Christmas is a Gift

The Second Layer To Unwrap is God's Gift Comes Wrapped in Great Light (Isaiah 9:2)


We must understand that apart from Christ there is only darkness.

The people walked in darkness and dwelt in a land of deep darkness. This is how they were living out their lives; living every day in the darkness of God’s judgment.

Isaiah 8:17 tells us that God was hiding his face from them; their sin had caused separation.

But not just eternal separation. Not just the darkness of hell. Our sin, like their sin, drives a wedge between us and the joy of God’s presence.

The darkness is removed when the light appears. When the light shines the deep darkness flees.

Don’t you long for that; for the darkness of depression and uncertainty to flee? Do we long for the deep darkness of guilt and shame to be pushed out of the lives of our friends and neighbors?

Rejoice this morning. God’s gift of Christmas came wrapped in light; light so magnificent it scatters the darkness.

The Third Layer We Unwrap is God's Gift Comes Wrapped In Increasing JOY (Isaiah 9:3)

We must understand that the joy that accompanies God’s promise is greater than the darkness that accompanies our sin.

Zebulun and Naphtali have been hauled away into slavery; the deep darkness is setting in on God’s people. It’s fullness will come and settle on the land.

The sin and rebellion they have sown have now gone to seed. Theirs is the joyless darkness of God’s judgment.

But do you see in verse 3 that God’s people are rejoicing? God’s people have been captured. They have lost the battle and there will be much more fighting, death, and capture in the future.

Yet verse 3 tells us that God had multiplied the nation and increased its joy. The circumstances are truly bad but the truth of the matter is that in spite of the circumstance God gave joy and the people rejoiced.

The people rejoice before God because rejoicing is what we do in God’s presence.

You rejoice like those who celebrate the bountiful harvest. You have gladness like those who win the war and take home truck loads of spoil.

My joy must not depend upon my circumstances. My joy must depend on the presence of Jesus in my life.

Though my sin and frustration want to cloud my life with gloom, anguish, and contempt the presence of Christ will flood my life with light.

Though loss and captivity want to rule my emotions and darken my vision I have been given the gift of Christmas.

There is a real, tangible, overwhelming reason to rejoice in spite of difficult; the reason to rejoice is Christmas. Christ has come bringing increasing joy.

(Countdown to Christmas 4 days) December 22, 2010

Father, thank You for loving me and rejoicing over me with joy. Hallelujah! I am redeemed. I come with singing, and everlasting joy is upon my head. I obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing flee away. That spirit of rejoicing, joy, and laughter is my heritage. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty — emancipation from bondage, freedom. I walk in that liberty.

I have the victory in the name of Jesus. Satan is under my feet. I am not moved by adverse circumstances. I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I dwell in the Kingdom of God and have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! Praise the Lord!

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

~Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland