The following is a sermon transcript from our Sunday Service at The Rock Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Each week, we gather to worship, learn from God’s Word, and grow together. This transcript is provided as a free resource to encourage and equip you in your walk with Christ. While you’re welcome to read and share this content for personal use, we kindly ask that it not be redistributed or published elsewhere without prior written consent from The Rock Church.
Introduction: Wandering in Darkness
Have you ever wandered in the darkness?
It could’ve been a season of great suffering. A loss of a loved one. A health condition that never seemed to get better. Or just some unending pain deep within the soul.
Whatever it was—or is—there’s no question: darkness comes in this life.
We all want success. We want healthy relationships, financial stability, and peace. But sadly, none of those things are guaranteed. We can do all the right things, make all the best decisions, and still be left with that one question:
Why?
Why, God? Why did You allow this to happen in my life? Why is there so much pain and tragedy?
Naturally, we want answers to those questions—but sometimes, they don’t come. So what are we to make of this?
Some of us might get angry. Others sink into despair. But there has to be more to life than this.
Thankfully, there is.
This isn’t the end of the story.
Whatever you’re going through today—whether it’s stress at home or at work, grief, or a suffering deep in your heart—there is a light that shines ever brighter.
There is a light that will never be extinguished.
It’s powerful. It’s radiant. It expels all darkness and brings life and hope. Its source is eternal. Its reach is without limit.
But pastor, it sure doesn’t feel like it. It seems to me the days are just getting darker. The suffering and anguish—it’s all around me. I can’t escape it.
Here’s the good news: the light doesn’t come from within you. It doesn’t come after years of soul-searching or discovering some secret knowledge. It comes from the One who is the Light of the world.
But how can this be?
I hear you Christians talk about Jesus—the Light of the world. What does that mean?
It starts with one understanding. A basic understanding. That we are all born in darkness. And this darkness is the result of what we call the fall of mankind. Humanity fell into sin—a condition we can’t fix ourselves.
We can try all day long to work harder, be better, pray more, say, “Lord, help me to be more loving, more kind…” But no matter our efforts, we fall short. Because the issue isn’t changing ourselves—it’s about being changed by someone who has all power and all wisdom.
We need Him to reach into our cold and darkened hearts and bring the light. We need Him to open our eyes to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Christmas is so much more than a baby born in a manger. It’s the eternal Son of God who took on flesh, who came to dwell among us and with us. A God who is acquainted with suffering and sorrow. A God who is full of compassion and steadfast love.
And He invites us to come.
He invites us to find rest for our weary souls.
Without the birth of Christ, we don’t have the life of Christ. Without the life of Christ, we don’t have the death of Christ. Without the death of Christ, we don’t have the resurrection. And without the resurrection, we don’t have life eternal.
Instead, we keep wandering. Wandering in darkness. In despair. In hopelessness.
But the Light has come.
Jesus has come to bring us the truth. And it’s by that very truth that He sets us free.
The Light of Christ Expels Spiritual Darkness
The Light of Christ is more than just warmth, love, and peace in a general sense. It’s an everlasting light that has come into the world with great power—for all the nations.
The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ has come to save sinners like you and me. He’s come to transfer us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.
And this good news isn’t just for this life—it’s for the life to come. The coming Kingdom of Christ, under the perfect rule of Christ. The new heavens and the new earth. What the Bible calls the new Jerusalem.
A place where there’s no need for the sun or the moon.
Why? Because the glory of God illuminates it all.
Its lamp is the Lamb. The Lord Jesus.
So consider this together:
The Light of Christ has come in the power of the gospel and is coming in the fullness of His Kingdom.
We’re going to discover from Isaiah 60 what the Light of Christ does in our lives.
Here’s the outline:
- The Light of Christ expels all spiritual darkness from your soul, bringing salvation and strength.
- The Light of Christ draws people from all nations to Himself.
- The Light of Christ transforms sorrow into joy.
Let’s start with the first:
1) The Light Has Come to Bring Salvation and Strength
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.”
I want you to consider the context. What are we talking about, Isaiah? Here it is: the people of God have returned to their city. They’ve come to rebuild, to restore their place of worship—the temple.
But there’s a problem. They aren’t very optimistic about the future. There’s great darkness. Great despair. Great frustration.
What are we going to do? How is this going to work out for us?
You may be in that place right now.
How could I ever escape this darkness? It’s impossible. It’s overwhelming. God, I just can’t do it anymore. I’m tired. I’m frustrated by the same problems over and over again.
One of the problems with religion—most religion, outside of biblical Christianity—is that it places all the weight on what you must do for God, rather than what God has done for you.
This is what makes the Christian faith so powerful and unique.
It’s not about trying harder.
It’s not about performing better.
It’s not about “fixing your life” before coming to God.
It’s certainly not, “God helps those who help themselves.”
Nowhere—nowhere—in the pages of Scripture does God say that.
In fact, the Bible tells us the opposite.
God helps the helpless.
The weak.
The downtrodden.
The broken.
He brings beauty out of ashes.
Isaiah 25:4 says that God is a helper to the helpless, a defender to those who need safety, a shade from the heat, a shelter from the storm.
But the problem is sin.
That three-letter word we’d rather not talk about.
Pastor, I’m offended. I’m a good person. You’re calling me a sinner? What are you going to say next—that I’m going to hell?
Easy. Easy.
Please listen: the condition of sin is deeper than we realize.
Sin means “missing the mark.” What mark? God’s law. His perfect standard.
And God’s law says…
“Oh, pastor, I’ve never murdered anyone. I’ve never committed adultery.”
But have you hated someone in your heart?
Sure you have.
You may have been driving to church this morning when someone—in the holiday spirit—decided to ride your bumper.
How did you respond?
Instead of ignoring them…
You tapped the brakes.
Passive aggression.
Sounds like hatred.
Jesus said that if you hate someone in your heart, you’ve committed murder. If you lust after someone in your heart, you’ve committed adultery.
There isn’t one of us who can say we haven’t broken God’s law.
If we’ve broken even part of it, Scripture says we are guilty of breaking all of it.
None of us—none—is righteous. Not even one.
But here’s the good news.
Romans 5:6 — “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Jesus came into this world, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and He died.
His death—in your place.
His death—your substitute.
His death—the punishment you deserved.
Ephesians 5:8–14 tells us:
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light…”
Paul reminds the church:
You were once darkness.
But now—you are light.
The Light of Christ breaks in.
He removes you from spiritual darkness.
He makes you a child of His light.
Does that mean all your problems disappear?
Of course not.
The presence of sin remains.
But now you have a greater spiritual reality—an eternal hope.
A hope that enables you to face each day with grace, endurance, and perseverance.
So what makes Jesus our Light?
Paul tells us:
- all goodness
- all righteousness
- all truth
Nothing good dwells in us on our own. This battle with sin and darkness—it doesn’t go away this side of eternity.
But in Christ—we now have access to all goodness, all righteousness, all truth.
Walking in darkness is exhausting. You can’t see. You stumble. You’re frustrated.
But the Light has come.
Isaiah says: “Arise…”
It doesn’t mean stand up—it means rise from the dust, rise from mourning, rise from grief.
The promise for God’s people is this:
You will arise as Christ shines upon you.
He adopts you.
He fills you with His Spirit.
He shines His light of goodness, righteousness, and truth upon you.
Yes, the world is in a great spiritual battle.
Good versus evil.
Truth versus lies.
Light versus darkness.
Satan is real. His desire is to destroy—to keep you in darkness.
But he is no match for the King of Light.
Jesus is not a created being sent into the world.
He is the eternal Son of God—no beginning, no end—who took on flesh.
He humbled Himself.
He suffered.
