Shining the ‘LIGHT’ of JESUS CHRIST in our ‘DARK WORLD’!
July 18
Bible Reading: Isaiah Chapters 7-9
Shining the ‘LIGHT’ of JESUS CHRIST in our ‘DARK WORLD’!
"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." (Isaiah 9:2)
The district
of Galilee, located in the hill country of Zebulun and Naphtali, was inhabited
by a mixed population of Israelites and heathen. Years after Joshua led the
Israelites in their conquest of Canaan, Canaanites still inhabited the region
(Judges 1:30–33; 4:2). Galilee was also situated on a major trade route, which
brought foreigners to the area and came to be called as the“Galilee of the Gentiles” (9:1).
However, God
promised to send a “great light” on
these “people who walked in darkness”
(9:2). Who was this ‘light’, who came
for both Gentiles and Israelites? God promised, through the birth of a child,
to shatter the darkness of gentile occupation experienced by the ten tribes of
Israel.According to the Gospel of Matthew, this ‘light’ was Jesus Christ:
“When Jesus heard that John had been put
in prison, He departed to Galilee … that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by Isaiah” (Matt. 4:12–17).Although Galilee was held in contempt (2 Kings
15:29), the promised Christ would dwell there as a source of light to the
Gentiles.Jesus Christ is the ‘light’ that
God sent even to the Gentiles as the expression of His love for the whole
world!
Let us
understand that ‘light’ stands for God’s blessings, presence, and revelation
(9:2; 30:26; 42:6, 16; 60:1–3). The Lord is the light in blessing and in judgment (10:17;
60:19, 20; John 1:4; 8:12). People who exchange His light for the darkness of
their corrupt minds (5:20; 8:20), will one day experience His judgment and live
in the darkness of separation from God (5:30; 13:10; 59:9)
Today, we are the light of the world, as Jesus
Himself has stated: "You are the
light of the world. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:14, 16). As His
children, we are required to shine the light of Jesus in our dark world as we
model His saving grace to the people living in sin and darkness.
"He who believes in Him (Jesus
Christ) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And
this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone
practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds
should be exposed." (John 3:18-20)
Can we take our calling and mission seriously as we live out the life of Jesus before those who are not exposed to His saving grace and knowledge? Remember, Jesus Christ is the difference between light and darkness as well as life and death for everyone living on this earth today!
