The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:2 and 9:6 (ESV)
A world-altering change was being announced—bigger than any world war, pandemic, or global crisis. It’s Isaiah’s announcement of divine love being demonstrated through the birth of a child—Christ’s birth. This announcement would impact the life of every person ever created. It’s an announcement that can either be glossed over every Christmas or one that can stop us where we stand and impact every day for the rest of our lives.
I grew up hearing my mom’s stories of where she was when she learned that JFK had died. It was odd to me that someone would remember a moment like that. Now, after 9/11 and Covid, I understand. Sometimes, an announcement changes the trajectory of our life. Repercussions of earthly events fade over time, but the hope of Christ’s birth has an infinitely greater impact on our daily lives and increases in relevance and power for every generation!
Isaiah lays out the heartache of what is and has been—the realities of a dark place consumed with selfishness and its cruel effects. He describes the disorienting darkness that we struggle to navigate and the confinement that wants to barricade us into isolation. There is an oppressor who brings death, and there is defilement from a war that we’re subjected to without knowing. This is the fallen world.
But Christ’s birth changes everything! “For unto us, a child is born, a son is given.” This is the most positive thing that has or will ever happen! Christ is God’s promised hope for humanity. Jesus is God’s loving response to the darkness and heartache!
A light is shone, and every day of our lives, our Savior offers us wonderfully divine counsel to navigate the hardest moments, embraces us as a compassionate Father who will never leave us, and helps us fight isolation. We are invited to walk in peace through the burdens of life. We become known and embraced for who we are, not who we will be. This Son is the Light of the World and from him all life flows. His name is Jesus.
This Christmas, embrace that announcement. Allow it to impact every other announcement that will ever come into your life. Because that’s what a birth announcement is meant to be—a life-altering moment full of Hope and Promise in what the future holds.
Merry Christmas, the Light has come!
