A war torn village. A land that is the center of invasions and destruction. A people that have fallen to their own folly. To a people in deep darkness a great light has come. This comes from Isaiah 9. It’s one of those famous passages we use around Christmas and really don’t spend a ton of time unpacking it. 

Isaiah is writing this portion of his prophecy to the territories in the northern region of Israel’s land. This was the portion of land through which the enemy nations would generally invade. They would break through the barriers and storm the cities. Towns were ransacked. Hope was all but lost. 

This is the picture of darkness. It’s a picture of devastation the likes of which many of us have never seen.   It is into this place and atmosphere of darkness that God would bring an unexpected response. When we see darkness and devastation we tend to get depressed and brokenhearted. We hang our heads low and play the whole woe is me game. 

But that’s not God’s response to darkness and devastation. As a matter of fact as we read the surrounding verses in Isaiah 8-9, we see that this actually was God’s plan. His plan was to allow for darkness to appear to win. He knew it was going to happen and he let it! 

Even though we get caught up in the moments of darkness and despair, we should find comfort this advent season that God doesn’t let darkness win. His promise was that he would bring an unexpected response to all of this darkness. It would be the sending of a great light. 

Now light and darkness are natural enemies. But in every instance in which they clash, light always wins. The unexpected response to the time of darkness would be that God would bring a blinding light that would shatter darkness and send it running. God’s theme for Christmas was to send Jesus, the very light of the world, to send darkness fleeing. The promise of Christmas is that God brings unexpected light into even our darkest moments.