Episode 171: February 11, 2024 - Past, Present, and Future

Eternity Church PodCast

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Brett Deal. Have you ever had a lightbulb moment? That second in time when the complex unsolvable challenge before you seamlessly fell into place. It’s the “AHA!” that breaks the silence and confusion with enthusiastic joy. It’s the cartoon of a cat downcast and under a cloud when his face brightens, his arms shoots into the air and a lightbulb appears illuminated above his head! Lightbulb moments didn’t begin with the invention of electric light. People have had epiphanies for as long as there have been people! For the mathematician Archimedes it was “Eureka!” as he shot from his bath and ran through the city shouting “Eureka!” (meaning I found it!” in Greek) when he finally found out how to solve the question that plagued him. Before the lightbulb, which could bring illumination into the darkest nights, people had to wait for dawn. We still use this language. “I was really wrestling with this situation, and then it dawned on me!” At times like this, when we find ourselves in the cold of night, we can find comfort in the story of Jacob. He didn’t toss and turn with the fears and anxieties that lurked in the unknown, Jacob literally wrestled with God (Genesis 32.22-32). Throughout the night he wrestled with God, and it wasn’t until morning that it dawned on him who he was grappling with! Jacob had been wrestling his whole life. From before birth with his brother Esau (Genesis 25.26), with his father Isaac for a blessing, and even with his father-in-law Laban. Finally, in the dark night of his soul, wrestling blindly, Jacob discovered the One who truly held the power to bless Him: the Lord God. Out of the darkest night of his life, Jacob limped into a new day with a new name and a fresh perspective of God. Jacob was renamed Israel. The people named after their father Israel faced the same dark night as a nation during the time of Isaiah the prophet. They couldn’t make sense of their suffering. Then Isaiah had a light bulb moment, the answer he had fervently sought in prayer dawned on Him and God’s response was so much bigger than Israel. It was for the whole world! The One who blessed Jacob would bless Jacob’s children with a Savior. This Messiah “in the future will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned,” (Isaiah 9.1b-2). Friend, can you imagine Matthew’s joy when he sat down to write his gospel, rejoicing in the light bulb moment for all people, the prophetic promise of a Messiah to Isaiah, was fulfilled in Jesus Christ! Let’s join Him in that rejoicing as we prepare our hearts to hear what the Spirit would say to us through Matthew 4.12-17 this Sunday. May we shout “Eureka!” because we’ve found it! The blessing we’ve always needed: Jesus our Messiah.