Epiphany 3 Matthew 4:12-25

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Light and dark. Without the darkness there can be no light, and without the light no
darkness. The rhythm of our lives is defined and shaped by the simple elements of light and dark.
For most of us, we rise from our slumber before dawn and ready ourselves to work during the
hours of light. We retire to our homes at dusk to rest and refresh ourselves for the next day of
work by the sleep of the night. Light and dark - they are such basic things, yet like food and
water they are essential to life.
Light and dark are central also to matters of theology and spirituality. God’s first creative
act at the beginning of all things was the creation of light and separating light from the darkness.
Adam and Eve were created perfect creatures, and given all good gifts of the Earth that come
from God’s hand. But sin entered into the world through our first parents and mankind fell into
the darkness of sin, having lost the fellowship of light we had with the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.
Yet the deep and abiding love of God would lead Him to work out our salvation through
His son Christ Jesus. In the darkness of our sin, the true Light of Christ would come into the
world to seek and save us from our sin. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5). In this
season of Epiphany, we celebrate the revealing of Christ, the Light of the World, who came to
rescue us from the darkness of our shame of sin, death and Satan. Today, the Word of the Lord
enlightens us by declaring that:

THE LIGHT OF CHRIST OVERCOMES THE DARKNESS OF YOUR SIN AND THE
SHADOW OF DEATH.

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And
leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun
and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land
of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the
Gentiles - the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in
the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began
to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt 4:12-17) Jesus
hears of John the Baptist being arrested and withdraws into the region of Galilee. The time of
John the Baptist’s ministry has come to an end, and Christ is about to start His ministry. Matthew
records that Jesus eventually would make his way to the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali in
accordance with the fulfillment of the prophecy spoken through Isaiah, our Old Testament
reading this morning. But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former
time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the
latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of
the nations. (Is 9:1). Zebulun and Naphtali were part of the the Northern Kingdom of Israel
during the time of the Assyrian invasion. They suffered greatly as part of God’s judgment against

them. They had abandoned worship of the living and true God for false idols and cults. In the
darkness of their sin and God’s judgment they were continually occupied by foreign invaders and
made to endure oppressive enslavement because they had turned away from the light of God for
the darkness of false worship. Through their enslavement, God sought to bring them to
repentance and salvation.
Yet, even now, that same enslavement to the darkness of sin endures. Naphtali and
Zebulun’s sin becomes our sin. We abandon God for the man-made objects and religions and
thus sin against God through false worship of them. We worship ourselves and our status and
achievements, being filled with sinful, self-justifying pride and arrogance. We worship our
selfish desires, lusting after what we want and don’t have and coveting until these desires become
our new god. We are Zebulun and Naphtali, spiritual wastelands of darkness. We’ve been taken
captive by the darkness of our sin and the shadow of death. We cannot escape the oppressive
enemies of sin and death and their tyranny of our body and souls. For the enemy has pursued
my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those
long dead (Ps 143:3).
The weight of the darkness of our sin would appear to make all seem hopeless, if it
weren’t for the coming of the great Light. The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great
light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned
(Matt 4:16 [Cited from Is 9:2]). This light is the divine light of Christ, who now enters into the
spiritual darkness of Zebulun and Naphtali to begin His ministry. He comes as the fulfillment of
Isaiah’s prophecy as the Light of the world. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5). Zebulun
and Naphtali, once held captive by the darkness of foreign invaders and freed by the light of
Gideon and his army of three hundred men, is now freed by the True Light of Christ. Jesus comes
as the New Gideon, the bearer of the True Light of life and men, to free the people of Naphtali
and Zebulun from the darkness of their sins. He comes preaching the message of repentance -
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). Christ, the Light of the world
pierces and overcomes the darkness of sin and the shadow of death. He is full of mercy and grace
and light, forgiving sin and healing every disease and affliction among the people (Matt 4:23)
of those living in the shadow of death.
Today, the light of Christ has dawned upon us and He has freed us from the darkness of
our sin and the shadow of death. He comes and pierces the darkness to seek and save the lost;
that is, He comes to seek and save you and me. The True Light comes to defeat the darkness of
sin and the shadow of death by going to the Cross and suffering the punishment rightly deserved
by all of us. Christ dies on the cross and in the midst of His pain and suffering, He cries out not
with anger and vengeance. He cries out with words of forgiveness, saying “Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.” Jesus forgives us for abandoning Him for false worship of the
things of this world. He forgives us for our self-justifying pride and arrogance. He forgives us our
selfish desires and worship of the god of coveting. He forgives us our sin and brings us out of the
darkness into the light of the kingdom of heaven, where He promises that even today we will be
with Him in paradise.
In His forgiveness of sins, the True Light makes us into children of light, being born into
the kingdom of Heaven through baptism and nourished with the Holy Supper. But what does this
mean that we are now children of the Light? Jesus speaks to this when He says, “You are the
light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let

your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:14-16). Having been rescued from the dark night of our sin,
we now go forth into the world with the Light of Christ and we shine this light as Christ-bearers,
serving our neighbors and the world through acts of mercy. In this way we do battle against our
own sinful flesh and the principalities of this world. St. Paul exhorts us in this way, when he
encourages the church of Rome, saying “for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first
believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of
darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:11b-12).
Pastor Luther says this about St. Paul’s exhortation: “You can see from this how much we
need an exhortation and warning to be wakeful and to put on the armor of light...But what
manner of Christian life is it that we hypocrites live, if we cannot have our ways laid open before
our neighbors, when they are actually long since laid bare before God and his angels and all
creatures, and at the day of judgment will be known to everyone? Therefore Christians should
live as they wish to be known by all persons and at the last day. Live as children of light.” Live as
children of Light, living lives of repentance, mercy and forgiveness. For the Lord is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Ps 27:1a)

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep you hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus. AMEN.

-Vicar Duncan Sprague