Devotion – Saturday, 6 March
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from Isaiah 60 verse 3, “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn,” (NRSVB). The prophet Isaiah calls the people who are desperate, due to their circumstances, to arise to a new life and to shine and reflect the glory of the Lord whom has risen upon them. This prophecy foretells, in verse six, of the birth of Jesus Christ and the events around his birth, “Men from Sheba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense.” However, it is also prophesies of the recreation of the New Jerusalem where, “The sun shall no more be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you, but the Lord shall be to you an everlasting light,” Isaiah 60 verse 19, (Amplified Bible). When Jesus came to the world there were jubilant hosts singing, and the Star of Bethlehem told of the special Child, “The Light of the World,” He who will shine in our darkness of desolation and despair. He will bring his Light of hope and life in a world filled with pain and sorrow. This is who Jesus is, the One who came to lift the dark cloud of oppression that covered the earth. Jesus broke through the darkness of the nations and his star was seen, the bright morning star, that spoke of the new dawn, where the lion and the lamb will feed together. When Jesus died on the Cross, the earth was covered with a mourning cloth of deep darkness and the sun and the moon hid their faces, so to speak, and the earth trembled; for their Creator died on the Cross for his Creation. When the women and the disciples went to the burial cave, expecting to find darkness, and his body wrapped in the burial garment, they found two angels sitting in bright light and telling them that he rose, and has gone ahead of them.
Looking at religious artworks of previous centuries, we receive some impression of the reflecting of the light of Christ in the shimmering of the halos around the heads of the people who have seen Jesus. It is not their own light shining and creating this reflection of glorious light, it is the Christ Light that shines for all, to reflect his glory, the glory of the Son of God, the Prince of Peace.
Proclaiming the birth, life, crucifixion, death and resurrection of our Lord, pointing the world to the breaking dawn of the new life in Christ, this is the work of the Christian on earth. It is not a make belief story, it is the Christ story. Our earthly life is compared to the life of a candle, it flickers, burns and ultimately our light of life is extinguished on earth, but rekindled in heaven, when we behold our Light and Life, Christ the Light of the World. The Apostle Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 4 verse 5, “We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord,” (NRSVB). The Church has been given the special honour of proclaiming the work of Christ in the world, each member of this world-wide church of God, through the ages past, present and to come, is the body of Christ. We are the living stones, calling out: Hosanna, behold the light of the Lord of Glory! As the dawn breaks through the dark night, there is no turning back; the darkness perishes in the wake of the light. This is the promise of the Easter morning, the light has broken through for us, and we see hope reflected in the rainbow of God’s promise, we shall not remain in darkness. The night remains only for a short while.
Father God, we thank you that you have made the lights of creations to mark our days and seasons. Thank you, Father, for your created light that gives us warmth, nourishment and life. Father, we thank you for your Son, the uncreated light, Who shines in the visible and invisible world. Help us to follow his light, and rejoice in his radiance, Amen.
