The Great Nevertheless

It’s “The Great Nevertheless.” It is the heart of the Christmas season and, indeed, of life itself. It is the remedy for the deepest miseries we face; the cure for the darkest of despairs. And it just may be the Christmas miracle you need this year.

In the days of Isaiah the prophet, in the 8^th century B.C., the people of Israel were just about as rebellious against God as they could be. The Lord had blessed them in such abundance with His goodness and mercy that they should have been forever loyal to Him. He promised His very presence among them, that He would be their sanctuary, their strength, their Savior. But rather than turn to Him in faith, they turned their back in spite.

They were looking to make unholy alliances with the wicked Assyrians for their protection, when they should have been trusting in the mighty hand of God. They were seeking the fortune-tellers, mediums and spiritists for direction and guidance when they should have been consulting the wisdom of God. They did not regard the Lord as holy. They did not have a reverential fear of Him. They did not wait upon the Lord nor trust in Him. They failed to recognized the signs and wonders that He had done in their midst, and they ignored the promises He made in His Word.

Hmmm. It’s a good thing we’re not following that path today, huh?

Instead of walking in His light, they were stumbling over the Living Stone, and the Lord said they would fall and be broken in His judgment against them for their sin. They would be ensnared and captured. They would wander through the land dejected and hungry, and when they become famished they would become enraged and curse their God and King. They would look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness, and the gloom of anguish. And they would be thrust into utter darkness.

The situation could not have been more dire. Perhaps, friend, you’re in a situation today that could not be darker. Whether by your own sinful desires and decisions, or by circumstances far beyond your control, maybe you find yourself facing the deepest gloom of anguish you’ve ever known.

Let me introduce you to “The Great Nevertheless.” After Isaiah spells out the case against Israel, he then offers them a hope of grace and glory that is yet to come that would shatter the shadows of gloom forever – a hope offered to you, as well:

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress...The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned…” (Isaiah 9:1-2).

There it is, the great “Nevertheless.” God gives His people a promise that He will shine a light upon them so great that it will dispel the darkness and distress eternally. And He would do it by sending forth a child to be born, His very own Son, Jesus, the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us. And the darkness wouldn’t stand a chance. 

Christmas is all about the coming of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth, bringing salvation to mankind, turning our darkness into light, our anguish into glory, our sorrow into joy, our oppression into freedom, our terror into triumph and defeat into victory. 

It’s a message of hope and salvation, this great “Nevertheless.” That though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though weeping may endure for the night, joy comes in the morning. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

If you’re in need of a Christmas miracle this year, trust in Christ as your sanctuary, your strength, your salvation – and you’ll be walking in the light of life.