The Prophet Isaiah declared in his 60th chapter:
“1Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn . . .
15 "Although you have been forsaken and hated . . . I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.
. . . Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob . . .
18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. 19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.”
The season of advent is a season of light. Isaiah prophesied of a time when God’s creational and redemptive light would break in upon the darkness that covers the earth and humanity. From our place within the great story of creation, we look back and remember with thankfulness the humble dawning of that light in the form of a baby born to an insignificant woman in an insignificant town. Yet the night and its darkness are still with us. So we work to spread that light through the message and the good deeds of the gospel as we look forward with fervent anticipation to the time when Jesus will return to judge the darkness and fully establish his light over a renewed earth and a redeemed humanity. A time when we will hear the voice from the throne say: “Look! I am making all things new! . . . It is done!” And a time when we will live with saints of old in a city that “does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb,” the crucified and risen Messiah, the helpless babe of Bethlehem. Therefore, let our voices join with John's in saying, "So let it be! Come, Lord Jesus.”
BD
“1Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn . . .
15 "Although you have been forsaken and hated . . . I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.
. . . Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob . . .
18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. 19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.”
The season of advent is a season of light. Isaiah prophesied of a time when God’s creational and redemptive light would break in upon the darkness that covers the earth and humanity. From our place within the great story of creation, we look back and remember with thankfulness the humble dawning of that light in the form of a baby born to an insignificant woman in an insignificant town. Yet the night and its darkness are still with us. So we work to spread that light through the message and the good deeds of the gospel as we look forward with fervent anticipation to the time when Jesus will return to judge the darkness and fully establish his light over a renewed earth and a redeemed humanity. A time when we will hear the voice from the throne say: “Look! I am making all things new! . . . It is done!” And a time when we will live with saints of old in a city that “does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb,” the crucified and risen Messiah, the helpless babe of Bethlehem. Therefore, let our voices join with John's in saying, "So let it be! Come, Lord Jesus.”
BD