Christmas Devotional: 8th December 2020
Having grown up singing in various choirs, I can’t read today’s passage without Handel’s Messiah coming to mind. Handel’s jubilant theme of ‘For Unto Us a Child Is Born’ is currently ringing round my head and Handel was right – this passage is indeed cause for jubilation. Written to a people who were living under the threat of Assyrian invasion, this passage comes as a seed of hope. It comes as a spark of light breaking through a deep darkness (v. 2).
The promised coming of a Wonderful Counsellor, a Mighty God, an Everlasting Father and a Prince of Peace (v. 6) would have been a great source of hope for those in Isaiah’s days. They were waiting in darkness, there was little earthly source of hope and peace, but this prophecy points forwards to a coming Messiah who would bring justice, peace and rejoicing to His people. He would establish an everlasting Kingdom and there would be endless peace (v. 7).
The beautiful words in this passage tell us firstly about who Jesus is for us now, in the present. Secondly, these verses point forwards to the future He will bring:
- Jesus brings hope for the present: Jesus can turn darkness into light (v. 2), he can turn mourning to joy (v. 3), he can take away burdens and bring rest (v. 4), he can destroy the oppressors and the objects of war (v. 4-5). He is a God who is with us in the here and now. He cares for us and is always with us.
- Jesus brings hope for the future: Ultimately, these verses point forwards to the future when Jesus will come again to rule and reign (v. 7). His Kingdom will know no end and it will be a glorious Kingdom of endless peace, justice and righteousness (v. 7).
THIS is our hope. This is what sustains us through the waiting, through the dark times. But recently, I’ve noticed how easily I can put my hope in the tangible earthly things – things such as seeing my family over Christmas or a coming vaccine. In dark times, where it feels like the waiting is endless, it’s so easy to cling on to the immediate, visible things which bring temporary happiness, rather than looking forward to our God who brings endless peace.
And so in the run up to Christmas this year, I’m praying that my hope will be in this wonderful, awe-inspiring miracle: that the one who spoke the heavens and the earth into existence was born as a tiny baby for us. He was given to us. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on our hope: Jesus Christ, the source of all light and life. Let’s praise God for the precious gift of Jesus, that he was born for us, given to us, for our salvation and for our joy.