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. (Isaiah 9:2 ESV)
Light
My regional electric company does not love me. Therefore, when the power goes out in the middle of the night, while they certainly do try to restore the lights, they do not really sacrifice on my behalf. In fact, everything they do for us they get paid for, and that is their primary motivation.
But God does love His people. And Isaiah reminds us that before Christ, God’s people walked in darkness.
This darkness is not necessarily physical, but rather the darkness of ignorance. Until Christ the universe made no sense. The Messiah’s salvific arrival gave every moment of history meaning. The darkness of no-knowledge is brightened by the God’s revelation of His plans.
This darkness is the darkness of selfishness. Until the promise of Christ, human motivation did not move beyond selfishness. But after the Messiah’s salvific arrival, God’s people can choose love, can grow in selflessness, and can follow Christ’s example. The darkness of self-focus is brightened by the bright heart-changing of the gospel.
This darkness is the darkness of hopelessness. Until awareness grew of Christ’s work all solutions were temporary, short-sighted, and doomed to failure. But after the Messiah’s atoning work fixed every problem in the universe, God’s people can rely on Christ to fix the root cause of every problem: sin itself. The darkness of failure is brightened by the light of the world, Christ Jesus.
And all because God loves His people. He brings light, the only light, the true light because He has compassion on those who dwell in the dark.