The Flame That Shattered The Darkness.

There's something amazingly powerful in the tiniest of lights. No matter how dark, the smallest flicker of light pushes the darkness into the voids of the unknown.

Picture a young boy, troubled by something he cannot name, feeling the weight of his small world pressing down. Then his daddy’s hand rests upon his little head, and a single word is spoken to him.  His pressure subsides, and his spirit calms.  He has been given a peace that was unknown before. But it’s more than peace, something bigger, greater than his little mind can begin to comprehend.

This is what peace truly means—not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of divine wholeness, completeness, and blessing. It's a prayer that echoes through generations, a longing that pulses through human history even to today.

The prophet Isaiah spoke to a people who knew darkness intimately. They lived in exile, backs pressed against Babylonian walls, stumbling through the spiritual night, stubbing their toes on the sin of the world. They needed rescuing. They needed a mighty warrior-king like David, or perhaps another Moses to lead them from captivity.

What they got was far different—and far better.

Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 9 begins with an often-overlooked verse: "But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish." The promise continues, speaking of lands brought into contempt that would later be made glorious. Then comes the declaration that changes everything: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone."

This wasn't the light of human achievement or military conquest. This was something altogether different.

Then, when the moment finally arrived, it came wrapped not in a palace but in a stable. Not a golden crib, but a feeding trough. Not a royal announcement, but a simple proclamation to society's outcasts. Not as a beacon of brightness but a mere flicker of light.

A young mother, exhausted from travel and childbirth, wrapped her newborn in an old blanket brought from home. Worried if the world would receive this most amazing promised gift. The greatest gift ever given, a gift she now cradles in her arms.

Her husband, not the child’s father, a simple carpenter, was still replaying the words told him by the angel. Don’t worry, don’t fret, this is something great, this is something from God. "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."  Standing there in wonder, realizing that he'd been chosen to care for this little light that would one day save the world.

It's not what anyone expected. Yet this tiny flame in this dark place filled everything with light.

The shepherds stood in fields under a quiet sky when suddenly—without wind, without warning—an angel appeared. "Do not be afraid, I have good news. Your Savior has been born."

Then came a moment of holy silence, as if creation itself held its breath.

And then!           Then!

Multitudes of angels shattering the quiet with the proclamation of peace on earth.

The shepherd who witnessed it understood. Something grand, something great, something promised had finally arrived for all people.

The shepherds left in a rush to tell the world that heaven had invaded earth, not with armies but with an infant that the King of all creation had made Himself small enough to hold.

Wise men who spent their lives searching for truth, studying the heavens, seeking to make sense of existence. Looking for a glimmer of light in this dark and dreary world. But this time, this trek, this journey, was different. They weren't merely searching—they were being led.

And when they arrived, they found no outer courts filled with nobility, no royal tapestry, and no fanfare. Instead, they found a child. And yet they knew this was the light they’d been searching so tirelessly for. This was the spark that would ignite the world. So they bowed. They worshiped.

Isaiah's prophecy then reaches its crescendo with words that have echoed throughout the millennia: "For unto us a child is born, for unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

This child—this baby,  lying in a borrowed blanket in a borrowed stable—Carrying the names that belonged to the Creator of light itself.  And His reign, His rule, His righteousness will shine forever. Causing the darkness to not only flee but to cease from existence.

Here's the truth that pierces through all our expectations: great light shines best in great darkness.

You see, in the midst of our darkness, as in the days of Isaiah, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wisemen, we want God to show up in all of His deity.  We expect power, but He brings humility. We anticipate conquest, but He offers sacrifice. We desire His full brightness, but He delivers a simple flame.

Yes, the chaos, the crisis, the gloom, and the doom we face can be overwhelming, but none of it has the final word.

That is why this season brings such joy—not the temporary happiness of presents and parties, but deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing the Light of the world, God himself.

God's highest and most complete good, given to us in the form of a baby, brought joy to a carpenter's heart, made angels sing, shepherds run, and wise men worship. But what has it done for you?

The child born in Bethlehem grew to be the man who would break every chain, bear every burden, and even conquer death itself.

The angels were right: this is good news of great joy for all people. Light has come into the darkness. And the darkness cannot overcome it.

Merry CHRISTmas!
Dr. Christopher Young.