Promise
Good morning, Chapel family. And welcome to the second Sunday of Advent. If you look up “advent” in the dictionary, here’s what it says: “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.” So if you think about it, it’s a word that’s used in everyday language: “Before the advent of television, people used to crowd around radios.” “Before the advent of the Internet, people had to do research in libraries.” So advent just means “the arrival of something important.”
So, centuries ago, Christians started setting aside the month leading up to Christmas as a time to wait for the arrival of Christ. And here’s what they said: back before Jesus was born, the Jewish people had received all these promises about a Messiah—who would bring peace and justice and make things right. And for generations, they waited for God to fulfill that promise. So during Advent, we want to go back and read those Scriptures from that time, and put ourselves in their shoes, and join in that longing for the arrival of Christ. We light advent candles; we open up windows in the advent calendar; we intentionally put off the celebration and wait.
Now: maybe you’re thinking, “Why? Why would we sit around and wait for something?” Well, because some of the most important things in life come to us while we wait.
Waiting gives us patience. In other words, we become less anxious and stressed out. We lose our temper less often.
Waiting gives us compassion. Because there are people around us who are dealing with hard things, and they are suffering and longing for things to get better. And our waiting helps us to understand them better.
Waiting gives us dependence. Because when we don’t instantly get what we want, we learn to be dependent on God. We become much better pray-ers.
And fourth, waiting gives us gratitude. Because if we go through a period of waiting, when we finally get what we want, we’re so much more thankful.
See…this is why Advent is such a beautiful thing. Instead of just rushing in to Christmas, we voluntarily enter a period of waiting. And I think this year, Advent is especially meaningful. Because this has been a year of waiting, hasn’t it? We’re waiting for the pandemic to end. We’re waiting for our Covid test results. Maybe you’re waiting for your self-quarantine to end. We’re waiting for the vaccine to become available. We’re waiting to get back our schools and offices and sporting events. We’re waiting to shake hands and hug and visit our loved ones in retirement homes. There’s a lot of waiting going on.
And sometimes, all that waiting can make the world feel pretty dark. So this year, for our Advent series, we’ve chosen the theme of “Light in the Darkness.” What does it mean for us to be living in dark times, confidently waiting for the light to come? That’s what this series is all about.
So…last week we talked about “Darkness,” from Isaiah chapter 1. Today, I want to talk about “Promise,” from Isaiah chapter 9. So let’s read the Scripture: Isaiah 9, verses 1 through 7. Hear the Word of God…
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. This is God’s Word.
Two things we see from this passage: The Promise of Light, and The Giver of Light. The Promise of Light, and The Giver of Light.
So first, The Promise of Light. Listen to some of the words Isaiah uses to describe the way things were: Gloom. Distress. Darkness. Sounds terrible, right? Remember, about 200 years earlier, Israel had divided into two separate nations: “Israel” and “Judah.” Isaiah was writing to the people of Judah, and this was a dark time for them. In chapter one, we saw that Judah had been attacked by an enemy nation. And they were bracing for more trouble. Nearby nations like Egypt and Assyria were well-armed and restless. The people of Judah felt a little bit like the people of Latvia and Lithuania must
feel, with Vladimir Putin right next door…or like the people of South Korea must feel, with Kim Jong Un right next door. So there was a growing fear and anxiety. Things felt dark.
Let me ask you a personal question: what kind of darkness are you experiencing recently? We’ve talked a lot about the cumulative stress of the pandemic and the racial division in our country. So maybe it’s that. Or maybe it’s more personal: a broken relationship that hasn’t gotten better. That stupid habit or phobia or addiction that won’t go away. The financial stress that puts a cloud over this holiday season. That prodigal son or daughter, who’s showing no signs of returning. Where does your world feel dark?
I’ve discovered something about human psychology in dark times. Sometimes, when our world looks dark, in order to survive, we don’t necessarily need the darkness to go away immediately. But here’s what we do need: we need a sense of hope that the light will eventually come. Does that make sense? So even if it’s still dark right now, we need to believe the darkness is temporary, and a light is coming.
In December 1941, it was a dark time. Nazi Germany was steamrolling across Europe; Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, and the U.S. officially entered World War 2. Can you imagine the mood in this country at Christmastime of 1941? Decorating the house while you’re sending your 18-year-old off to Asia or Europe? So the day after Christmas, Winston Churchill, from England, was invited to address the United States Congress. And he gave a long speech, but I’d like to quote a few lines:
Hope has returned to the hearts of scores of millions of men and women, and with that hope there burns the flame of anger against the brutal, corrupt invader…In a dozen famous ancient States now prostrate under the Nazi yoke, the masses of the people…await the hour of liberation… That hour will strike, and its solemn peal will proclaim that the night is past and that the dawn has come.
