Isaiah 64:1-7

Isaiah 64:1-7
English Standard Version (ESV)

    Waiting for a big reveal is an interesting place -- you're both eager for the result to arrive, but the uncertainty can be tough on the nerves.  Whether you're waiting for something with hope, like the birth of a child, or with fear, like the results of a medical test, you know your life will be changed, only you're not in control of how it changes.
  In the same manner, when we hope for God's return, we do so with fear and trembling, mixed with hope.  We have fear because we know the depths of our sinful hearts, we know how we have betrayed our faith, how we have settled for lesser pleasures and denied the Lordship of Christ in areas of our lives.  We have preferred the ease of self-worship over the challenge of faithfulness.
  And yet there is tremendous hope as well.  The God who comes as Judge is the same God who comes as Savior.  So he comes with a fire to devour sin and evil, and yet that same strong hand reaches down to save.  We are not lost, and we meet him joyfully, confidant that his promises to us will be fulfilled, because God is a promise-keeper.
  So we live between fear and hope.  When we look at ourselves, we often see fear.  When we fix our eyes upon the cross, and the love that held Christ there, and then look beyond to the endless grace and beauty of God, we lose track of fear and dwell in hope.

Isaiah 63:15-19

Isaiah 63:15-19
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  It's really hard to allow our children to face the consequences of their bad decisions.  So often, the temptation is to step in and save them from their choices.  It's rough to see them making a choice and know that I could prevent it, but I also recognize that if I always save them from their choices, they won't learn how to make good choices.  They'll think their bad choices have no negatives effects.
  God acts in the same way.  When we choose sin, he allows us to experience some of the negative consequences of this.  The brokenness that is evident in the world around us is evidence that human sin has negative consequences.  We selfishly choose to honor ourselves before God and others, and the whole community suffers because of it.  God allows this to unfold because the hope is that we learn in the small lessons, and thus when the bigger tests come, we'll know better.  God allows us to experience the negative effects of sin in the hopes that we will recognize how poor a choice it is and that we will choose faithfulness instead.  As we mature, we should focus on the righteousness of God more and more, knowing that sin leads to death, and that selflessly choosing to honor God is the road that leads to life.

Isaiah 63:10-14

Isaiah 63:10-14
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Here we see a contrast between our human fallibility and the grace and glory of God.  God has poured out his love and forgiveness, and humans rebelled against him.  While this would give God every right to reject us once and for all, instead he pours out his love.  God's name has to be glorified, so he will lead his people out of the depths of sin.
  So God's grace and perfection doesn't depend upon our lack of righteousness.  God is glorified because of who he is and what he has done.  So often our feelings about God depend on us and what our situation is, rather than focusing on God and his glory.  God dwells in unapproachable light and is more perfect than he can imagine.  As his will unfolds in the world and in our lives, it brings him glory.  Our job is to join in glorifying him, and so our vision should be focused on God, rather than ourselves.

Isaiah 63:7-9

Isaiah 63:7-9
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Isaiah paints a beautiful image here at the end -- God lifts us up and carries us.  Our children often tumble over and scream in pain at the latest bruise they have been dealt, and all they want is for Mom to scoop them up in her arms and make everything better.  No matter how big or small the injury, they just want to be in Mom's arms, because that will heal whatever wound there is.  When we have fallen, due to calamities in life or our own careless or selfish choices, God swoops down to us in our sin and collectively picks us up.  What happens next is amazing -- God doesn't set us on our feet and step back to watch and see if we can do it on our own.  In his grace, he carries us forward.  We have been saved and redeemed from sin, and it no longer determines our future.  While we still have lives to lead and are called to flee from sin, our fate is no longer determined by sin.  We are saved, and the love of God carries us forward.
  So yesterday we spoke of the judgment of God, and how we don't have to fear it because of the blood of the lamb.  Today, we see God's desire to save -- it was born of his love and pity, and so we are redeemed.  As I know I've mentioned before, it's not according to how good we are or how much power we have, it's according to the abundance of his love that we are redeemed, because we are his children.

Isaiah 63:1-6

Isaiah 63:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's hard to think about God as judge.  Throughout Scripture, I'm constantly trying to talk my way around it, trying to come up with some way to soften the edges, to blunt the impact.  Here, there isn't really a way around it -- we have an image of God exacting his vengeance, of the judge who has come in righteousness to condemn those who have chosen otherwise.  It's not soft or kind or gentle -- it's brutal and hard to read.
  Here's the truth, though -- we have to have a God who has this attitude toward sin.  If God isn't absolutely repelled by sin, then Christ's sacrifice doesn't mean very much, does it?  If Christ does not find sin repugnant and abhorrent, then dying for sin is unnecessary, right?  If the slightest sin doesn't separate us from God, then the cross is merely a bonus, right?
  In reality, sin is an obstacle, dooming us to a fate worse than death, condemning us to eternal separation from God.  However, in Christ we have a Savior who gives up his life and saves us from our sin, transferring our fate to the Kingdom of Heaven.  In Christ, the God who comes as judge comes as Savior, and we are freed by the blood of the Lamb.  Let us rejoice!

Isaiah 62:6-12

Isaiah 62:6-12
English Standard Version (ESV)

  So often we proclaim things that we wish were true.  We say things with a spirit of hope, and sometimes we are fooling ourselves into believing something is true.  Other times we are convincing ourselves, talking up a future -- so often the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
  When the Lord proclaims something, however, it is always true.  It is true when it is proclaimed, and it is always true.  The Lord's words bring hope because of the truth within them.
  And so when the Lord has proclaimed you free of sin, it is true.  It is not an idle hope -- it is the truth, and it will always be so.  You have been forgiven, set free, by the proclamation of the Lord, by his free grace.  You are free, and you are saved, and you are loved.

Isaiah 62:1-5

Isaiah 62:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Imagine waking up tomorrow to find out every street name had been changed.  Everything would look the same, but all sorts of things would function differently -- imagine the struggles the post office would have.  How would your bills be delivered?  Would your GPS work right?  What about people's mortgages?  It's hard to say how all these things would be affected, but they certainly would be.
  God changes names.  More than that, he changes identities.  Maybe we look the same from the outside, but God makes dramatic reversals happen.  Where there once was death and despair, there is instead life and hope.  Where we wondered what would become of us, God instilled joy and freedom.  God poured out abundant life and it washed into the darkest corners of our souls, and there is no more darkness, no more fear, no more dread.  Instead, God has given us a new name -- we are redeemed, set free, restored to life and to a right relationship with God.  All this has been done out of love, as a free gift.
  You are treasured by God.

Isaiah 61:5-11

Isaiah 61:5-11
English Standard Version (ESV)

  The other week I read a book my mom gave me for Christmas called Moriarity.  It's a fabulous book that revolves around the world of Sherlock Holmes, and just when you're arriving at the end, everything changes.  It's an amazing transformation, and you look back over the entire story and see the whole thing in a different light.  With one sentence, it all changes.
  God's narrative is a bit like that, only we know exactly how it ends -- we know the point of transformation that changes the way we see everything.  When Christ dies on the cross for the sins of all humanity, the arc of God's story bends in such a way that allows us back into a place of grace, condemning our sins to death and raising us to life.
  We know this, and yet somehow we don't live into it.  We manage to forget the single most important piece, the transformative love of God, and immerse ourselves in what is often trivial or at least secondary.  We drown ourselves in distractions, and the beauty and love of God pass by, unnoticed.
  And so this is a reminder to us -- God is at work, so let our souls exult our God, and our songs rise to the heavens.  You are beloved, and the single most important thing in your life happened 2,000 years ago on a hill outside of Jerusalem, where your Savior died so that you may live.  This has changed everything -- may we live with that love in the forefront of our minds, as we live and imagine what might be.

