Morning Light
Background Story: Isaiah was a prophet who spoke the words that God gave him to the people about things to come. In this prophecy, Isaiah prophecies of the coming Messiah.
Read Isaiah 9:1-7
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 nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
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.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
Big Idea: Jesus is the Light of the world!
As Zechariah looked upon his son John (to be called John the Baptist) in Luke 1:76, he prophesized, “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
I was struck by the thought this morning that each one of us were born living in the shadow of death. No matter how many anti-aging lotions we buy or vitamins we take, the Bible says, “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). That is a pretty sobering thought.
But God in His great mercy sent Jesus, “the morning light from heaven” that broke through the shadows of darkness giving us the hope for today and for eternity. Jesus is our “path of peace” who came as the door, the gate, and the way to the Father. He is the path from darkness to light. Through Jesus, we can have peace in the midst of any circumstance today and peace with God for eternity.
We read the fulfillment of Zechariah and Isaiah’s prophecies in John 1: 6-14:
“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 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.”
Jesus… the Light of the world has come calling us out of darkness into His glorious light!
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