The People That Walked in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light

 Temple Baptist Church - 12-23-2025

Isaiah 9:1-2

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  At the time of the birth of Christ, Israel’s Messiah and our Lord and Saviour, Israel walked in dark times.

 

1.  Spiritual Darkness: The Darkness of Religion.  In the 400 Silent Years preceding the birth of Christ, we find the rise of Pharisees and Sadducees.  Feared by man and not respected by God.

 

Matthew 3:7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 

Matthew 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

 

2.  Physical Darkness: The Darkness of the Rule of Rome.  Rome was the seventh and last of the World Powers.  It is Rome that will be revived at the end times.

 

a)  Rome began as a kingdom around 753 BC and became a republic in 509 BC, governed by a Senate, magistrates, and consuls.  It transitioned into a World Empire. 

 

b)  Julius Caesar came to power in 44 BC and consolidated Rome’s power.  August Caesar became Rome’s first emperor in 27 BC. 

 

c)  It was under the rule of these two men that we find Israel, bringing us to Luke 2:1. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.”

 

B.  Today, in the last days, we find spiritual darkness.  Our nation is filled with denominations that have left biblical, doctrinal soundness.  From the false doctrine of Roman Catholicism and Reformed Churches, to the “no doctrine” of the Popup Churches. 

 

C.  Physical darkness permeates our nation as morality is at an all time low, integrity is a thing of the past, and common sense has died.

 

D.  The darkness that overshadowed Israel was spiritual darkness.  In the midst of Israel’s darkness, a “great light” shone.  Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with Us, was born.    Isaiah 9:2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

 

E.  The darkness that overshadows America and the world today is a spiritual darkness.  In the midst of the world’s darkness today,  there are three “great lights” that still point mankind to God.

 

1.  There is the Natural Light of Creation.  The World around us.  This Natural Light of Creation is observed by all. 

 

Psalms 19:1-4  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  (2)  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  (3)  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  (4)  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

 

a.  The Light of God’s Glory is declared in Creation.  Declare – a continual proclamation, not to be silent.  The universe and our earth shout the glory of God.  Who He is, not merely what He made!

 

b.  God’s Creation is Undeniable.  It is neither random nor accidental; it is designed testimony to the Intelligence and Power of the Divine Creator.

 

c.  The Knowledge of God’s Creation is Universal.  There is no “speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”  Every man, every where sees the same glory and hears the same declaration as we see here in America. 

 

d.  The Creation of God renders mankind without excuse!  General revelation.  This is a revelation, though without words, that is yet unmistakable.

 

Romans 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

 

Psalms 14:1-3  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.  (2)  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.  (3)  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

 

2.  There is the Innate or Inherent Light of God.  The Witness within us. The Light of God’s Breath! 

 

a.  Life is not Spontaneous: arising from inanimate or non-living matter.  Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) definitively disproved spontaneous generation.  Life can only come from pre-existent life.  Only life can beget life, and our life came from our Creator.  This principle became known as Biogenesis: the synthesis of substances by living organisms.

 

Genesis 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

John 1:4-9  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  (5)  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  (6)  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  (7)  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  (8)  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  (9)  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

 

b.  The Breath of God is the life is found in Birth.  This life is the light of men.  This truth is carefully grounded in the Bible.  I find no place on earth where men do not seek and worship the Divine.  No man or woman is born atheistic.  Atheism or Agnosticism is learned, not innate behavior.

 

c.  The Breath of God is the life found in Behavior. 

 

Romans 2:12-15  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;  (13)  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.  (14)  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:  (15)  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

 

d.  A light that is known. 

 

John 1:7-12  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  (8)  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  (9)  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  (10)  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  (11)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  (12)  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

e.  A light that can be quenched.

 

Matthew 6:23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

 

f.  A light that must be shown and shared.

 

Matthew 5:14-16  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  (15)  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  (16)  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 

3.  The Light of God’s Word.  The Word given to us.  God gave the word and great was the company that published it.

 

a.  A Light that was Given by God.  2 Peter 1:19-21  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:  (20)  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  (21)  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

b.  A Light that Gives us Guidance.  Psalms 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 

c.  A Light that Gives us Birth: Eternal Life.  1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

Conclusion:  Spiritual darkness is progressive in nature.  As man seeks light, he finds light.  If a man quenches the light, he begins to “walk in darkness.” As it was in the time of the First Advent, the birth of our Saviour—Israel's Messiah—the Christ, so it is in the end time when His Second Advent is on the horizon.  The world once again walks in darkness but, rest assured, the light of His coming will be soon.

 

"Walk in the light" so that the world may know the Christ of Christmas.