A Sunrise in Your Soul, A Path of Peace for your Feet
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Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Here we are like the Israelites of old, gathered to remember God’s great works of salvaiton. Once a year to mark it and remember it, and to live more fully into what God accomplished by sending His Son to us. And we have in the last 4 Sundays seen what Jesus coming was about, how he would work among us, why - what was his purpose - that we might serve him. We saw how we are to apply this by becoming the READY-PEOPLE OF GOD - by faith in the forgiveness Christ came to bring. And now we come to the concluding and climactic result - if you embrace Christ like this this morning what can you expect to happen now?
Two powerful lenses through which we should gaze upon the Christ child in the manager this morning: He is a sunrise in your soul, and He opens a path for your feet!
Isn’t one of the most wonderful parts of our Christmas celebrations? The lights! Twinkling of Christmas tree, St Marie among the Hurons, whole paths lit up by light. Walk down the street - crazy LED projection lights. Perhaps even why chose this date Dec 25. Don’t know date but event of Christ’s birth was when shepherds were grazing flocks in the hill country,on that ground stubble after the harvest had begun in May. But still early Christians new the pull of their culture to celebrate Saturnalia - birth of a star, past winter equinox - celebrate that the darkening is over, days gets longer. What is this light that embracing the Christ will bring in to your life?
Where does the sun rise come from - myths, fables, scientific explanation, but the dawning of a new day - wonderful thing - KJV dayspring from on high visit us. Imagine that the source of the dawn comes to you personally, As we celebrate the child in the manger - do yo see that He is full of light. said the Messiah would be like this:
As we celebrate the child in the manger - do yo see that He is full of light, said the Messiah would be like this:
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Do you sense that new season, like spring - see calves skipping. But there is more. This child is not just little bit like a new season or the dawning of a new season. This child is the light:
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.
Christmas morning is a welcome morning for those who recognize they are in darkness, there world, but also in their heart! And this prophesy is not even just that this Christ is the LIght of the World, and the Ligh to f the Universe, but that he is light from on high, coming down to visit us. In John the Baptist and Zechariah’s time, Christ’s light only began to break over the horizon. Have you ever watched the sunrise , sunset. People actually cheer - but sunrise - And the thing about this word Dawn is that it refers to a light that won’t go away but is going to go on growing strong and brighter until noon day bright! John was a morning star signal sunrise coming. And Jesus is the sunrise in his earthly life - glory still a little veiled - breaks through in HIs miracles, in HIs saving work; broke through on Mt of Tranfsiguration. The rest of the NT speaks of Jesus like that in his glory now:
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
This is the exact same title given as the last name used of Jesus in the Bible until he comes again:
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Christ’s glory was great in his earthly life, but now salvation accomplsihed, and reigning in glory - soon returning on the Last Day - the moring sun is groiwng bigger and soon will be noon day bright. If you could see him now - transformed by His light - what awaits us:
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
But until that day what is Jesus light and why do we need it, how do we receive it into our souls?
But until that day what is Jesus light and why do we need it, how do we receive it into our souls?
Greet the Dawn of Jesus by: Stepping into His DISCOVERING LIGHT
The light of Jesus is all the grace He shines , all the blessing he brings to all who will receive him. The gospel then is the second half of this verse. Christ is the light come into our world, but his gospel is the way he shines that light into our lives.
because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Now that’s a different word. It one thing for Jesus to be light, but it is another for him to give light. When he comes to visit us, he actually epiphanies to us - it reveals. That’s the picture we are sitting in darkness, this whole world, like at the beginning of time, but God speak let there be light - and flash…
So too her in Bethlehem, God sees the spiritual darkness sadness, confusion, the deadness of our lives, and he shines through Christ the light we need. Remember that saying: All is yellow to the jaundice eye. That is fallen man; Jesus says:
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
This is what Axel Smith - “Something wrong with the world today, don’t know what it is, something with our eyes. God knows it sure ain’t his! Why we are living on the edge of destruction. But he came to grant us this Light. SO that to know Christ, to be converted, is descrbied by Luke this way:
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.’
