St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church – Watertown, WI
Pastor Mark Gartner
Sermon for Epiphany 3 – January 20^th and 23^rd, 2005

Dear children was hearts are filled with the Light of Jesus,

One of the greatest inventions of all times is the lightbulb and the power to make that lightbulb shine. We never think twice as we flip the switch and we have light. We never think twice as we stay up late into the evening and don’t have to worry about the darkness outside. About the only time that we truly appreciate light and electricity is when we have the power knocked out and we don’t have light. Then we wonder how we could ever make it without lights and electricity. We might even wonder to ourselves – How in the world did they live before lights and electricity? Without lights we seem to be rather helpless an sometimes even afraid.

The Bible is filled with word pictures that convey the basic truths of God’s plan of salvation for us. In this text from Isaiah, we see the prophet using one of those familiar word pictures — the contrast of darkness and light. We find one of the most glorious Old Testament promises of the Messiah offered in the midst of a time when there was much spiritual darkness. This same picture is also very fitting for us as we recall that the promised Messiah was the Light that opened our hearts and freed us from spiritual darkness. Our theme for today will reflect on this word picture:

These were dark days for the people of God. Judah was under attack by Syria and Israel. Isaiah had told King Ahaz of Judah that Jerusalem would be spared and that the king and his people had nothing to fear. Ahaz in his unbelief however, went in search of a seemingly more powerful earthly ally. This was the country of Assyria. For some reason Ahaz thought that earthly alliances were stronger than the God of the universe. He would soon realize that his decision was completely wrong. The end result was that Assyria not only overran Syria and Israel but also invaded Judah not long afterward.

While Ahaz led God’s people to other gods, Isaiah and a remnant of faithful believers looked to the Lord for help. In this time of spiritual darkness, God’s prophet tried to call God’s people back, but his words fell on dull ears The people no longer listened to God’s warnings and did not hear God’s message of hope either. Yet this was not a time for the prophet to be silent. He looked far into the future to see the coming of Immanuel, whom he had announced in chapter 7:14.

"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan." — This section is very clearly different than the earlier preaching of gloom and doom. The promises of light and hope have been a familiar theme in the history of the chosen people. The darkness associated with God’s judgment came because the people rejected God’s Word and specifically points toward the darkness to come through Assyria, Israel’s enemy and God’s agent of judgment. Verse 1 of chapter 9 breaks through the gloom and darkness with an Epiphany theme of light and glory, namely, God’s action of salvation, deliverance, and ultimate victory.

Some basic Old Testament geography is helpful. Zebulun and Naphtali were the two northernmost tribes west and northwest of the Sea of Galilee. The worst trouble, the deepest darkness, that came to God’s people would naturally fall on this northern part of the kingdom which is also called Galilee. This area was the most vulnerable and often served as a doormat for invaders. Second Kings 15:29 says, "In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took... Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria." Also in chapter 17 of 2 Kings, we learn that still more people from the north were carried away into slavery in Assyria. As was often the policy for Assyria, the foreign king settled the land with his own people, heathen people. The northern territories became "Galilee of the nations" (Gentiles).

The meaning of this somewhat involved sentence is clear. The land on both sides of the Sea of Galilee would be among the first to suffer from the Assyrian attack. The area had seen various invaders throughout Israel’s history. During the time when the Messiah was on the earth, this area, which was often the first to suffer the approach of invading armies from the north, would be among the first to see the light of the fulfillment of God’s promises of deliverance. God will honor the Galilee of the Gentiles. It is worth noting in these verses that God is doing the action, he will cause this glorious action.

"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." This verse brings out the contrast between light and darkness. Darkness equals judgment, sin, ignorance, unbelief, and ultimately damnation. Light equals rescue, forgiveness, faith, God’s revelation of himself, and ultimately salvation. The prophet speaks to the people of Galilee of the Gentiles who had been especially burdened, who were living in darkness. They would be especially blessed through the glorious fulfillment of God’s messianic promise. So certain is the fulfillment of God’s promises that Isaiah speaks of that messianic period as a present reality, not just something for the future.

Paging ahead into the New Testament, we can see these words literally and gloriously fulfilled in the public ministry of Jesus. The gospels describe the Galilean ministry of Jesus. With the city of Capernaum serving as a home base, the Savior went out on his ministry journeys not only into Galilee but also into the lands east of the Jordan. Matthew, for example, writes: "[Jesus] returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah" (Mt 4: 12-14). There are still countless many who "walk," that is, who conduct their lives, in darkness. But Jesus still is the Light of the world. That light, which revealed itself in the Word made flesh and revealed in the Scriptures, still brings life and light to sinful people.

"You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder." The direction of the text changes slightly with verse 3 as the prophet directs a hymn of praise toward God. The Lord will bless and multiply the nation he earlier deprived of joy. God’s Old Testament people would not remain slaves forever. They would return from their captivity and be a nation again. God’s covenant with his people did not expire because of their sin. What is more, God is worthy of the prophet’s praise because his church would be extended over all the world, a world not unlike Galilee of the Gentiles in that it is under the influence of spiritual darkness. Gentiles would also be added to God’s people through faith in the Savior.

Two illustrations describe the joy and hope that come with the revealing of the great Light of the world. The first illustration brings us to harvest time, when grateful workers can rejoice at the great harvest and rest from their labor. The second places us in the company of soldiers who have conquered an enemy. They rejoice over their victory and enjoy the spoils of their defeated foe. While we may have difficulty identifying with both of these illustrations, we have seen the exaltation of victorious athletic teams after an important victory, and some of us may have even participated in the joy of a group that has worked hard to achieve a shared goal. The hearts of God’s people respond in joy at the salvation of sinners. To rejoice in God, which in itself is his gift to us, is the ultimate and the only true joy there is.

"For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor." The doxology continues in verse 4. More word pictures describe the enemies of God’s people. The instruments that symbolize the burden and oppression of slavery—the yoke, the bar across their shoulders, the oppressor’s rod—have all been broken. Therein is the cause for rejoicing, for God has brought about this deliverance.

So great is this victory that it can be compared with the victory over Israel’s enemy Midian. This victory in Israel’s history recalls the one who gave the victory. The Lord sent thousands home before the battle. Only three hundred faced the enemy so that there would be no mistake about the source of the victory. Just as the almighty God delivered his people from the Midianites in the time of Gideon, so he will bring about a rescue from eternal spiritual slavery. The battle is still the Lord’s! For Gideon, Midian was the enemy. In Isaiah’s day the main threat was Assyria and then later Babylon. Finally, however, anything that opposes the kingdom of God has been, and will be, defeated.

This deliverance and victory, which Isaiah so eloquently describes, certainly had earthly implications for the hearers of his day—the end of captivity, the return home, and the restoration of God’s people. But ultimately the prophet looks beyond those blessings to a spiritual and eternal victory. As Paul said, we "used to be slaves to sin" and "the wages of sin is death". We are by nature children of the devil. But now we have been freed from the curse of sin. "The gift of God is eternal life", and John reminds us that "the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work". All our spiritual enemies have been defeated, and all believers enjoy the spoils of victory. The victory of Gideon and Israel against the Midianites symbolizes the great victory won for us by the promised Christ Child, who has come and who now is revealed as the long-awaited Messiah and the very Light of the world.

As we live in this world, we may wonder at times if the darkness of sin has swallowed up the Light of salvation. We never need to worry about this as we are reminded by Isaiah. Jesus did come and he certainly won the victory over sin and death. His eternal life is shining brightly in our hearts and in the hearts of people throughout this world. For this we can be grateful. Our lives have changed, because of this light and this light will continue to shine brightly until God takes us to heaven. Amen