Advent: I AM the light of the World

Advent is simply a time to prepare spiritually to celebrate the birth of our LORD, we celebrate His first Advent longing for His second!

"The first coming of Christ the Lord, God’s son and our God, was in obscurity; the second will be in the sight of the whole world. When he came in obscurity no one recognized him but his own servants; when he comes openly he will be known by both good people and bad. When he came in obscurity, it was to be judged; when he comes openly it will be to judge."    Augustine (AD 354–430)

Isaiah was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born and yet he prophesied of the coming Messiah when he wrote, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2)
Remember that before Jesus was born there had been 400 silent years.  There had been 400 years that God did not speak to His people, 400 years when God was silent.  The silence and the darkness were unbearable.  This is the context of Christmas, this is the culture that Christ was born into...DARKNESS and absolute silence!
The father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied these words,   “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”” (Luke 1:79)

In Matthew we learn that when John the Baptist was arrested Jesus moved to Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, to fulfill Isaiah's prophesy...“the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”” (Matthew 4:16)
In the Gospel of John we have one of the beautiful "I AM" statements of Jesus, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12)
Try to imagine living in a time where generation after generation lived in spiritual darkness..."sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death."  As I prayed through these scriptures I was convicted of areas of darkness in me where I desperately need to invite Jesus to invade?  What areas of darkness continue in your own heart?  What areas of your own heart require repentance and an invitation for Jesus to take over?

Pray for those around you that are in darkness, trapped in secret sin, blinded to their own desperate condition.  Pray that those around you would see Jesus, see the great light and rest in HIM.  After you have prayed for them tell them the great and glorious news...that He is calling them out of the darkness into His marvelous light!  1 Peter 2:9
He did come in obscurity His first advent, His second coming He comes to judge the living and the dead!  Those that die outside of Jesus Christ spend eternity in darkness with NO HOPE!
The first Advent candle is HOPE!  Allow Jesus to shine His light through you to those around you...be the instrument of light, of Hope, to those around you in darkness!
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2)
Pursuing intimacy with Jesus!