Lessons January 26

Isa 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the
light shined.

The people in question had been ravaged by the Syrians and Assyrians.
The Gospel, Good News, that shown light in their darkness was that of
their deliverance from their opressors.

This particular passage is chosen because Matthew quotes it in his
continuing attempts to use OT Prophesies to prove the Jesus is the long
looked for Messiah. Isaiah was preaching a Gospel of hope to a people
looking for a charismatic leader who would lead them out of bondage.

In Jesus' time Israel was under the boot of the Roman oppressors who
installed traitor puppets to rule their subjugated empire. They too were
looking for a leader around whom they could rally to drive out the
Romans and restore Israel and Judah to their former glory. What they got
in Jesus was a spiritual messiah whose mission was to free his people
from bondage to sin and death. All very interesting but somehow a
side-light to the main action in our Gospel today.

As Paul puts it in our Epistle:

1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is to them that are perishing
foolishness; but unto us which are being saved it is the power of God.

Just five Sundays after we celebrate Christ's Birth we mark the
beginning of his ministry. The fact that his cousin John the Baptist had
been imprisoned is mentioned in passing before we learn that Jesus went
to Galilee to call his disciples and begin preaching:

Mat 4:17 From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye;
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all
manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.

Psalm 29 exorted us to praise the God of our salvation.

Psa 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the
LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 27 glories in the light of our salvation.

Psa 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid?

This 'Messiah' whose birth was announced to rude illiterate shepherds
out in the fields watching their flocks by night called to his side
'salty' rough-hewn fisherman. Their most salient qualities were their
loyalty, comraderie, and perserverence for their work was dangerous and
yielded unpredictable rewards. For effect Matthew would have them
abandon their boats and their nets to follow this charismatic young
leader. In fact we know from later passages that they continued to fish
to support themselves and their families, that Christ preached from
their boats, and used them as a means of travel.

Today's lessons then continue the theme of Christ being the light of the
world as laid out Christmas Day in John 1. And the word became flesh and
dwelt among us. In him was life and the life was light of men.

Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ.