The Light of Hope Comes

BBC News shares the following account:

On Saturday June 23, Peerapat "Night" Sompiangjai turned 17 - a milestone most young people around the world would want to celebrate in style.

His family prepared a bright yellow SpongeBob SquarePants birthday cake and several colorfully wrapped presents at their home in a rural village in the Mae Sai district.

Before the family party, Peerapat was out with his friends, the other members of a local youth soccer team called the Wild Boars, and their assistant coach.

When their football practice ended, they raced through the rice paddies on their bicycles and up into the forested hills that lately had been blanketed in rain.

Their destination- the Tham Luang cave, a favorite haunt for the boys, who loved exploring the nooks and crannies of the mountain range towering over Mae Sai.

Once at the mouth of Tham Luang, they stashed their bikes and bags by the cave entrance.

The team and their young coach had often ventured deep into Tham Luang, sometimes as far as 4 miles into the cave’s depths, for initiation rites where they would write the names of new team members on a wall.

In high spirits, they clambered into the cave with just their torches. They didn't need much else - after all, they were only planning to be there for an hour.

However, while in the cave a flash flood occurred blocking the boy’s exit and forcing them to scramble deeper into the caves until the water trapped them on a shallow outcropping. Surrounded by the oppressive darkness of the caverns, the boys and their coach waited. One hour- two- ten. The boys lost track of time as the hours turned into days and the darkness of the cave pressed in. The coach encouraged the boys to use rocks to dig a way out, but not knowing where they were, there was little hope that their small dug shaft would lead out of the web of mountain caves and rock.

Their only source of light- their flashlights, slowly dimmed and then went out. In the complete darkness, they fought against despair. Until seven days later, a glimmer appeared in the merky water. And then light, beautiful light shown into the darkness as rescue divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton’s heads broke the surface of the cave’s water.

While in the darkness- all they could do was hold onto hope.

Their hope came in the form of a massive rescue effort involving more than 10,000 people, including more than 100 divers, scores of rescue workers, representatives from about 100 governmental agencies, 900 police officers, and 2,000 soldiers. Ten police helicopters, seven ambulances, more than 700 diving cylinders, and the pumping of more than a billion liters of water from the caves.

Two weeks after first entering the caves, the boys finally emerged into the welcoming arms of those who fought so desperately to save them.

I share this story because I am struck by the similarity between these boy’s experience and the spiritual condition of humanity.

Each of us has wandered into the cavern of our own sinful choices, we meander and enjoy sin’s delights- at first unaware of the danger that is rushing towards us and before we know it- we are trapped with the darkness closing in.

Due to our sin, spiritually speaking, all of humanity are in darkness as Isaiah 64:4-9 (NIV) explains,

Isaiah 64:4–9 NIV

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

Since ancient times no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

You come to the help of those who gladly do right,

who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them,

you were angry.

How then can we be saved?

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

No one calls on your name

or strives to lay hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us

and have given us over to our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.

We are the clay, you are the potter;

we are all the work of your hand.

Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;

do not remember our sins forever.

Oh, look on us, we pray,

for we are all your people.

Friends, like the boys in the cave, we cannot dig ourselves out. We need a savior.

Thankfully, like the powerful rescue force assembled to liberate the boys, God crafted a plan to rescue and redeem us.

As Isaiah 9:2,

Isaiah 9:2 NIV

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:6-7 promises,

Isaiah 9:6–7 NIV

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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned…

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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

During this Advent season let us be reminded that for generations God’s people waited expectantly for this promise to be fulfilled, for the savior- Jesus- to come.

And today

-God’s people wait for Jesus to come again in glory and bring heaven to earth.

Friends, this Christmas, I pray we will live as those who believe in these promises.

So our first point this morning is-

1. This Advent, to live as one who believes, embrace hope in God’s promises.

From His Davidic lineage and His Virgin birth, to the worship by angelic hosts, common shepherds and wise men, God was pointing us to the birth of the promised savior.

Our text this morning is one of many prophecies that foretell the coming of Jesus. Centuries before He was born, Isaiah described Jesus’ birth, His mystery, and significance. This prophecy, like a light in the darkness, gives hope to God’s people.

Of all the images associated with Christmas, perhaps the one that best symbolizes this hope is the star of Bethlehem.