Do you acknowledge your need to see things differently things morning. in darkness this morning - like many of the Jews of Jesus’ day just clinging to rituals of religion, just living in the shadows and not yet taken hold of Christ himself in glory. Others like like the gentile without even the shadowy rituals that point to Christ - they only have glimmers of God in creation, but not His fulness - we need the LIGHT that Jesus promises to shine into us!
Listen to Paul’s prayer for new Christians at Ephesus : ,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Praying for this kind of light of revelation for yourself, for others? Later that’s what aged Simeon waiting for Messiah said “a light for revelation to the Gentiles!” Are you looking to Jesus this mornign for the light of life, to understand yourself, to understand God - only light in Christ can give it!
2. Greet the Dawn of Jesus by: Warming to His REVIVING Light!
But Christ light will not only be for an epiphany that gives us real knowledge of salvation, it will also be a reviving light. Think of what sunlight does and then think of what Christ does? On whom does this light shine?
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Do you know the shadow of death - it is what winter is to sping time. Seasonal depression, lack of Vitamin D, but think of our poor trees and the plants under the snow - imagine being as dormant as that - This is the picture of our world overshadowed with suffering, groaning, brokennness and sin - picture of winter death, some say that’s how this world will end - sun die - and no sun light no life!
But God has said that this has already has happened spiritually to everyone that enters the world. No Son-Light - we are in a deep dark pit, dungeon spiritually, kind of like walking dead. Christmas is the announcement that we in the shadow death, we condemned prisoners in the dark. It’s like we are drowning in a dark deep well. And can’t get out! But a light has broken through - Christ. He is the stair case out of that dark deep well. Remember Christian in the Dungeon of Giant Despair. Just about to commit suicide, , scroll proimse seal - Key opens the door, light penetrates castle, giant despair can’t stand it weakens. they’re out! - He paralyzes the powers of darkness. LIGHT penetrates and blinds that giant! Jesus comes to do the same in our lives, and he announces a pardon get out of prison free: Look at the prophesy
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
And so now opening our prison, he brings the light of life! End of the OT period, city of God, flooded with darkness and had become a hell, but with the coming of Christ:
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.
Do you know anyone languishing in darkness and they are living life in shadows. Listen to Jesus:
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.”
Let me share an illustration from a prayer of Reuben’s. Our sister Jeannette dying, Reuben prayed often. What I told him that she had died. The next morning a breakfast table - prayer that she had to pass through the valley of the shadow of death - but now God had anointed her head with oil!
I want you to feel this this morning. We all have darkness to walk through, even after we turn to Christ. But the promises of the Bible is God says He will be with us in trouble. He feels his people’s affliction, he will walk with them and lead them through like a pillar of fire in the night. And that light is the beginning of eternal life for us! And the darkness can’t extinguish it!
But look at the third reason Jesus must be your light this Christmas - look at he ersult if your embrace Him.
Trust this light, this reviving light. Have you ever heard of sympathetic resonance. If this piano and that piano perfectly tuned. And I hit high C on this piano - did you know the strings on that piano - will sound high C too. Jesus was taking on a human nature, he was entering our darkness and eventually even death for us, so that every experience of darkness you and I must feel, he has felt , he has borne, and he has made a way through for us. And when you are feeling, like sympathetic resonance He even in heaven now feels it. You are not alone and he intercedes for you, He’s lived and died and been raised to make a away through, but he prays for you now from heaven - and that revives us even in the darkness here!
This is the promise to come to the light of life., but then we are called to walk with him. And that is the third reason Jesus must be your light this Christmas - look at the result if your embrace Him.
3. Greet the dawn of Jesus by: walking in His DIRECTING light!
Look again at our text: c
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Do you have peace? Actually first a government type of word - how two or more parties live with each other, .. is there a shalom, a wholeness integrity on all their relationships? Idea of a kingdom? Is that the picture in our homes, communities, our churches. That’s the message of Christmas that you get the light of Jesus and you will be led by Him into a kingdom of peace. Do you remember the vision of the peaceable kingdom in
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Vision of people wlaking in light of Messiah and their sinful anture changed,one early church leader put it this way: we’ve got wolf like people they will become lamb like leopoard like - But most beautiful of all - if you walk by Christ’s directing light:
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
All the poison in our human nature slowly sucked out - dweel with peae with God, and maing peace with each other.
