1. Please pray with me. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,” Isaiah 9:2 says. And even tonight, the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.
2. Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did at the beginning of creation. God said let there be light. He separated the light from the darkness, and the light he called day and the darkness he called night. So, God gave us time. He gave us day and night. He gave us time for the light and time for the dark. And it was good.
3. Until it wasn’t. It was in the day that Adam and Eve wanted to know the darkness of evil. Now, darkness was used for covering sin. The beautiful couple no longer liked what they saw in the day. So, they used leaves to conceal their shame from one another and trees to conceal themselves from the Lord. Since their walk of shame couldn’t get them far enough away, they hid in the dark shadows of the garden . . . until they saw a great light.
4. Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did when God came walking where his people had sinned. He came calling for Adam and Eve. He asked, though he knew their evil, and he called, though he saw their hiding place. He brought light to the shadows. He put off the old—what leaves poorly hid and concealed. And he put on the new—another’s skin that completely covered their own. The LORD renewed the day, the time, and even the people. And wouldn’t you know it . . . by the very woman who sought the darkness, God promised he would bear in her a saving light.
5. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did in the exodus of God’s people from Egypt. Darkness is not just the time for standing still but also for leaving town. After 400 years yoked in slavery, it was time for deliverance by a plague of darkness and another of death. But it’s hard to see and hard to know where to go, especially when you travel at night. It doesn’t help to look over your shoulder and see 600 chariots of Pharaoh unleashed on your heels. So just when the people had nowhere left to walk . . . they saw a great light.
6. Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did when God came to deliver the people from their enemies. He came speaking to Moses and through the lips of Aaron. He came upon a midnight clear to protect by cloud in the day and to guide by fire at night. As the Egyptians closed in on the Hebrews pinned up against the Red Sea, God’s darkness and light separated the two forces. To one side, he put down the light by cloud—what dimmed the pursuit of Pharaoh’s army protected the people. To the other side, he put forth the fire—what lit the way through the sea guided the people. And wouldn’t you know it . . . God’s people were walking to freedom with a divine night light.
7. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did in the judgment against oppression. Darkness now meant living in caves and tents, taking shelter in the hills. God’s people grew crops they never ate. They couldn’t taste the fruit of the land promised to them. They were as slaves, and their shoulders were overshadowed by another task master, this time in their own land. The Midianites were thieves—stealing the people’s harvest every year. They came as locusts devouring every last grain. The sound of their boots came walking every year, meaning no feast for reaping—no harvest joy. But just when you’d think God had walked back his promises with his people hungry in the dark . . . they saw a great light.
8. Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did when God came fighting against Midian. He came speaking through Gideon. He came not needing thousands of warriors, just 300. As the middle watch began, at just the right time of the night, they saw a great light. From 300 men, he put forth a great sound of smashing jars and blowing trumpets—what stirred the enemy from sleep. And from the same 300 upon the hill, he put forth the glare of torches into the valley of deep darkness—what blinded the enemy and misguided their swords into their own comrades. So, the people’s crop was their own once more, the land and its fruit their joy. The warrior boots stopped walking. And wouldn’t you know it . . . the light that separated the enemy’s camp burned their bloodied boots as fuel.
9. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did in the fullness of time. Now darkness meant silence. 400 years when God didn’t speak. The land was lost, then regained, only to be lost again. Governors and priests and kings wouldn’t see a light even if he shined on them, wouldn’t hear even though they had ears. But outside a little town of Bethlehem, shepherds were keeping watch over flocks in the dark, silent night. And just when they couldn’t walk, stunned and so afraid . . . they saw a great light.
10. Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness. Except that it did when God became man. The light shone round about the shepherds as God’s angel came speaking good news of great joy. This news wasn’t just for a few, but its spoil shall be separated and divided for all peoples. God came himself multiplying his people through faith, which is the highest glory to him. God came bringing peace as a Prince on earth, so there would be increased joy to the world. From the manger, God put forth his Son—what confirmed the ancient and angelic message. And on the cross, God’s Son put forth his own arms—silencing sin as he died. And wouldn’t you know it . . . in the good darkness of midday, even Gentiles would confess his light.
11. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Light isn’t supposed to shine in darkness, except for Jesus. But we have real darkness in our time. We are born walking in it. And we use it to conceal ourselves and our own walks of shame. We get lost in the dark, not knowing what to do or where to go. It certainly doesn’t help when you hear the boots of demons walking right behind you. They come like locusts, robbing you of God’s Word. They pin you up in your sin. They leave you to sit in darkness. But just before you wonder if God has walked back a single promise or is gravely silent tonight . . . behold a great light.
12. Light isn’t supposed to shine in our darkness, except for Jesus. For to us a child is born, and to us a Son is given. Jesus comes, not just for one glamorous night, but every day and every night. God is not silent. Jesus comes speaking to you in the shadows. He separates you from the multitude of unbelievers by Baptism—what puts off the old man. He baptizes you into Christ’s righteous garment—what puts on you a skin not your own. Jesus keeps speaking forgiveness to you through the lips of your shepherd. He separates you from the enemy camp by absolution—what puts down the dark shadows of your past and protects you from its pursuit. He absolves you—what equips you with the Holy Spirit, who puts forth his Word as a lamp unto thy feet and a light unto thy path. Jesus never stops speaking his words of promise to you. He feeds you his own body and blood—what keeps you in the one true faith and separates you from death. He feeds you his own body and blood—what gives you a harvest joy from this time forth and even forevermore.
13. Yea though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . . you see his great light. Do not be afraid. For God was born to be with you, shining in the darkness. The glory of the Lord shines round about you. He has given you faith, which is the highest glory to him. And wouldn’t you know it, risen from the dead—no more darkness—Jesus is forever our light. Now the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus until life everlasting. Amen.
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