A Light For The Nations

Today's reading is Isaiah 49, 1 through 7.

Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you people from afar.

The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother, he named my name.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword.

In the shadow of his hand he hid me.

In his quiver he hid me away.

And he said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity, yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense my recompense with my God.

And now the Lord says, He who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength, he says.

Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of the rulers.

King shall see and arise, princess, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.

This is the word of the Lord.

Please be seated.

Good morning.

I'm an elder here at Redemption Church Denver.

And uh this week James has the week off.

Um he just finished Hebrew 1.

Maybe give him a round of applause for that.

Um so as you've been working hard, yeah, you guys should flood his email with uh just questions about ancient uh languages and uh translations of um the old testament.

So yeah, so he's got the week off this week.

So um, like Zach said, uh we're we're in our second week of Advent, and uh we're moving through the book um uh some some of the book of Isaiah where there are four uh servant songs.

Um that's that's these poems that uh we find kind of throughout the book of Isaiah that are foretelling the coming of Christ, that are foretelling of the salvation that He's going to bring.

Um so before we uh dive into this, um, I'm gonna pray and then uh and then we'll get started.

God, thank you uh for this season.

Thank you for the season for us to reflect and to remember um uh just for what you have done for us.

Um God, I just pray that this morning that we would be able to clearly see um your Savior and and just to see the plan that you put in motion um from the very beginning to bring about um our salvation and and of the the redemption of the world.

Um just thank you for this opportunity to uh to share your word this morning in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So, first uh I think we should define what Advent is.

Um say this is the Advent season.

So Advent is, it says here, a definition that I found.

Advent is the season of reflective preparation for the nativity of Christ at Christmas and the expected return of Christ in his second coming.

So that's that's really important because we kind of get to do two things here during this Advent season.

We get to first um look back and almost kind of put ourselves in the shoes of the Israelites, the the time in which this is being written, where we're where they are anticipating a Savior for the first time, and they're anticipating the coming of their king, and we obviously know how that went.

We have we have the story, so we get to kind of look back um at that and celebrate Jesus' coming into the world at Christmas time.

Um, but the the other thing that we get to do, which is also really exciting and really important, is we actually get to celebrate and and have some expectation as to his second coming.

See, Jesus, um, when he comes again, won't be coming into this world as a child.

He will be coming back as a king in triumph.

And and he'll be setting all the wrongs right in this world and and renewing everything.

So when we look around and we and and we're kind of stirred by the fact that things don't quite seem like they are or seem as they should be.

Things are just not quite right yet.

That's because they're not.

Um, but they will be.

And that's something that we also get to celebrate with this eager anticipation during this season.

So as we move through our text today, kind of try to see some of the anticipation that might have been felt by Isaiah and by those that were listening or um that were listening to him at that time, and then also uh for ourselves as we anticipate our Savior coming back again.

So we'll go ahead and start um in verse one, and uh just he kind of just is setting up who he's speaking to.

Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar.

So this this little introduction here is really important because this is him saying, Hey, I'm not just talking to the nation of Israel.

This this word, this prophecy, what God is about to say through these words here, therefore all people, therefore, people from every nation on every corner of this earth.

That's what he means by peoples from afar.

Um coastlands have been used before as well to describe Gentiles.

So this is this is us.

This is people like us who because the because this message of salvation is extended to all people, we get to be a part of that.

Um see, it it is, it's for all people, not just for the nation of Israel.

So then he begins to describe kind of how this is gonna work, how he's going to do this.

Verses one, uh the rest of verse one into verse three says, The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother, he named my name.

Okay, so this is important too.

This what he's saying here is that the Savior of the world, the Messiah that's going to come, is going to be literally born, physically born of a woman.

Um, this means that he's not just going to be uh kind of dropped down from heaven in this kind of angelic warrior type being, which is probably what they were expecting and hoping for, but he's actually going to be born as a baby.

He's going to start out his life on earth in the exact same way that every one of us did as a little baby.

Um, and then we move in to verse two.

Says he made my mouth like a sharp sword.

In the shadow of his hand, he hid me.

He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver, he hid me away.

So there's a few things here.

So first we've got this sword, um, which in in scripture we've we've seen that the sword is often uh it's it's the word of God.

Um the whole put on the armor of God, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

Um, so that is the word of God.