Isaiah 61:1-4

Isaiah 61:1-4
English Standard Version (ESV)

  When dignitaries come to town, they're almost always rushing to see the wealthy and powerful.  You saw this a lot in the presidential campaigns of the 32 candidates this past fall -- they swept into town to hold exclusive fundraisers that cost thousands per plate, then rushed on to other events with those in power.  Exclusivity is seen as a sign of prestige -- the gates on communities lead us to curiosity about who lives back there.  Power separates people from the crowds.
  And yet here is God, who is infinitely more powerful than anything the earth has ever witnessed, and the message is one of societal reversal -- there is good news for the poor, liberty to the captives hope to the despondent.  Where the world has disappointed, God invigorates.  Where the powerful have forgotten, God remembers, and God is rushing to comfort the mourners and heal the broken.
  There is a message here for us.  We dare not forget how badly we need God.  We are broken by our own sin, led astray through our own pride, captive to our selfish indulgences.  We are trapped in a mire, and God has come to free those willing to admit they need a Savior, willing to accept their dependence on God.  God is a Savior of all who will call upon him, no matter how lowly a station they may dwell here on earth -- none are beyond the reach or compassion of God.  He has come to heal, to love, to redeem, and all are in need of this.
  Today, let us not fool ourselves into thinking we can depend on our own strength to push forward.  Let us embrace our dependence on Christ and trust in him to repair what has been ruined and restore what has been lost.

Isaiah 60:19-22

Isaiah 60:19-22
English Standard Version (ESV)

    I think the image of God being our glory is made even more powerful by what is missing from the picture -- there is no more night.  There is no more darkness, only light.  No more sitting in bed at 3 am and worrying -- only hope.  There is no more despair -- only joy.  No more weeping -- only laughter.  No more long nights where you stare at the clock and simply wait for the morning -- no, God removes that sorrowful wait, those anxious hours, and replaces them with laughter and joy.  We who sat in the darkness will forever see a great light, and the glory of the Lord that shines from everlasting to everlasting will encompass us, embrace us, and hold us forever.

  This is our hope.  This is our joy. No more night.  May we tell the world, and show all of God's light.

Isaiah 60:15-18

Isaiah 60:15-18
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's interesting to think about where our hope rests.  We see a lot of this with politicians -- they try and convince us to place their hope in them, assuring us that they can deliver us from and through various obstacles that face us as a country, as individuals.  What we discover is that all politicians are ultimately unable to make good on each of their promises, because the system they work within is filled with broken and selfish people.  They can help some, but cannot give us all that we need.
  God, however, exists outside of time and space.  The limitations that bind us do not bind him.  Our human minds cannot comprehend the limitless sphere in which God eternally exists.
  God also exists outside of our sinfulness.  He is not tainted by it, not corrupted by it, so he can deliver us from out of it.  Since we cannot ascend to the place where he is, God enters into our sinful world, into our broken systems, into our corruption, and somehow is not tainted by it, but takes it all upon himself so that we might not be doomed by it.  As a result, God can issue the promises we find in Isaiah, promises that exist beyond our heartbreak and into 'a joy from age to age.'

Isaiah 60:8-14

Isaiah 60:8-14
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Let's be honest -- most of us are a little afraid.  We're insecure.  We worry about our health or our security or our safety or our loved ones.  When we're not sure what to worry about, we invent new things to frighten ourselves.  We scheme elaborate crises in our minds and convince ourselves they might happen, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.  We're creative, if nothing else.
  One of the things we worry about is our home security.  There exists a multitude of companies willing to sell you alarms and other devices to keep your house safe.  We have locks and sirens to keep people out.
  What God promises, however, is a world where we don't have to close the doors because others are coming to bring things to us!  We don't need locks because others, even our enemies, will bring a tribute.  How different will that feel?
  God promises a radically transformed future, one completely different than the one we know.  We are charged by Christ to live into this future in the here and now, to live in such a way that communicates these different values, that proclaims a greater truth, that points to Christ and his future.  It's not easy and often runs counter to everything our culture proclaims, but we are charged to live in such a manner that proclaims our ultimate trust in Christ our King and his future.

Isaiah 60:4-7

Isaiah 60:4-7
English Standard Version (ESV)

  What makes your heart thrill and exult?  What can you glimpse that will make you radiant?
  I think we're often left looking for external stimuli, things in this world that will delight us and transform our lives.  To that end, we often go in search of experiences, looking for food or companionship or notoriety that will offer us satisfaction.
  What God promises, through the prophet Isaiah, is a different level of satisfaction, one that is buried deep within us and bubbles up like a spring due to the working of the Holy Spirit.  It is a hope, a deep trust in God that the world will one day be gathered up into God's eternal arms.  All that is broken will be set right.  All that is torn apart will be mended.  He who has a mighty arm to save will reach down and gather up those who submit to his Lordship.  The world's treasures shall proclaim his name, and our hearts will join in the song.  In that moment, we will realize why the world's pleasures couldn't satisfy the hunger deep within us -- only God can do that, and the hope we have that we shall one day stand before the throne of grace and sing with all that we are.

