Handel’s music now captures the mood of Darkness: “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.” (Isaiah 60:2-3).

When I hear this grim assessment, I remember that in the Twenty-First Century, Darkness is covering the earth and gross Darkness the people.

This Darkness includes drug addiction, human trafficking, debts, and violence in divers places, including Gaza, Ukraine, the murders of protestors on the streets of Tehran, the violence of Israel and the United States in Iran, and the murders of George Floyd, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis.

How does light overcome such pervasive Darkness? How does God comfort us? How does God exalt valleys, make mountains level, make crooked paths straight, and rough places plain?

Handel’s chords capture the encouraging mood as we are assured:

Despite the Darkness “the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And [both Jews and non-Jews] shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isaiah 60:2-3).

The people “that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2).

How does this happen?

The baby Jesus that the virgin conceived is truly Emmanuel, God with us! Jesus is truly Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV).

Jesus is Emmanuel because he embodies the Hesed of the LORD, as I discuss in my blogs ”Jesus Embodies Hesed—The Vision of Isaiah”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Fulfilling the Law of Moses and the Prophets”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Sowing the Ideals of the Law of Moses and the Prophets”, and “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Saving Lost Sheep, Lost Coins, and Lost Sons”.

Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor because:

“everyone who hears the words of [Jesus] and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds rose and blew against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

Jesus is Mighty God because he embodies the Presence of the LORD:

the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands of generations, and forgiving sin, wickedness, and rebellion, yet reducing the bad effects of our bad choices as much as feasible. (my paraphrase of Exodus 33:14 and Exodus 34:6-7).

Jesus is Everlasting Father because Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:3) and “the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (John 10:38).

Jesus is Prince of Peace because Jesus said:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also’”. (Matthew 5:39); and

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’.” (Matthew 5:43-44).

Think how quickly Darkness will be overcome if we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

Think how quickly Darkness will be overcome if we put these words, and ALL the words of Jesus, into practice!

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Do you believe Jesus is Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace? How? Why?

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For related ideas, please read my blogs “Meditations: Hesed Endures Forever”, “Meditations: Hesed Blesses Forever”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—The Vision of Isaiah”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Fulfilling the Law of Moses and the Prophets”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Sowing the Ideals of the Law of Moses and the Prophets”, and “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Saving Lost Sheep, Lost Coins, and Lost Sons”.