(by Lorie Codispoti)
What’s your favorite Christmas carol?
It’s no secret that O Holy Night is my all time favorite. (I’ll paste the lyrics below in the comments.)
I love everything about this song - from its lyrics and music to the incredible story of its origin. And just when I thought I couldn’t love it any more, I find something to add to my list.
This is a song about an event that takes place in the darkness of a world that has long been filled with “sin and error pinning.” Yet, there’s something that breaks through the darkness. It’s something that takes me all the way back to creation, where we’re told that the Earth was formless, void and dark. There was nothing but darkness, until … “Let there be light.” (Gen.1:3)
Here’s the thing: the sun, moon, and stars weren’t even created until the fourth day. So what kind of Light manifested itself to separate the day from the night for the first three days? Easy. It was God Himself. “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all" (1Jn.1:15).
The pre incarnate Christ - the third person of the trinity - was the Father’s agent in the very creation of our world. He made it all. Then centuries later, the incarnate Christ confirmed that He is “the light of the world” (Jn.8:12).
Think about it.
A new and glorious morning - Light breaks through the darkness at both creation, and then at the miraculous incarnation.
And, as if that weren’t enough to illuminate your soul, get this:
The Bible, along with other historical records, indicates that for three hours in the middle of the day, an unnatural darkness fell over the whole land during the time that Jesus hung on the cross. This was a supernatural event, although some will try to disqualify the event by suggesting that the darkness was the result of a solar eclipse. But, a basic understanding of how solar eclipses work indicates that they never occur during a full moon and the crucifixion occurred during Passover, which always takes place during a full moon. Both NASA and NOAA testify that “the longest duration of a solar eclipse is just over 7.5 minutes.” Three hours of total darkness is outside of anything we’ve ever experienced. It was a supernatural occurrence.
However, the darkness doesn’t last.
“A new and glorious morn,” again, breaks through at the resurrection, when the Light of World overcame the darkness and sin's power over us was defeated.
But, there’s more to this “new and glorious morn.” It is a prophetic statement, pointing us to a dawn on the horizon.
In Revelation 1:14-16, John describes his vision of Christ by saying that His eyes are like a flame of fire and His countenance like the full strength of the sun (Rev.1:14&16). (This will be another supernatural display of Light unlike anything ever seen in our natural world.)
Matthew describes the return of the King this way, ““For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Mt.24:27). He also describes how a time of darkness will precede this event - like it did at creation and the crucifixion (Mt.24:29). He says that when Jesus returns in this flash of Light, “every eye shall see Him” (Rev.1:7). Everyone!
Luke describes this as a cataclysmic time of darkness that will enshrine the globe (Lk.21:8-28). The intense distress will cause hearts to fail as people are filled with terror. Every unbeliever will see Him, but their experience will bring with it a different kind of mourning (Rev.1:7).
The thing that makes this a holy “night divine” is not the darkness that precedes the events I’ve mentioned, but rather, the Light that penetrates and overcomes that darkness. This Light promises believers an everlasting morning - a perpetual Light so strong that there is coming a day when there will never be a need for the sun, moon, and stars (Rev.21:23). The full glory of our King will be unveiled and unending, and His Light will illuminate our world forever and ever and ever.
As you try to picture what this will be like, let the “thrill of Hope” fill your “weary soul.”
“Fall on you knees” and sing “sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus.”
May the sound of our voices echo throughout the land and “all within us praise His holy name.”
No comments:
Post a Comment