Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 27:4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23.
A). THE DAWNING OF THE LIGHT.
Isaiah 9:1-4.
The prospect at the end of Isaiah 8 was one of ‘trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish’ (cf. Isaiah 8:22). But now there is a “Nevertheless” (Isaiah 9:1). The darkest night is followed by the dawn. The dimness is vanquished, and affliction replaced by glory.
One of the motifs of the incarnation is of light breaking into the darkness (Isaiah 9:2). There is still much darkness in the world, but when the true light comes the darkness cannot extinguish the light (cf. John 1:5). Even the shadow of death flees at His presence (cf. Psalm 23:4).
Jesus is the true light (cf. John 1:9) - as opposed to the false light of paganism, or the relative light of the types and shadows of the Old Covenant. His is original light as opposed to reflected light: the light of the sun as opposed to the light of the moon. His light is full, as opposed to partial.
There is an outbreak of joy on account of His nativity - like the joy of harvest, or the joy of a day of victory in war (Isaiah 9:3). It is like deliverance after captivity, and the breaking of the yoke of the oppressor (Isaiah 9:4).
When Jesus returned from the temptation in the wilderness, He heard that John had been put into prison. This heralded the beginning of our Lord’s public ministry, not in Judea, but in the region of “Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1). The true light had arisen in the midst of great darkness (cf. Matthew 4:12-16).
B). JESUS, OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD.
Psalm 27:1, Psalm 27:4-9.
1. We look first at the ground of David's confidence in this Psalm: “the LORD.”
When the moniker “the LORD” is used in English translations of the Old Testament, it is a device that stands for the unspoken name of the true and living God. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and all that in them is; the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the Holy One who saved Israel from captivity in Egypt; and the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In New Testament times we might also recognise in this symbol Jesus Himself, who is our light, whose name means salvation, and who is the strength and confidence of the people whom the LORD God His Father has given Him. David was fully aware of the plurality of the Godhead when he said in Psalm 110:1, “The LORD said to my Lord...” - a verse quoted by Jesus Himself (Luke 20:42), and by Peter (Acts 2:34).
David had also called the LORD “my shepherd” in Psalm 23:1, yet Jesus had no hesitation in declaring Himself the Good Shepherd under the Godly moniker “I am” which corresponds to “the LORD” (John 10:11). In another “I am” saying, Jesus declares: “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). In fact, Jesus never shrank from nor denied the accusations that He was making Himself equal with God.
After all, there is but one God, yet there are three Persons in the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal. It is this God in whom we must place our trust. This is the beginning of our faith.
2. Secondly, we may consider the particular attributes of the LORD which give rise to David's assurance: light, salvation, and strength.
“The light” of which David speaks is not created light, the light of the cosmos or the sun, moon and stars. It is uncreated, original light, found in God Himself. This is the foundational light of which the Apostle John speaks: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
John elsewhere refers to Jesus as the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world (John 1:9). Again we have evidence of the plurality, and the oneness of the Godhead.
There is also such a thing as created light, which God brought into existence on the first day (Genesis 1:3-5). This was ahead of the sun, moon and stars - which only put in their appearance on day four (Genesis 1:14-19). God Himself is the source of all light.
In another of His “I am” sayings, Jesus claims to be “the Light of the world” (John 8:12). To substantiate this, He healed a man born blind whose testimony is echoed by all who have been saved from the blindness of ignorance and ungodliness: “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).
The salvation which David celebrated involved the same LORD who had delivered Israel out of captivity in Egypt, and brought them into the holy land under Joshua, whose name means “the LORD saves.”
Yet the name “Jesus” also speaks of salvation, “for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). God is able to save to the uttermost all that come to Him in this name (Hebrews 7:25). Jesus provides the only way for man to be spared from the slavery of the world, the flesh and the devil, and the corruptions which arise as a consequence of our rebellion against God. He has borne the penalty and punishment of our sin. There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
Furthermore, having been saved, the LORD is seen as the strength of the believer's life. He makes us strong to fight the good fight of faith. In His name we overcome all the snares and traps of the devil and his cohorts. “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).
In this we can have confidence: that He who has begun a good work in us will carry it through to its completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). We are called to be holy, but we are not expected to accomplish holiness without the constant ministrations of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. In the meantime, be patient with me: God has not finished with me yet. My strength is in Him!
3. Let us take account, thirdly, of the personal nature of David's relationship with the LORD: “my” light, “my” salvation, and the strength of “my” life.
That God is light is not as remote a reality as it sounds. He is “my” light, says David. In Jesus is light, and that light is the light of men (John 1:4).
There are different degrees of light, but Jesus conveys His light not only to “all men” in a general sense, but also uniquely to His own people. This reaches its climax in heaven: “and there shall be no night there; and they shall need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light” (Revelation 22:5).
David also perceives the LORD to be his “salvation.” It is God who delivered the youth from the jaw of the lion and the bear, and the hands of the giant. The LORD also saved the man from the spear of the king on more than one occasion, and was with him in exile. When he became king himself, David recognised the LORD's intervention on his behalf against all his enemies.
As for his strength, David personally found the LORD to be a strong tower (Psalm 61:3). His hands were made ready for war as and when necessary. This is as true for his spiritual battles as for ours. “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side” - then surely we would have been swallowed up, and that right quick (Psalm 124:2-3)!
4. Fourthly, let us follow David's example and take reassurance ourselves in the combat against fear, the enemy of faith.
