To Us: Isaiah 9
The tour guide asked if we’d like to see absolute darkness. Sure, who wouldn’t? In my bedroom my eyes eventually adjust at night, and I can still walk around some. But the cave was quite different. There was no adjustment. Everything went pitch black. I could hear things, but not see them. I frantically waved my hand back and forth at a distance that felt inches away from my nose, but it remained completely invisible. Absolute darkness.
The greater the darkness, the greater the light. When the cave lights were turned back on they didn’t seem as dim as before. Everything was illuminated. After adjusting our eyes for a few seconds, we resumed our cave tour—an impossible task in the dark.
Our Christmas text is Isaiah 8:19-9:7. It starts out with a warning against consulting the dead for instruction. People in Isaiah’s day would pay good money to a huckster who claimed to be in touch with the dead. They sought out anyone’s advice except for God’s. Isaiah warns that their obsession with the dark realm of the dead will lead them to an utterly dark place from which they will curse God as they live in distress and fearful gloom.
But, Isaiah promises, there won’t be any more gloom for those who wait for God: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (9:2). Isaiah goes on to describe a group of formerly distressed people rejoicing like farmers reveling in a completed harvest and soldiers home from war with spoils from the enemy.
And what was the cause for this great rejoicing? What brought an end to war? What was the harvest? What was the light?
Isaiah tells us: “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” (9:6-7).
To us: two little words that make a world of difference. On Christmas we celebrate that light has come in a child who was born to us in Bethlehem long ago. The child born to us received gifts from Magi, recognizing him as a king. The child born to us grew in wisdom and stature in a small town. When he was fully grown he became a teacher to us, a healer to us, a prophet to us, and a priest to us.
And the man once born to us, died for us as our Savior. But he did not remain in the grave, the dark realm of the dead, for long. God raised him, and, as Paul says, the life Jesus now lives he lives to God.
But what about us? Just as God raised him, so will he raise all of us who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That hope is the only way to have a Merry Christmas. It’s the only light that will drive out all our darkness. It’s the only gift that we can take with us to our grave.
The people walking in absolute darkness have seen absolute light!
The greater the darkness, the greater the light. When the cave lights were turned back on they didn’t seem as dim as before. Everything was illuminated. After adjusting our eyes for a few seconds, we resumed our cave tour—an impossible task in the dark.
Our Christmas text is Isaiah 8:19-9:7. It starts out with a warning against consulting the dead for instruction. People in Isaiah’s day would pay good money to a huckster who claimed to be in touch with the dead. They sought out anyone’s advice except for God’s. Isaiah warns that their obsession with the dark realm of the dead will lead them to an utterly dark place from which they will curse God as they live in distress and fearful gloom.
But, Isaiah promises, there won’t be any more gloom for those who wait for God: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (9:2). Isaiah goes on to describe a group of formerly distressed people rejoicing like farmers reveling in a completed harvest and soldiers home from war with spoils from the enemy.
And what was the cause for this great rejoicing? What brought an end to war? What was the harvest? What was the light?
Isaiah tells us: “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” (9:6-7).
To us: two little words that make a world of difference. On Christmas we celebrate that light has come in a child who was born to us in Bethlehem long ago. The child born to us received gifts from Magi, recognizing him as a king. The child born to us grew in wisdom and stature in a small town. When he was fully grown he became a teacher to us, a healer to us, a prophet to us, and a priest to us.
And the man once born to us, died for us as our Savior. But he did not remain in the grave, the dark realm of the dead, for long. God raised him, and, as Paul says, the life Jesus now lives he lives to God.
But what about us? Just as God raised him, so will he raise all of us who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That hope is the only way to have a Merry Christmas. It’s the only light that will drive out all our darkness. It’s the only gift that we can take with us to our grave.
The people walking in absolute darkness have seen absolute light!
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