And if we look in uh to the beginning of the uh the book of John uh 1, 1, that's what it says here.

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

So here we see that Jesus was there.

Jesus was the literal word of God that was spoken to bring everything into existence.

And now he's going to come in and walk amongst the creation that he made.

But he came with a very, very particular objective in mind, and that's described here as a polished arrow.

See, an arrow is a very, very precise weapon, right?

He didn't he didn't say that he's going to come with uh a legion of armies, he didn't say like a camo shotgun.

I will be, it's duck hunting season now, so that's been on the brain.

Um right, Jack?

Yeah.

Um a shotgun's not a very precise weapon, um, and uh, but an arrow is.

And so what God's going to do is he's going to shoot this arrow, he's going to shoot into a very particular place.

And that that place that's ultimately going to be the cross.

And what he's going to do is with one very precise act, the redemption of the world is going to be accomplished.

So now we're going to move into verse three.

You are my servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Okay, so this is a little bit, uh, this was a little bit tougher to understand.

Um, the first time I've preached through a major prophet.

And so I called James and we went and sat down on Monday, and I was like, okay, if you don't want to have a complete mess on your hands to mop up next week, you're gonna have to help me sort out who we're talking to, uh, who we're talking about, Israel.

Is that really Israel?

Like, what's the situation here?

So um as we uh yeah, so he didn't completely have the week off, but um, you know, kind of get what you pay for around here.

Um so but so it is a little tougher to understand.

So on the on the surface, but it's it's actually he's not actually referring to Israel, the nation here.

See, back when in the beginning um with Abraham, when God promised that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed, he wasn't just he wasn't just talking about through the nation of Israel, all peoples of the earth would be blessed.

That would actually not be possible, especially given the state of the nation of Israel.

They've become unfaithful and um have not actually turned back to the Lord.

And so, in order for that to be the case, the nation of Israel would need uh they would need a representative, they would need someone to stand in for them in order that this promise would be true.

Does that sound at all familiar?

This is we serve a God of patterns, right?

We serve a God who is consistent, and just like in order for this promise to be fulfilled, the nation of Israel would need a perfect stand-in in order to accomplish the blessings of all uh the nations of the earth, um, so do we, right?

We need a savior.

We cannot stand before God on our own.

And so um that is who we're talking about here is this is actually referring to Jesus.

Um so in the same way that this song or this poem that was written, um, we see in verse in the beginning who God is speaking to, right?

To all people, the the people of afar, people like us.

Now he's gonna kind of switch gears a little bit and he's going to, he's gonna speak for himself, um, or for or for other kind of faithful Israelite people at the time.

And so he shifts gears, he's he goes, but I said, I being Isaiah, he's saying, But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity, yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God.

Okay, so this would have been this would have been the posture of of other faithful Israelites.

Um it was it was the posture of Isaiah, it was probably it was most likely the posture of a lot of other major prophets who um were calling Israel back to repentance and they just would not listen.

So just banging their heads against the wall, is this all been in vain?

Have I labored in vain?

Um so it and honestly, it sounds a lot like what we're talking about.

Sorry, it sounds a lot like Psalm 127.

Psalm 127 says, Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

So see what what that's saying here, what this is a recognition of our place in the world.

See, we're just just as all of creation flowed out of the lips of God, so does all purpose and meaning flow from him as well.

And and in this grand story that we all get to be a part of, we're creatures.

We're creatures.

We've been given, we've been given gifts and talents, we've been given limits, we've been given faults, all by our creator.

And as creatures, we are in desperate need of a savior.

And that's what's being said here.

He's saying if there's to be any recompense, any restoration, then it must be accomplished by God on our behalf.

Otherwise, all of this is just in vain.

Do you ever feel like that?

Do you ever kind of ask the question, you know, what what's it all, like, what is this all for?

Right?

We we wake up, go to work, come home, probably hang out with the kids, um, wake up the next day, we do it all over again, right?

And and for what?

To to make a few bucks, to make sure that we raise you know respectable members of society one day.

Um but see, God's given purpose to all facets of our lives.

And when you're when you're actually when you're diligent with your work, when you're diligent with teaching your children the gospel, when you are inviting people into your home and showing love and hospitality through those things, you're actually engaging with building the kingdom.

See, we don't get to give our lives meaning.

Meaning and purpose are something that must be given to us, it must be placed upon us by the one who created us.