Isaiah 60:1-3

Isaiah 60:1-3
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  There is a default setting in our minds -- we tend to assume the worst in so many situations.  We get wrapped up in catastrophic thinking whenever the smallest thing goes wrong.  We so easily make the transition from forgetting one thing in our jobs to imagining ourselves as homeless and living under a freeway overpass.  Someone passes us in the hallway without saying hello and we automatically assume they despise us and are busy plotting our downfall.  We feel a minor twinge in our back and we assume there is a massive tumor eating away at our lives.  It just happens.
  Here, we're told that darkness shall cover the earth.  This part makes sense to us.  But the rest of the promise is where God breaks through and shatters whatever expectations we may have of fear and trembling.  In the midst of night, we're told, the Lord's glory will be seen upon us, and nations (presumably in darkness) will rush to the light, eager to see whose power can break the night.  So many who have believed in their own ability to stave off fate will suddenly be humbled, and they will come to the realization that the hope in us is born as a baby in a manger, hung on a cross as a criminal, and witnessed not by those in power, but by those who were willing to be led by a Savior and reborn in grace.

Isaiah 59:14-21

Isaiah 59:14-21
English Standard Version (ESV)

  If you're standing on the east coast at the first hint of sunrise, you see a glimmer of light begin to illumine the world as you stand in darkness.  You know what is coming, and you marvel as the glory of a new day unfolds across the sky.  At first, however, it was only a hint of what was still to come.  While you are watching this, someone on the West Coast is still shrouded in darkness, and they will not see the sunrise for hours.  To describe it is challenging, but perhaps your joy and hope and certainty of a new day could be communicated in some small way.
  In the same way, we know the glory of the Lord is coming, rising as certain as the sun, soon to shine over all the world.  We know that from east to the west, his glory will illumine the world, and all will see that he, and he alone, is the King forever.
  We who have seen the first glimpses of this, we who know the good news that is on the horizon, are then sent into the world to share the story.  The helmet of salvation has been granted to us to charge into the world, aware of the threats but clinging to the Savior, and letting radiant hope tell the story of a Redeemer who lives and who loves and who is coming back for us.

Isaiah 59:9-13

Isaiah 59:9-13
English Standard Version (ESV)

 There's a wonderful little book I read some time ago by Cornelius Plantinga called Sin:  Not the Way It's Supposed to Be.  I think the phrase captures the essence of sin -- the world, and us, were designed to live very differently than how we are currently living.  There is a pervasive sense that things are not set right -- that the world has strayed from its purpose.  Every time sin strikes out in some public or private way, we get a visceral sensation that things are not going the way they are supposed to, that there is something wrong.
  Isaiah describes that sensation so well in verses 9-10.  We are hoping for light and reaching for hope, but they are far from us, separated from us by our sin.  Sin has opened up a gash in our relationship with God, and this separation will continue until someone can set it right.  Unfortunately for humanity, we cannot achieve the perfection required to set things right.  Fortunately for us, we have a God who is merciful and kind who will take that responsibility upon himself and offer up his Son, Jesus Christ, as a Redeemer, to save us from sin and restore us to grace despite our transgressions!

Isaiah 59:1-8

Isaiah 59:1-8
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Whenever I cook something that ends up tasting badly, I always wonder why.  I didn't set out to create a culinary monstrosity -- but at some point things went sideways and the result was an inedible meal.  What happened?  Where did it go wrong?  And can it be fixed with barbecue sauce?
  In regards to the human situation, we know where things went wrong -- the instant humans chose to pursue their selfish intentions over God's will, we introduced sin into our lives, and rebellion against God's sovereignty has been going on for millenia.  God wants us to live in peace, but we pursue violence against God, against ourselves, against one another.
  The Good News is that there is a solution -- God's own Son, Jesus Christ, ascended a cross and absorbed the world's violence so that we might live in peace with God.  The separation is not permanent, but the veil is torn in two and we are reunited with God.
  The challenging thing is learning how to submit to Christ's Lordship.  To have a Savior is to admit that we cannot save ourselves, and it is hard to begin anew each day, to sustain that submission throughout our lives.  It's an easy thing to say at one point, but it's a hard road to walk day after day, moment after moment.  To let every thought be captive to the Lord -- that is a lifetime's work.
  Will you endure to the end?  It's so very tempting to be lazy, to choose comfort over faithfulness, to choose what is easy over what is right.  But Christ calls us to come and die so that we might find life.

