By Dr. Robert C Crowder
Reading:
Isaiah 40:3-5 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Luke 1:76-79 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Reflection:
Isaiah heard a voice crying in the wilderness: “Prepare ye the way of the LORD.” Centuries later, Zacharias, the aged priest who had doubted God’s promise and had been struck mute, regained his voice at the birth of his son, John. And when he spoke, it was prophecy. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zacharias looked at his newborn son and prophesied that this child would be that voice, the one who would go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways. But Zacharias looked beyond his own son to the greater Son who was coming, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Dayspring from on high. What Isaiah foretold in the eighth century BC, Zechariah declared in the first century BC: the forerunner has come, and the Dayspring from on high is about to visit His people. His words reveal that peace is not just a destination we arrive at. It is a lifestyle, a path we walk, guided by the light of God’s mercy.
The prophecy begins with John’s mission: “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.” John would be the forerunner, the voice in the wilderness, the one who made straight the path for the Messiah’s coming. His task was to give knowledge of salvation unto God’s people by the remission of their sins. This is foundational; there is no peace without forgiveness. As long as sin stands between the soul and God, there can be no rest, no reconciliation, no shalom. The guilt must be removed, the record cleared, the debt canceled. Peace begins with pardon.
But Zacharias does not stop with forgiveness. He traces it back to its source: “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.” The Greek word splagchna, meaning the deepest seat of compassion, is translated by the word “tender,” which evokes the bowels of mercy and the inward parts. This is not cold, judicial forgiveness granted reluctantly. This is the overflowing compassion of a God who is “plenteous in mercy,”[1] “rich in mercy,”[2] whose “mercies are new every morning.”[3] Forgiveness flows from the heart of a merciful God who delights to pardon.
The imagery of the “Dayspring from on high” is both beautiful and precise. The Greek word anatole refers to the rising of the sun, the first breaking of dawn, the moment when light pierces the darkness. Jesus is the sunrise after the long night of sin. Isaiah prophesied, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.”[4] Malachi foretold, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.”[5] The incarnation was the dawn of a new age, the breaking of eternal light into a world groping in spiritual darkness.
Zacharias declared that this Dayspring has “visited us.”[6] The word carries the sense of divine inspection, oversight, and gracious intervention. God did not remain distant. He came down. He entered the world He had made. He took on human flesh and walked among His creation. This is the wonder of the incarnation; not merely that God sent help, but that God Himself came to be our help. The visit was personal, intimate, and redemptive.
The purpose of this visitation is clear: “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Notice the progression. First, light is given to those in darkness; this is illumination, the opening of blind eyes, the granting of spiritual understanding. Men do not naturally seek God; they love darkness rather than light.[7] But when the Dayspring visits, light breaks through. The Spirit convicts, the Word enlightens, and the soul sees Christ for who He is.
Second, light guides. It is not enough to see; we must also walk. Peace is not a static condition; it is a dynamic walk along a specific path. Christ does not merely show us where peace is; He is the way to peace. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus declared.[8] To walk in peace is to walk in obedience to Him, following His Word, trusting His guidance, abiding in His presence. Every step of obedience brings us deeper into the way of peace. Every act of disobedience leads us away from it.
The phrase “the shadow of death” is hauntingly descriptive. It is the darkness that hovers over humanity because of sin; the fear of death, the reality of mortality, the hopelessness of the grave. But Christ came to destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.[9] The path of peace leads through the shadow of death and out the other side into resurrection life. Those who walk with Christ, walk through valleys unafraid, for He is with them.[10]
Those who sit still in darkness, waiting for the world to change, never find peace. Those who trust His guidance find peace, walking the path He laid out for them, and following the Light even when uncertainty looms. Christ doesn’t just offer peace; He actively leads us to it through consistent obedience and unwavering daily faith.
This Advent, let the Dayspring visit you afresh. Let His light expose the areas where you’ve wandered from the path. Let His mercy draw you back. And let His guidance lead you, step by step, deeper into the way of peace.
Prayer:
- Ask Jesus to guide your steps in the path of His peace today.
- Thank Him for visiting you in mercy, shining His light into your darkness, and leading you through the shadow of death, and pray for help to walk in obedience to His Word.
Consider:
Identify one habitual worry or anxious thought that repeatedly pulls you off the path of peace. Every time that thought returns this week, instead of entertaining it, say aloud: “Guide my feet, Lord. You are the Light, and I will follow You.” Then, pray specifically about that concern and choose an act of obedience or trust in response.
[1] Psalm 86:5
[2] Ephesians 2:4
[3] Lamentations 3:23
[4] Isaiah 9:2
[5] Malachi 4:2
[6] Luke 1:67-69
[7] John 3:19
[8] John 14:6
[9] Hebrews 2:14-15
[10] Psalm 23:4
Robert C. Crowder Ministries 
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