Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Human words muddy the beauty of this profound text. How can we convey the intensity with which God desires to communicate with his people?

At many times and in many ways! Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day, God calls out, "Where are you?" God leads Israel out of Egypt with fire and cloud and chisels his intentions for them on stone tablets with his own finger. God calls Israel back to himself with fire by burning up Elijah's alter. And in a quiet whisper he asks Elijah, "What are you doing here?"

All these communications pale in comparison to His Son. He now speaks to us through His own Son.

What can we say about Him? This is the Son who will inherit all things. When the history of this age comes to its grand conclusion, this Son will reign overall.

What can we say about this Son? This is the Son through whom God created the world. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1).

What can we say about this Son? He is the radiance of God's glory, the exact imprint of his nature. If we care to see God, all we need to do is look at this Son. What Jesus does and says is what God does and says.

What can we say about this Son? Not only will the world be his in the end, not only was the cosmos created through him, this Son continues to hold the universe together by his powerful Word. Because we can see the smallest details through microscopes and far away galaxies through telescopes, we might forget that if it wasn't for this Son, the entire universe would disintegrate.

And this magnificent Son, he became flesh through the womb of the Virgin Mary. He made the journey from heaven's glory to die on a cruel cross thereby reconciling us to God. This Son who lay helpless in Mary's arms, who lay exhausted in a tempest tossed fishing boat, who lay dead in the tomb is now seated at the right hand of God in glory.

There is a mystery in this grandeur. God speaks to us through his son, a babe. The light of the world voluntarily reduced his splendour to that of a candle. He is the radiance of the glory of God. He is the exact imprint of God's nature. He is a babe in his mother's arms, as vulnerable as a flickering wick.

These are the kinds of words we take to the top of a mountain (or the roof of our houses), look at the stars and ponder. To these words there can be only one response -- falling on our knees in amazement.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 9:2-7. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. How do you experience darkness? In what ways has it pressed in on you? Overwhelmed you?
2. Our passages tell of God's promise to overcome the darkness. What are the two surprises they contain?
3. Take time this week to meditate on the four Royal Titles given to Jesus in Isaiah 9. How do they encourage you to live well?
4. What does it mean to know God?
5. What things characterize our waiting for the fullness of the kingdom.

Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?" Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do (John 9:1-3).

We are exploring what it means that Jesus is Immanuel, "God with us." In the Old Testament, light is an image that gets attached to Immanuel. In John's gospel, this image explodes onto the page like a light bulb given power in a dark room. Our text is one of those detonations. The disciple's understanding of the world is turned on its head.

The disciples ask, "Why is this man blind? Who sinned causing this blindness?" They are trying to understand the condition, meaning, and purpose of this man's life. If he is blind, if he is disabled, isn't it because he or someone has sinned? Why would he be this way if no one had sinned?

In their way of looking at the world, a problem like blindness was always the direct effect of someone's sin. Today, we think such ideas are old fashioned. We are too educated for such simplicity. But just hold on. What is our gut reaction when someone is homeless or a refugee? For many of us, our first response is to ask why. To step back and analyze the situation. And isn't that exactly what the disciples were doing? Analyzing the situation, making it fit into their worldview.

They don't see a man in need of healing, do they? They're blind to his pain. They want an answer to a theological question. Likewise, we try to explain what we see as unfortunate, lamentable, regrettable. But in doing this we place ourselves at the centre of our questions; God is put on the sidelines.

In our text, Jesus flips the disciples' thinking on its head, as he so often does. In responding to their question, Jesus shifts their focus from the blind man to God and to Himself as the Light of the World. He says to them, "Don't look for someone to blame. Look instead for what God can do. This man needs light and I am the light of the world."

Jesus intends to point us beyond the problem to the possibilities it presents. When we see an afflicted individual, we should not start with blame, but rather how can peace, comfort, and healing for this person show the glory of the God. We should be about the business of bringing wholeness to them.

Jesus continues to rebuke his disciples when he says, "While it is still day, we must do the works of the one who sent me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." In other words, don't let your opinions deflect you from the task that God has put you here to do. How often do we analyse and dissect rather than act to bring God's light into the world? How often do we apply our theological minds to working out why something is the way it is, rather than doing what we can to right the wrongs we see? In being the hands and feet of Jesus, others discover through us that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

To paraphrase Jesus, "Whoever has eyes to see, let them see!"

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.