When the winds got up high this past week, I know that some of you lost power. Fortunately, it was during the daytime and it wasn’t too cold out. But even then, it’s not very much fun to lose power. I’ve told you that when Miranda and I were first married, we lived overseas. And in the Azores where we lived, the power went out all the time. In the winter time, there was hardly a day that went by where we didn’t lose power for at least a little bit. Sometimes it went out for hours at a time. Losing power isn’t fun, but when you lose it all the time, you kind of get used to it. It’s a whole different story when you’re used to having power every day and then you lose it. That’s the way it was when we lived in Mississippi. Believe it or not, Mississippi isn’t a third world country. The power down there is very reliable. It’s every bit as reliable as our power. Almost every time you turn on a light switch, the lights come on. Except when a hurricane hits. We were there when Hurricane Georges went through. Now, I’ve got to explain something to you. When you live on the Gulf Coast, you refer to anything less than a Category 4 hurricane as “only” or “just’. In other words, Hurricane Georges was “only” a Category 2. That makes it sound like no big deal. And compared to a Category 4, I’m sure it isn’t. But when you’re sitting in your house, with the windows boarded up. And you’re gathered around a candle and a battery-powered radio, this hillbilly thinks it’s a big deal. “Just” a Category 2 didn’t even enter my and Miranda’s vocabulary that night. We were extremely blessed that we didn’t have much damage from the storm. But one thing that happened was that the power was out for several days. And even though we had candles and hurricane lamps, nothing is darker than a moonless night when the power across the whole area is out. No street lights, no neighbors’ lights, no lights all across town. Just pitch black darkness. That’s the way the prophet Isaiah describes the people of Israel in the first two verses of our passage tonight. Even going back to the last verse of chapter 8, Isaiah describes the people as being in darkness and gloom. In 8:22, he says that the people shall, “behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness.” And then in 9:1, he uses the words “dimness” and “vexation” again. The original word that’s translated “dimness” comes from the same root word as “darkness.” The prophet is describing a people whose power has gone out. They are in complete and total darkness. And being in total, complete darkness, they are in anguish and trouble and bondage and defeat. Of course, the prophet is referring to an event that was going to happen in the very near future. On one level he was talking about the time when Assyria was going to destroy Damascus and Samaria and carry the Northern tribes of Israel off into captivity. The Assyrians were nasty people and were known for abusing their captives and leading them off in chains. God’s chosen people were violently removed from the land that God had given them. It was indeed a dark time for the nation. But the physical captivity wasn’t the darkest part. The darkest part was the spiritual darkness that led to the physical captivity. That’s why Isaiah wrote what he did in verse 1. He said that their dimness (darkness, gloom) was not like it was during her vexation. He’s speaking in the past tense, but it’s what’s called the prophetic past. The prophet sees future events like they’ve already happened. But when he talks about Israel’s vexation, that was going to be the time when they were carried off into captivity. Definitely a dark time, but even that was not as gloomy as the dimness that he’s prophesying now. Back up in 8:32, remember what he said. He said “And they shall look unto the earth, and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness.” Israel’s sin had driven them into the pits of spiritual darkness. They had taken all of the promises of God and wasted them. They had enjoyed all of God’s provision and blessing and turned right around and spit in His face. They spit in His face by worshipping the blessings God had given them instead of worshipping the God who blessed them. They practiced every form of idolatry and immorality you can imagine. It even got to the point where they sacrificed their children on the altar of personal progress and prosperity. