Jesse Tree December 15 Sun
Sun reading: Isaiah 9:2
A Great Light is given to the nations. That Great Light is Jesus. His birth heralds in a time of salvation. Those who believe in Him will walk in light.
Through the Holy Spirit, Isaiah is giving the people a glimpse into the future. They are in a time of darkness. Israel has been split in two and neither one is walking as they should in the ways of the Lord. A time of judgement is coming. Isaiah is told by God to do many strange things to get the people’s attention and bring them back to Him. But He knows that they will continue their march into darkness.
Isaiah’s prophecies tell of light beyond the darkness. That light is Jesus. MANY of his prophecies speak of Jesus but those prophecies won’t be fulfilled until after the ones speaking of judgement for Israel’s sin. God KNEW the people would ignore His warnings. He KNEW even greater darkness would have to come before the world was ready for His Light.
There is a lot of talk right now about the ‘Christmas star’ that is coming on December 21, 2020. I had to check it out on Google to see what it’s all about. What I found was that Jupiter and Saturn are going to come into near alignment on that day. It is a phenomenon that occurs infrequently and produces a bright star in the sky to the naked eye. It isn’t as bright or as long lasting as the star that heralded Jesus’ birth but it is enough to get people’s attention when it occurs. I LOVE that it is happening in the advent season and is being called the “Christmas star” by the masses. To me, this means that more people are remembering the true meaning of this season.
Something else I like about the date of this occurrence is that it happens on the shortest day of the year. That day, to me, represents an emergence back into the light. I’m a summer lover! This time of year is hard for me because of the decrease in light but my heart is happier each year on December 22 because I know that ‘light is winning over darkness’ during this time. It is a slow process but I can trust in that promise. We are in the darkest season of the year but the light is on the way! For those of you who live on the other side of the equator from me this is in reverse. Yet you too have the same light and dark movements.
Light ALWAYS chases away the darkness! God’s Light is with us now but the darkness still remains. There is coming a day when ALL darkness will be driven away. For now we celebrate the beginning of that ‘chase’ with the light of Jesus entering our world.
Father God, thank You for Jesus’, the Light of my life. I LOVE being on this side of the promise of His birth. I can’t imagine my life without the personal relationship we share. Thank You for pushing out the darkness in my life! I’m looking forward to the day when ALL darkness is removed.
