Let there be a new light

A little over a week ago, we celebrated the birthday of Christ. That time of the year is always a blessing to Christians around the world.

We all know that Christmas time is not about us, it is not about our birthday, it is about the birthday of Jesus Christ. What we do as Christians during this holiday season should point us toward our creator, forgiver and sustainer. We need to remember that Christmas is the time of the year when we should ask ourselves what we could do for someone else instead of ourselves.

Lights are also an important part of our Christmas decorations. We put lights on our Christmas trees, we put lights on our houses and we light candles because we like lights at Christmas time.

Lights at Christmas time is a very appropriate thing to do. Lights remind us that at Christmas we celebrate Jesus Christ as the light of the world. Early in the Christmas narrative, those involved realized that a new light was breaking forth into the world.

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist who was the forerunner for the Messiah and was also Jesus’ cousin, exclaims a great song of praise for what God was up to with the coming of the promised Messiah. Zechariah’s song, which is found in Luke chapter one verses 67-79, speaks about the rising son coming from heaven to shine a new light on those who were living in darkness and Jesus was going to shine light into that darkness.

Zechariah used a beautiful metaphor for the coming of Christ. Like a rising sun, Jesus will bring light into the dark world. The darkest part of the night was just before dawn. Darkness surrounds us, darkness invades us. That is what our lives before Jesus looks like — darkness, oppressive darkness, debilitating darkness, hopeless darkness.

Then, at the eastern horizon, a slight glow starts to emerge. The first hint of light brings the hope of a new day. What starts out as a dim light grows until the sun breaks through into the morning sky. With power, the sun chases darkness away and when light pours forth the darkness has no choice but to flee. That is the picture that Zechariah points for the coming of Jesus Christ.

The first words from God that are recorded in Genesis is “Let there be light.” And before, there was light in the coming of the promised Messiah. God speaks forth again with his booming voice of sovereignty and says, “Let there be a new light.” And there came forth a new light who was born of a virgin and was born to chase the darkness away.

We live in a dark world; however, we live in a time where electricity can provide illumination in our houses and towns. However, it cannot produce light in our hearts. If you are walking in a dark place and darkness seems to pervade your family, maybe your soul is weighed down by the oppressive darkness that offers no hope for your future.

If that is the case, please let God come into your life because he will say, “Let there be light.” That light can be found in the rising sun of Jesus Christ being born, living a perfect life, dying a cruel death on the cross for your sins and rising again to bring victory to all of us who have accepted him as our Lord and Savior. We should all praise God for all he has done for us.

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