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The political structure was in darkness because the Assyrians had defeated them. But there was a far greater darkness in the land. And that was the personal darkness that came from the people walking in darkness. Do you think that there is darkness in our country tonight? Our economy is in shambles. Unemployment is continuing to go through the roof with no end in sight. We have enemy terrorists imbedded in our military just waiting for an opportunity to kill our soldiers like the one at Fort Hood did a few weeks ago. We are opposed on every side in the world. Europe doesn’t like us. Asia doesn’t like us. Even our own continent doesn’t like us very well. There is tremendous darkness for our nation tonight. But there is a darkness that is even blacker than all of that. We are a nation that has been richly blessed beyond all imagination. God has prospered us far beyond any nation in history. And what have we done with it? We have turned God’s blessings into idols and bowed down at their feet. Our economy has become an idol. Our military strength has become an idol. Our prosperity has become an idol. Our education system has become an idol. Our entertainment and recreation has become an idol. And probably more than all of those, the American Dream itself has become an idol. Just like with ancient Israel, things for the nation look pretty dark. But the darkness in the nation is nothing in comparison to the spiritual darkness in the land. Everywhere you look, people are walking in spiritual darkness. Immorality, idolatry, lust, greed, selfishness, pride, gluttony, laziness, disobedience and disrespect to all authority including parents, abuse, murder, drugs and drunkenness. Make no mistake about it—people all around us are walking in spiritual darkness. But there is a light—a glorious light. And the rest of this passage we’re looking at this month talks about that great and wonderful light. That light is the Light we celebrate every year at Christmas. That light is the Light that John wrote about in John 1:9. He wrote, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Of course, that light is Jesus. Over the next few minutes, I want us to see what that Light brings. As Isaiah prophesied about these people who were walking in such a terrible darkness… he told them that a Light was coming. And tonight we’re going to look at three things that the Light of Christmas brings. The first thing is joy. Look back at verse 3:
ISAIAH 9:3
The first thing that the Light of Christmas brings is joy. As the Light of Christmas, Jesus brings joy. At first glance, this verse looks strange. It looks like joy hasn’t increased in the first part, but joy is overflowing in the second part. That’s what it looks like, but here’s my best explanation. The thrust of the verse is the immense joy that the people are feeling. They are feeling the kind of joy that they would normally feel if there was an abnormally large harvest. Or the kind of joy that they would feel if they had just won a decisive victory on the field of battle and found out that the people they defeated were extremely wealthy. They were feeling the kind of joy that would come from divvying up that kind of booty. A better illustration for us would be to say that they felt like they had just inherited a fortune from a long lost uncle they never knew existed. The point is, Isaiah is describing people who are tremendously, overwhelmingly joyful. Where I think the first part comes into play is, God is portrayed as supernaturally multiplying the nation. But the joy is a result—it’s not something that God will artificially, supernaturally gin up. He increases the nation supernaturally—the joy comes as a natural result of that bounty. In other words, the joy is real. It is heartfelt. It is overwhelming. And what is it a result of? God supernaturally multiplying the nation. And how is He going to do that? He’s going to do that by giving people who walk in darkness a great light. By shining light on those who are living in the land of the shadow of death. In the darkness of our society and in the darkness of our sin… there is no light that can penetrate it. The light of social work cannot penetrate the darkness of our society. The light of education cannot penetrate the darkness of our society. The light of poverty relief cannot penetrate the darkness of our society. The light of government programs cannot penetrate the darkness of our society. The light of full employment and universal health care cannot penetrate the darkness of our society. The only light that can penetrate the darkness of our society is the Light of Jesus Christ. The Light of whom John said, “In Him was life and the life was the light of men.” Jesus is the only light who can penetrate our society and turn that darkness into joy. But not only is He the only light who can penetrate our society, He is the only light who can penetrate your life and give you joy. No medication. No treatment. No social activities. No good works. No personal achievement. Jesus might use those things, but He is the only one who will bring joy out of the darkness of your life. Jesus is the light of Christmas that brings joy. He also brings victory. Look at verse 4:
ISAIAH 9:4