They just don’t write speeches like that anymore, right? But do you hear the confidence in his words? “The hour of liberation is coming. That hour will strike. The night will end; the dawn will come.” At that dark hour of history, people were desperate for a vision of hope…and Churchill delivered that vision. And of course, President Roosevelt did as well. The darkness was undeniable, but the light was coming. And that vision gave us strength to keep going.
For the people of Judah in 700BC, that vision came from the prophet Isaiah. Look verse 2… The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Did you notice this is written in the past tense? As if it already happened? This is something prophets would do. Because God sees the future just as well as he sees the past. And when a prophet spoke, he was being lifted up to see things from God’s perspective. So…when Isaiah wrote this in 700BC, it hadn’t happened yet! But from the perspective of God, this was as good as done. So in this future picture, he says a light is coming. And that light is going to bring two things…
First of all, Deep Joy. Verse 3: You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. He gives these two images of joy: First, harvest time. After months of plowing the soil, and planting the seed, and praying for rain…knowing so many things could go wrong…when the harvest finally came, it was like a party. Like, “We’re going to live! For another winter, the kids aren’t going to go to bed hungry! We’re going to have dinner parties!” In a farming culture, that was deep joy.
And then the second image of joy: warriors dividing the plunder. After the stress and fear of battle, the war is finally over, and we won. Our land is secure; our families are safe, and now we get to go back home! Did you ever see a soldier returning home, knowing the war is finally over? It’s hard to
describe that joy. So when this light comes, it will bring deep joy. Like harvest time. Like soldiers returning home. Man, that is a hopeful vision, isn’t it?
And then secondly, this light will bring Lasting Peace. Look at verse 5: Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. So there will come a day when army boots and combat uniforms won’t be needed any more. Can you even imagine? A few years ago, around Christmas time, one of the news programs interviewed people in the street. And they asked them, “Do you think there will ever be complete peace in our world?” And most of people said, “No—it’s never going to happen.” They showed the interview with one guy, and they said, “Why don’t you think it’s going to happen?” And he said, “Human nature. There’s something in people that will always create conflict.” I think that’s a very perceptive comment.
But here’s what Isaiah was saying, “This light that’s coming will actually have the power to transform human nature—so much that the unthinkable will happen: war will cease.”
So here’s the vision: when this light comes—and he hasn’t told us what it is yet—it will bring us deep joy and lasting peace. Stop for a minute and think about the things in your life that look dark right now. Things that look hopeless. And then imagine God flooding those things with deep joy and lasting peace. Think of how different life would feel. These words of Isaiah are an incredible vision of light. And the obvious question is: when and how does this happen?
Let’s talk about The Giver of Light. Verse 6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. The joy and the peace that every human longs for will be made possible when a certain child is born. And look at the different names of this child: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Apparently, this child would be more than just an ordinary human, right? You don’t go around calling someone “mighty God,” and “everlasting,” unless you’re talking about more than a mere mortal. Who could ever live up to that description?
About 700 years later, Matthew wrote this in his Gospel—this is Matthew 4, beginning in verse 13: 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Did you notice the direct quote from Isaiah? Here’s what Matthew was saying: the Light that Isaiah was talking about—who would enter this world as a child, and bring deep joy and lasting peace—was here! The waiting was over. Jesus said about himself: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” So when Jesus was walking the earth, and people started following him, and believing in him, they felt like they were walking out of the shadows into the light. People who had lived in fear, or guilt, or being rejected by the in-crowd, or being rejected by the religious crowd…when they met Jesus, life started to look different. He loved them; he included them; when people were with Jesus, life was lit up in a way they had never experienced before.
C.S. Lewis wrote: “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” And that’s how it was for people who met Jesus: it wasn’t just that they could see him; by his light they saw everything else clearly. Life finally made sense. Just like Isaiah predicted.
But the most radical thing Jesus did for people actually was not from his life; it was from his death. Remember what we saw last week, in Isaiah chapter 1? There was all kinds of darkness going on, and God said, “Here’s the reason…”—Isaiah 1:4…“they have forsaken the Lord…they have turned their backs on him.” Jesus entered a world full of people who had turned their backs on God—just like we do—in small ways; in big ways; we turn away from God, and we say, “I’ll do life my own way.” That’s called “sin,” and that’s the source of the anger and the violence and the pride and the greed that make this world so dark.
