In the First Light: A Sudden Dawn
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast
Genesis 1:3-4And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good.
Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Sunrise on the Mountains | Phoenix, AZ | November 2022
Suddenly it dawned on me! Have you ever said that? Has it ever dawned on you? Late to catch the joke… then it dawns on you (not pleasant but not disastrous). Suddenly remembering why you came into the room (not necessarily a problem). Realizing that you were to have been at an important meeting two hours ago and suddenly realizing that was the nagging feeling you’d forgotten something that had been with you all morning (YIKES! Not so good.).
But there is a different kind of dawning that we all need: we must be awakened to the reality of God’s gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. By the grace of God, we have been awakened with the message of the angels, “Behold I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
It’s true, no one knew the Savior had been born that first Christmas night until the angel appeared to the shepherds. No one knew of the Savior’s birth until the shepherds spread the word. No one knew of God’s gift of Jesus until God revealed it. The light of the Lord had risen on his people. And no one is born with the innate knowledge of God. By nature we are blind, dead in our sins, and enemies of God.
We are without excuse in regard to our state, because we do have the natural knowledge of God. Creation testifies to this:
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. – Romans 1:19-20
And we also have our consciences, the law written on our hearts which bear witness to right and wrong in our lives (Romans 2:15).
But God in his great mercy, while we were still sinners, sent his Son to be our Savior. We were on the road to perdition, destruction, damnation, doom, and death. And God flagged us down. He opened our eyes to his mercy and love, his goodness and grace. The light dawned on us. We need God. And he has come to us, to be with us. To redeem us. To save us. On us the light has dawned.
That which was at first hidden in a Bethlehem manger shines brightly in the lights, celebrations, proclamations, songs, carols, and services of this season. O that we would be the light that points others to Jesus this Christmas and always!
In the First Light
In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a newborn softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.
As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That this baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.
But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.
He had left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He’d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev’ry man.
Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to earth
When He comes again
Hear the angels as they’re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!
When He comes back, When He comes back
To rule the Earth!
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert John Kauflin
In the First Light lyrics © Bridge Building Music, Organon Key Music
David Bahn - Reflections 