He wept.
He endured the worst agony imaginable.
Why?
To redeem a people for His own possession.
The proper name for God is Yahweh. He is the everlasting Light. In Him there is no darkness.
He has no shadow.
No variation.
No changing.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
This is good news.
Because the world is always changing.
I am always changing.
Seasons of prosperity. Seasons of suffering.
But through it all—we have a faithful Savior who holds us fast.
This passage in Isaiah speaks of both a present hope and a future hope.
The present hope: Christ has come.
The future hope: Christ will come again.
He will return in glory to establish His perfect Kingdom.
A Kingdom that is spiritually present now and physically coming soon.
That reality should cause fear in the unbeliever—but great joy in the believer.
There may be darkness now—but nothing compared to the eternal darkness for those who reject Christ.
Hell is real. Eternal conscious punishment.
But the good news is that the Light of Christ has come—bringing salvation for all who believe.
You can escape that judgment.
You can have eternal life.
It’s not about fixing your life.
It’s not about doing more.
It’s not about working harder.
It’s about looking to Jesus.
The Spirit of God does the supernatural work in your heart:
- He opens your eyes to your sin.
- He shows you your need for a Savior.
- He leads you to Christ.
So arise.
Arise from the dust.
From mourning.
From despair.
Look to the Savior.
The true Light of the world.
Isaiah 6:3 says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Habakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
God will be glorified—whether in saving sinners or judging the wicked.
The glory of God has risen upon us.
The glory—is a person.
Jesus Christ.
He is Lord.
He is righteous.
He is truth.
He is the Light.
Don’t let darkness overwhelm you any longer.
The Lord Jesus will arise upon you.
His glory will be seen in you.
2) The Light of Christ Draws All Peoples to Himself
“And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” — Isaiah 60:3
The Light of Christ has a drawing power.
Isaiah says nations and kings—all peoples—will be drawn to the Light.
The plan of salvation is for all nations. Every tribe, language, and people.
God doesn’t reserve His mercy for one ethnicity or one nation.
And hear this clearly:
Just because you are American doesn’t make you a Christian.
Just because you attend church on Christmas and Easter doesn’t make you a believer.
Something supernatural must happen.
God must shine His Light into your darkened heart.
He must transfer you from darkness into His marvelous Light.
This is God’s work.
Salvation is of the Lord.
The only thing we contribute is the sin that made it necessary.
“Pastor, what about prayer? What about repentance and faith?”
Yes—of course.
But remember: the Holy Spirit must do the work first—bringing awareness of sin.
The law exposes our sin like a mirror.
We see the curse of sin—ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
All creation is affected.
And we walk in darkness.
But God makes this promise in Isaiah 66:12:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream.”
Peace like a river.
Even in suffering.
Even in trials.
Salvation is not from a weak God begging people to come.
It’s from a powerful God who breaks into spiritual darkness and destroys evil.
Right now, all over the world—people are coming to Christ.
“But pastor, I thought people loved darkness and hated the light.”
True.
But that’s why the Spirit opens their eyes—so they run to Jesus.
When someone is born again, you may think they’re a little strange.
“Why are they so happy? Why are they so joyful?”
It’s a work of God.
A Light so powerful that even kings will bow.
The Light has come.
Jesus breaks into cold, dark hearts.
He welcomes us into His family.
He calls us:
Come.
Come to Christ.
Come to find rest.
Come with your pain, your struggles, your burdens.
Faith is a gift from God—not something you dig up in yourself.
It is rational, it is true, it is grounded in the person and work of Christ.
God loves the humble, the broken, the weary.
He gives grace to the humble and resists the proud.
3) The Light of Christ Turns Sorrow into Abundant Joy
Isaiah 60:4–5 says:
“Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult…”
Notice the first command:
Lift up your eyes.
Which implies what?
Many of us are looking down.
Looking down at our problems.
Looking down at our suffering.
