A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Ron Gray, Bearspaw Interim Lead Site Pastor

"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of darkness, a light will shine." Isaiah 9:2

This verse is the beginning point of one of the great prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. It is part of a passage that you most likely hear presented in some form or another every Christmas. It culminates with a group of verses you may be familiar with. "For unto us a child is born, a son is given to us. The government will rest upon his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) Into a dark world the Light arrives, shining forth and expressing itself as our Counsellor, God, Father, and Prince of Peace.

The problem that motivated God to come and be with us is the darkness in which we find ourselves. The term darkness seems so dramatic, but is it too dramatic? Was Isaiah exaggerating when he said that people walked and lived in a land of darkness? No, I don’t think so.

The Bible is very clear about the state that we find ourselves in. We live in the temporal consequence of humanity’s estrangement from God. Because of our sin, we are separated from God and his light. This separation has implications for our lives here and now. It also has implications for our lives for eternity to come. Let’s start by looking at the here and now.

All the darkness you see in this world, all of the darkness you may experience in your life has come as a result of sin. Sin is humanity as a whole, and each one of us individually, choosing a path that diverges from the path that God has laid out for us. We have chosen to leave the path of light and take the path that is dark. And the darkness is very deep. The brokenness of our bodies is rooted in this. Broken relationships, wars, environmental degradation, all find their beginning point in sin. They all find their culmination in death. As Paul put it in Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death."

Can you feel the weight of darkness in this world? I can. More than ever. Ponder the state of affairs on this old planet. Anything that does not express the beauty, love, and light of God is rooted in the darkness of sin.

The effect of darkness goes far beyond this present life. The shadow is cast across all eternity. For those who die while living in darkness, while living without Jesus who is the light of the world, the darkness is eternal. Jesus did not shy away from talking about the eternal state of those who lived and walked in the darkness and refused to embrace the light that he brought. He spoke of it being a place of “utter darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30) Eternity without Jesus is very dark indeed.

In the verse that began this piece, Isaiah wrote of the coming day when those walking in darkness would see a great light and a light would shine for those who live in a land of great darkness. God’s response to darkness is to send a great light. God’s response to our need is to send Jesus, the light of the world. So, let us remember and rejoice that into the darkness God has sent his great light. That light has come, and we know him to be Jesus, our Savior.

As you look at the state of the world, or perhaps the state of your life these days, perhaps you are overcome by the darkness that you see. Dear one, this need not be the case. We need not live in the shadows any longer for the Light has come! Jesus has come. He is God’s response to the darkness that would seek to envelope us.

Today, let us take courage from the words of Jesus, our light.

"I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12