“Comfort, Promise, and Hope”

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11

Have you ever wondered what God really desired for your life? Does he really have a plan to “prosper” you and to never “harm” you? We read those words in Jeremiah 29:11, and for some folks, they wonder if they are meant for them specifically.
And the answer is, of course - the Lord has a plan for each of us, and not just some standard, “boiler plate” type of plan – it is unique and specially made for every person who has ever lived. Unfortunately, many have yet to allow their plan to begin working.

Yes, that’s true – we can actually keep God’s plan from playing out in our lives. Oh, some may think that the things that they do and experience are the Lord’s will for them, but I expect that this may be far from the truth. The one thing that we need to consider, before the plan can begin, is Jesus. In the first place, without the Christ in our life, we aren’t ready for God’s plan, and second, without Jesus, we could never trust the plan enough to follow it!

So what is the basis for God’s plan in our lives? Jeremiah 29:12-14 – “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

An interesting promise, but what does that really mean for us?

Isaiah 40:1-5

The charge given to the prophet is no different than the one given to each of us – to “comfort” the people, to “speak tenderly” to the oppressed, and to “cry out” to the all of earth that they are to prepare for the Lord’s way in their lives. These are the ways God’s voice is to be heard, and it is up to his people to allow him to speak through them.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote about captivity and exile that we have found ourselves in. Now, while most of us have never know the more conventional forms of captivity and exile, that is exactly what separation from God’s way is all about. The world has always gotten it backward – they believe that freedom is following your own desires and plans in this life, and that God’s way is so restrictive that it, by their definition, is the true captivity that holds us back and imprisoned.

But if we really think about it, the ways of earth are the very ways that Isaiah is promising relief from. The struggle that we never see a way out of; the pain that never seems to end; the lack of hope except for what we think we are able to generate on our own. And this is freedom? Personally, I think that the gift of God’s caring for all of those obstacles that crop up in this life would be preferable by far!

The prophet tells of valleys that will be raised up; mountains that will be lowered; rough places that will be smoothed out. These are figuratively the burdens that crop up in this life, and quite honestly, we will never be able to fill in our valleys, or tear down our mountains, and smoothing out the rough places in life could take far longer than our lifetime will allow. But when we ask the Lord to care for those obstacles– in the blink of an eye, it will all be perfectly completed. Sometimes, he defeats the obstructions, other times, he leads us through them or around them, and sometimes, he shows us how to endure them. But through faith in Jesus Christ, our Almighty God, and when we place our complete trust in him, he will never leave them for us to deal with on our own.

And when we do, “the glory of the Lord will be revealed” for all to see, by our witness.

Isaiah 40:6-8

But how do we actually proclaim the way of the Lord? After all, who can actually understand it all? Who has a prefect grasp on the truth and word of God? Isaiah expresses those exact concerns, for he, too, feels inadequate to share God’s call with the people. He compares our life and our voice to “grass” and “flowers”, with their existence being so temporary and entirely dependent on so many factors. As a matter of fact, he writes that the grass and flowers fail because that is the created way that God has put in place.
We are unworthy, and even incapable of sharing the word of our Lord – by ourselves, that is. These, too, are some of the obstacles that we are confronted with, but when we allow the Lord’s plan to work in us, fully trusting in his ability to flow through even the most unlikely servants as you and I are, his way will be triumphant.

The point is that even though our great God is perfectly able to do all of the proclaiming and caring and doing all by himself, we are the very ones who the Lord wants, and chooses, to work through. There is something about claiming Jesus as Lord that opens our eyes to who we truly are, as well as who we aren’t. We come to understand that we are only grass that is on the verge of withering, and flowers that will be falling to the ground very soon, but that our longevity has nothing to do with the limitations of earth, and that the beauty that people of earth rejoice in has nothing to do with the glory that has risen upon us simply by faith in Christ. Grass withers, flowers fall, but the word and way of our glorious God stand forever.

And that is the divine comfort that we are to offer to those who are struggling, and the tender words that will sustain others when subjected to persecution and oppression in whatever form they may come. The Lord wants us to let others know just who he is and how we, and they, can look to him for hope and relief in this life.

Isaiah 40:9-11

The prophet offers the term “bearer of good tidings” in a way that is somewhat out of the norm. This individual was usually the messenger who brought news of victory in battle, and he would be sent directly from the king who was leading the troops successfully. But then again, maybe this analogy isn’t so far afield after all!