Jesus, as the light of Christmas brings victory. When Isaiah prophesied this, Israel was just coming off of one of their heydays. Isaiah received his prophetic call in the year that King Uzziah died. But during Uzziah’s 52 year reign, Israel prospered greatly. They were still living pretty high on the hog when Isaiah prophesied this passage. The people thought they were living in prosperity, even as Isaiah told them what darkness they were living in. The people thought they were free, even as Isaiah told them what bondage they were really in. And not only was he telling them what spiritual bondage they were in, he was telling them what kind of physical bondage they were going to be in. He does that by using words that would clearly bring up memories of times that they had been in bondage in the past. He spoke of the “yoke of his burden” and the “staff” and the “rod of his oppressor.” That kind of language would have clearly reminded them of when Israel was enslaved in Egypt. And then he says, “as in the day of Midian.” That would have brought up the memory of Gideon and his army. During Gideon’s day, the Midianites were so oppressive toward Israel that the Israelites would dig holes to hide in if they couldn’t find a cave. And I want you to notice something about both of those memories. Both with the Egyptians and with the Midianites—who brought the victory? Who delivered Israel from that terrible bondage they were in? God did. When Pharaoh sent his army in pursuit of Israel, he had them trapped between the mountains and the Red Sea. But God parted the Red Sea to deliver Israel and He sent it crashing back down on Pharaoh’s army. God broke the yoke of burden. God broke the staff of abuse and cruelty. God broke the rod of the oppressor. God did it. And He did the same thing with the Midianites. First, God called a coward to lead the charge. Gideon was hiding, trying to thresh grain in a hole when the Angel of the Lord called him. Then when Gideon tried to assemble a rag-tag army, God kept trimming it down till all he had was 300 men. And then God wouldn’t even let them have weapons. 300 men, led by a cowardly general, took trumpets, pitchers and torches into battle against what the Bible describes as an incredible Midianite host. And they were victorious. God broke the yoke of burden. He broke the staff of abuse and cruelty. He broke the rod of the oppressor. Once again, God did it. And Isaiah is saying that God’s going to do it again. And He did when He came in the flesh and lived a sinless life and died on the cross and rose again on the third day. He brought victory—not over physical oppressors. Jesus brought victory of worse oppressors than that. He brought victory over spiritual oppressors. Victory over sin. Victory over death. Victory over the grave. And victory over Hell. Victory you can’t earn. Victory you can’t achieve. Victory you can’t reform your way into. Jesus, as the light of Christmas, brings victory. He also brings peace. Look at verse 5:
ISAIAH 9:5
Jesus, as the Light of Christmas, brings peace. That verse doesn’t sound like peace does it. But it is. Because the picture of the warrior fighting in the midst of the noise of battle is replaced. And his garments that are rolled in blood are replaced. They are replaced with burning and fire. But what is being burned in the fire? All of the things that have been used for the fighting. The blood-soaked garments of battle are burnt up. The battle-implements of the warrior are burnt up. When the light comes, the darkness of war and battle and strife will be won. What did the angels say on the night when Jesus was born? Luke 2:13-14 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Jesus brings peace. When He comes the second time, He will bring complete and total everlasting peace. But when He came the first time, He brought spiritual peace. He brought peace between us and God. Did you know that without Jesus, you are at war with God? Romans 8:5-8 tells us, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” James 4:4 says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” Whether we want to admit it or not, apart from Jesus, we are at war with God. We are His enemy. And there will be a time when He will bring all enemies under His feet in fire and judgment. Then, Jesus will have finished the peace He brings. The final war will be over and all the enemies of God will be permanently defeated. But I don’t want to be defeated in order to have peace, do you? I don’t want to be an enemy of God. That’s why Jesus came the first time to bring a different kind of peace. He came to bring the kind of peace that comes by our surrender. The kind of peace that only comes when we are no longer counted as enemies of God, but as His children. Colossians 1:21-22 says, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.” Do you know what it means that Jesus has reconciled us? It means that though we were once enemies of God and completely alienated from Him, Jesus has come to be our peace. He takes our old blood-soaked warrior garments and throws them in the fire. He replaces the clamor of the raging battles in our life with the peaceful comfort of God.
Do you have that peace tonight? Do you have the peace that only Jesus can bring? Do you have the victory that only Jesus can bring? Do you have the joy that only Jesus can bring? If you’re walking in darkness you don’t. 1 John 1:5-7 says, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” So, my question to you is: Are you walking in darkness? Or are you walking in light? Jesus is the Light who is come into the world to bring you joy and victory and peace. Will you trust Him and walk in Him tonight?
