we have seen a great light.

"The People who walked in Darkness have seen a great light."

Isaiah 9:2

The shepherds are the first, most obvious recipients of this promise. Night after night, these shephereds ritualistically watched the sheep. Nothing exciting ever happened, except for an predator scare every once in a while, or on the rare night they saw a shooting star. But one night, these people who walked in darkness saw a great light. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and told them the good news of the birth of their Savior. 

How wonderful!

How marvelous! 

They immediately leapt to their feet, forgetting the sheep, forgetting their responsiblilites, only thinking of how their lives were about to change. 

Mary and Joseph were also recipients of this promise. We fail to think of them in that capacity. The unsuspecting virgin, we often equate her to a clueless teenage girl, but I believe this girl had the most courageous faith. Her faith caused her to find favor with God and carry his son for 9 months. This is not a task given to just anyone. Joseph, a simple carpenter, about to become father also was filled with faith. He had to trust God unconditionally that Mary was telling the truth. He believed God enough to disregard the opinions of everyone around him who thought Mary was breaking the Law. She should be stoned to death. 

But when this gentle, courageous mother, met eyes with her Son for the first time, she saw a great light. When this quiet, faithful father held his Son for the first time, He saw a great light.

We are recipients of this promise. If it wasn't for that Baby where would I be? That baby grew up to be the wonderful counselor, prince of peace, almighty God, and our everlasting Father. 

Without that baby I would still be buried in a graveyard of my sin. Without that baby I would still be separated from God by a deep cavern called Hell. Without that birth on a quiet night, in a small stable in Bethlehem, I would be lost, isolated and alone. Without that Child, who would grow up to be the greatest Man who ever walked this earth, my life would be meaningless. Without that Man, who lived a perfect, sinless life, and sacrificed himself on a cross to appease the wrath of God, I would have no righteousness before God himself. And if that man did not rise again three days later, I would not be alive again. Without that baby, there would be no wonderful counselor, there would be no prince of peace, there would be no everlasting father. 

Without that baby, who is Christ the Lord, this life is not worth it. 

All my hope boils down to one thing: Jesus Christ. From the simple complexity of his birth to the humility of his death, my hope weighs on Jesus. Because of Him I see how I have walked in darkness. And now I see a great light. How grateful I am.

How marvelous.

How wonderful. 

I'm thankful for his birth. I'm thankful for his death. I'm thankful for the time in between. 

1 Corinthians 6:15-16

He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unnaproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.