THINK TOGETHER
Which is more powerful, light, or darkness? Why?
READ TOGETHER
Isaiah the prophet had some bad news for God's people, the Jews. Because of their constant sinning, and because they had ignored his commandments, the Jews were going to be conquered and taken as prisoners into the evil empire of Babylon. And they would be there for 70 years. This 70 years of captivity would be known as the "Babylonian Exile." But Isaiah didn't only have bad news for the people. He also told them of God's promise to rescue them out of the exile. He gave them hope for the future. Listen to these verses and see if you can hear the good news of hope:
Isaiah 60:1-3. 1Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2For 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. 3And nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.
What good news did you hear? When Isaiah tells God's people to Arise, shine, for your light has come, he's telling them that there is hope. They will be rescued! They won't be in Babylon forever. They will make it back home. And Isaiah is also telling us something too. Yes, Isaiah's prophecy also points to Jesus and when Jesus will return to earth to rescue us from our sin and our selfishness. From our greed, our anger, our meanness, our jealousy, and from the sadness that comes when you have no hope of ever being out of the prison of sin.
But because of Jesus we never have to be prisoners of sin again. Why? Because the glory of the Lord has risen upon you – Jesus has risen from the dead! Jesus died for our sins but he didn't stay dead. He arose. His all-powerful life shone in the darkness and conquered death. And now his great life and love can be ours to share with him when we trust in him to rescue us. Now we can live forever in the light, never in the dark again. We can arise and shine everywhere we go.
Because of Jesus you never have to be sad in the darkness of sin again. You are in the light!
With Jesus you can shine his light of love and grace everywhere you go.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Turn of all the lights and play with flashlights. Talk about how our little light can break through the darkness, and Jesus' great light conquered the darkness of sin and death.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you are the light of the world. Help me to arise, and shine today. Amen.
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