So when Jesus came to the world, his mission wasn’t just to love people and show people how to live; his ultimate mission was to deal with the source of darkness in the world. And that’s what he did on the cross. Did you ever notice—when you read about the crucifixion of Jesus—it happened in the middle of the day—full daylight. But as Jesus he there, all of a sudden, something happened. Do you know what it was? We read in Matthew 27:45… From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. Why? Because at that moment, all of our sin—all the ways we’ve turned away from God—were loaded on the shoulders of Jesus—as if he had committed those sins. And for the first time in all of eternity, God turned his back on his Son, as our sins were judged. And that was such an awesome and awful moment, it was like all of creation shuddered in horror, and the sun went dark. Think about that: Jesus, the Light of the World!, was plunged into darkness! And after those three hours of darkness, he cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
But out of that horrible moment comes incredibly good news. Because it means that the worst possible darkness—the abandonment of God—Jesus took that for us…so we don’t have to! We just have to humble ourselves, stop trusting in our own goodness, and put our trust in him…and that’s when the light starts to flood in.
So how do we respond to all this? Let me suggest three things, as we close.
First, Receive the Light of his Joy. See, what Jesus did for us requires a response. It’s not a religious response or a church ritual; it’s a personal decision of faith: saying, “What you did on the cross was for me. And I personally receive your gift of forgiveness.” That’s when things start to change.
I’ve been so inspired by the story of Dr. Glen Loury, who’s a professor of economics up at Brown University. A few years ago, he was already highly successful in his career…but his life felt dark. He was restless and bored. He developed a dependency on alcohol. Finally he went to an addiction counselor, who happened to be a Christian; the counselor invited him to church on Easter Sunday. And as he opened his heart to Christ, the light started to come. Let me read you his words:
Dead relationships came to life…As I began to study the Bible, the depth and richness and profundity of life began to open up to me…Our marriage, which I thought was dead, came to life. The Lord began to bless my wife and me with a family…Because of this encounter with Jesus Christ, the death and vacancy, the emptiness of my life has been filled. There is life now.
Have you experienced that? Because Jesus has come, people living in darkness can have real joy.
Second, Re-Gift the Light of his Peace. Christmas is the season for re-gifting—right? You get a gift, you re-wrap it, and you give it to someone else. I would never do that, but I’ve heard people do that. So when we realize that the Light has come, and that on the cross he made peace between us and God, you know what we become? We become peacemakers. I like to say it like this: as forgiven people, we become forgiving people. We look at the fact that God has forgiven our offenses, and that becomes the lens through which we process people’s offenses against us. Does that make sense? As forgiven people, we become forgiving people. And you know what? Christmas is a great opportunity to do this. Because you’re with family members that you’re mad at, because they’ve offended you and they’ve hurt you, and of course it was all their fault. And that can make our family gatherings feel kind of dark. And you have the opportunity to light up the room by taking the peace you’ve received from God, and re-gifting it freely. Like Jesus said, “Freely you have received; now freely give.” Be a peacemaker.
And then, finally, Await the Light of His Return. See, here’s the strange thing about our faith: in one way, the thing that’s been promised has already happened. “For unto us a child is born…” and Jesus was born! The light has come! Merry Christmas! And he paid for our sins on the cross and he rose on the third day. And whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
But if we’re honest, we have to admit that the thing that was promised hasn’t completely happened yet. Right? I mean, look what Isaiah said—Isaiah 9:5… 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. In other words, all war will cease. Has that happened yet? Last time I checked, not yet. Keep reading: 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. Has that happened yet? Is the world joyfully and willingly following the leadership of Jesus? Not quite yet.
So this is the strange thing about being a Christian: in one way, the promise has been fulfilled! But in another way, it hasn’t been completely fulfilled. So in order for the promises to be completely fulfilled, listen: he needs to come again. The first Advent happened; we still await the second Advent. And Jesus talked about that all the time. He promised to come again. And when he does, that’s when the government will be on his shoulders. And all war will cease. And of the greatness of his government and of peace there will be no end.
So just like the people in Isaiah’s time were waiting for the first coming of the Messiah, we’re waiting for the second coming of Messiah. So there’s still waiting to be done! But here’s the great thing: we don’t wait alone. Because of the cross, God himself says, “I will never leave your nor forsake you.” And while we wait, God does really good things in our hearts.