(Singing acapella slowly if you wish or just reciting the chorus to “We Three Kings”)

O Star of wonder, star of night Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy Perfect Light (repeat if desired then pause)

We see it depicted everywhere during this season- the Christmas star graces the top of Christmas trees, it crowns nativity scenes, and shines on many signs and screens.

The story behind this iconic sign of Christmas is found in Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10 (NIV)

Where Magi from the east see a star arise in the night sky and recognize it as a symbol of the prophesied Messiah, our savior’s birth. So they follow it as it leads them to the baby Jesus.

Scientists and theologians have speculated ever since Mathew wrote this account on the source of the Christmas star. Far from discrediting the story, scientists have several theories concerning it.

Perhaps the Christmas star is really two aligned plants, shining more brightly at the time of Christ’s birth. Perhaps it was a meteor, alight in the earths atmosphere. Or more plausible is the notion that it was a comet moving across the dark expanse. Perhaps it was an actual star whose light reached earth for the first time at the moment of Jesus’ birth. Whatever the scientific explanation one thing is clear- God declared the birth of His son in a miraculous fashion. He used a celestial light to announce the fulfilment of His promise to us. It declared- THE SAVIOR is born.

As for me, I choose to believe that the Christmas star was just that- a star. I believe because what the star symbolizes carries more weight that way. Consider- for a star’s light to reach us here on earth it must first travel thousands of light years. Before Bethlehem welcomed Mary and Joseph and the soon to be born Jesus- the star’s light was traveling. Before Rome conquered the Jewish people- the light was coming. Before King David established His throne- the light was coming. Before Abraham chose to follow God and His descendants became children of the promise- the light was coming. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin into the world and God promised a Messiah- a savior to redeem humankind from sin- the light was coming. I believe that God knew, He knew as He formed the cosmos and created us that by giving us free will, we would choose to sin and that we would need a savior, that we would need a promise, so He created that star and sent its light on its way to be revealed to us as a wonderful powerful sign. There is hope. The savior comes.

That leads us to our second point this morning:

2. This Advent, to live as one who believes, embrace hope for the coming days.

This Holiday season, more than ever, people are struggling.

Whether through loss of loved ones,

financial struggle, family issues or struggling with depression- undoubtedly, there is incredible hardship and suffering.

I too am struggling this season as the trappings of the holiday remind me that this is the first Christmas, without my Mother. Never again, until heaven, will I get to celebrate the season with her here.

The Christmas rush can intensify our feelings of hopelessness.

Sometimes people even cope with those feelings

by maxing out their credit cards or abusing substances to numb the pain.

As Dr. Susan Rako explains,

“The gap between what we have and what we wish we had

is wider and deeper at Holiday time.

Many people may not be dreaming of a White Christmas

as much as hoping for a Christmas that isn’t blue.”

Church, I pray you embrace hope even when feeling hopeless.

For those who feel as though you are in the dark today,

embrace the hope that the Savior is coming.

Like the light of the Christmas star- our savior,

the Son of God is coming.

As John 1:4-5,

John 1:4–5 NIV

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:9–14 NIV

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

declares concerning Jesus (NIV),

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

There is hope. The Savior comes.

That brings us to our final point this morning:

3. This Advent, to live as one who believes, embrace hope that God will fulfill His promise for your future.

God fulfilled His promise to send us a savior. Jesus came as a baby all those years ago so that we could have more than a Christmas- so that we could have an Easter as well. He came to die on a cross- to pay the penalty of our sin- and to give us the gift of eternal forgiveness and an eternity in Heaven with Him.

God fulfills His promises. The promise savior came. And now we must wait and embrace the hope that God will fulfill His promises for our future.

Jesus is coming again this time he comes not to lay meekly in a manger or sacrificially on the cross. This time Jesus comes in eternal splendor and all who know Him and whom He calls His own will be gathered around Him crying “holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty who was and is and is to come.” Can you see them, my brothers, all of God’s children dressed in white? Can you hear them, my sisters, singing praises to Jesus the prince of peace of which Isaiah foretold? He is our everlasting King.

There is hope. At times we may not see it. Shivering in the dark we may not feel it. But there is hope! The Savior comes.

Let us pray