Arise and Shine: Receiving and Reflecting the Light of Christ

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” From the sixtieth chapter of the Prophet Isaiah, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Saints of God, hear the Word of the Lord for you this day, in which resound those blessed words of comfort regarding our destiny and our hope for salvation. The Light of the Lord has risen upon all people, to drive away the darkness of our souls and to unite us with the very Light, which is Jesus Christ. What is the purpose of light, if not to illuminate darkness. God made light and said that it was good. The true Light that pierces the darkest places is none other than the very Goodness of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and he resides within us, earthen vessels, by God’s grace and Spirit.

If you need to see clearly while traversing a dark country road, the headlights of your car help to illuminate the way. They shine ahead of you so that you can avoid the potholes in the road. Likewise, in the event of a storm, a simple candle sheds light into your home, so that you don’t trip over an ottoman or a chair. The Light came into the world to save us from the snares of the enemy, the evil one who desires nothing more than to keep our hearts and minds in perpetual darkness. Darkness of heart and mind is the enemy of our souls. He works to confuse, divide, and deride the Body of Christ. If we are not vigilant in seeking that True Light, we will be led astray into the caverns of darkness. But for our salvation God has given us a great Light.

John the Baptist bore witness to this light when he preached to the Jews that he was not the light but that he came to testify to the Light that had come into the world. John proclaimed that “the true Light, which enlightens everyone” has come into the world. That Light is Jesus Christ. He came so that all might comes into the reach of his saving embrace. By the hard wood of the cross he shed light not only upon the Jews but on the Gentiles, on us. A God-ordained star directed the wise men to that humble manger where Our Lord spent his first few hours and days. When they came upon that glorious scene, of Mother, Child, and Guardian amidst the lowing cattle, the wise men on bended knee presented the Christ Child with gifts, thus prefiguring his Kingship, Divinity, and Death. If the wise men, who were not trained in the Christian way, had enough discernment to detect the Light and seek it out, how much more should we, who have been initiated into the Christian way, seek that glorious Light.

Let us not close our eyes and hearts to that Light, but instead ask for God’s grace that we may contemplate Him, now with our spiritual eyes and in eternity with our glorified eyes. The splendor of Christ is surely too intense for our human eyes to behold in his fullness, but with our spiritual eyes, for now, we are able by God’s grace to contemplate him through our worship and through the reading and hearing of God’s Holy Word.

The exhortation of the Prophet Isaiah is not to be missed or ignored. He says to you, “Arise, shine.” The Light of the world has come to his own so that by his incarnation the world would be saved. Only the Light of Christ is powerful enough to drive away all darkness so that we can truly see ourselves as those in most need of God’s mercy. John the Baptist testifies to this light, and Jesus himself says, “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). Jesus said these very words in the Temple in Jerusalem and he continues to speak to this day in the temple of your hearts. For this reason we can stand and shine with the Light of Christ in our hearts, to illuminate the darkness of the world around us. Therefore, if Christ is in you by the power of the Holy Spirit, I say to you, “Arise and shine!” Let the light of Christ shine forth from your hearts into the deep hollows of this dark world. Wherever there is darkness, there your light should shine, by God’s grace and for His glory.

And yet, this light within us is not our own; it is God himself. He is the Light, and not we ourselves. If God himself indwells you to shine light upon your own self, firstly, and to illuminate the darkness around you, secondly, what place is there for fear or shame? None. There is no room for such a thing! In fact, the glorious mystery of God dwelling in us should cause us to respond faithfully and fearfully. The prophet Isaiah says when the Light has come up you, you will respond in four different ways.

Firstly, you shall see. He says that when you have the Light, “then you shall see” (60.5). Those who have no light are in the darkness, and the darkness has overtaken them. It is as if they were blind; but even blindness is not a factor to Christ who heals the blind in the Gospels. This blindness represents those who have clinched their eyes to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They stumble around in the darkness, grasping at whatever they can hold for stability. They stumble, they fall, they injure themselves, stubbing their toes and bruising their bodies, and they curse the darkness. What is the loving thing to do for these but to share the Light of Christ, to lead them by the hand to the foot of the altar where they could encounter the Light of the world. When you have the light, you shall see. You shall see your error, because the light corrects, it exhorts, it builds up.

Secondly, you shall be radiant. The Prophet says that when you have the light, “then you shall be radiant” (60.5). The light of Christ is not meant to be put under a bushel land hidden from the world. No, it is not meant for your benefit alone. How selfish an act would it be to have received the greatest gift of all, by no merit of your own, and to keep it from others? It is meant to be shared, which is why the Prophet says that those who have it will be radiant, resplendent, glowing, brilliant, dazzling. A person with that Light is magnetic because they make evident to the world around them that the light is within them. This light, unlike other lights, cannot and should not be hidden from the world.

Thirdly, the Prophet Isaiah says that when you have the light, “your heart shall thrill” (60.5). When I first read these words I felt that it made perfect sense. Who wouldn’t be thrilled that God’s light has come into their heart? But the English translation of the Hebrew word is a bit misleading. The word for thrill in the Hebrew is defined as “to fear, to tremble, revere, or dread; to be in awe.” This changes everything. What the prophet is saying is that when the light of Christ comes into your heart, you will be so aware of your own wretchedness that you will be in reverent awe of him. You will know what it means to fear God when the awesome Almighty God indwells you, a poor wretch who is unable to save yourself. This is our lot for now. To accept that Light into our lives, and to daily allow Him to form and stretch us into a more and more perfect image; into His very image.

Fourthly, the Prophet says that the person who sees and receives the Light will rejoice (60.5). Again this sounds like an appropriate response. Who would not rejoice at the prospect of God empowering and indwelling you? Again the English translation is a bit flawed. To rejoice in our language means to be happy, joyful, or show great emotion about something good that has happened. The Hebrew word for rejoice means “to enlarge, to exult, to grow wide.” If the Light of Christ makes the heart enlarge or grow wide, the Prophet is saying something specifically about what happens in the heart of a person who receives the Light of Christ. This growth comes from God. In the Old Testament, the word is often used in connection with the work of God for his people. For example, Exodus 34.24 says, “For I (the Lord) will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders.” This rejoicing in the heart is a work of the Lord, for which we can rejoice! But we must be careful not to rejoice in our own strength, for this is always the work of the Lord. He causes growth within us not so that we can boast, but so that we can be more zealous and ardent servants in the kingdom of God.

The Light of Christ has come into our midst to make us children of God, and heirs. I praise God for that light of which the Prophet Isaiah prophesied, and of the wise men, in their discernment, worshipped with precious gifts foreshadowing the life of Our Lord. May that Great Light so shine into our hearts that we too bring our gifts to the Lord, for he is worthy of honor and glory and majesty, forever and ever. Amen.