Behold He Comes, Bringing Light

(Advent, waiting for the coming of Christ. He came once, as the Christmas babe we greet; one day He will come again to set things right. For the four Sundays of December we will celebrate Advent by finishing the statement: Behold he comes, bringing... with a final installment on Christmas Day.)

Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied his coming. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 60:1-3).

The apostle John says of Jesus, The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it....The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world (1:5, 9).

And Jesus confirmed this truth. When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

Prayer -- Darkness covers the earth, Lord, and it would swallow us up if it were not for you, the Light of the World. We wait for you, Jesus, our only source of light. May your light dawn anew in our lives and shine in our desperate world. Amen