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STUDY 14: CHRIST: THE LIGHT – ISAIAH 9

© Rosemary Bardsley 2024

From his very first chapter onwards Isaiah identifies the ignorance of God, the spiritual darkness, that characterised the people of Judah. At times, indeed most of the time, for the people of Judah, this ignorance was the result of a deliberate rejection of God’s word.

Read these verses from Isaiah for descriptions of this ignorance:
1:3

3:12

5:13

5:20

5:24b

9:15, 16

28:15b

29:18

30:9 – 12a

42:7, 16

59:9,10, 13 – 15

This ignorance evokes God’s questions: Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? – Isaiah 40:21, 28. What they did not know, they should have known, because the whole created universe is constantly demonstrating the truth about God. This ever-present wordless voice of creation, that renders all human ignorance of God inexcusable, is also attested in Romans 1:18 – 23.

A. JESUS – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

In the context of this spiritual darkness of Judah, and of the whole world, and just before his definitive statement about the coming of the Son of God, Isaiah records God’s promise of the coming of the light:

‘...there will be no more gloom ...
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned’ – Isaiah 9:1, 2.

We have see previously (in Study 11) that the coming of Christ in ‘the last days’ is the coming of light and truth, which Isaiah exhorts us to walk in (2:3, 5). Isaiah refers to this association of ‘light’ with Christ several times.

Check these verses. What does Isaiah say about the coming of ‘light’?
29:18

42:6, 7

42:16

49:6, 9

60:1 – 3

60:19, 20

61:1

The New Testament testifies that this ‘light’ anticipated by Isaiah is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariah, at the birth of his son John [the Baptist], spoke of the One whom John would herald in these words:

‘… because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace’ [Luke 1:78,79].

John, the apostle, spoke of the coming of Jesus Christ in this way:

‘The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it’ [John 1:5].
‘The darkness is passing and the true light is already shining’ [1John 2:8].

Matthew, quoting Isaiah 9, identified Jesus as the ‘light’ – the one of whom Isaiah spoke:

‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles –
the people living in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned’ [Matthew 4:15,16; Isaiah 9:1,2].

Jesus taught that he himself is ‘the Light’:

‘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].

‘I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness’ [John 12:46].

Jesus, the Light of the world, came into the world. The purpose and result of his coming is multi-dimensional:

He, the Light, rescues us from the darkness of deception and ignorance [2Corinthians 4:4-6].

He, the Light, rescues us from the darkness of death [Isaiah 9:2; Luke 1:79].

He, the Light, rescues us from the prince of darkness [Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13].

He, the Light, rescues us from the darkness of our sin and condemnation [Acts 26:18].

He, the Light, rescues us from our personal darkness and endows us with his light [Ephesians 5:8; Matthew 5:14].

Jesus, the Light, calls us out of the darkness and into his wonderful light [1Peter 2:9]. In that light there is peace [Luke 1:79], and in that light there is joy [Isaiah 9:2,3].

But, as it was in Isaiah’s day (Isaiah 6:9,10), not everyone wants the Light:

‘The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him’ [John 1:9-11].

‘This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil’ [John 3:19].

Jesus, the Light has come, with the set purpose to rescue us from the darkness in which we are trapped. Just as he gave physical sight to the blind, so he came to give spiritual sight to the spiritually blind. Jesus, the eternal Son, left his glory, left his Father, left the praise and worship of the angelic hosts, and took on our humanness, in order to save us from the darkness of our ignorance of God and from the darkness of our bondage to sin, death and Satan.

But, for the most part, we humans love our darkness.

We would rather the darkness than the Light. We would rather not have our sin exposed.

We would rather remain in bondage to the prince of darkness than live free with Jesus, the Light.

We would rather remain in the darkness of spiritual death, than be liberated to live in the Light.

We would rather cling to our own ‘god’, than know the true God by knowing Jesus, the Light.

We would rather remain God’s enemies than be transformed into his friends by the Light.

Jesus knowing how critical our response to him, the Light, is impressed his hearers with its urgency:

‘You are going to have the light just a little longer. … Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light’ [John 12:35,36].

When Jesus said this he was referring to his imminent return to his Father. But his meaning and his urgency still apply today in this interim of grace preceding his return in power and glory: As long as the Gospel is preached, as long as the return of Christ is delayed, there is still opportunity to turn to the Light.

B. GOD IS LIGHT

This identification of Christ as light, is an identification of Christ as God. For the Old Testament believers, God was their light, and the source of light. The New Testament continues to affirm this association of God and light, and states clearly that Jesus Christ has made God known, dispersing the darkness of ignorance of God.

What do these verses say about this?
Compare Isaiah 4:5 & 6 (which is prophetic of Christ) with Exodus 13:21 & 22.

Psalm 18:28

Psalm 27:1

Psalm 89:15 – 18

Psalm 118:26 – 27 (compare Matthew 21:8 – 11)

Psalm 119:105 (compare John 1:1 – 9, 14)

Acts 26:18

2Corinthians 4:4 – 6

1John 1:5