Looking down at our darkness.
And the Lord says:
Stop looking down… Look up.
Luke 21:28 — “Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
When hard times come—look up.
When life feels impossible—look up.
Look up to Christ.
The One who is all righteousness, all goodness, all truth.
The One who never disappoints.
The One who rescues you from unending sorrow—if not in this life, surely in the next.
The Light of Christ has come—in the gospel and in the coming Kingdom.
Look up.
Look around.
See the Savior.
Treasure the Savior.
Trust the Savior.
He alone can expel all spiritual darkness.
He shows no partiality.
He gives light to the broken, the hopeless, the helpless.
If you have sorrow—Christ gives abundant joy.
Psalm 34:5 says:
“Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
Radiant.
Not ashamed.
Because your sins are forgiven.
The Light reaches into your mind, your desires, your affections—and your heart begins to thrill and exult.
Why?
Because the Savior came for you.
Biblical Christianity is not about what we do to earn God’s favor.
It’s about what God has done for us.
Grief contracts the heart.
Pain crushes the heart.
But the Light of Christ enlarges the heart.
It swells with joy.
Consider the coming Kingdom—perfect peace, perfect joy, perfect fellowship.
Ask the Prince of Peace to reign in your heart today.
Salvation is an already and a not yet.
It doesn’t guarantee your life will get easier.
You may continue to suffer.
But it guarantees everlasting life.
Absolute certainty.
Not “maybe.” Not “I hope so.”
Guaranteed.
Not because of your performance—but because of God’s promises.
Your assurance is not in your works.
It’s in Christ.
It’s in His power to save and to sanctify.
The Kingdom of God is here. The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Recognize your sin.
Recognize your need.
Look to Christ—the only mediator.
He is faithful.
He is loyal.
He will keep you.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
The sinless Savior died for the sinful.
He obeyed the law perfectly.
He became the perfect substitute.
The Light has come in the gospel—and the Light is coming in fullness.
He has come to expel spiritual darkness.
He has come to draw the nations.
He has come to turn sorrow into joy.
Conclusion: Come to the Light
On this Christmas Eve, we celebrate the incarnation—the God-Man, Jesus Christ.
Born in humility.
Born in perfect love.
The long-awaited Messiah.
He has come.
He is risen.
He is coming again.
And He calls to you:
Come.
Don’t stay in darkness.
Be among the children of light.
If you have not trusted Christ for salvation, do that today.
We’ll take a moment of quiet. Speak to Jesus:
“Lord, have mercy on me. Forgive me. Give me faith. Help me understand the gospel. Cause me to be born again. Give me a living hope.”
He will not cast you out.
He will keep you safe in Christ.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we come before You now in the name of Jesus. We bow before You—our King, our Light, our Redeemer. You are the One who breaks into our darkness with radiant glory, the One who dispels every shadow with the brilliance of Your truth.
We confess our sin before You. We confess the weariness, the fear, the doubt, the frustration, the self‑reliance, the pride, the anger—every way in which our hearts wander from the Light. Lord, have mercy on us.
We ask that You would wash us, cleanse us, and keep us. We trust that You will, because You are faithful and full of steadfast love. But we need Your help. We are broken. We are weary. We are tired. We are overwhelmed by the cares of this world.
Lord Jesus, we need Your light to break forth into our hearts—again and again. Pull us out of the darkness. Teach us to walk as children of the Light. Give us fellowship with You and with one another.
Grant us the joy of our salvation. Restore to us the confidence that our sins are forgiven, that we are Yours, that You hold us fast. Remind us that You took upon Yourself the full weight of the wrath of God—that You were cursed on that tree in our place—so that we might stand forgiven and set free.
Help us now, even in this very moment. Give us faith to trust You. Give us rest for our weary souls. Keep our eyes fixed on the Light that has come, the Light that is coming again.
We thank You for all these things. We pray in the precious and powerful name of Jesus.
Amen.
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