Isaiah 40:1-11

Please keep that page open in Isaiah that we read earlier.

I'll turn to it now on page 599.

We're going to look at the first 11 verses of that chapter.

! Let me pray for us before we do that.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this time of year

where we can reflect on the person of Jesus

as we wait and hope for his coming.

We pray you would help us to fix our eyes on him,

the perfecter and the pioneer of our faith.

Amen.

Amen.

We are in a time of Advent.

Whether it is through seeing the Christmas lights

or the decorations or the adverts

or through hearing Michael Buble tell you,

we all know it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

We're in the yearly December run-up to Christmas,

the time of Advent,

as we wait for and hope for the arrival of Christ

or we reflect on that period of history

where people waited for and hoped for the first coming of Christ.

So we're in a yearly December time of Advent,

but we're also in a larger time of Advent

as we wait and hope for the second coming,

the second Advent arrival of Christ.

Both of these times involve waiting and hoping

dwelling on who Jesus is.

And whether it's December or any other time of year,

it matters what we think of Jesus.

We're dwelling on him.

We're waiting for him.

We're hoping for him.

So it matters who he is and what we think of him.

How do we view Jesus Christ?

At this time of year,

as the cards are getting sent out,

as we see school nativity plays and we sing carols,

it's tempting and we do think of Jesus

as the rosy-cheeked baby in a manger

surrounded by his mother and father

and shepherds and wise men.

In fact, for some people,

this isn't just a December view of Jesus.

There's a certain generation I hear of French people

that always view Jesus like this.

They call him le petit Jesus,

meaning little Jesus.

I'm not making it up.

I have a friend who's French who told me this.

He tells me that as he was growing up

in a completely non-Christian family,

his grandparents would say things to him like,

would petit Jesus do that?

Would he be behaving like this?

Petit Jesus?

Little Jesus.

He is kind of a benchmark for behavior.

He is innocent.

He's a nice benchmark for French children

and other children to look up to.

But is that it?

Is that all Jesus was?

We believe, yes, Jesus told us himself.

He came.

He is gentle and lowly in heart.

He humbled himself in being born as a baby.

But was his death only a demonstration

of that love and humility?

Or did it have a purpose beyond that?

Perhaps as you think of Jesus,

you don't think of the term Advent.

Maybe the term absent is better for you.

You wonder, who is Jesus?

Was he really born?

Where is he now?

What's he doing now?

As we look around and see wickedness in the world,

maybe he does feel absent to you

or like he doesn't care or can't do anything.

Well, as we look at Isaiah chapter 40 this evening,

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

we will see that Jesus came not only humbling himself,

but Jesus came to bring restoration for his people.

Jesus came to reveal the glory of God.

And he is not absent by any understanding.

He is reigning right now.

This is a rich passage.

We'll only be able to scratch the surface of it tonight,

but I hope we'll see its fulfillment in Jesus,

particularly in three things,

in his comfort, his glory, and his reign.

So our first heading tonight is this,

the comfort of restoration.

The comfort of restoration.

Let's look at verse one again.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

And verse two, speak tenderly to Jerusalem.

If anyone in history was in need of comfort,

it was God's people at around 700 BC

when the book of Isaiah was written.

We're in chapter 40 today,

but for a lot of the last 39 chapters,

God has been warning Judah and Israel

of the consequences of their sin.

And he has been telling them that exile

will happen as a result of their sin.

They have been unfaithful to God.

They have been covenant breakers to him.

And they were facing exile as a result.

Chapter 39 ends with God telling the king,

Hezekiah, through Isaiah.

He's telling the king that this exile will happen

during your children's lifetime.

While they are on the throne,

this exile will take place.

So when Isaiah was written,

and in the following years,

when it was being read,

God's people were either facing imminent exile

or experiencing that exile.

They were in need of comfort,

in need of restoration.

And that is exactly what God is doing for them.

In fact, he's commanding someone

to speak comfort to his people.

Comfort them.

Speak tenderly to them.

This passage was famously set to music

in Handel's Messiah

using the King James Version.

