The Light of the world

Isaiah 9:2

² The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.

The above verse was written by the Prophet Isaiah. Man walks in darkness. That is his natural condition. The way we are born, we all go our own way. We are alienated from God and know not the true life. We are dead in trespasses and sins. We stand guilty before God. We belong to the people of whom our text says that they walked in darkness: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death. That is you and me. We walk in darkness and live in the land of the shadow of death.

The worst part is that people do not even realize that they live in darkness. We think it is normal to live a life of pleasure and finally die. But that is abnormal. Our eyes have to be opened to this. Isaiah may preach of a great light that shines on people who are in darkness due to the consequences of their sin. The light shining on the people of Isaiah’s day was the shining of the Word of God, which alone brings deliverance and salvation. God would give liberty, comfort and salvation in the way of repentance and turning to the Lord. But even more intensely that Light would one day shine in Galilee, in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

At the birth of Christ that light began to shine in the world. Luke 2:8-9 says^{, “8} Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.” The great light of God shines in the midst of the darkness of our world and in the midst of the darkness of our hearts.

But this light must enter into our hearts. It is not enough that we see this light; it is not enough that we are under this light for a while. We need to have this light within us. We must be personally enlightened by this light.

In Jesus precious name! Amen.

Maranatha!