“Whom shall I fear?” asks David. “Of whom then shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
David took confidence in God as his sanctuary (Psalm 27:4). The king foresaw "the rock" of our salvation - Jesus (Psalm 27:5). Like Paul and Silas after him, David praised the LORD in the midst of adversity (Psalm 27:6).
When we cry to the LORD in our distress, we find Him to be a merciful and prayer-answering God (Psalm 27:7). When He calls, we should likewise answer (Psalm 27:8). He who has been our help in the past will not forsake us. Just as surely as He has saved us in the past, He will deliver us from each new challenge and crisis (Psalm 27:9).
C). AN APPEAL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY.
1 Corinthians 1:10-18.
The Apostle Paul had heard from some members of the household of Chloe that cliques were forming in the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:11). A report from Chloe was evidently serious enough to raise Paul’s concerns; and at the same time Chloe was respected enough for Paul not to hesitate in disclosing his source to the erring congregation. These groups were evidently labelling themselves by different Christian teachers, and were intolerant of anyone who varied from their own idiosyncrasies (1 Corinthians 1:12).
It is not uncommon, even to this very day, to find disparate groups within the church who are so at odds with each other that they seem determined to tear the church apart. It is very sad to see brethren who were at College or seminary with one another rending whole churches over personalities, or about special interests which may or may not have the mark of apostolicity about them. Such things should not be, and have done untold damage to the witness of the church down through the ages.
Paul was appalled at this situation, and pleaded with the brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to find some common ground (1 Corinthians 1:10).
The Apostle was not calling for a boring uniformity, but for a dynamic unity based in:
(a) the common experience of Christ;
(b) our baptism into Him (1 Corinthians 1:13); and
(c) the preaching of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Paul found it not at all flattering that his name had been attached to one of these groups - but recognised that the greatest insult was to the Lord Himself, and to the integrity of His body (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
The three rhetorical questions in 1 Corinthians 1:13 all expect a negative answer:
(a) Christ is not divided, and neither should His body (the church) be divided;
(b) Of course Paul was not crucified for us – and neither was Apollos or Peter, or anyone else but Jesus; and
(c) Neither were we baptised in the name of Paul, or anyone else, but in the name of Jesus.
It is a very human touch when Paul tries to remember who he personally baptised (1 Corinthians 1:14-16). Paul recognises that baptism is a very important part of Christian initiation, but was not first and foremost what he was called to do. Paul was called to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17), and it hardly matters who got down in the water with the catechumens, as long as they were obedient to the instruction to be baptised.
Paul is in his element as he describes the simplicity of the gospel, thereby warning against the potentially diabolical effect of worldly wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:17). Preaching the gospel is the same as preaching the cross of Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:18). The amazing thing is that true preaching does its own work, without the manipulative tricks of the rhetoricians.
As the word of God, the preaching of the cross will accomplish that for which it was sent (cf. Isaiah 55:11). For those who are perishing it will appear foolish: and if they are determined that it is foolishness then they will not be able to enter into its potential. For those of us who are being saved: we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the preaching of the cross is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).
We have this in common with all believers;
along with our baptism into Christ (1 Corinthians 1:13); and
our participation in the Lord’s Table (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26).
D). GALILEE OF THE NATIONS.
Matthew 4:12-23.
In Egypt, Joseph Ben-David was instructed to take the holy family back to Israel, because Jesus had things to do there. Joseph took Jesus and Mary to Nazareth in Galilee. There they dwelt, and there Jesus grew up (Matthew 2:20-23).
The years passed by, and God sent John the Baptist to the River Jordan. This was in fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 40:3). John preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Matthew 3:1-3).
1. Jesus came to John to be baptised in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17)
Jesus did not have any personal sin to repent of, but His washing with water may have signified the ritual washing of a priest when he is first consecrated. Jesus was anointed when the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove, and God the Father accepted the Person of Jesus with a voice from heaven. This was the high point of John’s ministry.
2. Jesus was tempted just as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15)
God created all things “very good”, but man’s collective disobedience has ushered in the principle of death. The Garden of Eden was turned into a wilderness of destruction, disaster, and disease. It is fitting, then, that it was “into the wilderness” that the Spirit led Jesus right at the beginning of His public ministry to confront the devil (Matthew 4:1).
3. Jesus took up the message of repentance (Matthew 4:17)
When Jesus returned from the wilderness, he heard that John had been put into prison. This heralded the beginning of our Lord’s public ministry, not in Judea, but in the region of “Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1). The true light had arisen in the midst of great darkness (Matthew 4:12-16).
4. It was in Galilee that Jesus called His first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22)
John the Baptist had already pointed Andrew and one other of his own disciples towards Jesus (John 1:35-42). When Jesus called Andrew and Peter to become fishers of men, they were being called not only into salvation, but also into service. They immediately left their nets, and followed Him.
Likewise James and John left their ship, their father, and their nets to go wherever Jesus was about to lead them. We have to love God better than our business, better than our family, and better than our legitimate occupations. When we follow Jesus, we leave behind the familiar, and launch out into uncharted waters: but with the reassurance that He will lead us in the paths that we should go.
5. Jesus taught the gospel, with signs following (Matthew 4:23)
It was important that the people who worshipped in the synagogues should hear the words of Jesus (Acts 3:22-23). Neither was it beneath Him to preach the kingdom to those outside the synagogue, healing “all manner” of sickness and disease. His message was further authenticated in the voice which was heard in the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:5).
As we leave this passage, let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is content not only to relieve our bodily ailments, but who has vanquished once and for all the spiritual leprosy of our sin by the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. While we were yet far off, Christ died for us, that we might live in Him. In Him is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, bond nor free.
To Him be praise and glory for ever.