How do you feel about being called a “bearer of good tidings”? How do you feel about being chosen by our divine King to share the news of his great victory over evil? You are, you know! The message from the battleground would tell all – even those who hadn’t heard of the battle yet - that it had been won, and even some of the details of the great and hard fought fight must also be proclaimed. This is the message that each of us has been charged to share.

We are to tell of our King’s courage and dedication to our cause.
We are to tell the people of his sacrifice on our behalf, and how he was able to defeat the enemy by his one great act of courage.
We are to tell the people of how he wasn’t just the overall commander, but how his bravery in the midst of the battle won the day.
We are to tell the people that we are a firsthand witness to his victory, and how he saved the life of even the lowest soldier in his army of faithful.
We must tell the people that, in truth, that even though the victory has been won, the battle is still raging, and that the King wants everyone to be part of the victory themselves.
We are to tell the people that our King’s name is Jesus, and that his victory march, his grand return to this world and to our lives, is imminent, and he wants us all to be part of his glorious celebration – but that we have to show him our allegiance, too.

They need to hear of his compassion and love for the downtrodden, and that, if they will let him, he will never leave them dependent on the world.
They need to hear that the world’s lies, and the persecution that they beat us down with, can never stand against him.
They need to hear that there is none like our King, and that his one great desire for their life is to be their King, too.

This is the call that each of us is to “cry” out. And the unique and special assignment that awaits for each of us? That comes to each who will call Jesus Christ King of their lives, and it will be in the where, and the who and the when, as well as in the many specific words that we use to share the promise of Jesus. I don’t know what your call will be, and I’m still learning what mine is. But by the Lord’s grace, we each will know, sometimes only day by day, but by faith, we will know.

Are you ready to share your victory to dispel the darkness that envelopes the people of earth? Today is the day.

“Accepting the Lord’s Vision”

Scripture: John 1:43-51

John’s gospel begins by proclaiming Jesus as the Word of God that will come to earth, with the sole purpose of destroying the hold that sin has on the world. The gospel then moves on to John the Baptist’s ministry of proclaiming that the truth and grace of the Lord would come to those who would place their trust in this Word made flesh.

And then, while we are still in the first chapter of John, we read of Jesus beginning to call his disciples to follow him, and learn from him. He has called Andrew, who has, in turn, invited his brother Simon to come to Jesus. And in today’s text, another of the first twelve, Philip, is called to “follow” Jesus, and he not only follows, but he also invites another to join him.

That is how the Church is supposed to grow – by each of those who have answered the Lord’s call to invite someone else to join them in the discovery. And as a way of demonstrating how effective this could be, if 1 person, who had accepted the Lord’s invitation to follow him, then invited another person to accept the Lord, and then the next day, the two of them invited two more, and so on, in only 31 days – 1 month - there would be over 1 Billion followers of Jesus.

But before we begin growing the Church that much, let’s see what we can learn from Philip and his discipleship of Jesus Christ.

Read John 1:43-45

And how does Philip offer the invitation? He tells Nathanael who this man is.
First, he identifies Jesus as the Messiah – “the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about who the prophets also wrote.” This recognizes the Lord from two perspectives – first, that the Law, the rule and standard for all of Israel, recognizes the authority of Messiah, and that it all rests on Jesus, and second, that the prophets, those who had been called to proclaim the word of God to the people, told them that Messiah would come as their savior, which also defines Jesus’ mission to the people of earth.

Philip cites the two greatest sources of authority for all of Israel to distinguish just who Jesus is. But this isn’t quite enough – he also identifies Jesus by his earthly connection – that he is the son of Joseph of Nazareth. Jesus is now fully identified. He is the source and authority of the Law (Matthew 5:17-20); he was proclaimed and promised by the prophets (Matthew 2:23, Matthew 26:56); and he also had an intimate and human connection with the people of earth (Matthew 1:22-23)

And Philip joyfully tells his friend that they had found Messiah. It wasn’t that Jesus had been lost, of course – from a spiritual perspective, it was the people of earth who had been lost. It was that same old problem of the darkness again – it was the sin of humanity that had dimmed their hearts and eyes to the glory of God, and which had led them far away from Messiah. But when the light of Christ settles upon you, vision becomes clear, the heart is strengthened, and the way back to Almighty God becomes clear again.

Being invited to discover who Jesus is, is our first step in faith.

