born in a house in Puerto Rico where it was literally dedicated to the power of darkness, the family practiced sorcery, séances, and trafficking with evil spirits. Nicky was 1 of 18 children living in a house frequented by mediums and spiritualists. Lacking attention, Nicky would act up as a child and be severely punished and tortured for his actions. His mother called him the son of Satan, and he grew up to be an uncontrollable rebel. At the age of 15 his parents sent him to America because they couldn’t handle him anymore. He disappeared from his relatives’ homes and took to living in the streets. He became the warlord of a vicious street gang called the Mau Maus. Filled with rage and anger he expressed it through violence, crime, and bloodshed. He was a twisted psychopath in a world of darkness who even frightened his friends; and most police psychologists said his lifestyle was heading to take him to the electric chair.

~Then God sent a street preacher who dared to share the gospel with Nicky. Through that street preacher, God shed light into the dark soul of Nicky Cruz and he was miraculously saved. Instead of being filled with rage, he was filled with love. God so moved in his life, he eventually became an evangelist God that used in a mighty way.

-Yes, there can be great darkness in our world, but no one is beyond Christ’s light and healing. There is no person and no circumstance where God cannot intervene. And just as was promised to the nation of Israel, so it is promised to all, that on Christmas morning in the midst of darkness there has come a great light. Secondly today, we see that there is a call to:

2) Place our hope in the promise of God’s Light

-Israel as a nation might endure a time of darkness, but for those who would place their hope in the promise of light will receive blessing from the Lord who gives the light. According to v. 3 of our passage, God’s light brings joy like the joy that the agriculturally-centered Israel felt when they had an abundant harvest. It is the same kind of joy that they used to feel when they defeated a foe and brought back the spoils. The light brings the joy of victory because the light will defeat the darkness.

-We are told:

Psalm 30:5 ESV

5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

-The darkness brings sorrow, but the light brings true joy—this is the joy of Christmas. This is the joy of Immanuel, God with us. This joy is not based on circumstances, but is set in the One who controls and can bring us out of our circumstances. Our circumstances might not change, but we have joy because we have the One Who is the Light. And we will experience this joy when we pursue Christ.

Psalm 16:11 ESV

11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

-Then, according to v. 4, another blessing is that through the light we are delivered from all people and things that oppress us. Isaiah gives the image of an ox that is tied up to carry a burden. There is a large yoke placed on his shoulders, and then if the ox doesn’t move quickly enough under the heavy weight of the burden, the driver would hit him with a large rod to coax him along. What a vivid picture of the darkness--darkness is like a slave driver, and it is relentless, constantly bearing its weight down on your soul while at the same time hitting you with a rod to force you to stay under its control.

-Yet Isaiah tells us that God’s Light is our deliverer. God would deliver Israel from Assyria, and God’s Light will deliver people from the darkness of sin and its effects. God’s Light who is Christ will bring freedom.

-Then in v. 5 Isaiah says there is a blessing of peace. Isaiah uses the image of all the tools of war being taken and used as fuel for fire because they are no longer needed. He is saying that there is peace to be found in God’s light. The peace the Bible talks about is not just the cessation of hostilities or problems; it is a wellness of soul in spite of circumstances. Again, your situation may not change, and yet in God’s Light He will bring you peace. You come to a place of finding fulfillment in God. And so, we heed the psalmist when he tells us:

Psalm 103:2 ESV

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

-The benefits of Christ the Light are joy, deliverance, and peace. But to experience these, you must place your hope in these promises. But, we might ask the question, where can we find the Light?

3) Trust our lives with God’s Light who is Christ

-From the perspective of when Isaiah was writing God’s Word to him, the light was yet future. But from our perspective, the Light has already come, and the Light is the Immanuel of Christmas. Isaiah would describe the Light in vv. 6-7 where he says:

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

-Yes, Jesus is the Light and without Jesus there is nothing but darkness. We cannot get out of the darkness into the Light in our own power. We can’t generate it through pop-psychology or through some effort done in the flesh. It is not something we can wish upon a star to obtain. There is only one source of light, the child who was born—Jesus, Immanuel.

-There is no way for you to get out of the darkness alone. If that were possible, you would have already done it by now. But the Child of Light calls you to trust Him right now with everything, and watch Him shine the light in and through your life. And Jesus, Immanuel is described with some amazing pictures of who He is and how it is that He brings light to us.

-He is the Wonderful Counselor. This means that He the One who is filled with Divine wisdom, and who shares that wisdom with us. He is described as the Mighty God. This means that He is God’s divine warrior Who goes to battle for His people. He is described as the Everlasting Father, or the Father of Eternity. This means that He is the eternal One Who comforts and cares for His people like a Father, and He is sovereignly in control of everything in His creation. And He is the Prince of Peace. He is the only One through Whom wholeness and wellness in life can come. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can weather the storms of life brought about by the darkness.

-These descriptions for Jesus as the light are those of a King whose Kingdom will have no end. Right now He rules and reigns in the hearts of all those who believe. If you are a believer in Christ, the light is already there ruling and reigning, but He is waiting for you to give up control so that He can shine in and through your life.

-But if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, Immanuel, you are in darkness in every way, and there is no escaping the darkness without Him. There will come a time when you face eternity, and if you die without Him the Bible says you will be cast into Outer Darkness, a place where the light of hope and peace and joy and deliverance will never, ever shine. Without Jesus Christ the dark night of the soul you have right now is only but a foretaste of what you will experience for all of eternity. Wouldn’t it make sense to come to the light by faith. You do not have to remain in the dark.

Conclusion

-No matter the darkness, the hope of the light of Christ will always be there for us to trust in

-I read where the late Senator John McCain shared how he found Christ to be the Light even in the darkness of his POW cell. He said in an interview, “When I was a prisoner of war in Vietnam…my captors would tie my arms behind my back and then loop the rope around my neck and ankles so that my head was pulled down between my knees. I was often left like that throughout the night. One night a guard came into my cell. He put his finger to his lips signaling for me to be quiet and then loosened my ropes to relieve my pain. The next morning, when his shift ended, the guard returned and re-tightened the ropes, never saying a word to me.

~A month or so later, on Christmas Day, I was standing in the dirt courtyard when I saw that same guard approach me. He walked up and stood silently next to me, not looking or smiling at me. Then he used his sandaled foot to draw a cross in the dirt. We stood wordlessly looking at the cross, remembering the true light of Christmas, even in the darkness of a Vietnamese prison camp.”

-It warms our souls to know that there is no place, no circumstance, and no person beyond the reach of the light of Christ. There is nothing so dark that His light won’t shine. You can have the hope of the promise of joy and deliverance and peace if you trust in the light of Jesus Christ.

-You know, there may be many of you that will be driving around neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights—they shine so beautifully against the cold, dark night. May they remind you that there is a light that can penetrate the darkest darkness there is, and that is Jesus. Christian, maybe you need to come to the altar and be reminded about that light for yourself, or maybe you want to come pray for someone that you know is in darkness.

-Yet there are many here who think that ethics, morality, religion or church is where the light is found. But it’s not found in any of those—light is found in the person of Jesus Christ. You no longer have to walk blindly, but you can receive light when you receive Jesus. There is no better Christmas present you could give yourself…