99. Light and Salvation
Isaiah 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thous shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
This prophecy about the Servant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, plays on the word “light.” It would be light, not heavy, thing to restore only the faithful Jews from Exile. The servant will do the heavy and hard thing by being a “light” to the Gentiles: He will bring His salvation to the ends to the end of the earth. God loves all people ever created, and He will be Salvation for everyone. There is no one for whom Christ did not die.
When Jesus was born He was declared to be the Savior of Israel and a light to the Gentiles. We, all of us are included in that light. The Servant has come to bring us out of darkness into light. Our sin has put us into darkness; our Savior has put us into the light. We were blind and could not see, although we thought we could see. The Holy Spirit is needed to shine the light of the Word into our dark hearts, convince us of sin and darkness through the Law, and then convince us of forgiveness and light through the Gospel. Then we see, by faith. This “conversion” needs to happen every day. Daily we need to hear the gospel, and repent and believe. All believers are groping in darkness and walking in light at the same time. We need.a regular dose of Law and Gospel to see and resee the Servant Savior who brings light and salvation.