Good morning,
When Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets, finished his prophetic writings with a warning that Elijah must come before the dreadful day of the Lord, he couldn’t know how long it would take for that promise to come true. When he laid down his pen he had no idea that God’s people, the Jews, were going to face 400 years of dark and stormy nights before the promised Elijah would come to prepare the way for the Light of the World to appear. When the Apostle John sat down to write a history of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, he didn’t start his story with John the Baptist or even a baby in a manger. He began his story by looking back to what happened before time began when The Word, Jesus, the Son of God, spoke our world into existence. John wrote, The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.(John 1:4) John knew the pain filled years of suffering, pain, slavery and death that marked those years of being conquered and controlled by wicked rulers and ungodly leadership. Even the majority of their religious leaders had given in to cultural pressures and served themselves instead of shepherding the hurting and needy people of God. Over the centuries their God had given them light, but they had turned their backs on him.
But then John wrote, The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.(John1:5) I am sure that John remembered what David had written when he wrote, To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.(Ps 139: 12) Later on Isaiah wrote, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined." (Isa. 9:2) It wasn’t just John who remembers this passage, for Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, quoted from this passage after the birth of his son. He said, Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,(Luke1:78) John also remembered when Jesus was speaking to the people and he said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”(John8:12) When Jesus spoke those words about 2000 years ago, no one knew that God’s church would have to wait this long through dark and stormy nights of suffering, pain, slavery and death, looking forward to Jesus coming again. All these long years our Savior has given his faithful followers light and hope. That light is still as strong today as it was before the world began. To us, these days feel dark indeed, but to God, his plan for time is still on course. When it’s time for Jesus to come back again, may he find us watching and waiting, and serving him wholeheartedly until he calls us home or his trumpet sounds to set us free.
John 1:4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.
Roy Wisner
