By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.”
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
Matthew 4:14-17
Nyctophobia, the fear of the dark, is a real condition experienced by many, especially children, who imagine all types of hidden dangers concealed in the darkness. We may not imagine bogie men in the dark, but most human beings would say that they are not overly fond of darkness. I, for one, will always ensure that I have a light source to hand, and coming from the UK, where during the winter months it gets dark as early as 4 pm and stays dark till around 8 am, those short days and long hours of darkness always leave me longing for the springtime. No, I’m no fan of the dark.
Matthew tells us that Jesus is a great light who brings light to people sitting in darkness. This was the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy 750 years earlier. He was the light that had come. Just as light illuminates and directs, this great light of the gospel is manifested in Jesus Christ, who came to be light and declare light. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of truth. His Kingdom was not like the kingdoms of this world; it was a Kingdom based on Light- the light of His Word, the Light of Truth, the Light of freedom for those held captive and the Light of eternal life. Jesus came to make known the way to His Kingdom. His proclamation was, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Many rejected & continue to reject the light choosing to remain in the darkness but for those wanting to escape the darkness of this world, the door to this Kingdom is Jesus and the way we enter through the door is to repent.
Repentance is to recognise that we have done wrong and that our wrongs have separated us from a Holy God; we feel our guilt and helplessness, owning that we need God’s mercy, which is available to us through Jesus Christ. He who took our sin on himself in His death on the cross. We receive His forgiveness and desire to live a completely different life, living in the light that is Christ, our lives now marked by obedience to Christ and His word.
- Jesus Christ, the light that shone in a dark place, the door through which we gain access to His Kingdom.
- Jesus Christ, the one who proclaimed the Kingdom, teaches the values and culture of the Kingdom, which are opposite to the values of this world. He taught the Kingdom with parables, discourse, and conversations so we would know.
- Jesus Christ not only proclaimed the kingdom but lived the Kingdom, modelling for us the Kingdom lifestyle so that we could see His perfect example and know that He indeed is the Son of God and God the Son.
A great light has come, and the Kingdom has been made known. “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Ask: Why is life outside the Kingdom of Light described as sitting in darkness?
Seek: What about this great light that drew you to Jesus, and how has it changed your life? If you haven’t accepted this light, what is the stumbling block?
Knock: Today, ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to someone who needs to hear the news of this great light and ask for boldness in proclaiming His Kingdom. If you do not know Jesus, ask Him to reveal His light to you and expect an answer.
