Christ, the True, the Only Light

But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves in the stall.

Malachi 4.2

In reading through Luke chapter 1, the small book of Malachi 4 makes an appearance multiple times. Although it is a small book, it ends with God’s restoration which includes the passage above. It will be like the sun of righteousness arising with healing in its wings and you will go forth and skip about like calves in a stall. Malachi ends his book with the words prophesied about John the Baptist who would restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

Zechariah prophesies at the end of Luke 1, calling the coming of his son John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ ‘The Sunrise from on high to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.’ It is a vivid image that we all can relate to. The warmth of the sunrise is likened to the advent of our lord and king Jesus. His coming brought light to the dark world. And those who fear the name of the Lord will be warmed by his coming. Charles Wesley, a contemporary of George Whitfield, wrote this short song meditating on the coming of Christ as the light filling the skies. It is a wonderful meditation on the light and life that we have because of Christ’s first coming as we anticipate his second coming.

1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,

Christ, the true and only Light,

Sun of Righteousness, arise,

triumph o'er the shade of night;

Day-spring from on high, be near;

Day-star, in my heart appear.

2 Dark and cheerless is the morn

unaccompanied by thee;

joyless is the day's return

till thy mercy's beams I see,

till they inward light impart,

glad my eyes and warm my heart.

3 Visit, then, this soul of mine,

pierce the gloom of sin and grief;

fill me, Radiancy divine,

scatter all my unbelief;

more and more thyself display,

shining to the perfect day!