NATIVITY By Mike Herron

age of the Messiah’s grace and favor. He accomplished this by preaching the message of forgiveness. Because of his great heart of compassion, God will pardon all of the transgressions of those who will turn away from their sins.

78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from

heaven

79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” ‘Jehovah himself comes to his people in the person of Jesus.’ 6 He breaks upon the hopeless prisoners in the dungeon of death like a bright dawn full of royal colors and hope. ‘Light occurs as a metaphor of God’s presence.’ 7 ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’ (Jn 8:12) Peace and rest denotes a re-established friendship with God. 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. John became strong in his own spirit because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. His parents most likely did not live a long time after these events so he grew up miraculously sustained by God in the wilderness of Judea. His ‘public presentation day’ to Israel was soon at hand; he would burst upon the spiritual landscape with a message of intense light in the midst of deep darkness.