When the Day Dawns (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Few would describe the world in which we live as one of harmony or hope. Discord, rather than peace, seems to be the order of the day. Alienation is far more evident than reconciliation. Conflict screams louder than harmony. Humans are at war with humans and ultimately this is because humanity is at war with God. Therefore, many live without any hope that things will change. Many assume that tomorrow will be like today without a realistic anticipation of a new and better day. Looking at the surface of things, the world is an existence of darkness rather than light.

Christians, however, must keep two important truths in mind: First, because of who God is, things are not always as they appear; and, second, because of God, a new day has dawned. This is Paul’s burden in 2 Corinthians 4:1–6. He wants his readers to appreciate and embrace the truth that, long ago, God displayed his power to send light into darkness, to bring about a new day. And he wants us to see that God promised to do that again. The question is, will we believe his promise?

First Light

When God created the world, his first act was to pierce the darkness with light (Gensis 1:3). After the creation and entrance of light, he created and planted the world as we know it. He summarised his work as being “good” (1:10,12, etc.) and, ultimately, as “very good” (1:31). But darkness loomed in the background.

The evil one—the devil or the Satan—God’s diabolical slanderer, tempted God’s people and they succumbed, casting the world into spiritual darkness and death. But rather than giving up on his plan, God promised a brighter day (Genesis 3:15). A day would come when God would pierce the darkness and crush the devil and his works by the light of his own Son. But darkness would persist for centuries before that would happen.

In fact, it got so dark that God brought a worldwide catastrophic judgement. We can say that God turned out the lights. And yet he would not abandon his plan. The promise of Genesis 3:15 was kept afloat on the ark. After more than a year inside a large boat, with doubtless very little light penetrating the darkness, a new day gloriously dawned!

Though God recommissioned Noah’s family to be the light of the world, it would not be long before darkness would again ensconce the new world. The landscape had changed, but not the appointed landlords. Men and women and boys and girls were still sinners made in the image of our first parents, fallen and sinful Adam and Eve. Therefore the darkness continued.

Though sinful darkness and its awful disharmony continued, human harmony was at one point attempted at Babel (Genesis 11). This attempt at harmony was, however, fuelled by common hatred for God. It failed. God graciously and righteously would not allow it to succeed.

God next sent the light to idol-worshipping Abraham (12:1). From him would arise the nation of Israel, graciously tasked with being God’s light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6). Hope of harmony between God and man had been restored. The almost unintelligible light began to shine brighter but then, within a few hundred years, was seemingly extinguished in Egypt—until a glorious light appeared, literally, to Moses and the Lord led them out of Egypt and eventually into the Promised Land.

As they wandered in the desert and then settled in Palestine, they built a tabernacle, designed by God as his dwelling place, complete with lights on the inside (the lampstand) and with the Shekinah glory of God evident at night. And yet this also would not last. As someone has said, “Judaism is a four-thousand-year argument with God.”

Through sin, the lamps were extinguished—literally—while God’s glory departed and, for four hundred years, God’s people were in apparent darkness. But small embers of light lived on in the hearts of a faithful remnant until one day the promised light was birthed into this world. The Light’s name was Jesus (see Matthew 4:16; Luke 1:76–79; 2:29–32; John 1:4–9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36, 46). Truly the day was now beginning to dawn (2 Peter 2:19).

But then darkness again seemed, once and for all, to eclipse the light as God’s Son was crucified on a hill called Golgotha. From noon until 3:00 PM, the world was covered in darkness as the Light of the world was extinguished, buried beneath the wrath of holy, almighty God. Even those who had followed Jesus thought the lights had been forever turned out.

But three days later, he rose from the dead and the light of the glorious gospel has shone ever since. Christmas is a time when Christians sing praises to God for his gift of the Light of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ. At some point, we were in darkness and yet, in God’s free and sovereign grace, he shined that light into our hearts and a new day dawned for us. A new day that will culminate one day in a new body in a new creation. This is what Paul is writing about in 2 Corinthians 4:1–6ff.

God’s promise to send his Light (Genesis 3:15) was fulfilled long ago, even if most miss the significance of this truth Christmas. The incarnation is about God’s illumination. It is about salvation through his Son. It is about reconciliation by the substitutionary alienation of his Son. It is about new creation through the crucifixion and resurrection of his Son.

The Light Dawned on Paul

The man who wrote these words, Paul, had been very religious and yet had woefully lived in disharmony with God. Though he read and taught the Old Testament, he was God’s enemy. Though he boasted in his people as God’s chosen light to the nations, he was in spiritual darkness, alienated from God, dead in his sins, and in dire need of the Saviour. One day, that Saviour confronted him with the irrefutable light of his glory (Acts 9:3; 22:6).

Paul confessed Jesus as Lord and was gloriously and eternally saved. A eternally new day dawned for him. And pointing others to this light and inviting them into this new day became his passion (Acts 26:18). He would spend the rest of his life doing all he could so that others would experience harmony with God. He wanted others to experience the dawn of a new day that will culminate in a whole new creation.

If we don’t understand that this is ultimately the story of Christmas then we need to re-read the story!

Seeing the Light

Paul was grateful that this light had dawned on our dark world and grateful that it had dawned on him. And yet he was aware that many remained blind to it. Their hearts were veiled to the new day that had arrived in space-time history.

But why the blindness? Why the inability to see the light? Why the inability to see this new day? Why, therefore, the continual disharmony? There are at least two reasons for this: first, sin-darkened hearts; and, second, the work of the ruler of this world, the devil, who distracts us from seeing the light.

Remarkably, even this season of the year that purportedly aims to bring attention to the birth of God’s appointed Saviour can actually veil eyes from seeing this light. It frequently does so through thoughtless tradition, frivolous familiarity, superficial sentimentality, and truncated theology (i.e. erroneous ideas concerning the purpose of the incarnation and the life and ministry of Jesus Christ).

Have You Seen the Light?

This light has been proclaimed for two thousand years and yet so many yet remain in darkness. Perhaps you remain in darkness.

Because of spiritual darkness, we are subjected to (and sadly also contribute to) discord, distress, disorder, disease, disharmony, dereliction, destruction, and death. But as Paul writes, no one need remain in the dark.

By God’s grace, believers in Christ can and do and will testify that by God’s amazing love and mercy a new day has dawned as the light of the good news of Jesus Christ has pierced our darkness. Harmony has been restored between God and us, and between ourselves.

The Promise and the Power of the Light

The most literal translation of 2 Corinthians 4:6 reads, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” God continues to powerfully perform today what he performed at creation. We no longer need to abide in darkness. We no longer need to be held captive in the old ways of our old days for a new day has dawned.

Has that new day dawned for you? Is today that day? Do you see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and therefore as your Saviour? Have you been brought into harmony with God through God in Christ? He is the Light and you must see this!

Charles Hodge wrote, “The sun does not cease to be the sun although the blind do not see it.” Earlier, Calvin observed, “The blindness of unbelievers detracts nothing from the clearness of his gospel; for the sun is not less resplendent because the blind do not perceive his light.” The Light is shining. Ask the Lord to enable you to see! Ask him to make you one of the faithful, joyful, and triumphant who will come and adore him.

May the truths of Christmas—the historical truth that God’s Son died for your sin and rose from the dead to reconcile you to God—pierce your heart, and may you believe and rejoice that this new and eternal day has dawned.

AMEN