Isaiah wrote of the darkness in which man existed, the pervasiveness of sin and its oppression. Jesus came in light and glory to dispel that darkness of sin, show it for what it was and still is, and to point all peoples to God. In Matthew 24:14 Jesus spoke of this darkness and the coming of all people to the light. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The time of proclamation will not last forever but has an end when Christ returns. The time is now to step into His light and follow Him.
Isaiah 60:2-3 “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
Jesus quoted these next words from Isaiah 9:2 in Matthew 4:16. Then Jesus began to preach “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near,” Matthew 4:17.
Isaiah 9:2 “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.”
Jesus was and is the light that shines in the darkness bringing light, hope, and redemption to all who believe. Jesus confirmed this in John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus is the one who reveals our sins, that darkness around and in us, and brings us into His light for healing and cleansing.
Be encouraged and convicted as you consider the light Jesus brought to the world.
Linda
Blessings,
would provide deliverance. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” 
exactly the way God said it would affirms God’s sovereignty, omniscience, wisdom and power. How can all this be we ask along with Mary? The angel had it right in verse 37 “ For nothing will be impossible with God.” 
Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the 
me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” This covenant or agreement with God was His promise to be their God and they would be His people. Jesus was God’s messenger of the covenant and the fulfillment of all God’s promises. He was coming in the flesh to His temple to be with His people bringing a message of love, repentance, restoration and redemption from God. John was going to come in the spirit of Elijah and prepare the way calling mankind to repent and return to God. He was to prepare the hearts of the people so they would be ready to listen to Jesus.
On this first Sunday of Advent, our scripture is Isaiah 40:5.
Isaiah 40:1,3,4 opens the Messiah and that is where our Advent story begins.
bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
In Psalm 22 David wrote words that described the coming Messiah’s work and anguish while here on earth. When he took the sins of the world upon himself Jesus cried out in agony, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far for the words of my groaning?” (verse 1) The Psalmist describes Jesus’ conditions on the cross, “they have pierced my hands and my feet.” (16b) “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” (18) These visions of Messiah and what awaited him were given to David. By reading them, we can see proof that Jesus fulfilled each and every prophecy made about him and be assured that He is from God. We catch a glimpse into the Omniscience and Sovereignty of God.
This advent season I will be blogging each day using prophecies about Messiah and His coming as highlighted in Handel’s Messiah. He turned the words of Charles Jennens, his librettist, who created the story from Old and New Testament passages into glorious song. Handel wrote the Messiah in about 3 weeks in the late summer of 1741. His divine inspiration has humbled and inspired audiences ever since. Recently, I got a copy of a handbill that is given out when one attends the Messiah. It contains all the scriptures that the ‘story’ is based upon and their references. Each time someone attends a performance of the Messiah, they are presented with these scriptures in both writing and song. Praise God! He has used Handel and his work ‘The Messiah’ to tell his story to the world since 1741 in this unique way.
was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.” AMP The author of Hebrews wanted us to see and know how Jesus lowered himself to come to earth. Being in a human body placed him lower than the heavenly beings He had created in the heavens and with mortal man who He has also created. The Creator Himself came to earth. Why? The verse tells us God’s purpose in coming- to extend grace to us sinners and to save us from the penalty of death. Because of my sin, Jesus came to save me and restore me. Psalm 103: 3-5 sums it up perfectly. Jesus “
As we move towards December 1, let us be mindful of why Jesus came and what His coming accomplished for us. Praise God that He came to forgive, heal, and redeem me from the penalty of eternal death for my sin and crowns me with His abundant love and compassion. He alone satisfies my soul.
I was thinking this morning about the designation ‘Black Friday’. It seems that since the 1950’s the day after Thanksgiving has been called ‘Black Friday’. It began as a term to describe the crowds, like the street was black with pedestrians. It then became a day to retailers signifying when they began to turn a profit and moved from the ‘red’ into the ‘black’ as the volume of their sales increased. In the Bible the blackest Friday would be the day of the crucifixion. It was the day when the skies turned black and darkness covered the land. “
in communion with Him and have our sin’s forgiven. We are free to live a life in Christ that is pleasing to God that is free from the penalty of death brought on by sin. That Black Friday was the best one in history for you and me.
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worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
As we approach this wonderful holiday time, take time to put words and thoughts to your thanks both to your family and to God. Thank Him for all He has done, is doing and will do for you. He is an awesome God worthy of all our praises!
Fearless Living 