Read John 1:46-48

There always seems to be some level of doubt before faith begins to flourish. And in this case, Nathanael finds it difficult to believe that anyone of importance, let alone Messiah, could possible come from such a backwater town as Nazareth. And it certainly was small – at that time, it may have had a population of about 200-300 at best. For many Israelites, including Nathanael, Messiah would be royal, and royalty always came from Jerusalem.

But doubt, and uncertainty, and the improbable have always been the quickest ways to discourage the faithful in their offering of invitations to others. But Philip is inspired, and doesn’t give up so quickly. He turns the question back onto his friend with the words “Come and see!” He is, in essence, telling Nathanael that if he didn’t trust the words he had just heard, then don’t just dismiss the possibility of finding Messiah for yourself – come, and meet him, and then make your own decision.

The point is that we are never to give up after a few negative responses! If the direct approach doesn’t work, turn the tables around and let your friend make his own judgment of Christ. But in order to make an informed decision, you have to get a little closer to the topic of interest - the truth can never be discovered when you keep it at arm’s length!

So Philip makes that suggestion to Nathanael – “Come and see for yourself!” And Nathanael accepts the offer, and goes to see this Jesus for himself, and in doing so, receives an affirmation regarding his own life. Jesus’ statement that this man is a “true Israelite” is a great compliment. A true Israelite is one who lives a life in faith and trust of God. To be referred to as “an Israelite”, not to mention as a “true Israelite”, is a very good thing.

Israel had been called to live and serve their Jehovah God in faithfulness. We aren’t sure of the depth of Nathanael’s righteous life, but we do know that he faithfully answered the call of God that was given to him through Philip. And when Jesus told Nathanael that there was nothing false in him, it could have been a prophecy that the truth of Christ would soon fill the man’s soul!

Discovering the truth of Christ is our second step in faith.

Read John 1:49-51

While Jesus had revealed Nathanael’s inner being to him earlier, now Nathanael reciprocates – he professes the truth of Christ’s Being. He identifies the Christ in two ways – first as the Son of God, and second as the King of Israel. The first speaks of the source and authority that rests upon Jesus, and the second speaks of how he has been called to exercise that authority. The fullness of Jesus is beginning to fill our friend, and he is growing in his Messiah.

Acknowledging who Jesus is, for each of us personally, is of vital importance in faith. And the Lord is always ready to help us learn. If his next words to Nathanael seem familiar, consider what he said when he told Thomas that, while he believed because he had seen the resurrected Christ, others would believe even though they had no similar evidence (John 20:24-29). But Jesus’ words to Nathanael are far more positive. The Lord was letting this new believer know that even though he had already experienced the truth of who Jesus was, he hadn’t even begun to see the glory that would come upon Messiah.

Nathanael had made a commitment to learn more about Jesus, and Jesus was telling him that it would all come in time.

Commitment to learning more and more about our Lord is our next step in faith.

And in Matthew 28:18-20, we discover that this is what the Lord was telling us in the Great Commission. Nathanael’s experience with Jesus is what we have been considering these past 3 weeks, and what Jesus’ call on our lives is all about.
Remember our text from a couple weeks ago, regarding the Light of God that rises upon us all? Opening our eyes to the potential of Jesus Christ in our life is only the first step in our discovery of faith. In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us that the call on the Church is, first of all, to make disciples of all nations. Andrew reached out to his brother Simon, and Philip reached out to his friend Nathanael, and each were brought to the Lord, but later, in the book of Acts (Acts 8:26-40), we find Philip answering another call that God placed on him. It was to witness and teach a court official from Ethiopia about Jesus Christ, and to baptize him. First in Israel, then for Ethiopia, and later to Caesarea. Philip would really get around, and the Lord was intimately involved in it all!

Baptism, as we discussed last week, is our outward sign of a commitment to follow and learn from Jesus, and baptism is the second part of our Commission. Discovery of Jesus is a good start, but without a commitment to continue to learn and share the Lord with others, our faith will be shallow and hollow at best. But even our commitment isn’t enough – there is one last step that Philip and Nathanael had to take.

Step three is to continue to learn about Jesus. We do that by reading scripture, and through bible study with others, and by living in Christ’s light and using it to reach out to those who are still buried in the darkness. Philip would become one of Jesus’ Twelve Disciples, and would spent years walking and watching and hearing and learning from the Master. He would then use what he knew to lead others into Christ’s way. I’m sure that we all would like to read more about Nathaniel and where his new found faith in his Messiah would lead him, but the only other mention of this believer is in John 21:1-3. Nathanael would be one of the seven who would meet the resurrected Christ after a night of frustrated fishing.

