'Arise, shine; for thy light is come....'
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." Isaiah 60:1-3
With the coming of Christ Jesus, the light of God's truth and the very glory of the LORD God Himself shines in this dark and sinful world, revealing man's sinful and lost condition but also God's gracious plan of salvation through the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of his own beloved Son, born of the virgin to be our Savior. And for that reason, true believers in Christ have every reason to arise and shine.
This glorious light was seen not only by the Jewish believers of Jesus' day – by people like the shepherds and Simeon and Anna (cf. Luke 2) – but by the Gentiles as well. Wise men from the east came to worship the Messiah and newborn King, recognizing that this Child was indeed the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind (Matt. 2). And wise men from all nations still seek Him and worship and honor Him as the King of kings and Savior of all the world.
The world is still a dark place – darkness covers the eyes of people around us – but the light is shining! God kept His ancient promises and sent His only-begotten Son to be our Savior by living a holy life in our stead and then bearing upon the cross the full punishment for our sins and the sins of all people and rising again in triumph. The light of God's truth still reveals our utter sinfulness and inability to save ourselves, but it also reveals that Jesus Christ has won for us pardon and forgiveness and life eternal in God's everlasting kingdom!
That light has shined upon us, bringing us to faith in Christ and His redeeming work, and that light shines through us upon those living in darkness when we bear witness to Christ and all He has done for us. Through the preaching of God's Word, the Day Star has arisen in our hearts (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19); and we show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).
The light of the LORD has risen upon us. His glory shines upon us, revealing to us the salvation God has provided for sinners in His Son (cf. John 8:12; 1 John 1:5ff.). We also become lights and shine in this dark world when we reflect the glory of our God and Savior and make known to all the salvation the LORD God has provided in Jesus Christ.
O Light of the world and our Savior, we thank and praise You for coming into this dark and sinful world and winning for us pardon and peace, life and salvation, by Your holy life in our stead and Your atoning sacrifice for our sins. Open our eyes to see the light and trust in You, and grant that we also reflect the true light on those around us, that all – both Jew and Gentile – may walk in the light of Your grace. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.]
Editorial on 01/08/2014