Illuminating the World with Jesus: A Spiritual Journey through Messianic Prophecies and Christmas Traditions

Are you ready to embark on a spiritual trek through the profound messianic prophecies about Jesus? I am Pastor Jason Hovde, your guide for this enlightening journey. We'll shine a light on the life and teachings of Jesus, drawing from the scriptures of Isaiah 42 to highlight the humility and gentleness of Jesus. As we approach the holiday season, we'll reflect on how Jesus, the light of the world, brings everlasting life and how we can share this light with others. 

In our exploration, we'll discuss the festival of Tabernacles and the powerful imagery it offers. We'll also delve into our roles in spreading the gospel, especially during the holiday season. To warm your hearts, we'll share Christmas stories like "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Tallest Angel". Eager to spread the light of Christ? Join me on Truth Trek, and together let's illuminate the world with the teachings of Jesus. Tune in and invite others to share this enlightening journey.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Jesus is the light of the world. Take a journey with me into some of the messianic prophecies about Jesus in the coming month before Christmas here on Truth Trek. Welcome to Truth Trek, where we dive deep into the Bible to uncover the treasures there. I'm Pastor Jason Hubdy and I will be your guide as we journey together into Scripture, god's Holy Word. In each of the Wednesday episodes from now until Christmas, I'm going to be focusing on some of the messianic prophecies we find in Scripture about Jesus and about the birth of Jesus. And also I want to remind you that each Sunday, one or two stories will be posting on the Truth Trek podcast. These are Christmas stories that I've recorded for your enjoyment, just to bless you and your family, and I know a lot of people like to listen to stories, and this is a way to do it as you're driving down the road or putting your kids to bed or something like that. So I hope you'll be blessed by those, one already released on November 26th, which was the first Sunday that I was releasing them, and they will come out each Sunday from now until Christmas. So please check those out and enjoy those and share them with others as well. Well, let's get right into our lesson for this episode of Truth Trek and we want to talk about the light of the world, that Jesus is the light of the world, and I guess we'll have three main points. One is that God is the Creator of light, god is the giver of life and Jesus is the light that brings everlasting life. I want to start with something Jesus said in the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 12. It says Jesus spoke to them saying I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. Jesus is the light of the world. In the word light Jesus uses to describe himself. Here, the meaning brings to mind some powerful imagery. The word is translated in other parts of the Bible as the daylight, the source of light, the luminary and lamp. These meanings all fit the description Jesus gives. Jesus said he is the light of the world and oh that everyone would believe this. And so, as we look at this passage, we are going to see how Jesus was the fulfillment of some prophecies, and we're going to look at that in each of the Wednesday episodes.

Speaker 1: 2:53

As I mentioned, our study today is from Isaiah 42. This is not one of the first thought of Messianic prophecies that people go to, but it's one of my favorite ones Particularly. We're going to look at verses 5 and 6. Remember that the prophet Isaiah was giving words of comfort to people who would need comfort. The first part of this passage Isaiah 42, 1-9. Describes the humility of the Savior. Elements of Jesus' ministry show us his humility. The second part of the passage shows the gentleness of Jesus. Jesus is there to help those in need and he particularly gives hope to those who have been downtrodden. A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. Today we look at God as the giver of life and Jesus as the light of the world, and next week we'll look at some more Messianic prophecies as well.

Speaker 1: 3:57

And I also want to remind you I've been challenging my church here at Oasis Church in Florida and I challenge all of you who are listening around the world to invite people to church during this holiday season. This is an opportunity to bring people to learn about the light of the world. Jesus, and pray that God would give you opportunities to invite people and that God would open their hearts to receive the Word of God and draw them to himself, convicting them of their sins and convincing them the truth of the Savior. So I challenge you to do that, so there may be someone that God has put in your path to bring to church, and we want to do that. Connect people to the Savior, if we can. So let's move forward now and explore the wonder of our Savior, who's the light of the world. So I'm going to read the passage from Isaiah 42. If you have the opportunity to open your Bible while I'm reading, I encourage you to do that. Follow along. Make sure that whatever I'm teaching you is the truth, according to God's Word.

Speaker 1: 5:01

Isaiah 42, 1-9 says this Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break and a faintly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged. Till he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the Lord who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it? I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you. I will give you, as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison, those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord. That is my name. My glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare Before they spring forth. I tell you of them. Thank you, all right, so I said it a number of times.

Speaker 1: 6:28

I'm going to say it a few more times throughout that Jesus is the light of the world. That's the main thing we want to remember From this episode of Truth Track and those three main points also that God is the creator of light. Number one and number two God is the giver of life. And number three Jesus is the light that brings everlasting life. We know that in the beginning, that is when God created the entire world, he created light. He did this by speaking it into existence. The power of God, who is spirit, is so awesome that he simply wills something to happen.

