The Sunrise From on High

“The sunrise shall visit us from on high.” Luke 1:78

As of this writing the days are getting longer! Light is increasing day to day! As the

sunlight lengthens in our lives we are reminded of the Sunrise himself who comes from on high! He is our Savior Jesus Christ! It is, says St. Luke, “because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

We live in a darkened world but no matter the darkness a new day will dawn! Even the

death of our Lord must be seen this way. You see, he dies only to rise! The Lord, God

brought him to life, who is called the morning star or sunrise from above. He lives so that all who believe receive forgiveness of sins through his name. God’s people have this promise. There will be the dawn of a new day…In this, his finest moment, his finest hour the enemy is cast aside and his work brought to naught. So, in the triumph of our Savior’s cross darkness gives way to light!

Fourth century church father, St. Gregory of Nyssa says, “For darkness cannot endure when the light shines, nor can death remain in being where life is active.” The good news for people of God is that the eternal light still shines and that the enemy’s

grip is loosened. Now has begun the reversal of the former dark order brought on by the enemy in his uprising against God and his subsequent deceiving of humanity. It would appear that Satan got more than he bargained for that day our Savior died…Jesus there undermined and overthrew the works of his enemy forever! This was God’s triumph over the works of darkness!

No matter the darkness of this world or the darkness of our own lives our Lord’s light of

salvation still shines for us, burning ever so brightly until the day we finally bask in his

eternal light to come! A new day will dawn! Even our own impending death must be seen in this light. Our Lord dies that we too might rise!