#4...
Nations will come to your light
Isaiah 60:1-3 (NIV)
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of
the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness
covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises
upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your
light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Some call Isaiah's prophecy "the fifth gospel" because of its influence on the NT gospel writers. Images and concepts from Isaiah are found throughout the New Testament; they describe the movement of God's salvation through the Messiah.
Of all the Isaiah passages, the phrase "nations will come to your light" may very well be the most missionally-influential for the church.
The concept is simple. Something shines, and people are drawn to it. Think of a sunrise, a full moon on a clear night, the glint of an agate on a coastal beach of gray sand, a lit lamppost on a dark street. God's salvation works this way. Jesus is the light of the world, attracting people to divine enlightenment, warmth, and enjoyment. This attractional quality of mission is one half of a couplet that lives in tension in Christian mission, represented by the invitational word "come." Next week we'll see its partner that moves the church in a different direction - the word "go." It would be easy to assume that mission is all about "going," but before we get there we need to recognize the "coming" dimension of missionality. The invitational and attractional dimension of Christian mission have fallen out of favor of late, mostly due to worthy criticisms of a particular style of church building-centered outreach that is captured by the phrase "if you build it, they will come" (which by the way is from the movie Field of Dreams, not from scripture). But it's important to realize just how deeply embedded divine attraction and invitation are in the whole story of the gospel.
LIGHT: Shine so others will see & glorify God
The original words written by Isaiah speak of a yet-to-be-realized reality that is coming - God will bring his people back home from exile. But that won't mark the end of their international influence. God will restore them so they will shine publicly in the world of people groups, and the nations of the world will be attracted to them because of the divine light they reflect in the restored Jerusalem. A bold prophesy to be sure, especially considering the destruction & exile that was not that far away in the rear-view mirror.
Jesus arrives on the scene as the promised Messiah. He is the personification of the light of God that come and has risen upon the people. And he continues the theme of light-shining mission, in what might be considered a commentary on Isaiah 60:1:
“You are the light
of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people
light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it
gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
As
Christians, we know have the light of Christ in our lives. We are
called to reflect this light in as many ways as we can imagine, all so
the people of the world (including family, friends, neighbors,
co-workers) will notice and then glorify God.
COME: Attractive invitation into a divine relationship
Isaiah's claim that nations will come to the light of Israel prepares us to hear the words of Jesus in Matthew's gospel inviting people to come to him and follow. It begins with Jesus inviting individuals to follow in discipleship, and continues in a broad invitation for people to find their hope and healing in him.
Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I
am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Through
the Holy Spirit, Jesus continues to say "come to me" to the people of the world - including those who do not yet believe. Jesus attracts people to himself and invites them to
receive the benefits of his salvation and to join him in his marvelous
mission. You and I may be called to help another person to come to Jesus and start walking with him as a disciple. Will we be ready to help them respond to this gracious and life-changing invitation?
Up next...
GO!