This is what is creating so much, I think, emptiness in our culture right now.

Is our culture is trying to give it says you can give yourself meaning.

You can give yourself meaning through the job that you have, through maybe the status you've achieved, through the amount of money you make, through how many times you go to the mountains.

Um, I mean, all kinds of things, right?

They say that you can choose what is right for you.

That's that whole your truth, my truth thing that we hear out there, which doesn't really make a lot of sense.

Um but you can choose what's right for you.

You can shoot, I mean, now you can even choose, you can choose your gender.

You can choose what's true or not true.

But this is leading to so much emptiness and brokenness because we have to have someone outside of ourselves give tell us what is meaningful to give us meaning and purpose.

It's kind of like um, it's kind of like in a marriage or uh or or within like my family.

Um, so I'm I am a husband, I am a father, uh, I am a son, I'm an elder here at this church.

And the only reason that any of those things have meaning is because God says they do.

God has asked me to do these things.

So just I mean, consider what are, what are those things that God has set in front of you that He said, I've made you for this.

I have made you for this.

I've created you with these particular strengths and these particular weaknesses, and I've placed you in this time and this place for a reason, so that my good work might be carried out through you.

That's meaning, that's that's purpose.

So now we're gonna shift gears here as we go into verse five.

We're even shifting who's speaking here.

And now the Lord says, So Isaiah is now done kind of speaking for himself, and now he's going back to speaking on behalf of the Lord in this prophecy.

It says, And now the Lord says, He who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring back Jacob to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength.

Okay, so there's that change in tone.

Now the Lord says.

So first he's speaking again to the physical nature of Jesus, and the language used it reminded me of Psalm 139.

It's that similar language where he says, For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

So what this means is Jesus is physically formed in the same way that you and I were formed.

And this is this is kind of a mind-blowing concept because we know that Jesus was not created, we know that he's always been, but yet somehow God physically made him as a man.

And this is just one of those great mysteries of the gospel is how can an infinite being come down and be made finite in some way?

It's how can how can um God, creator of the universe, Almighty God, take on the form of a man?

It's it's a wonderful thing, um, but it is, it's a mystery.

It's something that we, that our our minds, we can't completely comprehend them or wrap wrap our minds around it.

But what we do know is that he did it for a specific purpose.

And it says here to bring Jacob back to him that Israel might be gathered to him.

Okay, so Jacob, here what he's kind of saying is like Jacob and Israel, these are these are synonymous with one another.

Um back when Jacob was given the promise when God said, I will make you a great nation.

He he also changed his name to Israel.

So he's talking about um, he's talking about the nation of Israel.

He's saying, part of my mission is that Jesus is going to reconcile his people to himself.

Okay, and that does include those that are faithful in the nation of Israel.

Okay.

Um so then we move into verse six, and this is this is where I think it gets really exciting.

Um he says, It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the preserved of Israel.

I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach the end of the earth.

So this is what's amazing is he says, he it goes all the way back to the promise of Abraham in Genesis twenty two I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore, and your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and your offspring shall and in your offspring shall all the nations.

Of the earth be blessed because you obeyed my voice.

It says here, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

See, this is speaking even back then.

This was the plan.

This was the plan.

When he was talking to Abraham, the plan was for this salvation to reach all peoples.

And then he says, it's just such a great thing.

He goes, it is too light a thing.

He's saying, what you're expecting of me is way too small.

He's saying, I am God.

I'm the one who created everything you see in six days using only my words.

Saving this little nation?

No.

That's too light a thing for me.

For me to show the extent of my power and my glory, my salvation must reach the ends of the earth, that people from every tongue and every tribe and every nation will know that I am God.

See, this is the kind of God that we serve, a God whose plan is just exponentially greater than we could ever imagine.

How often do we do this to God where we we ask for things, we pray for things, and God is up there saying, Oh, that that thing that you're asking for, that's this thing that you're thinking about me, it's too light a thing.

This is way too small for me.

I'm I am the creator of the universe, the plans that I have for you, the trajectory that I have for your life.

The the thing that you think is so big and so important, it's way, way, way too small for me.

It's an amazing thing that this is the kind of God we serve, that that his plan reaches to the ends of the earth.

So then he's but then it's kind of strange because as we move into verse 7, um, so you've got this grand statement, right?

And then it's kind of strange.

