Advent Day 4: Isaiah 60:1-3

Read & Journal

Read Isaiah 60:1-3, then read John 8:12. Use any or all of these journal prompts to engage with the Scripture more deeply:

• Think about light and its power. With this in mind, what does it mean to say that Jesus is the Light of the world?

• Compare the opening words of Isaiah 60:1-3 to John 8:12. Why is the arrival of the Light of the world a reason for celebration?

• In Jesus’ pronouncement in John 8:12, He hearkened back to the pillar of fire God had used to guide the Israelites through the wilderness. The pillar represented God’s presence, protection and guidance. How has Jesus fulfilled these roles in your life?

Ponder

John 7 tells us that Jesus’ pronouncement came on the heels of the Feast of Tabernacles. During each night of the feast, the faithful waited for the special lighting of the golden lamps of Tabernacles located in the court of women at the temple. Intended to remind the people of God leading the Israelites through the wilderness by a pillar of fire, the lighting of the lamps also served as a symbol of the Jews recommitment to the God of light.1

Jesus wasn’t just claiming He was a light. He said He was the Light, the very same God who had led the Israelites through the wilderness by night with a pillar of fire, the light they had symbolically celebrated during the Feast of Tabernacles. The pillar represented God’s presence, protection and guidance, and Jesus wasn’t just claiming that He had some of those characteristics; He said He embodied them. And His light would bring salvation and life to all who followed Him, not just the Jews.

Long before, in Isaiah 60, God’s people had returned to Jerusalem from exile, and their beloved holy city was a mere shadow of its former glory. As despair and frustration set in, God, through His prophet, declared that He would act on behalf of His people. His light would shine upon them, and His glory would attract the nations to Jerusalem. God would transform Jerusalem from darkness (v. 2)—caused by sin and judgment—to light.

In Jesus, He does the same for us. Arise, shine! Your light has come.

1 Gerald L. Borchert. North American Commentary, Volume 24A: John 1-11. (Broadman & Holman Publishers: Nashville, Tenn., 1996). Accessed 8 May 2021.