His life in Jesus didn’t end with his invitation and introduction by Philip, and neither of them would lose their zeal to live a full life in Christ. And that must be our goal, too. Our passion for living in Christ will bring us all the glories that Jesus promised to our new friend Nathanael – we shall see greater things than anything we have ever seen before – IF we live our faith in Christ to the fullest.

“Serving in the Lord’s Baptism”

Scripture: Mark 1:4-11

Last week, we talked about the Light of Christ, and how it overcomes the darkness that lives within us. This light leads us to the truth of God that comes to us by faith in Christ, and then, by that truth, we are able to discover the hope and promise that exists in faith. When we open our eyes to the light of Christ, we discover that he is calling us, encouraging us, offering his loving hand to us, and promises that life in him will exceed every expectation, overcome every concern, and will meet every possible need that we could ever have.

Today, we consider the next step in our life in Christ. After we have discovered just what he can do for and through us, we learn that Jesus offers eternal life and forgiveness for the sinful ways – those ways of earth - that had previously attracted us, but in reality, only served to steer us away from God. And what might come after that attraction and discovery?

The next step is in commitment to the new way and the opportunities that Christ will bring to our lives.

Read Mark 1:4-5

John wasn’t just putting water on their bodies – he preached “a baptism of repentance and forgiveness. Some new parents who have never set foot inside of a church want to have their baby baptized because they think the child will somehow know the grace of God if they do. They think that baptism guarantees the child’s salvation! But nothing could be further from the truth.

The term “repentance” means that one has turned away from a sinful way of life. It means that a person has chosen to follow a new road, to live a new life. And “forgiveness”, at least when it comes from Almighty God, means that the transgression has been blotted from his memory. Of course, we are also charged to forgive the harm that others do against us, but we seldom are able to make it permanent, let alone wipe it from our mind. But the Lord’s forgiveness, when we are honest with him, is complete.

So John’s baptism by water had nothing to do with salvation – it was about ridding your life of sin, and then seeking restoration in the Lord. It was a public confession that the people had gone against the Lord’s ways, and a sign of spiritual “washing”, of “cleansing”, of “purification” in their life.

There is some evidence that the Jews had been making a similar ritual as an appeal for forgiveness by God, a preparation for Messiah’s return. So John’s baptism of repentance and forgiveness was also seen, by many, as a sign that the time of Messiah was near.
But John’s concept of repentance was that it must come from the heart, not just by washing the body. The truth is that John’s baptism would, primarily, point directly toward the coming of Jesus, and only second, as a sign of preparation, of spiritual purification for that glorious arrival. And many came to hear his message, and to receive his baptism.

Read Mark 1:6-8

Mark is the only gospel that mentions John’s strange custom of dress and eating, and interestingly, it makes a connection to Elijah in 2 Kings 1:7-8, Elijah also dressed in hair garments, and in Malachi 3:1, Elijah is described as a messenger who would prepare the way of the Lord, which further establishes a connection with John. This sets the stage for John’s ministry.
John’s baptism was not some ritualistic purification that would have to be repeated over and over again, and that it also could never establish a righteousness that would never be lost. The baptized would be those who were preparing to receive the revealed Lord.

And John differentiates between his baptism and that of Jesus – his would be by water, while Christ’s would be by the Holy Spirit. John’s was one of preparation, while that of Jesus would be for salvation. You received John’s by coming physically to where he was, but you received Jesus’ baptism by coming spiritually, by faith, to him and his way.
And John is very intentional in setting the standard as to which baptism was more important – his merely prepared them, and pointed them, toward the one that they were looking for, and that is what John was proclaiming to the people of Israel. And on this day, those who were prepared to see the Lord, wouldn’t be disappointed.

Read Mark 1:9-11

So the question that needs to be asked is this - if John’s baptism by water was about repentance and forgiveness, why would Jesus need to receive it? After all, he had nothing to repent of, so why would he need to be forgiven? Perhaps there was more to it.