He says, Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One.

That's Jesus, the Holy One.

And he says, to one deeply despised and abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers.

So it's kind of like he makes this grand statement.

Wait a minute.

Like deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, servant of rulers.

Doesn't really sound that grand.

It doesn't really sound like a savior, but but see, we know this is actually the way that the ministry of Jesus began.

Um we're celebrating here this time of year is that the creator of the universe was born in a manger.

He showed up into this world and didn't even have a proper place to lay down his head.

Um he'd begin his ministry, he'd have no home, um, he'd have 12 guys following following him around.

Um, he'd be rejected by most.

And his ministry didn't even last all that long, about three years, right?

Um and then it would end with him being murdered.

Um it tells us in Psalms that the stone the builders rejected has become the sort of the cornerstone that Jesus would be passed up, rejected by the very people he came to save.

And and even Jesus himself, he describes the kingdom of heaven this way.

He uses uh the analogy of a mustard seed.

He says, This tiny, tiny little seed, so small you can barely even see it.

And but over time it's going to grow into the largest plant, the largest tree in the whole garden.

And this is what happened is Jesus took that little tiny mustard seed when he was here on earth and he planted it.

And ever since then, his kingdom has been growing and expanding ever since.

See, this is how God works.

He he even chose to conquer death by dying.

It's it it seems like kind of a paradox, but but even the idea of putting him to death, of doing away with him, is actually the very thing that would bring us all life.

So then, now the the rest of verse seven.

Um this is that second part of Advent that we that we talked about earlier.

Um this is that hope that we have for an anticipation that we get to have for his second coming.

He says, Kings shall kings shall see and arise, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because the Lord who is faithful, faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.

See, we we see it now, even during Christmas time, that um, I mean, how many people out there who don't know Jesus, who are not Christians, are celebrating Christmas?

A lot of these people are probably gonna be listening to or singing songs like Joy to the World and Silent Night, and unbeknownst to them, God is being glorified even from the mouths of people who might oppose him.

See, Jesus can't be erased, he can't be overlooked.

And as we look at the future hope that we have, this hope that all started, it was all the original plan from the beginning.

Um, it was the promise that he gave to Abraham, and then it was prophesied by Isaiah and other prophets, and then now we celebrate this Advent season as we get to, we look back towards that birth of Christ, but then we look forward to this fullness of redemption that is to come.

In Revelation 22, 1 through 5, it paints an amazing, amazing picture of what that will be like.

He says, Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city, also on either side of the river, the tree of life, with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each month.

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of nations, the healing of nations.

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him, they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads, and night will be no more.

They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign with him forever.

See, this is our future hope.

This is what this is what the Lord is accomplishing now.

It's it's in process.

It's see, Jesus is king now, but this has not been fully realized.

And so we get to we get to look forward to that day when there will be no longer anything accursed.

We get to look forward to that day where you don't have to weed your garden.

Heidi really looks forward to that day.

Um, you get to look forward to that day when when doctors and policemen and firemen are out of a job.

They're not needed anymore because there's no pain, there's no suffering, there's no violence.

This this is the picture that we're looking for, and all the light that comes is coming directly from God.

This is something that I hope can stir our hearts, maybe even stir our imaginations during this Advent season as we celebrate not just the birth of Christ, but anticipate eagerly what that is gonna be like when he comes back.

See, because he didn't only die for us.

He wasn't only raised from the dead, but he's gonna right all of the wrongs as well.

He's gonna restore all things for his people.

He's gonna restore all things for those that are in Christ.

And that's the hope that we have.

Um, bringing it back kind of to Christmas, to Advent, um, about a week or so ago, I think it was the day before Thanksgiving.

Heidi and I were sitting on the couch, and I was uh and I was telling her, you know, she was talking to me about, okay, like, you know, we're hosting Thanksgiving, and then the day after that, we're gonna we got to get all of our boxes up and and decorate the house for Christmas.

And um we went up to the mountains and we cut down this gigantic Christmas tree, and um now, you know, that's outside and water, and we got to put that in the house.

And I'm like, okay.

Um, and I told her, I said, you know, I said, I really like Christmas.

But I really like the day when all this stuff comes down, and and and half my living room isn't taken up by a tree, and and it and things don't seem so cluttered in the house because we've put up like extra Christmas decorations, and and then, you know, um, and then it always kind of feels good to you know get back on the straight and narrow again, try to get get that, you know, those holiday LBs, all the rich foods kind of it's like, okay, that was great, but now it's good that that's done.

