For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. (Nehemiah 8:9b)
The people sat in darkness—defeated, exiled, and in despair. Even when the Israelites were able to return to their homeland, the weight of their sin was too much to bear. They heard God’s law read aloud, but instead of it bringing joy, it only brought shame, guilt, and sorrow.
They knew they had disobeyed. They knew they could never measure up. And so they wept.
We too may feel the weight of our sin—the mourning and weeping that comes with knowing we can never measure up to God’s perfect commands; the sorrow that comes from failing so many times.
But lift up your heads, those who mourn and weep. Lift up your eyes, those who are sorrowful. For joy has dawned on the horizon, breaking the darkness with its rays of light.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2).
Jesus Christ, the Light of the World has come to us. The angel announced the joy of his birth. The wisemen rejoiced exceedingly with great joy when they saw his star.
Jesus was born to redeem us from the gloom and grief of our own sin. If we confess our sins and receive forgiveness in his name, we no longer have to mourn and weep over our failures. Christ was born to perfectly keep God’s law for us. If we place our faith in him, the law that once weighed us down can now be our delight; our hearts can be glad and our whole being can rejoice in our Savior, for our sins are taken away.
As we light this candle of joy, “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11). Weeping may tarry for the night, but in the presence of Emmanuel, there is fullness of joy.
Parker Christian Editing 