It captures this beautifully.

It says,

Comfort ye my people.

He's telling someone,

Go, comfort my people.

Speak tenderly to them.

It's a verb, a command, a commission.

God is commanding someone

to comfort his people.

And the comfort is spelled out

in the verses that come afterwards.

The verses show us

that this comfort is restoration.

It is a comfort of restoration.

The first line, even,

just verse one,

begins to show what that restoration is.

Comfort, comfort my people,

says your God.

My people, your God.

These words echo the covenant

that God has made with his people.

In Genesis 17,

God says to Abraham,

I will establish my covenant

between me and you

and your offspring

throughout their generations.

I will be God to you

and to your offspring after you.

God reiterates it to Moses

in Exodus 6.

I will take you to be my people

and I will be your God.

When God says,

comfort my people,

says your God,

he is showing them

that that covenant relationship

is being restored.

Despite Israel's unfaithfulness,

despite their breaking

of the covenant,

God is faithful to them.

They are his people.

He is their God.

The relationship between God

and his people is restored.

He promises them

the comfort of restoration.

We see more of what

that restoration means

in verse 2.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem

and cry to her

that her warfare is ended,

that her iniquity is pardoned,

that she is received

from the Lord's hand

double for all her sins.

Her warfare,

her exile is ended,

it's over.

Her iniquity is pardoned,

it's forgiven.

She is received

double for her sins.

That last phrase

is a curious one,

isn't it?

She's received double

for her sins.

It's not God saying

he's paid the price

on them twice over.

He's been heavy-handed

with them.

It's not saying that.

It's not saying

that Israel

have paid the price

for her sins,

I think.

I think we know this

for a couple of reasons.

If Israel had paid

the price of her own sins,

well,

what are the wages of sin?

The wages of sin

is death.

If you,

O Lord,

kept track of sins,

who could stand?

Israel can't have

finished paying the price

and still be standing.

It's impossible.

So we know this

for that reason.

I think we also know this

because we live

millennia after this

was written

and these events

took place.

We know that

while God's people

were geographically

restored back

to Jerusalem,

they were brought

from exile

from Babylon,

they were still

facing warfare

when the Roman

occupation took place.

So what is this pardon?

What is the end

of warfare?

What is this double

for her sins

she's received?

Well,

if we look to

the New Testament,

I think we get

a bit of a picture

of what this means.

Some 500 years later,

after the restoration,

the physical,

geographical restoration,

a man named Simeon

we meet in Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

He is waiting

for the comfort of Israel,

for the consolation

of Israel.

It's the same word.

He is waiting

for this comfort

and he's been told

he will see it

in his lifetime

and he sees it come

in the person

of the Lord Jesus.

Simeon is waiting

for this consolation

and he sees it.

He calls Jesus

the Lord's Messiah,

Jesus Christ.

It is in Jesus

that we receive

this comfort.

It is in Jesus

that we receive

double from the Lord's hand.

And what is the double?

When we receive double

from the Lord's hand,

we receive pardon

in Jesus

and restoration

through him.

We said it in that confession.

He takes our rags

and clothes us

in his righteousness.

This double,

you could call it

a double imputation.

The imputation

of our sin to Jesus

and his righteousness

to us.

And so when Simeon

meets the infant

Lord Jesus,

he doesn't see him

as le petit Jesus,

but as God's chosen king.

He is the consolation

of Israel.

He is the means

of comfort,

of salvation,

of restoration.

We could alter

our first point

from the comfort

of restoration

to Jesus

brings

the comfort

of restoration.

Christians here,

hear these words

of comfort.

Christ has taken

your sins

and he has clothed you

with his righteousness.

You have received

double

from the Lord's hand.

Now verses

one and two

act,

they're a bit like

the headline

of a newspaper

article for us.

And then the following

verses help

unpack what this

comfort of restoration

is.

In these verses

we see three voices

that are crying out

in verses three

and six and nine.

God commands them,

he commissions them

to comfort his people

and these voices,

these heralds,

go and explain

what the comfort

of restoration

is.

