1. Please pray with me. May the words of my mouth and the meditation
of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our
Redeemer. Amen. The message from God’s Word for us today
comes to us from the Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 66:10-14, it’s entitled, “God Still Blesses “Jerusalem,” dear
brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. This Sunday school chorus captures the heart
of what we’re hearing here in Isaiah 66: “One
door and only one, and yet its sides are two. I’m on the inside; on which side
are you?” This chapter is about the
ultimate choice facing humanity. Those who confess that Israel’s God is Creator
of the universe and accept his ways in humility will enjoy fellowship with him
in a new heaven and a new earth. Those who deny that reality, seeking to define
the terms of their existence for themselves, will perish eternally.
3. This fact has some important consequences for
us today. First, we must be careful not
to minimize the reality of this choice in our presentation of the biblical
message. It’s often said that people today respond better to positive messages
than to negative ones. But, the danger we as the Church run into is failing to
warn people about the risk of refusing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. We
may fail to communicate to people that this is a life-or-death issue. We tell
people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives. Do we ever
tell them what happens if they reject God’s wonderful plan? A person is in the
backseat of a car hurtling out of control down a hill toward a sharp turn and a
cliff. Do we only tell them that if they jump out life will be less anxious? Do
we consider the reality of these options in our own decisions?
4. One of the tragedies of modern child-rearing
theory is that we’ve forgotten that always allowing a child to “have it your way” is deadly, because it
fails to teach the child that our choices have inescapable consequences. But,
this is difficult. Only those who have raised children know how stubborn a
child’s determination is to have his or her own way. Somehow we who are parents
must steel ourselves to the inevitable conflict of the will that must occur as we try to bring our
children to surrender their own way or face the consequences. This is the only
way to strength of character and, much more seriously, the only way to heaven. On the other hand, adults who’ve always had
their own way and have been shielded from the consequences of those choices by
their parents are almost resistant to the good news of Jesus. They refuse to
take responsibility for their actions and feel that they have nothing to repent
of. The idea that Jesus asks them to repent of their sins and follow him is more
than offensive to them. Let us remember that it is not merely our children’s future
that’s at stake, it’s their eternal destiny.
5.
Our text from Isaiah 66:10 begins by saying, “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for
her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over
her.” Although there has been good
reason to mourn over Jerusalem in the past, since most of Israel had turned
away from the Lord, Isaiah encourages the faithful to rejoice over the newly
reborn Jerusalem. All the verses from Isaiah 66:10-14 are directly applicable
to the Christian church of our day. Jerusalem was the chosen city of God. It
was God’s chosen location for his temple and the dwelling place of his glory.
“Jerusalem” became a synonym for God’s people (cf. Isa 40:1, 2).
6.
After the coming of Jesus, God’s people,
whom he gathered into the church, are described as “Jerusalem.” We are the sons
and daughters of Zion by faith in Jesus. He’s brought us together to form his
people, the new Jerusalem. Jesus says in
Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three come
together in my name, there am I with them.”
In our day “Jerusalem,” the
Church, has gone through hard times. The holy Christian church has been struck
from the outside and undermined from the inside. But “Jerusalem” won’t fail.
Jesus pointed to Peter’s confession of faith and promised, “On this rock I will build my church, and the
gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Mt 16:18).
7.
Isaiah
66:11 says, “that you may nurse and be satisfied from her
consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious
abundance.” Jerusalem here
is described as our mother, and so the Christian church is properly called
“Mother Church.” In a time when the church is belittled and criticized, it’s
good for us to remember this tender picture of what the church does for us. As
a new mother lovingly nurses her child, Mother Church gives nourishment to all
the children of God. This is the picture
that the Apostle Peter uses in 1 Peter 2:2: “Like
newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in
your salvation.” To grow in our faith in Jesus we need spiritual milk, the
basic food of life for our souls, which is the Word of God. The Lord has
established his church to provide it.
8. Unfortunately, some
Christians conclude that they don’t really need milk from Mother Church anymore.
They dismiss the milk of the Word by thinking, “I know all that stuff.” But, the Word of God is the basic
nourishment that Jesus gives us for our spiritual lives. Like newborns, we need
the basic sustenance of law and gospel every day. Through it the Holy Spirit
keeps the miracle of faith healthy and growing in our hearts.
9.
Isaiah 66:12-13 says, “12For thus
says the LORD: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory
of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be
carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. 13As one whom his mother comforts, so I will
comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” We see here that to answer any objections about Mother Church, the
Lord emphasizes his continuing action: See, I
am continuing to extend peace to her like a river. The Lord himself is the
source of the church’s stream of peace. God’s peace is extended to her so that
it might overflow to many others. Some
would like to see the church settle disputes between nations and become a
peacemaker in the world, but this peace is peace with God, which only Jesus can
provide. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27). Instead of war between us and
God, Jesus went to the cross and received all God’s wrath over our sin. Now we
can rest at peace with God. When we have that peace, let the world around us
rage and threaten—we have nothing to fear! The church provides us that peace
through the means of grace.
10.
Notice
how verse 13 says, “13As
one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.” What the Lord
says here in Isaiah 66 isn’t a reference to a small child at all, but it’s a
full-grown man. Grown men continue to appreciate the love of their mothers.
Think of what huge athletes always say to the TV cameras. Mothers also have a
way of comforting grown sons in times of trouble. No matter what our ages, the
Lord is there to give us the assurance and compassion we need. Think of another
familiar metaphor from Isaiah: “Can a
mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she
has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (49:15). It would
be easier for a nursing mother to forget all about her little one than it is
for God to forget about anyone in his family.
11.
Finally
Isaiah 66:14 says, “14You
shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the
grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall
show his indignation against his enemies.”
When
the Lord brings about all these things that Isaiah 66 says, it will bring us
great joy, as well as growth for God’s family. Literally, it says, “Your bones will flourish like grass.” Sometimes
we say the same thing about a teenager: “He’s
growing like a weed!” When we receive God’s blessing through his church,
we’ll grow as quickly as weeds and grass. That’s what regular nourishment and
comfort from the Word will do!
12.
The
second half of this verse is fulfilled from the first coming of Jesus until he
comes again. When God’s hand is “made known,” it means he acts in history for
all to see. His greatest act in history, which changed the course of the world,
was the sending of his Son. After Jesus rose from death and ascended, we see
God’s hand in spreading the message of salvation throughout the world. With
miracles and great power, he began the New Testament church in many nations. To
this very day, the powerful gospel is being preached in every country of the
world.
13.
On
the other hand, God’s fury will be shown to his enemies. This is fulfilled on
judgment day, but not only so. The forces of evil have always tried to take the
church down. Anti-Christian governments have tried to wipe out the church, but
they can’t wipe out faith in people’s hearts. Those governments are always
doomed to failure. They disappear, but not God’s church! Within the visible
church, traitors claim to be Christians but preach an entirely different
message. They too will have to answer to the Lord someday. They too are his
enemies.
14.
There
are other serious flaws in “Jerusalem.” The whole church on earth is made up of
sinners like us. We cause enough problems too! Because of sin, the church on
earth could be called “Jerusalem the Tarnished.” We’ve done our part to tarnish
it! But through Jesus and his righteousness, sin has been swept away. God’s
church on earth is already “Jerusalem the Golden” in his eyes, not just in
heaven. And he continues to guide and direct the church so that his faithful
are nourished by the milk of His Word in spite of the sins of his people. God still blesses, “Jerusalem,” his Church. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment