Day 17, Read Luke 1:76-80

Jesus came into a dark world.  It is the world in which we live that is ruled by the rulers of darkness (Eph. 6:12).  It is the lifestyle of sin, the darkness loved by men (John 3:19-20) where we do the works of darkness (Rom. 13:12-13).  Like Israel it is where we sit, in the dark shadow cast by death (Luke 1:79).

Into this dark world God had promised to send light, or more precisely, a Light.  There would come a time when “the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2).  It would be a time when “the people who walked in darkness” would see a great light (Isa. 9:1-2).  It would be a time when it could be said to Israel, “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isa. 60:1-3)  This all describes the time of the Messiah, the time of Jesus, the light of the world, or as Zacharias calls Him, “the Dayspring from on high” (Luke 1:78).

Dayspring literally means “the rising”, as in the rising of the sun.  The Hebrew word in Mal. 4:2 means the “dawning”.  In this title Jesus is seen as the dawn, the first light of day.  Peter referred to conversion as being when “the morning dawns and the daystar arises in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19).  He was referring to Christ.  So was Christ when he called Himself “the Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16).  Remember that a Jewish day began at sundown; the darkness comes first.  Then one sees the first light of morning and realizes the darkness is over and is being chased by the sun.  So it is with the day of the Lord.  The time of darkness (spiritually, morally) gives way to the light, which is guaranteed by the One who is the Dayspring, the first light of the morning.

One might ask, “how does the Dayspring, the Messiah, bring light into a spiritually dark world?”  The answer is in Zacharias’ hymn.  In the Daystar God would “visit” and “redeem” His people (v68).  The Daystar will be God’s “horn of salvation” (v69).  These are descriptions of the very nature and purpose of the life of Jesus Christ.  The visit involved His incarnation.  Redemption was accomplished at the cross when Jesus paid the price with His blood to loose us from our sins.  And by His resurrection He became the horn of salvation, the One to rule from David’s throne.  

Hear the word of the Lord, to come to the Light, and to walk in the Light.

John 3:20-21 ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Romans 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.