Speaker 1: 7:06

The concept of God being light is frequent in the entire Bible. He is represented by light, as the sun, as fire, and when the new heaven and earth come that there will be no need for the sun, since God himself will be the light. In fact, all three members of the Holy Trinity at times are represented or perceived by men as light. God appeared in the form of fire to speak to Moses from the burning bush. He led the Israelites through the desert in a cloud by day and a pillar fire by night. Jesus was transfigured and was full of light, and in the passage of John 812 that we started with, he says he's light of the world. Likewise, the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Christ on the day of Pentecost, appearing like tongues of fire. So we know that God, in all the persons of the Trinity, represents himself as light. So not only is God the creator of light, but also he gives us a concept of himself that involves light. It is a description, but also an illustration of something that we will not fully comprehend until we are on the other side, so to speak.

Speaker 1: 8:19

Fellowship around a campfire is an illustration for what the fellowship of believers in Christ means. God wants us to enjoy each other's fellowship, but those of us who have seen the light are to live in the light and also to share the light. Jesus is the light of the world. Well, what is the opposite of light? Darkness? Isaiah 9 to said the people have walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in a land of deep darkness. On them has light shown. God is promising here, through Isaiah, that those in darkness will be able to have light. The creator of light will reveal the light, and in the second half of this verse he compares it to the dawn as the Sun comes up over a dark valley. So will his light be revealed through Jesus Christ.

Speaker 1: 9:11

Isaiah in chapter 42 is speaking the words of God, who says I am the one who created, I am the one who sends Jesus and I will send him in righteousness. So God created light and God is the creator of life. Here in this passage he says he is the one who gives breath to its people, that's earth's people, and life to all that walk on it. In Genesis we see that while God spoke everything else into being. He actually breathed life into Adam. He considers us to be his special creation and we are put above all the rest of creation. In fact, the Bible tells us that all people bear his image.

Speaker 1: 9:57

That is the reason that murder is so serious. Not only as a murderer taking away the life that only God can give. He is also offending the very image of God, because the image of God resides within every person. I believe this includes the unborn and whether defending born or unborn, we should do all we can to protect life. God alone gives life and no man has the right to take it. God shows throughout the Bible his concern for life, from the raising up of Joseph to spare Israel, to Esther, who has put in a position of influence for such a time as this. God always cares about life. He says that he does not want any to perish. The Creator has given life to each of us and only he is authorized to take it back. Yet when we willingly give ourselves to him, he allows us life when we deserve death.

Speaker 1: 10:57

Jesus Christ also is the giver of life. He is the light that gives everlasting life, and the most exciting point today is that that Jesus is the light that gives everlasting life. That humble Jesus who did not cry out on the streets but humbly served others, Even to the point of the cross, that gentle Jesus who does not break the bruised reed or snuff out the burning wick, would rather build them up and restore and give life. He is the light that gives everlasting life. God said that he called Jesus in righteousness and would make sure that Jesus would not fail in his mission. God loves Jesus and loves us as well. God is the one who sent Jesus, about whom Isaiah prophesied when he wrote in Isaiah 9, 6, and 7,.

Speaker 1: 11:56

These well-known verses to most believers because you hear them every Christmas. 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. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness, from this time forth and forevermore, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. This Jesus, who will accomplish all of these things, said I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Do you live in his light? Do you have the victory of living in the light of Christ? I ask you what may seem like a rhetorical question, but I assure you that it is nothing of the sort. I really want to know Do you live in the light? Is Jesus the light of your life, the light who will give you everlasting life? Jesus is the answer to your need. He is the answer for your need to find a way to escape the eternal, conscious torment that awaits the damned who have sinned against an almighty, holy God who has every right to and will, in time, punish all who sin against him, apart from the blood of Jesus Christ that we are given freely an opportunity to substitute for our own. He called himself the light of the world. This is not only an affirmation of the prophecy of Isaiah, but also should have been a shocking statement to those who heard him say it. In saying it, he was making a claim to be the promised Messiah, the one who all the pictures of the Old Testament, those symbols of God's salvation, pointed to.

Speaker 1: 14:08

These types of Christ in the Old Testament include more than we have time to discuss in this episode, but I'll mention a few. Jonah was a type of Christ in that he went on an evangelistic mission to turn people to God. Elijah was a parallel of Christ, as was Elisha and to some extent, isaiah as well. Manna was a type of Christ given to people as their food from God. Jesus alluded to this when he called himself the bread of life In the Bronze Serpent in the desert that people who had been bitten by snakes only needed to look at to be healed was a type of Christ that showed us that he would be our healer if we would look to him. And, by the way, when you see that snake on the pole that's still on a lot of hospital signs and a lot of ambulances, that's a direct reminder to us of that serpent that was lifted up in the desert so that people could look on it. So, literally every time you see that, you should be thinking of Jesus, who is the one we look to for our healing Now. In Malachi 4-2 it says this there are too many prophecies and types of Jesus in the Old Testament to share, even if I had eight weeks just for that subject alone, but clearly, we can find many precious resources when we mine the Old Testament for those examples that lead us ultimately to Christ. The one we look at today is that Jesus is the light of the world.

