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Christmas Light, Part 2
Out of Darkness
In our series on Christmas Light, today, we study darkness.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Think about two important words from Isaiah 9:1
Key Word #1: “Nevertheless”
Isaiah 9:1-2
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.
This very famous messianic (Christmas prophecy) in Isaiah, is immediately preceded by something not as famous but just as important.
Isaiah 8:21-22
21 Distressed and hungry, they (God’s disobedient people) will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
(Isaiah 9:1) Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.
Key Word #2: “Gloom”
Isaiah 9:1a
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom (Heb: muw`aph –the greatest distress; hopelessness)
King James Version: Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as in her vexation.
To be cursed, to have a sense of no way out…
But what does all of this have to do with you?
Ephesians 5:8-14
8 For you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
John 12:46
46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
Reminders from Part 1 of the series
Biblically, light is a symbol of hope, life and truth. The very first thing we ever hear God say concerns light.
Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
Matthew 4:12-17
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.