The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. Isaiah 9:2
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.” Luke 2:13-14
In no less than five separate instances, we see the forgiveness of sin through Christ before the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. These are found in Mark 2:5, Luke 3:3, Luke 7:47, John 5:14, and John 8:11.
Up until the New Testament, forgiveness of sin could only be prescribed through the priest serving in the temple when a blood sacrifice was made in atonement. This law would be one reason why the Pharisees claimed that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy because truly only God the Father could bestow forgiveness of sin.
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:14-15 that the Messiah must be lifted up and that the serpent on Moses’ staff was a symbol of the cross to come. This makes it sound as if forgiveness of sin would come only after the culmination of the cross.
Yet for the prophecy of Isaiah to be fulfilled, the people saw a great light when Jesus was born and during His earthly ministry – forgiveness of sin through Christ was already possible! One of the major roles of John the Baptist was to proclaim forgiveness of sin through repentance and baptism. Jesus Christ, as our prophet, priest and king, was ministering in the temple of God the Father.
There was no waiting until the cross for forgiveness of sin. It was available immediately! We also see the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 5:14, Jesus warns the healed man not to sin any more. How can this be possible on the man’s own power? We must have the help of the Holy Spirit to walk in Christian perfection, so the Holy Spirit was at work even then!
This does not mean the cross was unnecessary, for the cross sealed the new covenant in blood. It does, however, mean that Jesus Christ Himself is effective for the forgiveness of sin. Those who walked in darkness saw the great light, not when Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross, but when He was born!
The wonder of Christmas is just this, that with the birth of Jesus Christ we no longer walk in darkness. The light of Christ guides our way to Himself where, in repentance, we find forgiveness for sin.
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