But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9:1-2 ESV)
As the Old Testament Scriptures anticipated the coming of the Messiah, the works of God’s Christ were promised. When Jesus stepped down into time at the incarnation, there was a lifetime of works that God had foreordained for Him to complete. Incredibly, God invites you to join Him in His work with good works He has set aside for you to do! (see Ephesians 2:10) Although today’s focal verse from Isaiah 9:1-2 isn’t about the birth narrative directly, it speaks of one of the primary ministry areas during the life of Jesus: Galilee.
The Prophet paints a dark picture of “Galilee of the nations” spiritually speaking. Gloom, contempt, darkness, deep darkness, the picture painted of this area reveals a great spiritual despair. Whether people know it or not… this is a picture of their lives without Christ. Before God begins His incredible work in our lives, the Bible clearly reveals that we are dead in our sins and hopeless apart from His divine intervention. Darkness clouds our minds and hearts and we need the His great light to shine on us!
It has been pointed out that darkness is not a thing but the absence of a thing, light. That is what the peoples of Zebulun, Naphtali, and “Galilee of the nations” would experience before the coming of our Redeemer. Jesus proclaims Himself as the Light of the World, speaking to this same truth that Isaiah referenced. The Gospel records it this way: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)
You know the problem with darkness? It isn’t that you can’t do anything in the dark, it is that all your senses are dulled, you fail to see the beauty of everything around you, and often you’ll stub your toe unexpectedly. Yet, when we get “a little light on the subject,” things become alive, vivid, and beautiful. Its hard to explain the depth of the despair and hopelessness the world experienced before the great light of Christ shone on them. Sadly, some still live in this darkness. This Christmas season, let us rejoice that we will never have to know life without Jesus Christ!
We must face the startling reality: If there is no Christmas morning, there is no Easter Sunday. If there is no incarnation there is no resurrection. If there is no Jesus, we along with all the world would still walk in desperate darkness destined for death and destruction. I hope you’ll spend a few minutes today meditating on the incredible Light of Christ and how it has and is changing your life. Today, let us give God praise and thanks that because of the incredible truth of Christmas, none of us will ever have to live without His light in our lives.
Heavenly Father, thank You for delivering us from the darkness of sin and death. As we reflect on Your incredible plan of redemption, we praise You and give You thanks for Jesus our Great Light. Lord, thank You that because of You and in You we will never have to live in the gloomy anguish of darkness. Help to light up our hearts with Your Word and by Your Spirit. Help us never cease to be amazed and grateful for the incredible gift of Jesus Christ our Messiah, Lord, and King. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
