Introduction This is now the third sermon in our little series on the Advent antiphons. In fact today marks the day when they traditionally start being used – this means there is one week to go before Christmas. I wonder if you have an enormous “to do” list of things to buy and make, to send and bake. Is there room on this list for spending time with Jesus – the reason for the season!? It has been so good reflecting on these names and titles of Jesus as we celebrate Advent and look forward to Christ’s coming. As in the previous two weeks there are two antiphons for study today – “O Dayspring” and “O King of the Nations”. My main focus will be on the first of these, dayspring, as we have already considered Christ the king in the lead up to Advent.
Dayspring – morning star, sun of righteousness – all conjour up the same image of light dispelling darkness. Many of us who don’t do so for the rest of the year will over the last few weeks have been treated to the experience of dawn, when the rising sun dispels the darkness of the night. It is my favourite time of day. Every Sunday come rain or shine I take our dogs to Horsenden very early in the morning – even earlier now we have a regular 8am service. Over the last few weeks it has been quite dark when I have set off. One morning recently there was indeed a bright morning star – strictly speaking probably a planet – in the sky and I thought about this title of Jesus. The bright morning star tells us that it is not long now, soon the darkness will be over and light will flood the earth. Before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem prophets prepared the way, speaking of the saviour who was to come. Jesus’ life and ministry brought light and hope then and speak of a brighter light to come when he will return in all His glory.
In the wonderful introduction to his gospel John speaks of Jesus in these words “The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not overcome it”. John 1:5 To understand more fully the wonder of Jesus as morning star and dayspring let us briefly examine the nature of the darkness in which He shines. The verse from the hymn “O Come o come, Emmanuel” gives us some clues
O come, O come, thou dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light;
dispel the long night’s lingering gloom,
and pierce the shadows of the tomb.
If the light is healing then one component of darkness is sickness. I suspect we have all experienced this to one extent or another – when we are ill or anxious life seems dull and gloomy, conversely when we experience healing by whatever means there can be a real lightening of spirit. Skipping over “lingering gloom” for a moment, a further aspect of darkness is the “shadows of the tomb”. In other words death and bereavement. However strong our faith in the life beyond this one the experience of death and bereavement has about it this aspect of darkness and despair. David captured it memorably in Psalm 23 “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”. Jesus shines into this darkness with a bright hope fuelled by his own conquering of death and by his abiding presence with us (See next week – Emmanuel!).
My take on the “Long night’s lingering gloom” is the persistence of sin, death, sickness and suffering in the world which will ultimately only be dispelled when Christ comes again in great glory.
So as we enter this final count down of seven days to Christmas let us focus on Jesus the sun of righteousness, risen with healing in his wings. May he bring light into the dark places of our lives.
O Dayspring
O morning star, splendour of the light eternal and bright sun of righteousness: come and bring light to those who dwell in darkness and walk in the shadow of death.