How about the other gospels – what do they say regarding the issue of Jesus’ baptism? In Matthew 3:15, Jesus tells John that “it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, Jesus may have seen this as a means of “fulfilling” his connection to those who were preparing to receive him. Luke 3:21 ignores the issue as Mark does, and in John’s gospel (1:32-34), we don’t even read of a water baptism – John only writes about Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit!

But there may be one more, unspoken, issue surrounding the baptism by water – one that may reflect on the one Jesus received. As part of our preparation to receive Jesus into our life, we make a commitment to him. Repentance is not a shallow statement of sinfulness – it is a commitment to the Lord God that, not only have we broken his law, but that we also promise to leave that life behind, to accept the new one that God has created for us.

By his water baptism, Jesus may very well have been making a commitment to the Father - that the life he was about to embark on, the one that Father God had ordained for him, was the only one that he would follow. And in making that commitment, Christ may also have been making, as Matthew implies, a commitment and connection to those who were preparing for his coming.

So I have to ask - what does our water baptism mean for us? For most of us, our baptism was made through our parents’ statement of faith, and for some, they feel no obligation to accept that commitment – it wasn’t theirs! Of course, Exodus 20:12 tells us that we are to “Honor your father and your mother”, and that should include the commitments that they make.

But what if the parents have no faith, have no relationship with Almighty God, and haven’t got a clue as to who and what Jesus is all about? What if they have never received Jesus for their own life? How honest is the vow of baptism that they take on behalf of their child?

Remember the vows that Methodist baptisms require? Three questions are asked:
1. Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?

When we reply “Yes”, this is our statement of repentance from the sins in our life, and a commitment to leave those ways.

2. Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

An answer of “Yes” to this question is a claim of dependence on God so that we might live the life that He calls us to live.

3. Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?

That’s pretty clear, isn’t it!

What if a person answers “Yes” to each of these questions, without any intention to live by them? And from a personal perspective, what about a pastor who performs a baptism when he or she suspects that the “Yes’s” will all be lies, or at best, half-hearted?

Our baptism by water is a serious issue, because it becomes the basis for the rest of our life in Jesus Christ. Without truth in either our water baptism or our spiritual baptism, the service and life that we live in the name of Jesus becomes a hollow promise, with no hope within it.

So the question for today is this: is the Lord pleased with the answer you have given to the call he has placed in your life, and the way that you are living out your baptism?

“Walking in the Lord’s Light”

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6, 15

As you know, Isaiah is a book of prophecy. Much of it speaks of Israel’s failure to love the Lord, but parts actually tell of God’s love for the people and how he reaches out to them, to protect them, to sustain them, to enrich them, and to care for their future. But the nation always seemed to take God’s providence for granted. After all, they were the “chosen” people, and believed that God would never let them down.

So the prophet’s words of doom generally fell on deaf ears. Abandon them? Leave them at the mercy of a conqueror? Never! After all, they were also hearing about a Messiah who would come to free them from assaults and oppression by the tribes of earth. Messiah would be their savior. The only questions were when he would come to relieve them from the persecution that others inflicted on their lives, what he would be like, and how it would all come together.

They would have to continue to wonder, for today’s text addresses a whole other aspect of Messiah that they had also misinterpreted.

Read Isaiah 60:1-3

Much of what Isaiah had been warning the nation about was centered on the issue of “darkness”. In Isaiah 8:21-22, he warns the people that either they will look up toward God, or they will continue to fix their gaze in the darkness of earth; either they will seek the glory that their God offers, or they will continue to be immersed in the distress and anguish that exists in that darkness. In Isaiah 42:16-18, the people are compared to the blind being lead down a road that they have never been on before, and that the Lord will turn their darkness into light – IF they will follow him. He tells those who trust in idols and images for their hope, that they will be put to shame – unless they stop looking down toward earth, and begin looking up toward him.

But this chapter seems to take a different tact. Isaiah begins setting warnings about the penalties of living in darkness aside, and tells the people that the light will prevail in their lives, that the darkness of earth will be defeated. No options, no alternatives, no words of condemnation – just promises of the glory that will come from their Jehovah God. But the one aspect that differs from their previous understanding is that this glory, this wonderful light, won’t come to them from other nations. This glory will come directly from the Lord, and they will be given the blessing of sharing in it. Both the Lord, as well as the Light, will rise upon them.

But will it be theirs to keep? Will it be given solely for their benefit? Not at all. By their witness, others will be able to come near to this divine canopy - it will be an opportunity to bring other nations, other leaders, into the light of Israel’s Almighty God. They would no longer have exclusive access to Messiah God! And why must this be? Verse 2 reminds them, and us, that darkness will still cover the earth, and that, without the light of God, it will still cover the people. And by implication, this is not the will of the Lord.