Saw in our candle light serve that Luke records two decrees, as part of his contrast between the kingdom of Rome and the kingdom of Christ. Rome had a lot to offer, and perhaps best of all Pax Romana - many benefits helped gospel expand. But Luke’s recording of the Roman decree is one of what - taxation, as if Luke is saying, Rome and the kingdoms of this world, the Caesars who Lord it over us - they just take from you. But in contrast Christ comes and his is not a political peace on the backs of slaves and conquered peoples. His is a true and total peace with God - and true and total peace that he works between people - he himself is our peace!
You can have all this world - but you won’t have peace, come to some self-manufactured peace within through meditation, you build all the security with fences camera, RSSP’s creature comforts, peace of getting away for a holiday. But only light of Christ - make a peace with God and comfort filled communion - turning to Christ today to guide you into that peace? What His Word must be read for:
But only light of Christ - make a peace with God and commfort filled commuion - turning to Christ today to guide you into tha tpeace? What His Word must be read for:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Not just to know or even just to believe, but when you trust in His word, you follow in His path - DO you see that it is not just alight to our eyes , but it also become a light to our feet. Listen to how Paul describes people without the Christ
and the way of peace they have not known.”
No one could dream up the way of the Cross, the way of conquering through suffering, the way of Christ - but this omrong we are called to not only to have that epiphany of seeing by Christ’s light, nor the conversion of being revived by His light, but we are to actually start walking in this light of Christ!
But Christ has visited us, not in a short stay, but to be our permanent guide, in life and even in death. You press on in faith, promises I will never leave you - . Open your spirtual eyes, and start putting your spiritual feet one step in front of the other. Many people only look at Christmas as if there was a violent lightning strike of light of Jesus entering this world and then poof gone his ascension. Jesus left this world, gone. But what is prophesied here is that Jesus is like the rising sun shining all the brighter in His splendour.
Jesus is like a rescuer in that Thailand cave rescue - had to get into them, then through darkness, has the tanks, food, heat, the light, the direction -
- the prophecy in Isaiah look at it:
The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
The Lord has risen upon us, and his glory is seen on us, and all the nations are coming to His light. This is not all very last days prophesy, this not new heaven and earth prophesy -this is Prophesy that Jesus is fulling now as His Spirit and Word goes out - and as we live with Him as our light! Not a lightning bolt flash, and gone, But Jesus still and always shines on us His people.. He is always there to guide us! Don’t just remember Jesus this morning, don’t just celebrate His coming, live with Him, live in His light. You will never be able to offer yourself and your life to Him, if you don’t first come into His light. Come into His light this morning and He will make you new and He will walk with you and guide By His Spirit and Word, and he will put you into service in His kingdom. And we together shall daily grow and make progress in His light and His knowledge in His graces - until our earthly pilgrimage be done, and he welcomes us into the eternal rest of the kingdom.
This is the reslt the whole thing the what, and the how, the why, application. This is the Benedictus and hope you too bless the LORD for Jesus. But let me conclude with a last observation Zechariah was afflicted with years, when all this happened. Priest could only serve from age 30-50. And then after that could volunteer like so many of you do That’s Zechariah he’s not perfect, but he is dedicated and godly - and do you see what he did - he looking forward to the Messiah - could rehearse all the prophesies - the promises of Messiah and he recounts them all with greatest Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. Now you and me, we too have these promises, but so much more than Zechariah we see how each has been fulfilled, in most miraculous wonderful way. And do we string the promises and privileges the Messiah brings. Zech only saw them faintly - dig into these promises and experience them - we should have a Benedictus louder and fuller and more understanding than even His Embrace these promises , never let them go, for they will never fail us , they are all Yes and men in Christ, Seal with the very blood , delivered with the very same power that raised jesus from the dead. Embrace this light of Christmas and you too will have the clear views of Christ