So the first voice

cries out in verses

three to five,

declaring that

the glory of the Lord

shall be revealed.

That's our second

heading tonight,

the glory of the Lord

shall be revealed.

Verses three to five,

let's look down

and read them again.

A voice cries,

in the wilderness

prepare the way

of the Lord.

Make straight

in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley

shall be lifted up

and every mountain

and hill

be made low.

The uneven ground

shall become level.

The rough places

are plain

and the glory

of the Lord

shall be revealed

and all flesh

shall see it together

for the mouth

of the Lord

has spoken.

Verses three

and four there,

I think they're

a bit like

a musical crescendo.

It's getting louder

and louder.

They're building up

to a big event

in the wilderness.

Prepare a way

for the Lord.

Make straight

in the desert

a highway.

Valleys will be lifted up,

mountains shall be made low.

The uneven ground

and rough places

shall become a plain.

That's anticipation.

It's like a drum roll.

We're building up

to a big event.

It's a bit like

that scene

in Jurassic Park

where they've got

the glasses of water

on the car dashboard

and they hear

the footsteps

thudding

and they see

the water rippling.

They know something's coming.

Something big

is about to happen.

What is it?

What is it

that's about to happen?

Valleys shall be lifted up,

mountains shall be made low,

rough places

and uneven ground

shall become level

and the glory

of the Lord

shall be revealed.

That is the moment

of anticipation

they've been waiting for.

That's the big event.

The glory of the Lord

being revealed.

The desert highway

is for the Lord,

we saw in verse 3.

The glory of the Lord

is being revealed.

It is returning back

to the land.

In Ezekiel 10 and 11,

you could look it up later,

you can read about

the glory of the Lord

departing from the temple.

It departs from God's people.

It's a sign of God's judgment

on the people.

They were unfaithful.

They were covenant breakers

and so he's no longer

among them in the temple.

But here,

here they're given

the promise of the Lord

returning on a highway.

He will reveal his glory

to them again.

This restoration

that we're reading about,

this isn't just restoration

of people to land.

It is restoration

of God's presence

among the people

or of the people

to God's presence.

Every obstacle

that stands in the way,

mountain or valley,

shall be removed.

The way is being prepared

for the Lord

to return to the land.

We see in verse 11,

as he returns to the land,

he will be leading

his people.

He will be their God.

They will be his people.

He will be dwelling

among them.

And in restoring them

to his presence,

his glory shall be revealed.

These verses

are famously quoted

in all four Gospels

in the early pages

of Mark 3,

Luke 1,

Matthew 3,

John 1.

Each of them

tell these words,

but we hear them

through the voice

of John the Baptist.

John the Baptist

goes into the wilderness

and he proclaims,

prepare the way

for the Lord.

And he reveals

that the one

who will lead

his people

down this desert highway,

the one who will reveal

the glory of the Lord

is none other

than the Lord Jesus.

This is the true ending

of the Jewish exile.

Not the return

to Jerusalem,

but the arrival

on the scene

of Jesus.

He's announced

by John the Baptist,

Jesus, Emmanuel,

God dwelling with us.

John says

he came to testify

about the one

who is to come,

the Lamb of God

who takes away

the sin of the world

to bring restoration

to the people

and to reveal

the glory of the Lord.

this is not

petit Jesus.

This is the

climactic revelation

of the glory

of the Lord

in the person

of Jesus Christ.

He is the word

that became flesh.

He made his dwelling

among us.

John says

we have seen

his glory,

glory as of

the only son

of the Father,

full of grace

and truth.

again,

we could alter

the heading,

sorry if you're

taking notes,

from the glory

of the Lord

revealed

to Jesus

reveals

the glory

of the Lord.

Jesus

reveals

the glory

of the Lord.

As he leads

his people,

as he pardons

them for their sin,

he clothes them

with his righteousness,

he restores them.

And this event,

this isn't just

for the Israelites.

Look again

at verse 5,

did you see that?

Verse 5,

the glory of the Lord

shall be revealed

and all flesh

shall see it together.

