Every Longing HeartSample

The Light of the World & Dayspring from on High

After ten months of forced silence, Zacharias finally held his long-awaited son in his arms. Now with his lips loosed and his ears opened, he was overwhelmed that his son would be the prophet of the Most High. Zacharias prophesied that John’s birth, and Jesus’, were the dawning of a new spiritual day.

To appreciate the light, we must understand the preceding darkness. The Old Testament closed with the promise of new light coming, and the New Testament opened with it.

The Messianic title of “Dayspring” is unusual. It comes from the Greek word ‘anatole,’ translated as “the east.” It’s the same word used three times to describe the wise men and “his star in the east.” The star in the east was the light that led them to the Light, the Dayspring himself.

About thirty years later, the Light of the World began teaching, healing, and raising the dead to life around Judea. Christ’s message to sinners was to place their faith and trust in him. This caused darkness to bristle and flee. Not everyone loved the light, and many preferred to stay in the darkness.

Satan tried to stomp out the Dayspring at the cross. But three days later, at sunrise, the women who had watched the Lord be crucified and buried came to anoint him with spices, only to learn that another type of sunrise had occurred. It was a S-O-N-rise! Death and darkness had been defeated, and the Son of God had risen from the grave. From the manger to the empty tomb, the Dayspring brought new light.

Christmas celebrates the advent of the first sunrise. A new day and light visited us in that lowly manger bed. But there is still a future sunrise coming. The Old Testament closed with the promise of a future sunrise, and the New Testament does too. It’s in the last chapter of the Bible. This future sunrise will be different because every other sunrise has been preceded by darkness, but this one brings perpetual light.

For Jesus himself will replace the sun in the new Jerusalem. Forever we will be with him, and he will be our light source.

Now we wait for that Day to spring forth.

When Christ was born, the reactions to his arrival ranged from worship and worry, and that’s still the case today. But for the faithful, this newborn King is the joy of every longing heart. He is the Giver, and he is the Gift. I hope he’s your heart's longing and that you’ll treasure him more this Christmas season.

Grab the FREE Advent Coloring Book that accompanies this plan here.

• How is the Dayspring shedding light into my life and my thinking?
• How should I respond to what’s being brought into the light?
• How does the promise of perpetual light in the New Jerusalem bring me hope today?