When I used to run, and now when I walk, my favorite time is in the early morning, before sunrise. As much as I sometimes hate getting up and out, there’s something special about the stillness of being up before the world gets going.

And the best part is getting to watch the sun come up – of being in the darkness but knowing the light is coming. The anticipation and the waiting. And then… the lightening sky in the east, the sun peaking over the horizon, and finally, darkness giving way to light.

When you think about it, “darkness giving way to light” is what much of the Bible is about   and it’s a pretty good description of what God is doing – of how God has stepped into a world made dark by sin and is bringing His radiant light.

So many Scripture passages deal with this theme. God spoke into the darkness in Genesis 1, saying, “Let there be light.” The prophet, Isaiah, in Isaiah 9, proclaimed that, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”

In John’s Gospel, John introduces Jesus by saying, “The Word (Jesus) gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:45)

Of course, this season of Advent leading up to Christmas is a celebration of how darkness has ultimately given way to light through God’s own son, Jesus.

So – what does this mean for us in a world where darkness surrounds us? So many of us right now find ourselves walking in the dark – the darkness of grief, sadness, addiction, desperation, broken relationships, unfulfilled longings.

And we find ourselves waiting. And it’s hard!

Whatever darkness we are walking through, we can know that through the promise and the hope of Jesus, darkness is, indeed, giving way to light. Even if we can’t see it yet.

And we can know that just as Jesus entered the world 2000 years ago, He will enter our hearts – as we will let Him – to shine His love and His light into every dark place.

And we can claim, with the shepherds, the angel’s words on that first dark Christmas morning. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem…” And as John said in John 1:9, “He is the true light who gives light to everyone.”

Some mornings, when I am walking in the dark, I look up to see the planet Venus, called the “Morning Star,” bright and low in the eastern sky. It’s called the Morning Star because it is the last and brightest object visible in the pre-dawn sky, heralding the dawn.

It’s why Peter, in 2 Peter 1, calls Christ the Bright and Morning Star (Carness talked about it this past Sunday. His sermon is (here).

Because of Jesus, we can know and claim – even in the waiting – that just like Venus, the Morning Star is heralding a new day. Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Light of the world, is dispelling darkness and heralding the dawn in our world and in our own lives!

“Silent night, holy night,

Son of God, love’s pure light…”