All flesh

shall see this glory.

This is a huge theme

in these chapters

of Isaiah.

In Isaiah 49

and 57

we get the same idea

of this,

this mountain

becoming a road,

these desert highways.

Build up,

build up,

prepare the way,

remove every obstruction

from my people's way,

the Lord says.

They shall come

from afar,

from the north

and the west.

God says,

peace,

peace,

to the far

and the near.

This highway

for the Lord

to walk down

will not just be

for him

to lead the Israelites

but people

of all nations.

Isaiah 49,

it is too small

a thing

that God

would only restore

the tribes of Jacob.

It's too small

a thing.

Jesus will be

a light

for all nations

that God's salvation

may reach

to the end

of the earth.

Jesus reveals

the glory

internationally.

All flesh

shall see

that glory.

And it isn't

an empty promise

either.

It would be all

well and good

to say that

but it's not

an empty promise.

Verse 5 says,

this is spoken

by the mouth

of the Lord.

And as the second

voice cries out

in verses 6 to 8

we see that

whatever comes

from the mouth

of the Lord

will stand forever.

We say this line

after we hear

the Bible read here

because it summarizes

what we know

to be true.

Grass withers,

flowers fade,

mankind just the same.

But the word

of our God

stands forever.

We can see

the certainty

of Isaiah's words

now because we live

this side of the cross.

We've seen

Jesus' glory

revealed.

We've seen

the God's glory

revealed in Jesus.

Isaiah was written

700 years

before Jesus' birth.

It shows us

the certainty

of God's words.

Men are like grass.

They and their glory

fade.

The kingdoms

of the Babylonians

and the Assyrians

fell.

But God's word

did not fall.

God's word stood

as not only

did the Israelites

return to Jerusalem

but Jesus was born

fulfilling prophecies

written centuries

and millennia

before his birth.

The word of our God

stands forever.

So we that

read it,

we can have

full confidence

that there will

come a day

when Jesus

restores his people,

when he leads them home,

people of all nations.

He is not absent,

not in the least.

He has said

he will lead

his people

revealing his glory

and he will.

His word

accomplishes

its purposes.

It will not return

to him empty.

So this revelation

of the glory

of the Lord

is certain.

Jesus brings

comfort of restoration

and he will lead

his people home.

And he will do so

ruling

as shepherd

and as king.

That's our final

heading tonight.

I won't change this one.

Jesus rules

as shepherd

and king.

Jesus rules

as shepherd

and king.

He reveals

the comfort

of restoration

or he brings

the comfort

of restoration

and reveals

the glory

of the Lord.

He rules

as shepherd

and king.

Look at

verses 9 and 11

with me.

Go on up

to a high mountain,

O Zion,

herald of good news.

Lift up your voice

with strength,

O Jerusalem,

herald of good news.

Lift it up,

fear not.

Say to the cities

of Judah,

behold your God.

Behold,

the Lord comes

with might

and his arm

rules for him.

Behold,

his reward is with him

and his recompense

before him.

He will tend his flock

like a shepherd.

He will gather

the lambs

in his arms.

He will carry them

in his bosom

and gently lead

those that are

with young.

Here,

the third voice,

the third herald

is told,

go and cry out

good news

saying,

behold your God.

He's told to go

and cry out

good news.

Good news,

the word is used

in the Old Testament

to say

kind of the good news

of a king's victory.

Herald would come

back from battle

and proclaim

the good news

of the king's victory.

We get that

in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament,

we read the word

good news

in the opening lines

of Mark's gospel.

the beginning

of the good news

of Jesus Christ,

the Messiah,

the Son of God.

Simeon waited

for this good news,

this proclamation

of victory.

John the Baptist

testified about

this good news.

Good news,

it literally means

gospel.

The good news

is Jesus Christ

himself.

He is the one

that brings restoration,

we saw.

He is the one

who reveals

the glory of the Lord.

Jesus is the

victorious one,

the one whom

the heralds say,

he reigns,

behold your God.

