Isaiah 60:1-3 Jesus is the Light to the World

Ephesians 5:14

Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

In Christ, in His body which was given up for us, in His righteousness and not our own, we live. In Him we are in right standing with the Father. In Him we have Holy Spirit to teach us and get us safely home. All glory and honor belongs to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Him we never walk alone! Carla

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising (NKJV)

Arise is addressed to Zion (verse 14).  Zion is both the recipient of God’s light and the reflector of it. Isaiah’s prophecies often emphasize the contrast between light and darkness to symbolize the contrast between eternal life and death, salvation and judgment.

As was the case during the Exodus from Egypt, darkness is on the wicked while God’s light is on His people (Exodus 10:23). Deep darkness elsewhere describes a cloud enfolding the glory of God (Exodus 20:21), and serves as a warning of His impending judgment (Jeremiah 13:16).

Gentiles is translated “nations” in 2:2–4. In the earlier passage, they come to heavenly Zion to be taught of God; here they come to bring tribute (verses 5, 11, 13). Isaiah foresaw a day when not only would the righteous remnant in Israel be devoted to God, but so would the redeemed from all peoples. Christ is the light to kings (42:6; 49:6). The NKJV Study Bible

Light is a metaphor for the salvation and spiritual awakening brought by the Messiah.

The second-person pronouns in this passage are feminine and singular. They refer to Zion/Jerusalem, which is personified as female (49:21–22; 51:18–20; 52:1–2). Nations shall come to your light. In 42:6, Israel was sent as a light to the nations. That role was transferred to the Servant-Messiah in 49:6. Nations are described streaming to Zion in 2:2–5 and 11:10. Faithlife Study Bible

Jeremiah 13:16

Give glory to the LORD your God

Before He causes darkness,

And before your feet stumble

On the dark mountains,

And while you are looking for light,

He turns it into the shadow of death

And makes it dense darkness.

Isaiah 49:23

Kings shall be your foster fathers,

And their queens your nursing mothers;

They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,

And lick up the dust of your feet.

Then you will know that I am the LORD,

For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”

Isaiah 58:8

Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily,

And your righteousness shall go before you;

The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Revelations 21:24

And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

“This shepherd had one hundred sheep. And one of them was lost. And the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep to go out and find the lost one. He brings him home.”

In the story, the shepherd doesn’t blame the lost one. Or give advice. Or admonish. Because to the shepherd, that sheep is not just a number, but a face, a name, and a story.

The shepherd knew that some stories are too heavy to carry alone. That every one of us at some time in our life will need the loving arms of justice, mercy, and unmerited grace.

And yes, the power of acceptance.

You see, here’s the deal: some days we are the one lost.

And some days, we are the hands and feet of the shepherd. Taking to heart, “You’ll never walk alone,” there may be times, when even though we feel isolated—yes, lost, emotionally or spiritually—we find the courage (it doesn’t take much) to know that others around us feel the same.

And we look for the lost sheep.

And consider our potential to be the hands of a shepherd.

“I hope that all of us, or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments but rather by the strength we show when, or if, we are given a second chance.” Sabbath Moments