A Silent Night’s Dawn

Isaiah 9:1,2 “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.”

During the Christmas season, you can hear carols sung by choirs and congregations of churches rejoicing with hearts of thanksgiving. For all who partake, there seems to be a lasting reverence for such a holy occasion.

Shrouded in darkness, the advent of the birth of The King was a moment long sought after and yet understood by few.

How could such a moment occur with such little notice?

The angels rejoiced and yet the ones who heard the singing were only shepherds in nearby fields.

Luke 2:8-11 “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

What greater way for people to see the light than for it to shine in the darkness.

The light of Christ was given to a world that bore the weight of sin. The darkness of sin created a shroud of hopelessness that cried out for mercy. Much like the oppressed people of Israel who cried out to God while enslaved in Egypt, God heard the cries of generations of people who suffered under sin and sent to them a deliverer.

Jesus is the deliverer to a world enslaved to sin.

The world cries out for peace, and yet no peace can be found within its borders. No man made religion has been able to bring a hope for which the world so desperately longs. There has not been a ruler of men who has ever had the ability to establish unity and provide relief for the fear of death and the hopelessness of a people condemned.

God answered the dilemma that seems so great and utterly futile by which many have exasperated themselves trying to establish.

Luke 2:12 “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

One of the people who longed for the Messiah was Simeon, he was full of the Holy Spirit and God gave him the opportunity before he died to see the fulfillment of the promise. When Simeon lifted up Jesus in his arms he proclaimed a prophetic message for all to hear.

Luke 2:29-32 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation

Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

The light that dawned upon the earth was the light of Salvation.

The Light has Dawned

What must have seemed like an endless night, for 4000 years the world waited for the promised Messiah. Many placed their trust in God that He would fulfill HIs promise of the Savior.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2).

The light of the world exposed the wretchedness of sin and brought a beacon of hope for those who have been called out of that darkness.

We no longer need to fear that we might stumble in the dark, the Lord has illumined our way and has given us a hope for which we long for.

Have you found the light?

The Kingdom of God awaits those who would follow, not in ceremony or in some form of preparation, but for those who have believed and received the Savior, their future has been established forever.

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31–33).

His Everlasting Kingdom

The Kingdom of God is composed of a people who are called by Jesus’ name. He leads them and teaches them His ways, showing them who they were so that they might understand who is making them to be.

This Kingdom has no end.

From the moment Jesus came as a child, everything began to change. Once Jesus called His disciples, the growth of God’s Kingdom began to spread throughout the world. Today, the gospel continues to go forth to all who would hear the call to come.

If you want to know true life in Christ, it starts with a seeking after the Savior. The Lord promised us that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. The call to come is found to have substance when a heart subjects itself in humility and gives up a life of sin.

A humble and contrite spirit the Lord does not despise.

Psalm 69:29-30 “But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”

For all who would come, the Savior will lift out of the depths of despair and give them a new song. The silent night by which the Savior was given will be the dawn of a new hope. Light springs forth for the one who is filled with the light of Christ.

Let this Christmas be a time of new life, in you or in those around you. Let the light of Christ dawn anew in your heart and let His peace reign eternally.