The Hope of Light

The Hope of Light. Or is it the Light of Hope? Maybe both?

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. And today our church lit the first Advent candle, the Prophesy candle. Also called the Hope candle.

As a child I didn’t know the term Advent. I knew nothing about celebrating a season stretching from the fourth Sunday before Christmas until Christmas Eve as a time to reflect and anticipate the coming of our Savior to earth. We celebrated the birth of our Lord and all that means for mankind. Just not following a formal Advent tradition.

Over the years, more and more western churches have included a celebration of Advent into their Christmas traditions. And, today, our songs and Scriptures told of the long-awaited hope for light to pierce the darkness of our world.

Prophecies Given

Centuries before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah’s arrival.

The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

Hope was given for light to shine in the darkness of a world without hope.

Through the years, YHWH God sent word to His people through prophets. Men spoke as YHWH directed them, giving them hope a Messiah would come.

Sadly, the Israelites did what many of us do today. They turned a deaf ear to God’s voice. Until God went silent. For four hundred years there was no new word from our Maker to His people.

Darkness fell. No light in the land. No hope except for the ancient prophesies.

And so today we sang, remembering the longing of people who wanted God to reenter their world. Some word from the Creator to remind them they were not forgotten.

Longing for Hope

A song written in the twelfth century, translated into English in the 1850s, catches the heart of those waiting for the coming Messiah. The song is titled O Come O Come Emmanuel.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Longing. For the coming of the Promised Son of God. Someone able to pull them out of despair, to save them.

Our world is dark these days. Perhaps no more so than any other period in history. But at this moment in time, we’re here now to see the darkness. And we wonder. Is there any hope of light conquering the dark?

Light in the Darkness

From our vantage point, we look back in time and see the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Holy One coming to earth. John testified to Jesus as “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:9).

A few months before Mary gave birth to Jesus of Nazareth, His cousin John was born. At the time of the child’s circumcision, when they traditionally name the child, John’s father, Zacharias, “was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied” (Luke 1:67). He spoke of the newborn baby John this way.

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:76-78)

John the Baptist, as he is known, was prophesied by Malachi. John was the forerunner sent by God to prepare His people for the coming Messiah. From the time Malachi challenged Israel to be faithful to YHWH until the coming of John, about 430 years went by. When God was ready, He spoke again to His world. This time not through a prophet. But as Emmanuel, God with us. As Luke tells us, “the Dayspring from on high has visited us.”

The song O Come O Come Emmanuel continues.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
And drive away the shades of night
And pierce the clouds and bring us light!

A cry of desire for light to come dispel the darkness shrouding the land.

Trust Breeds Hope

The people in the land before the birth of the Savior could only trust the prophecies were true. Hope the light would really come.

Everyone living since Jesus Christ walked among us can trust the prophecies to be true because we have history behind us. We know the stories of God come to earth. But we must believe.

Either way, trust is imperative for hope.

O Come O Come Emmanuel continues with the recognition Emmanuel will come because God is faithful. The prophecies are not without merit. The people of God would not be left as captives of the dark. Light would “pierce the clouds” and joy would fill their hearts.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Joy was possible for those waiting for the Messiah. Emmanuel, God with us, would come as He said.

And joy is possible for those here since the Messiah came. For the light has come!

Our Hope of Light

Chris Tomlin wrote of this need the world feels for a Savior. The longing for a light to give us hope. His song, “He Shall Reign Forevermore” tells us of the need creation has as our dark world eagerly waits for a light to break through. Praise God, He has come. And all creation rejoices that Hope was born one long ago night in a stable.

A beloved Psalm reminds us we are walking through a dark world. Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me.”

During Advent we have the joy of looking back and looking forward. Remembering the prophecies given by God promising His provision for our greatest need. Recognizing the fulfillment of those prophecies in the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. Rejoicing in the hope we have that Light has come.

The Father’s promises not only include forgiveness of our sin but eternal life with Him. A life full of peace and joy with our Creator.

Our hope of light piercing the darkness of our world found its fulfillment through Jesus, the light of the world. And Jesus promises to return for His own. Just as He fulfilled the prophecies given about His first coming, He will fulfill the prophesies of His second coming.

As we walk through this Advent season, may we do so prayerfully. May we hear all God has to teach us from the Scriptures and songs of this season. We are blessed to have hope. For the Light of hope has come!

NOTE: I’d love to hear how you plan to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas. Feel free to share any ways you have to help us ponder the miracle and majesty of God come to earth. Have a blessed Advent.

(Scripture: New King James Version; Photo: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen, Tribble Mill Park, November 2025)