“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwell in the land of deep darkness on them has the light shone”, (Isaiah 9:2)

We shall begin with the definitions so as to get the same meaning out of the main words used in this text of study.

First the word darkness is used in contrast to light in scripture especially in the following areas.

•     Moral depravity and its punishment. The wicked walk and work in darkness. Psalm 82:5 says, “They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.” And Proverbs 2:13 -15 “… wicked men… leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” In Romans 13:12, Paul says, “The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So let us put on the armour of light”.

•    The reward of those who are morally depraved is to “sit in darkness. The Psalmist puts it this way, “Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.” (Psalm 107:10)
The good news of Christmas is that, “People who walked in darkness have seen great light.” Not small light but great light.

The second area in which people are walking in darkness is being separated or alienated from God – the state of spiritual darkness. Job 5:13, 14 says, “Darkness comes over them in day time” and Proverbs 20:20 says, “If  a man curses his  father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness”.

Thirdly, the term darkness is used to refer to punishment and even to death. Jesus teaching in Matthew 8:12 said, “But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown into darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.   Ecclesiastes 11:8 “However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness for the will be many”. Job 10:20-22, “Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow, to the land of deepest night, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

Fourthly, darkness refers to human ignorance or being deficient in information. The Psalmist says “They know nothing they understand nothing they walk about in darkness”, (Psalm 82:5). In 1John 2:11 the Bible says, “But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness” why? “he does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded him”.

Isaiah saw the matter reversed. He saw the end of moral depravity, the end of walking in darkness even deep darkness. He sees the darkness of ignorance lifted by bringing in information / teaching and enlightenment and consequently the punishment, the separation and even death having been conquered.

The Question is: How does this take place?

Light has come. What does the word light mean in this passage?
•    First – the natural light like of the day by the sun, of the night by the moon and the stars. The characteristics of this light are – beauty, radiance, utility. Ecclesiastes 11:7 says, “Truly, light is sweet”, and Proverbs 15:30 adds on, “Light rejoices the heart”.

•    Life, joy, activities and almost all blessings are dependant upon light.

•    Light like the first born, this great beauty and blessing of the universe; light does of all the visible things most resemble its great parent in purity, power, brightness and beneficence.

•    By the sight of it let us be led to, and assisted in the believing contemplation of him who is the light, infinite and eternal.

•    1John 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you. God is light; in him there is no darkness at all”.

At Creation God commanded light to shine out of darkness (2Corinthians 4:6). The light which God willed when it was produced, he approved of: “God saw the light and it was good”, (Genesis 1:4). By this action, God divided the light from darkness putting them asunder so that they could never joined together or reconciled.

Paul asks “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

So if natural light is answer to natural darkness, the eternal cosmic light, the Word; Christ the essential and eternal Word is the one true light that lightens every man. John speaks about him thus, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” (John 1:9) This is the good news of Christmas – moral depravity, languishing in darkness, or even being condemned into darkness and gloom becomes history when we come face to face with the light of the world Jesus Christ.

Jesus said about himself “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5)

So then darkness which has been perpetually on the face of the earth has been overtaken by the light – Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas.