Friday, December 18, 2009

December 18, 2009

"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan- 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." Isaiah 9:1-2




Have you ever been in total darkness? It is suffocating!




Barbara and I have visited some caverns. When the guide takes you down into the cave they at some time will turn off the lights. That is total darkness. You can't see your hand before your face! It is very spooky! All you want is the lights to be turned back on.




In the Bible darkness is used as an analogy for sin and for spiritual ignorance. If you have ever been in total darkness you understand the comparison.




It is one thing to be in darkness for a few moments, it is quite another to be trapped in darkness for a lifetime - or, even worse - for an eternity!




Barbara and I have decorated our apartment with a bunch of lights this year. We love Christmas lights. One of these evenings we will drive around town and enjoy looking a Christmas light displays. Most people prefer light to darkness.




What is my point?




Christmas is about light but it was made necessary by darkness.




When the prophets foretold the good news of a Messiah to come, they used the darkness and light analogy. They languished in darkness now but some day God would send the light. There was a day coming that they would step out of the shadows and into the light of truth and salvation.




God is a God of light. He IS the Light and in Him there is no darkness at all! No darkness of sin, not even a shadow. Not a sliver of spiritual darkness, not even a shadow!




Christmas is God's attack against darkness! It is literally the charge of His light brigade! And we are not talking about a flash light, we are talking about the sun - or the Son! Never again will you have to stumble in the darkness of spiritual ignorance because the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us". Never again will you have to be chained in a dark prison of sinfulness.
Not only can you be delivered from the darkness, you don't even have to stand in the shadows! God, sent His Son, the Light of the world to show you the way to God, to shower His light upon and to shine His light through you so others can see!