From Darkness Into Light
My great grandparents’ barn was large and spacious with some of the wooden siding slightly ajar. Wind blew through the cracks where the day light shone through, and the smell of hay and manure hung heavy in the air. As a child, I thought that the stable that Jesus was born in was like my great grandparents’ barn. I thought how despicable that no one could spare room for Mary and that Jesus had to be born in a barn.
As an adult, I was fortunate to get to travel to Israel, and there I was shown a cave as the place of Jesus’ birth. Even worse than I thought! A cave, without ventilation and pitch dark. At least a wooden stable would have allowed some light to peer through, air to circulate, and pungent odors to escape.
Staring at the cave, another element of God’s perfect plan occurred to me. Caves are about the darkest place on earth, underground with no light source. What a metaphor for Jesus’ life! Jesus, the light of the world was born in the darkest of places to bring great light! Isaiah prophesies of the hope of Christ, the light of the world, coming to save his people. In Isaiah 9:1-7 he says that, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light…”. In verse 6, the prophet foretells Christ’s arrival, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
John 1:9 says, “Christ is the true light, come into the world to provide light to every man.” In the darkest of places, Christ, the light of the world, came to earth to save.
We may face darkness and desperation in our lives, even during the Christmas season. But we can make it because Christ, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, brings peace and light to our darkest hour.
– TH –