And verses 10

and 11

spell out

exactly

what sort of

ruler he is.

He rules

as shepherd

and king.

Let's look

first at how

he reigns as king.

He reigns as king

with might,

with a strong

arm,

with might

and a strong

arm.

It's the same

sort of language

as you see

in the Old Testament

about how God

rescued his people

from Egypt

with a mighty

hand and an

outstretched arm.

The same Lord

with a mighty

hand and

outstretched arm

who rescued

Israel from

the Egyptians.

This is the same

Lord Jesus

who comes with

might,

whose arm

rules,

who will bring

restoration for

his people.

as we look

back to the

wonders God

performed in

Exodus.

With that same

mighty arm,

Jesus is ruling

and reigning

right now.

We see his

might in his

life as he

calms the storm,

as he casts

out demons,

as he heals

the sick and

raises the dead.

Nothing is

outside of his

authority.

Nothing is

beyond his

might.

Jesus reigns

as king.

And he

brings his

reward with

him, his

recompense

before him.

We know

that Jesus

will return

to judge the

living and

the dead.

And Revelation

22 says it

just like that,

bringing his

recompense with

him to repay

each one for

what they have

done.

And that is

true.

But I don't

think that is

what this

verse is

primarily talking

about.

When it says

his reward,

his recompense,

it's not

talking about

him rewarding

others at

this point.

It's talking

about the

reward he

receives,

his reward.

His reward

is his

people,

his flock,

those that

he leads.

And look

how he leads

them.

In verse

11, he

leads them

as a shepherd.

He reigns

as a king

and he leads

as a shepherd.

He will

tend to

them.

He will

see to

their every

need.

They shall

not want.

He will

restore their

souls.

Just like

David said,

they will

fear no

evil.

He is

with them.

God

dwelling

with them.

His rod

and his

staff

comfort

them.

Verse

11 ends,

he will

gently lead

those that

are with

young.

He will

gather the

lambs in

his arms.

Isn't that

an astonishing

thought?

the same

mighty arm

which he

rules with,

which he

rescued Israel

with,

which he

parted the

Red Sea

with,

he holds

his lambs

with,

holding them

close to

his chest

as those

he loves

dearly.

The arm

which leads

also are

the arms

which rule

the universe.

The strong

one who

rules,

who levels

mountains and

raises valleys

is also

the good

shepherd who

lays down

his life

for his

sheep.

Say to

the cities

of Judah,

behold your

God,

Jesus the

shepherd king.

Here we

get the

full colour

picture of

what it

means to

receive double

from the

Lord's

hand.

He doesn't

just pardon

our sin,

and that's

no small

thing,

but he

doesn't only

pardon our

sin and

then leave

us to our

own devices.

He

pardons sin

and he

carries his

flock home.

He has

rescued us

from the

dominion of

darkness,

Colossians

says,

and brought

us into

the kingdom

of light,

his kingdom.

And so,

in this

time of

advent,

what do

you make

of Jesus?

Is he

le petit

Jesus,

the child

in the

manger,

innocent,

lowly,

but nothing

more?

Or is

he the

mighty

one,

who humbled

himself beyond

belief in

being born as

a baby,

but yet is

the one who

brings restoration

for God's

people,

God in the

flesh among

us,

the consolation

of Israel?

Is he

absent?

Isaiah

would tell

us he is

not absent.

He is

reigning,

and while in

his sovereign

wisdom he is

permitting and

limiting evil

now,

there will

come a

time when

he comes

with recompense,

ending sin

and death,

bringing his

reward,

his flock

with him.

And at

that point we

will know once

and for all

that in all

things he has

indeed been

ruling and

reigning with

a mighty arm.

He has been

working all

things for the

good of his

people.

Cities of

Judah,

behold your

God,

Jesus Christ,

he brings the

comfort of

restoration,

he reveals the

glory of the

Lord,

he rules as

shepherd and

as king.

Let me

pray.

Let me

pray.

Let me

pray.

Let me

pray.

Let me

pray.

Let me

pray.

Let me