One may think of a diver first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in mid-air, then gone with a splash, vanished, rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold water, down through the increasing pressure into the deathlike region of ooze and slime and old decay, and then back up again, back to color and light, his lungs almost bursting until suddenly he breaks the surface again, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing he went down to recover. That dripping, precious thing is you and I, and Christmas is when we celebrate his coming down to us.

We live in darkness. Doubting that let’s one know of the great ability we have to deceive ourselves. A man walks to the seashore as a storm rages. The flash of lightning and the power of thunder remind him of the voice of God. The sea and thunder contest one another. The sea never ceases its clamor as it seeks to drown out the thunder. However, the lightning splits the sky and the crack of thunder is overwhelming. It is a dark night. The sky is covered with thick clouds. However, miles away in the distance, the man sees light on the horizon. Shining like gold, the moon reflects light to the surface. The man stood in a place of gloom and darkness and yet the penetrating ray of light offered hope.

It was in the dark time of the prophet Isaiah that God offered the hope of the Child-Messiah, Jesus Christ. The dark, bleak time of judgment caught a ray of hope. The word, ‘Nevertheless’ is important in the first verse of Isaiah 9. We mercifully receive ‘nevertheless’ from God even when facing His greatest judgments. The Gospel of Grace is appended to every message of doom as long as we have breath. Even in the midst of tragic gloom you will find great light and grace.

“Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.” (Isaiah 9:1)

Later, Isaiah pens under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit these words of light…

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6–7)

Overall, these verses speak of a great light in great darkness. They promised the people in Isaiah’s day that Messiah would come and deliver them and give them peace. The great light came in a time of great darkness. Just as we have deliverance and salvation in the Child born and the Son given, even so God will deliver and give peace through the trying times of our lives. But for many, Christmas is a time of great darkness.

Be encouraged! God has a way of sending a signal of light to remind us that life is stronger than death. Light is more powerful than darkness. God is more powerful than Satan. Good will overcome evil. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light,” the prophet said. “On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light had dawned.” Christmas is a time for light!

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Come tomorrow between 1 & 4pm to sign up your student for a great education next year.