Isaiah 49:7 “This is what the Lord says–the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel– to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers:  ‘Kings will see you and arise, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’”

I believe my neighborhood is a safer place this time of year.  Most of the year the sidewalks are fairly dark–there aren’t many street lights along the streets.  But now the whole place is lit up with colored lights and flashing lights and even flood lights.  Unfortunately, many of my neighbors may not know why they are putting up all these lights, other than the fact that Christmas is coming.  Lights are just the way that people celebrate Christmas.  They don’t realize that the lights are pointing us to Jesus, the Light of the World.

Serving as the Light of the World was intimately connected to Jesus’ great work. He has attracted people of every kind back to God. Not everything that he went through to be the light to the nations was pleasant, as the prophet’s words imply.  Isaiah describes him as one who was despised and abhorred by his own nation.  Throughout his life Jesus was hounded and challenged and despised by every ruling group there was in Israel: the self-righteous Pharisees, the liberal Sadducees, the Sanhedrin, the priests.  Even the purely political supporters of Herod known as the Herodians hated him. 

By the time Good Friday came, it seemed as if the whole nation had turned against him.  His twelve best friends had betrayed or denied or deserted him.  Common criminals mocked and insulted him.  Even God turned away from the pitiful sight of Jesus hanging on a cross, and hated him for the sins he was made to carry.  Jesus was made guilty of everyone’s sin and suffered everyone’s damnation.  His death was not a pleasant sight.  It was something to be “despised and abhorred.”

But as the last little flame of life in him flickered and failed, at just that moment the light of the world was blazing away, finally making it clear just how God would save all people.  His death may have been very humble, but it shows all the world the glory of God’s love.  It lights the only way back to the Father, the only way to heaven. 

Jesus’ humiliation–his humble birth, life, and death–light God’s way of salvation.  But that light goes out to the ends of the earth because of his exaltation.  The crucified Messiah is also a resurrected Messiah, and a triumphant Messiah.  Today he is lifted up for the whole world to see and worship.  Isaiah predicted this when he said, “Kings will see you and arise, princes will see and bow down.”  Isaiah’s words remind us of the wisemen coming to worship the Christ child.  But they include more. From the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 300’s to the Christian heads of state today, Kings and princes and rulers have been submitting themselves to this humble figure.  The whole story of Christian mission work has been one of our Savior conquering entire nations with the light of the Gospel.  The Apostle Paul explains, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

Isn’t that what we want to do with our Christmas celebration?   We lift Jesus up as high as we can, and bow down ourselves, so that the whole world can see his light.  Jesus himself may be the light for the Gentiles, but we have also been given a role in reflecting that light around the world.  He has given us the responsibility to send pastors and evangelists and missionaries.  He has made all of his witnesses to reflect his light into every nook and cranny of our lives.  At Christmas we have a prime opportunity to do just that in the way that we celebrate his birth.