And so, you know, I'm telling her all this, and she gently reminded me, gently reminded me, yeah, Ed's laughing.

By gently reminded me, I mean like she said something that really convicted me.

And what she said was, she's like, look, um this stuff hasn't even started yet, and you're already looking forward to it coming down.

Um, first of all, and she said, you know, if what we believe is true, and we're actually celebrating the savior of the world, our king, actually coming here, then shouldn't we do that?

Shouldn't shouldn't we put up all the stuff, the decorations?

Shouldn't we go to those holiday parties?

Shouldn't we uh enjoy the good food and the good drinks?

Shouldn't we buy the gifts and enjoy the hustle and bustle?

And shouldn't we do that?

Because I mean after all, the king's come into town, right?

And I'm like, oh that one, you know, that that's been running in the background of my mind since then.

I'm like, yes, the answer is yes, yes, we should.

Um because that's what you do when your king comes.

So um to relate this directly to the season, I hope that you guys would join me in trying to reframe.

Well, if you were as scroogey as I was, um maybe some of you have already have a better attitude than that.

Um but reframing your hearts and and and really trying to um use these things, use the fact that when you walk by that tree, however big or small that may be in your home, or you know, when you're at the store and there's Christmas music playing, um, or you're going to that holiday party, even that company holiday party, and you're and you're buying or you're buying gifts and you're doing all of the things, right?

Um that these would all be things that can serve as a reminder for what we've talked about this morning, to can serve as a reminder for what this season actually signifies.

Because for everyone else, they probably will be glad when it's over.

Lots of indulgence, too much money spent on the credit card, and then it's over.

And for what?

Right?

Tradition, I suppose.

Um Christmas is fun.

Or maybe you say, well, it was for the kids, really.

You know, Christmas is really for the children.

But we don't have to have that outlook.

We actually get to enjoy these things because of what they mean.

So as happens, you know, when I only do this a couple of times a year, and I typically something convicts me, something um impacts me.

I don't know how James handles it just every week, something hammering on him.

Um I mean, it's great, it's got to be exhausting too.

Um but for me it was this.

It was this, it was this, it was what Heidi said to me, and then reading through all these things that God has promised to do, all these things that God has said Jesus is, and you put those together, and and we enjoy Christmas, we enjoy Advent.

Um, and we get to do that together.

We get to do that as a church, we get to do that as God's people.

Um so I really encourage you to join me in that.

And join me in just the joy and the wonder that this season um was supposed to be.

And we're the ones who know what it's supposed to be because God has given it to us in His Word.

Speaking of celebrating, um, we're gonna move into a time of communion.

And we do this, we do this every week here, and this is a time of celebration.

Um this is actually not just a time of reflection.

In fact, um the time of reflection was when we were confessing earlier beforehand.

This is a time of celebration, a time to say, this is what God has done for us.

So if you're a Christian, then we invite you to come to the table and eat and drink and celebrate what the Lord has done for us.

Um, if you're not a Christian, then we ask that you wouldn't.

We ask that you would abstain and that you wouldn't um essentially say something that isn't true, that isn't what you believe.

Um, but but if that's you in something that was said today, um, something in the music, whatever that is, if it's stirring you and you want to know, wait a minute, what what is it about this redemption of the entire world?

That sounds pretty awesome.

Um what is that?

Then talk to me.

Um if you have Hebrew questions, talk to James, um, talk to Zach, grab the person who brought you here, talk to them.

Um and then uh so we're gonna do communion now, and then afterwards, go grab your kids if they're in redemption kids, and we're gonna worship together as families.

It says in 1 Corinthians 11, 23 to 26, for I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it, and he and said, This is my body which is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Let's pray.

God, thank you.

Thank you for the gift of your son.

Thank you for um setting aside uh not just a day, but what has turned into an entire season for us to reflect back and anticipate um what is coming in the future for your people.

God, we just we pray that the joy that we have as Christians would just flow out of us this holiday season, that it would be something different to those around us, that that it would be something that would cause others to wonder what's going on with these people.

Um and and it would give us the opportunity to tell them what this holiday is really about.

We thank you for these things and we praise you in Jesus' name.

Amen.