God's Declaration Of Comfort

So then, please turn with me to Isaiah 40, Isaiah chapter 40, as we read together the first 11 verses. Even though we have already given testimony to what we believe concerning questions and answers, one, I would ask that you consider keeping that open before you as well, as we consider Isaiah chapter 40, these verses, particularly verses 1 through 5. We'll read together 1 through 11. Hear now the word of God. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling, In the desert, prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight into the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low. The rough ground shall become level. The rugged place is a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. A voice says, Cry out. And I said, What shall I cry? All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout. Lift it up. Do not be afraid. Say to the towns of Judah, here is your God. See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power and His arm rules for Him. See, His reward is with Him and His recompense accompanies Him. He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads those that have young. Beloved in Christ the Lord, what is your only comfort in life and in death? See, we are comforted by many things and in many ways in this life, aren't we? Boys and girls, for example, if you wake up in the middle of the night and it's dark, you might become afraid, scared. But then when you remember that your mom and dad is in the next room, maybe right across the hall, then you're not so scared anymore. You're comforted. The fear is gone. Or maybe if you've ever gotten yourself lost in a busy place, a busy department store, or at the beach, or maybe at an amusement park, you're lost for a time and you're not by mom and dad. You become terrified. Filled with fright. Until you are reunited with your parents. You're held in their arms. And that terror is driven away. You're comforted. Or maybe you've faced death even at a young age. And you're mourning death. You're sad because of the death of someone you have loved. And then you are comforted by living comforters. Those who come to surround you with love and support and care. You see, we think of comfort in terms of unpleasant and terrible and dangerous situations that are overturned. And the comfort then is the effect that we enjoy from those overturned situations. or maybe we think of it as a greater good that outweighs something bad, and it brings us a sense of peace and safety. Maybe you have heard about the sightings of the mountain lion roaming around Kit Carson Park. And I suspect that for the neighbors that live in that area, that's not very comforting. It raises a certain amount of anxiety and fear, but if that mountain lion is caught and is moved far away from that neighborhood, No doubt that would bring comfort and a sense of ease. You see, very simply, beloved, God provides many means in this life. He provides many means of comfort in this life. Temporary forms of comfort. But the key to question number one of the catechism, what is your only comfort in life and in death? The key happens to be in the words, I believe, and in death. What is your only comfort in life and in death? When we die. And that's important because the Bible says the wages of sin is death. And the baptismal font is a visible reminder, boys and girls, that sin is very, very real. And it is a visible reminder as we sprinkle the water on water that washes dirt from the body. That water points to the blood of Jesus and reminds us that that sin that is very, very real must be dealt with. and we are also reminded that there is nothing earthly that can help us with that well moms and dads are able to give us comfort from many things for example when we get hurt or when we are lost or when we wake up in the middle of the night and it's dark I'm sure the Overman daughters have received comfort from their parents on numerous occasions they're like normal children but you see there's one thing boys and girls that parents cannot give true comfort from and that is from the darkness of sin. Oh, they can point you in the direction of that true comfort, which they must, which is what we promise in baptism. But they cannot truly give it. Only God can give it through Jesus Christ who is the only Savior. And guess what? He really does save. And therefore, because He gives comfort in death, that we have no fear in death, then we also have comfort in life beyond all the temporary forms of comfort. We have true comfort in life. Now, Israel needed comfort. Israel found herself in a situation where she needed a little good news and there was only one who could give it to her and that was her covenant God. And in this prophecy of Isaiah, we find God's declaration of comfort. And with this declaration of comfort, we notice that it reveals His complete satisfaction. God was completely satisfied with them. Verses 1 and 2, God's declaration of comfort reveals in the first place His complete satisfaction with the payment that was made. And our first question then might be, well, for what? A payment for what? And of course, we know, by the grace of God, we know Old Testament history. We know that there was a need for payment. This is prophecy. Isaiah is speaking here of something that was still to come. And with regard to what he's talking about here, it was still a hundred years or so in the future. It's interesting that even before Israel finds herself in a situation needing comfort, that the promise of comfort is given. And in Isaiah's prophecy, we know, in this book, he prophesies of captivity. Now, if we were to make a transition from chapter 39 to 40, it would be as if we step out of the darkness of judgment into the light of salvation. And we see before this that Babylon is the nation that will receive God's covenant people in captivity. Why? Because God's people had sinned. They had turned away from God. They had done exactly what Moses warned them not to do in the