Isaiah 58:6-14

Isaiah 58:6-14
English Standard Version (ESV)

 This is the vision for God's community -- not only are we freed from what binds us, but also we are satisfied by the love and grace of God.  And the best thing is that it isn't just an individual vision -- it's a communal one.
  So often, when we're thinking about religious things, we boil it down to what it means for us.  We want to be sure we are secure, and only then are we often willing to think about others, if we are going to be brutally honest.  First and foremost, we make it about us.  It's like an employee whose highest concern is the self, and only then will they think about the company.  While the employee may succeed, the company will probably suffer as a result.  In the same way, focusing on the self may lead to a deeper individual relationship with God, but the community suffers because we aren't contributing to the greater whole.
  So I'd challenge you this year to think about the role you play in the religious community.  How are you contributing your gifts?  Does your vision of heaven extend beyond yourself and force you to think about how God is meeting the needs of all people, seeking to save and satisfy all people?  It's a much bigger challenge and often forces us out of our comfort zone, but it encourages us to let our faithfulness lead us out of ourselves and to spread the hope and love of God with others.

Isaiah 58:1-5

Isaiah 58:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Why do we give?  Why fast?  Why sacrifice?  Do we do it so that God will notice us, so that God will see our sacrifices and reward us for being diligent servants?  Or do we do it because we delight in God, because we can't help but think of new ways to serve and honor God, because we think of new ways to share God's love with those around us?  Do our choices draw us closer to God, or are they designed to impress God?
  I was reading an article the other day about how the real cause of the Titanic's sinking may have been a fire that drastically reduced the hull's strength, so that when it hit the iceberg there was little integrity left to protect the ship from calamity.  The outward appearance of the hull may not have revealed this material weakness, but below the waterline there was great damage that would cripple and destroy the ship.
  In the same way, our motives often lie unnoticed, damaging the integrity of our lives but often in small and subtle ways, ways that may not be seen by others, but they are at work in the depths of our hearts, crying out for attention and directing the self inward.  Over time, our lives become more self-focused, and in times of trouble, the true self is revealed.
  May we strive for integrity, to build lives that are strong inward, that have spiritual disciplines that draw us closer to God and help us recognize the true nature of the relationship, as sinner and Savior, that we may depend on God for his strength and comfort.

Isaiah 57:14-21

Isaiah 57:14-21
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's so easy to forget how willing God is to forgive.  We imagine that God must reach a breaking point, that his love must, at some point, be exhausted.  We cannot comprehend how willing God is to forgive, but for those who are willing to come and bow the knee, who are willing to submit to his Lordship and admit our own sinfulness, there is a wealth of forgiveness richer than we can imagine.  There is no end to his love, and his desire to include you in the covenant of grace is greater than you can imagine -- he is always willing to love, willing to pay whatever price is necessary so that you might be included in the Kingdom.
  You are not lost.  We have not been forgotten, God has not given up on us.  God still loves us, no matter what, and there is still a place for us in the Kingdom of Light because of what Christ has done for us.

Isaiah 57:1-5

Isaiah 57:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Here we see Isaiah lamenting the lack of righteous men in Israel.  Things have gone sideways, and no one is noticing because they are too busy pursuing their own selfish interests.  They lack an interest in the larger picture, and they have failed to heed God's call to be a faithful people, allowing their lives to serve as an example to others.  Everyone is waiting for someone else to act, but no one believes it is their responsibility.
  As we enter the new year, I think it's important to think about our role in society.  So often we tend to wait for someone else to lead.  We don't think of ourselves as leaders, or we wonder what might happen if we take a risk.  When you think of your relationships, at the home or at work or in your social circles, do you see opportunities to proclaim the Gospel through word and deed?  How can we set examples that make it clear what our priorities are?  Do our choices reflect what matters most to us?