The Shepherd in the Shadows (4 - Gloom) (Luke 1:68-80)

Gloom - total darkness (absence of light)

Shadows of Gloom

Character of this Shadow

Ephesians 5:1–8 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

Darkness - the ignorance respecting divine things and human duties to God, accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell.

“ye were sometimes darkness” - it’s not just that a lost person is IN darkness, they ARE darkness!

2 Corinthians 6:14–18 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate (God separated light from the darkness), saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Light - righteousness, Christ, belief, temple of God

Darkness - unrighteous, Belial (worthless/wicked/Satan), infidel (unbeliever), idols (false heathen gods)

Light and darkness has no communion (fellowship), no concord (agreement), nor commonality (part)

Condemnation in this Shadow

John 3:17–21 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

lost men love sin. Those who love darkness do not love light. No one would ever come to God if God hadn’t come to them.

Calamity in this Shadow

John 12:35 “Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.”

Those that are lost think are oblivious to the state that they are in.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Belial - Matthew 25:30 “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Those that are born in darkness (all men) and stay in darkness, die in darkness, and will spend eternity in darkness.

THANK GOD THERE IS THE SHEPHERD IN THE SHADOW OF GLOOM! THOSE THAT ARE IN DARKNESS NEED DELIVERANCE!

Shepherd in The Shadows of Gloom

The Shepherd on the Cross

John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

John 1:5 “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

Matthew 27:45–46 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Christ was made darkness (sin) for us!

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

The Shepherd at the Cemetery

John 20:1 “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”

Luke 1:13 - on through

When things looked real gloomy, they were actually really good! JESUS AROSE!

The Shepherd that Calls

1 Peter 2:9–10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

1 & 2 Peter 2. The Members of the Church (1 Peter 2:5, 9, 10)

The redeemed have been moved judicially from darkness to light. It is moving one’s destiny from the darkness of hell to the delight of heaven

Acts 26:15–18 “And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

Colossians 1:12–14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness (we couldn’t deliver ourselves from the dark. It took the Light!) , and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Translated us - We were members of another kingdom, but Christ moved us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

The lost are in the shadow of gloom, but thank God for the Shepherd of grace!