book of Deuteronomy as we have considered recently. When you have entered the land, when you eat and are satisfied, don't forget your God. Don't turn away and forget from God's commandments. And therefore, Isaiah's prophecy is a prophecy of judgment that they would go into captivity, exile. They would be transplanted for a time into a foreign land where they would live in bondage and restlessness and insecurity where they would be without their sacrifices, without their prophets, without consolation, and therefore without the Word of the Lord. Separated from their religious system. Where it would seem that God is silent. And that, beloved, is true misery. Isaiah prophesies of judgment because of their sin and their offense against God. And then only after, only after Israel understands her sin and misery, the hideousness and deadliness of her sin, only after that will prophecies of hope and deliverance, could they be made? Because we all know, don't we, that you don't need comfort or you don't think you need comfort or hope if you're not in a hopeless situation. We don't think that we need a Savior if we don't know that we are lost. And that's why the Catechism question and answer two is so correct. What three things must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? First, how great my sin and misery are. We must know how great our sin and misery are because if we don't, then we don't think we are sinners. We don't think we are miserable. We don't think that we have any problems. It's only when we understand that by the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit that our eyes are lifted to the One who is able to save us. To the only Savior, Jesus Christ. It's only when Israel would finally become conscious of the anger of God and experience His silence and feel abandoned by Him, only then would they be receptive to His voice. And when He speaks, what a message. What a message. Comfort. Comfort. My people. And that message of comfort is included in the fact that the payment is sufficient. This announcement, this emphasis on this comfort is an announcement filled with significance. It points to the fullness and the richness of God's comfort. The only comfort there is that is able to drive away and end all doubt and despair. And that declaration was to go straight to the heart. The words speak tenderly are literally translated, speak to the heart. Comfort to the heart, to refresh, to encourage, to cheer. Only this comfort is able to do that for your heart and mine. And that encouragement is that the punishment is enough. Her hard service had been completed. You see, God in His mercy sets limits for the affliction of His people. Their period of hardship and misery was coming to an end. But why? Because their sin had been paid. The very cause of their suffering, their sin, was pardoned by God because a satisfactory payment had been made. She had received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Endured double. Now that does not mean that Israel endured double of what her sin deserved because man is not even able to truly handle all that he deserves for even one tiny little sin. And He deserves eternal punishment. But this double here is talking about the fact that Israel endured an abundant punishment for her sins. God considered it to be enough. He considered the payment made. And the text says that payment is made for all her sins. Sins that God would then remember no more. Once God stamps paid in full on our sins, never again will He hold them against His people. And there is not a greater declaration, beloved, from the mouth of a covenant God to His people than when He says, enough. God chastises His people like a father to His son. He chastises His people for correction, but it's not lasting, you see. As the psalmist says in Psalm 30, weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. This was a message of comfort. And this message of comfort was of abundant and full and unceasing joy. And we know that this prophecy of comfort points to the greatest comfort there is and the need for that comfort. You see, that human bondage, that human captivity that God's people endured points to our spiritual bondage. Our slavery to the darkness of sin. Separation from God's favor. Oh, as far as Israel's payment was concerned, Israel had endured earthly discipline, but Israel could not pay for the eternal consequences of sin. But they, with us, with us, even so many years later, they had to find their comfort in the only faithful Savior still to come. Jesus Christ, who has come. The one of whom John the Baptist said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The one of whom we confess He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He's paid for every last offense of mine. And He has set me free from Satan's death grip. You see, beloved, only when we see and understand our sin and misery and its effect that it makes us enemies with God, only when we see and understand that sin and misery by seeing what Jesus Christ suffered in order to set us free. Only then will this be truly comforting to us in life and in death. Because when Jesus Christ truly endured double for all of our sins, enduring the abundance of God's eternal wrath against our sin, only when He had done that, God said enough. As Jesus said, it is finished. and brothers and sisters this is the message the one and only message that is to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth and not just whispered but shouted out from the tallest mountain you who bring good tidings to Zion go up on a high mountain you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem lift up your voice with a shout lift it up do not be afraid say to the towns of Judah here is your God and we are not to be embarrassed beloved to shout that message but we are to joyfully spread the good news of God's declaration of comfort that reveals His complete satisfaction because of the perfect work of Jesus Christ. God in His mercy set a limit to our sinful misery. And Jesus Christ Himself is the richness and fullness of the comfort of God who drives away all doubt and despair. But God's declaration of comfort in the second place also promises His glorious presence. It promises His glorious presence by way of the prepared path. You see, God's satisfaction and glorious presence, this comfort in other words, are only for those whose hearts are prepared to receive their King. Hearts prepared through repentance and faith. Those who are understanding their need and their only hope. Verses 3 and 4, a voice of one calling, in the desert prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up. Every mountain and hill made low. The rough ground shall become level. The rugged place is a plain. The path is to be prepared for the king. You see, because her sin was paid for, Israel was then to look up. To look for deliverance. To expect deliverance. To expect their God who was coming for them. And the way it's told here, we are given an earthly analogy. This preparation includes removing any obstacles in the path and nothing is to stand in the way. And we are given an earthly analogy of what apparently took place at that time when a king was going to make a visit. And there was excitement. There was excitement when the royal herald announced the coming visit of the king. Plans began immediately to make things ready, to make things fit for the king. For example, new coins were made and the king's image was stamped, printed on those coins. And they had to rebuild the royal route that was chosen by His Majesty. Now in his book, Holy Baptism, Word Keys Which Unlocked the Covenant, Dwayne Spencer gives us an idea of what apparently really took place with the actual coming of a king. He says, Every valley with its river bottoms and wadis strewn with boulders and gouged by turbulent waters after torrential rains had to be exalted. A continuous mound of earth would be built up across the valleys with a new roadbed along its crest and fine bridges connecting the same. Mountains and hills through which the royal entourage was to pass would be cut down to the extent that the king's elegant horses would not have to strain at any sharp ascent, causing his majesty's chariot to lurch in an undignified manner. Wherever the road was crooked, it had to be made straight at any cost, and every chug hole and rough place had to be made as smooth as possible. thus to show honor and dignity to the king who was to come. Now we know that God provided many voices calling Israel back to her rightful place as God's chosen nation. The voice of Daniel and Haggai and Zechariah and Malachi and Nehemiah and Ezra, to name a few, all the way to John the Baptist. And it is John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 3 who applies these very words to himself. as the one who was to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. And he shows there that true repentance is by way of the highway of the heart. Hearts that represent the dry and barren desert have to be prepared by the way of repentance and faith. The hopeless heart is to be encouraged and built up. Those of high position who are powerful need to recognize their powerlessness. The crooked and dishonest need to be brought to honesty and sincerity. and proud and arrogant hearts are to be humbled. The point being that every single heart must be humbled to recognize its sin and misery and need for a Savior. And as John the Baptist said, to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Every heart is called to recognize their sin and shame and their hopelessness and inability to do anything to please God and then also to recognize the only Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the only true comfort in life and in death. Because He has purchased His believers. He has paid for all of our sins. He has freed us from Satan's deadly grip. He says in Isaiah chapter 43, I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. And because we belong to Him, beloved, we enjoy His glorious presence. His glorious presence for His perfect care in life. In verse 11 we read, He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads those that have young. We enjoy the glorious presence of His perfect care in life even in the midst of hardship as He says in chapter 43 again, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. That's the Word of the Lord. And therefore, beloved, we can boldly confess He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven. In fact, all things must work together for my salvation. The glorious presence of His perfect care no matter what we may face in this life. But not only that, we enjoy the glorious presence of His perfect care in death as well. Jesus says in John 10, My sheep, listen to My voice. I know them and they follow Me. Give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. And therefore, beloved, we also are able to boldly confess, because I belong to Him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life. And that means that one day when you and I face death, well, that's not always drawn out, is it? Sometimes it's suddenly. But for those who have this comfort in life, even if it's sudden, when you and I face death, We don't have to be afraid because He has taken away the cause of my suffering and my shame. He has taken away that which has made me an enemy of God and therefore I hear the voice of God saying, You are my Son. You are my Child. And what good news! What a declaration of comfort from death to life, from hell to heaven, from eternal punishment to eternal glory, all because of His work of paying for our sin and satisfying the anger of God and preparing our hearts by the Holy Spirit to understand and to believe and to receive all of this by faith. We enjoy His glorious presence with us, dwelling with us, and His glorious presence then is to be seen by all. Verse 5 says, And the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all mankind together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. You see, beloved, the work of redemption, God's work of redemption is so splendid. that His glory can't help but to show that only God could be the author of it. And His glory is to be seen by all as it has been seen through Jesus Christ who came, who left His throne in glory and humbled Himself. And when He did, the glory of God was seen by the shepherds as the angels filled the night sky and sang glory to God in the highest. And Jesus Christ revealed the glory of God as He revealed the Father's love. And His cross illumines the glory of God. And it is that glory, beloved, that is to be revealed through the Word preached. This is the message of salvation that all are to hear because all desperately need it. This is the message that we as parents are to boldly and clearly tell to our children. This is the message, beloved, that we are not to keep quiet about, but joyfully tell it. And the glory of God is also seen through the conversion of hearts. The glory of God is unmistakable as the world witnesses on occasion the hardest of hearts, the vilest of sinners and offenders softened as by the power of the Holy Spirit they are softened and they turn to the Lord in a complete life change. And beloved, the glory of God is to be seen through the lives of believers through your life and mine as we are called to demonstrate love for the Lord by being wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him. Indeed, we are to live as a colony of heaven on this earth. It is to be visible for all to see as we honor, as we serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Because it is His glory and His glory alone that will be revealed on Judgment Day. When Jesus Christ comes again on the clouds of heaven, every eye will see His glory and majesty. Every eye will see the King of kings and the Lord of clore. And on that day, it will be clear who He is. It will be clear what it is He has done for His sheep. His glory and the glory of His work will be unmistakable. Beloved, if you can say by faith, I belong body and soul in life and in death unto my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, then rejoice. Give thanks. And sing for the powerful work of the Holy Spirit preparing your heart for the salvation of Jesus Christ to receive all of His benefits by faith. Because He has paid for all of your sins. If you can say that, then yours is comfort for life and death. And that means that when you face the troubles of life, and we do, don't we? When you face the troubles of this life, that you can say, that's okay. even maybe with tears streaming down your face, even maybe with a heavy heart, you can say, that's okay. Because I belong to Jesus. When your friends forsake you, you can say, that's okay. Because I belong to Jesus. When you lose your job, you can say, that's okay. Because I belong to Jesus. He'll provide for me. When you face injustice in this world, you can say, that's okay. Because I belong to Jesus, the just judge. When you become injured or sick, or boys and girls, when you wake up in the middle of the night in the dark, and even though you know your mom and dad is right in the next room, you can say, that's okay, because I belong to Jesus. They taught me about Him. When Satan attacks you, and he will, and when your life is in danger for your faith, which it very well might be one of these days, you can say, that's okay. Because I belong to Jesus. And beloved, that's the beautiful promise of baptism, isn't it? That for those who humbly confess their sins and repent of them and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone, just as that water we know washes away the dirt from our bodies, boys and girls. If it didn't, you would never have to take a bath. Because it would do no good. But that water washes away the dirt and in the very same way, That precious water points to the even more precious blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us, washes completely away all of our sins, and purifies us as white as snow. And Jesus says, you are mine. That's the greatest comfort we can share with our children. That's the greatest comfort we can teach our children. That's the comfort of Christmas, isn't it? In a particular way, this time of year, we remember and celebrate God's eternal declaration of comfort. that the Savior has come, that the one and only Savior has received from the hand of God complete punishment for all of our sins and for those who humbly receive Him their King by faith. Theirs is the comfort of freedom in Him and peace with God in life and in death forever and ever. Alleluia. May that be our comfort. Let's pray together. Father, sometimes it is so easy to confess these words that our only comfort in life and in death and body and soul is that we belong to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. But may it be that we would not simply profess those words or recite them from time to time. But that You would lead us to meditate upon them. That we might truly meditate and think about that which Jesus Christ has done and what that means for us. That it means life eternal. Indeed, Lord, so many of these things are difficult for us to comprehend. They are over our heads, as it were. But You have such a wonderful, powerful truth and we thank You for this blessed comfort, Father. And we pray that when we do face difficult times, you would be there to comfort us that when we rejoice in good times that there too we might recognize that we rejoice only because you are our comfort in all things and Father may it be too that we would not rest easy until Jesus Christ comes again and until that time we would not rest unless we have had opportunity to share that comfort with those who have never heard Father strengthen us and bless us help us to be your servants in a way that is pleasing to you that edifies your church to be used of you to call sinners to repentance and most of all that we might glorify your most holy name in the name of Jesus Christ we pray these things Amen