A Light Has Dawned

A Light Has Dawned "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." The glory of the Lord illuminated the night as a burst of great light. An angel had come bringing good news of great joy. This bright light was appropriate for his message: Jesus the Messiah is born. He is the promised great light. He is the Light of the world. With His birth, a light has dawned. As this light enters our hearts, we are saved. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, had prophesied of this light. At the naming ceremony for John, Zechariah said, "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." John would prepare the way for the Lord, Jesus. John would give knowledge of salvation to God's people. But the climax would be the rising sun coming from heaven, the birth of Jesus. Men, women, and children live in darkness, ignorant of God's goodness and in rebellion against Him. They live in the shadow of death, already under condemnation for their sins. Listen to the earlier words of Isaiah 59:9-10: "We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes." All is darkness and deep shadows for them. Separated from God by sin, they grope and stumble in spiritual blindness. They have no peace, no righteousness, and no deliverance. But Isaiah had given a message of hope in 9:1-2: "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. ... The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." As Zechariah would later say, the people were in darkness living in the shadow of death. But the sun will rise. As Isaiah says in 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." The birth of Jesus was the dawn of a new day. Jesus is the light coming into this dark world. He comes to shine on those living in darkness and the shadow of death. When he guides our steps, there is no groping in the dark, no stumbling, no one is lost. As Malachi writes (in 4:2), "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings." This promise is received only by those willing to revere God's name. For all who will repent and believe, the Sun of Righteousness rose in Jesus. He came bringing righteousness, right standing before God. The light brings healing. He gives us freedom and joy to leap like calves. But not all see the light. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." This is a spiritual blindness. Those unwilling to believe (unbelievers) become unable to see the light in the gospel. Eventually they see no light even when the gospel is preached to them. But God can penetrate even this darkness. Paul continues in verse 6 saying, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." God created light in a totally dark universe. God can penetrate spiritual darkness to shine His light into our hearts. His light can enable on to believe in Jesus as it did with the unbelieving Saul of Tarsus. In Acts 26:13 he tells the story. "I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me..." Jesus revealed Himself to Saul and he believed. But God not only saved Saul, He called him to share the light. In Acts 26:16-18, he shares what Jesus said to him. "I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Jesus wants to turn people from darkness to light. He came as the light to deliver men and women from Satan's power and bring them to the Father. Jesus came to die and rise again to give us forgiveness of our sins and to include us as God's people, sanctified by faith in Him. If you are a child of God through faith in Jesus, you too are a servant and witness of Jesus. Paul says of you in Ephesians 5:8, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." If you have not put your faith in Jesus, here what Paul then adds in verses 13-14. "But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'" The greatest Christmas gift you can receive is to let this light of Christ shine in your heart. The greatest Christmas gift you can give is to let your light shine so others may see Christ through you. May the light of Christ shine in you and through you this coming new year. Merry Christmas!