Prophecy: A Birth Announcement

S.B.: Isaiah 9: 2 – 7

It’s almost hard to believe, isn’t it? Once again here we are at the first Sunday in Advent. Last evening we put up the Christmas Tree in the Parsonage living-room, and plugged the tree in to find that more than a few of the bulbs had burned out. “Well, that’s okay,” we thought, “we’ll just go to Ocean State Job Lot after church tomorrow and pick up a strand of while Christmas tree lights, and that will be okay…”

The beautiful thing about the Christmas Tree we have is that after everyone else is asleep, I can tip-toe downstairs to the living-room, turn on the lights, and just admire the tree shimmering with all those lights. I remember last year, putting the tree up, decorating the tree, and then later on that night sitting mesmerized by the dazzling display of ornaments. It was so other-worldly beautiful, that I sat there until it was almost morning before I realized that I had been up all night.
Back in the day that Isaiah wrote down the prophecy that foretold the birth of the coming Messiah, the people were walking in darkness. I do not necessarily mean the sort of darkness that you experience in the middle of the night, but rather the political climate of the day was one of oppression and tyranny, and the economic climate of the day looked grim. The people were walking in darkness, and God was about to do something wonderful… something powerful… something which would change the course of history.

Light was coming into the world… Prophetically, when God was about to do something, he would tell his prophets… he would give a sign… and then, when the time was right, he would roll it out. In this case, light was the sign. John wrote these words…
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

Isaiah got the word from God that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… and it was the same light of which John testified. And he looked back and saw that it was the same light that God called forth at creation

John not only tells us who that light is, but he traces its existence back to the beginning of creation, when God said “let there be light…”

The first candle of the advent wreath, which we lit this morning, symbolizes hope… and the hope of the world is the one person in all of history who is the complete fulfillment of every last prophecy concerning the messiah.
Here’s an interesting fact for you… There are, in the Old Testament, 363 prophecies relating to the messiah…

Question: Out of those 363 prophecies, what are the odds of 10 of these prophecies actually coming to pass…

How about 50 of these prophecies… or 100 of these prophecies… or even 200 of these prophecies?

The fact of the matter is that ALL 363 Old Testament prophecies concerning the messiah were fulfilled in one and only one person in all History… Not one single prophecy was missed… proving conclusively that Jesus was and is the fulfillment of prophecy… that HE alone is Messiah… He alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I could load you down with point after point of prophecy that was fulfilled in Jesus… But I’m not going to… Instead, I am again going to point to the light… In Isaiah 60 we read this wonderful declaration… “arise, shine… for your light has come… and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Jesus is repeatedly referred to in the New Testament as “the light of the world…” The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… He who follows Jesus shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life!”

Today, as we observe the First Sunday in Advent, and later on this morning, as we deck the hall… and as gifts and presents seemingly multiply under the tree, we do not have to wait until Christmas to have the greatest gift of all… This gift does not have the words “Do Not Open Until Christmas…” You can have that gift today… You can know what true love is, and you can personally know the Light of the World.

Later on tonight, as you and your family settle in for the evening, turn on the lights on your Christmas Tree… and say “Thank You” to God for speaking the light of the world into existence… for promising us through the words of the Prophet Isaiah that the Light of the World would roll back the Darkness… and for Jesus being the Light of the World.

That same light has the power to roll back the darkness today… even in the face of political unrest and a grim economy… even in the face of adversity and doubt… when your faith is faltering… when it seems like all hope is gone… when you are walking in darkness… look to the Light of the World… And listen to what God’s word says about you and your relationship with Him… For you are a chosen generation… You are a royal priesthood… You are a Holy Nation… You are a people who belong to God… That you may declare His praises… (listen to this…) because HE has brought you out of darkness… and into HIS marvelous light!

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken+