Light is Dawning

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Scripture
 
Luke 1:78     By the tender mercy of our God,
        the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79     to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
        to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Observation

Luke does such a beautiful job of bringing characters into the narrative story of Jesus Christ. We are blessed by the words of Mary in her canticle and here he provides the words of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Both Mary and Zechariah’s words draw us into the advent, or the arrival of the Messiah. While Zechariah’s son, John, would help to prepare the way, now his words are about the coming Messiah who will soon break into the darkness of this world.

God’s incredible love is revealed in the light that is dawning from on high. The people who are sitting in darkness are living with suffering and without peace. Little do they know that the Prince of Peace will soon arrive and bring with him the light that will shine the way to peace. The light is dawning, hope fills the air, and the way to peace can be found.

Application

Each Sunday of Advent we have lit a candle, experiencing the first rays of light into our world. Before one ever sees the morning sun rise in the east, we see the beautiful flickers of light on the horizon. We anticipate the dawn of a new day as the sun finally breaks over the earth. Today is Christmas Eve and our hearts are filled with anticipation because we have been experiencing advent and the flickers of light on the horizon. We already know the end of the story — that the Messiah will soon be born. It is with the arrival of that child that a new day dawned and a new kingdom was established here on earth, and for all of eternity.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. The bright lights of life can overshadow the flickers of advent and we can simply be so distracted that we fail to see the dawn of a new day. The overly fluorescent light of the world can actually be the darkness in which we sit in the shadow of death. Maybe we need to intentionally tune out the noise of the world and settle into the quiet peace of the coming dawn.

If we have the privilege of being with family and friends during this Christmas season, may we slow down enough to experience the Messiah. Our world desperately needs him and the peace that he brings. Our world is experiencing tensions in relationships and aggression from those who would wish to disrupt our lives. May we live into the peace which the Messiah brings and watch for the light which is dawning. He will guide us into the way of peace as live in union with him. Take a little time today to stop, slow down, listen and see the light of Christ dawning on the horizon.

Prayers

Lord, your light is dawning this day. Please help me to see your peace on the horizon. Amen.


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