Behold I Am Making All Things New
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
Light and darkness are weighty words. We often don’t think of them that way but they are. The themes of light and darkness permeate all of Scripture. Of course, we are not talking about physical illumination or the lack thereof, but rather those terms are used to describe the unseen nature of things like truth and falsehood, right and wrong, righteousness and wickedness.
Blindness, or rather, dwelling in darkness is a metaphor we often use to describe our spiritual condition outside of Christ. Just think of that most famous of famous hymns, Amazing Grace, “Amazing grace, How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, Was blind, but now I see.” Or, the opening stanza to, I Saw The Light, “I wandered so aimless life filled with sin, I wouldn't let my dear savior in. Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night, Praise the Lord I saw the light.”
So then, as we enter into our text, knowing that judgment will come upon God’s people because of their sin and idolatry and rebellion we are also given a great hope. “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish…and The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;” Despite the unfaithfulness of His people, God is faithful to fulfill His promises, “those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”
Here the prophet is not simply describing a reversal of fortunes, which is generally how most people think of Christmas time and, of course, this sentiment is expressed in just about every single Christmas movie ever made. Regardless of whatever it may be, it all works out in the end because it’s Christmas time. Isaiah isn’t just describing the reversal of fortunes, things were going bad but now they are going good. What he is describing here is the reversal of all things. Again, we’re not just talking about the status of the nation, like Making Jerusalem Great Again, or Building It Back Better after the Assyrian and Babylonian conquest. No, we are speaking in moral and cosmic categories.
Light itself will pierce through the darkness and gloom of this sin ravaged world and will be eclipsed with gladness and joy. The people of God are going to be filled with the joy that comes at harvest time. There will be celebration and full satisfaction at the end of the toil and anticipation. And there will be the gladness that comes from the spoils of war. There will be reward and rest and victory at the end of a great conflict. A weary world will rejoice.
God’s answer to everything that has ever ravaged this world or terrorized them and us is a child to be born, a son given.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5.
The darkness has not overcome it. Indeed, how could it? Darkness is simply the absence of light. Light, on the other hand, only works one way, outward. Light pierces, light divides, light clarifies, light reveals and makes things known, light gives life and it takes it away, light builds and conquers, light overcomes all darkness.
Where else do we see this in Scripture? In the very beginning. In Genesis 1:1-4, when God
created all things through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. He brought light into
darkness. Again, Isaiah is not just speaking about a reversal of fortunes, but rather a whole new creation.
When man sinned against God it wasn’t a simple misunderstanding. It was cosmic treason
because it was to claim authority over one’s life. In short, it was to self-identify as God. When Adam sinned, he turned his back on the Author of life, he turned his back on the source of all light bringing gloom and darkness and ultimately death into the world. Turning your back on the source of all light is to dwell in the shadowlands and it rob yourself of joy. As C. S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity,
“All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
This is the state into which all humanity is born. But God in His grace preached the gospel to our first parents giving them hope in the midst of despair, and light in the midst of darkness. A child would be born and a son given that would crush the serpent, establish the kingdom of God and restore a sin-ravaged humanity.
Fast forward a few thousand years and we see God, in His grace, promise to bless the people of Abraham by giving them land and making them a great multitude and a great nation so that all peoples of the earth may be blessed. After delivering the people from bondage, and bringing them into the Promised land and making them a great multitude and establishing them as a great nation the people of God gave themselves over to idolatry turning to darkness over and over again.
Despite the prophets repeated calls to repentance, the people did not repent and God’s judgment ultimately fell upon them. This came first at the hands of the Assyrians in the North, namely, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. And then later, in the South, at the hands of the Babylonians. Seventy years later, God in His grace would bring some of the Exiles home, leading many to ask, “was God now turning their Gloom into Glory and Darkness into Light?”
The prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi answered this question with a, “not yet.” The lifting of this gloom and the piercing of this darkness can only come through this child, through God Himself.
“Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:12-17
This is why at the birth of Jesus the shepherds brought good tidings of great joy. Our joy has an object and the object is Jesus, which means our joy is eternal and never ending, and can never be taken away from us. John Calvin said,
“Men often rejoice, but with a deceitful and transitory joy, which is followed by mourning and tears. He affirms that this joy has its roots so deeply laid, that it can never perish or be destroyed.”
Christmas is not merely about the reversal of fortunes but about the upending and reversal of all things. It’s about a new creation, and the dawning of light eternal, and the dwelling of righteousness and the fullness of joy. It’s about the rule and reign of King Jesus, the source of all light and life, who is our hope and source of all our joy and is making all things new. If you would like to experience a joy that is never ending, and the true gift of Christmas then come and welcome to Jesus Christ.
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