Light always overcomes the darkness. The darkness doesn’t have a choice; the darkness can’t be strengthened to be above the light; the darkness will never survive the presence of the light. Israel had also been promised that, because they were far from God, that their God would come to them, and that they would reveal his goodness to the rest of earth. (Isaiah 40:1-5) What a responsibility! What an opportunity – to be the means of spreading the Lord’s glory to the rest of earth, that others might know this divine light. But how will that happen?

Read Isaiah 60:4-6

Israel is to lift their eyes, and look around them. Interestingly, looking up makes it difficult to guide your own steps and direction. You need other guidance to stay on the right track. The Lord wants them to look up to him for hope and direction in their lives, and when they do, they will see the truth of what Jehovah is doing for them. This passage begins with a reference to Isaiah 49:18, in which two images are presented, with the first being that of a homecoming. But it wouldn’t be the traditional one, an earthly one of physical relocation, but rather that of a spiritual return to the ways of Almighty God. The second reference is to the adornment relative to a wedding. The bride would be beautifully dressed in the finest jewelry that her family might possess. She would never wear them again, but on the day of her wedding, she would be presented in a royal way.

In putting these two images together, we see that Israel would, one day, return to the Lord’s way, and the “marriage” - the relationship - would be restored. But the beauty of that day would never end – the glory of God would become theirs forever. And the blessings wouldn’t end there. Two more images are raised up.
“The wealth on the seas would” be given to them. The image of water, and more specifically, stormy waters, were a sign of chaos and sin. In the story of creation, we read, regarding the Second Day, that the “waters” were divided to allow an “expanse” to exist within it. The waters represented chaotic, or disorganized existence, and the “expanse”, or “firmament”, to be the created order of God. The darkness would still exist, but there would be light to hold it back (Genesis 1:1-8). But in Isaiah, we discover that God’s light will also effect the “chaos” of the spiritual seas – that it will be changed into blessings for Israel.
“The riches of the nations” will also pale in comparison to what Israel will receive. Of course, this won’t be monetary riches for the people – it will be the earth’s offerings presented at the Lord’s altar.
It is about the blessings that come in faith. Herds of camels, gifts of gold and silver, were all signs of great wealth, and all will be presented to God on behalf of Israel. And the gifts won’t only be Israel’s to give – all the earth will come to make offerings to the God of Glory.

Consider what this may mean for the Church of today. By faithful obedience to God’s call, and by his faithfulness to us, others, who have yet to know and honor him, will present their own lives to him. This is the true gift, the true sacrifice that the Lord is seeking. Romans 12:1-2 tells us that the sacrifice that the Lord desires is that we “offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is [our] spiritual act of worship.” The camels and gold and silver that Isaiah speaks of are simply representative of the worth that our surrender to the Lord’s way embodies.

Read Isaiah 60:15

Israel never actually had the respect of other nations – there were times, especially during Solomon’s reign, when others honored the power and majesty of Israel. But it was based more on submission to power, than it was in the offer of respect. But as time went on, they lost any majesty and authority that others had granted to the nation. They would experience the animosity that others felt toward them, and they would feel forsaken by both the world and by God.

But the prophet tells them that they will become the “everlasting pride and joy” of all nations and all generations. But would it be Israel itself who would be that pride and joy? I believe that it is referring to the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. Jesus would be God’s gift to Israel, and in turn, he would be that same gift to the world.

“Joy and Pride”? The words hardly seem adequate! But they will be credited to Israel, none the less. And why? Because the day will come when they will recognize and receive the salvation that Christ offers them. Through the gift of Jesus to God’s people, other peoples will also become the “children of God”, and will know his salvation, too.

But even though the light has come into the world, there will still be some who will decide to remain in darkness. But those who strive to do what is true will come to the light, and will bathe in its glow. John 3:19-21 tells us that the deeds that people of the light do are done in God, and not in and of themselves.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” These words were given to Israel, but the word is also for all who “come to the light” of Christ. Are you ready for that glory? Are you prepared to give your life and all that you do to the glory of our Almighty and Gracious and Loving God?

Our “Light has come” – and if we walk in it, and live in it, and truly understand what that means for each of our lives, how can we give him any less?