Speaker 1: 15:52

It is most likely that when Jesus said this, it was against the backdrop of one of the many festivals that God had prescribed for Israel to do in remembrance of what God had done for them. In this case, jesus was probably alluding to the lighting of candles for the festival of Tabernacles. I quote from the following from the New American Commentary quote On the first night of Tabernacles, and apparently on each night of the feast except on the Sabbath, the worshipers awaited the signal of the special lighting of the festive golden lamps of Tabernacles in the court of women. The lamps were intended to remind worshipers of God's leading the people of Israel through the wilderness at night by a pillar of fire. The lighting of lamps also signaled Israel's recommitment to the God of Light, and it was accompanied by festive music of the Levites and special dancing by chosen men of piety. End quote there was dancing and rejoicing. This type of Christ.

Speaker 1: 16:58

The pillar of fire that showed the way to freedom is what Jesus clearly spoke to the people when he said I am the light of the world. Those who heard it could not be mistaken about the claim he was making. In this and in other cases, jesus was using those prophecies and Old Testament pictures of him that the people would clearly understand if they wanted to. Jesus is the light of the world and he wants us to share the light. He told Paul on the road to Damascus I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. So Jesus, who is the light that gives everlasting life, wants us to share in His mission and we are given the privilege of letting His light shine through us. The world is blinded and will remain so until the light is revealed to them. This God does through His humble servants who are willing to allow Him to work in their lives. This is what Jesus does through those who preach and teach the gospel.

Speaker 1: 18:17

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church that this was the main thrust of their ministry to reveal light to those in darkness. Second Corinthians, 4, verses 3 to 6, says and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing In their case. The God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, for what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants, for Jesus' sake, for God, who said Let light shine out of darkness, has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the light of the world, but he asks us to carry the light into the world. He wants us to share His gospel with those around us. One may think this is only the job of those in full-time ministry, but that's simply not the case.

Speaker 1: 19:19

Scripture clearly teaches that believers in Jesus Christ are to share their faith. He is the light of the world and His light must be shared. Remember the song this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel, though. We need to shine the light of Christ on the world around us while we still have the opportunity. Jesus is the light of the world. He is the light that pierces the darkest places.

Speaker 1: 19:50

Sometimes those in the dark are afraid of the light. We must be gentle with them and show them that the light must not be feared. Some hate the light because it exposes their deeds. We must tell those ones that their deeds can be forgiven if they would let the light in. Some claim to have the light, but when we look at them they don't seem to be a conduit of the light. Rather, they seem to absorb it all themselves. These need to be encouraged to let the light reflect off of them and shine into the world around them. Some are like they are underwater and they have a sense of the light, but like a deep water sea creature, they have never seen or understood the light clearly. What they understand of the light is only a filtered version, as the sea creature's view of the light is obscured by the depths. These ones have their view of God obscured because of their perceptions of religion. If they could see Christ without the filter, they would see that he truly is the light of the world. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He is the light that shines and exposes our ugly sin, but he is also the light that leads us out of our life of sin.

Speaker 1: 21:07

During this holiday season, I challenge you to be thinking about Jesus as the light of the world, asking yourself am I really in His light? Am I really reflecting His light to others, and am I sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ so that others can come into the light? I've warned my congregation, you know, sharing the gospel, bringing people to church so they hear a gospel message, can actually be a dangerous thing in a sense, because you could take a neighbor and bring them to church, or you can take your neighbor and share the gospel with them and they could hate you for it and never treat you the same again, same with a coworker, same with a family member. Many people have known dear friends to leave them or even family to abandon them because they dared to share their faith. The gospel of Jesus Christ is hateful to some, but we must keep sharing it because there are many people who God has selected ahead of time to hear his message.

Speaker 1: 22:09

And you may very well be a part of God's plan to bring someone to himself. He uses us and gives us that privilege, but the work is his. He draws people to himself and convicts them of their sin and convinces them of the truth, and we have the privilege of sharing a part of that. So let's do that this Christmas season. And if you are one who is not sure what I've been talking about this whole time and you're saying what is the light of the world, I don't understand that then I ask you to go and pray, ask God to reveal himself to you and go and read some of the gospel, the gospel of John, or other parts of the New Testament and the Old Testament as well, because Jesus appears all throughout the Old Testament and once your eyes are opened, you can see that as well.

Speaker 1: 23:01

Once again, I ask you to invite others to listen to the Truth Track podcast, and especially during this Christmas season, there's going to be a lot of Christmas themed things, including those stories on Sundays, and so please like, share on your social media and give more people an opportunity to hear the Truth Track podcast. I sure appreciate it when you do that, and many of you have, so thank you for that. And this coming Sunday, december 3rd, are going to be two special Christmas stories coming. One is called the Gift of the Magi by O Henry. Many of you are very familiar with that and that'll be coming out, and the other one is called the Tallest Angel, and so I encourage you to stay tuned. You'll have two story episodes on this coming Sunday. Enjoy. God bless. You have a great day.