Midweek Advent 3
December 15, 1010
Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Theme: FREEDOM
I JESUS PROCLAIMED IT
II ISRAEL'S HISTORY PICTURED IT
III GOD'S PEOPLE GREATLY REJOICE IN IT
Text - Isaiah 61:1-11
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." 10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
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For what are we waiting? Turning to what the Prophet Isaiah recorded, the answer the last two Wednesdays was "a righteous ruler" and "something to sing about." This Wednesday’s answer is a single word: "Freedom."
Do you remember hearing quite a bit last month about someone who had been waiting for freedom? That someone was Laurencia "Bambi" Bembenek. She had been convicted of murder, but always maintained her innocence. After being jailed, she wanted her freedom so badly that she managed to escape. But eventually she was found and faced justice again. After some plea dealing it was determined that she had served enough time and could be free.
But, if you remember the story, she never felt free. She wanted to be exonerated. She wanted to be pardoned to set her really free. She did not live to hear a pardon. She died without having the freedom she really wanted.
For what are we waiting? For a freedom or a pardon that may never come? Definitely not! Turning to the entire chapter 61 of the Prophet Isaiah let’s talk about FREEDOM and see how JESUS PROCLAIMED IT, how ISRAEL’S HISTORY PICTURED IT, and how GOD’S PEOPLE GREATLY REJOICE IN IT.
FREEDOM
I JESUS PROCLAIMED IT (1-3)
1. Someone here is proclaiming freedom (1-3) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
a) the one speaking these words claims the Spirit’s backing
b) He says He has been anointed, given an assignment
2. This is none other than Jesus
a) over 700 years before Christmas! - how could this be?
b) it is because of who Jesus is, God’s eternal Son
3. He Himself claimed this
a) in Luke chapter 4 Jesus quoted these words from Isaiah
b) then, addressing the people in the synagogue, He said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
4. Listen again to what He had come to proclaim (1-3)
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
a) to the poor, the good news of eternal wealth
b) to the broken hearted and captives, comfort and freedom
c) to those who mourn, gladness
II ISRAEL’S HISTORY PICTURED IT (4-9)
1. The picture had not been good
a) at Isaiah’s time it was reasonably good for North and South
b) but then the northern kingdom was captured, taken away,
and never came back; later the southern kingdom was taken
away into exile for what we know as the Babylonian captivity
2. But the picture would improve (4)
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
a) as God promised, Judah after 70 years returned from its exile
b) then rebuilding took place, and there was a Bethlehem again
3. And the picture was enlarged (5-6)
Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth
of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
a) what happened in Bethlehem, the promised birth of the
Savior, was the glory of Israel, but not just the glory of Israel
b) it was also light for the Gentiles, to gather together all
peoples and nations for the freedom Jesus had come to win
4. And it promised everlasting joy (7-9) Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
a) because of the sin God hates, all deserve judgment, shame
b) but instead of disowning and disgrace, there would be
forgiveness for sin and there would be an inheritance
c) for the Lord would bless all of His people with everlasting
joy, joy to the world, for His wonderful freedom
III GOD’S PEOPLE GREATLY REJOICE IN IT (10-11) 1. Who is talking here? (10-11)
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
a) to this point we have heard the promised Savior talking
b) now we hear the response of the people whom the Lord has
blessed so richly because of the promised Savior
2. What joy because of what the Lord has done! (10)
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
a) think of the familiar words of Ephesians 5:25b-27 - "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless."
b) so here; we are clothed with a garment of salvation that
covers all of our sins, and we have jewels that sparkle with our
great delight
3. Remember again that this is for all (11) For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. a) what God did was not just for Old Testament people, or just
for descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
b) God so loved the world, all nations, you and me
4. May we greatly rejoice in God’s freedom! (10a)
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. a) what we could never do - namely get rid of the condemning
power of our sins or set ourselves free from death and the
grave and hell, all of this our Savior has done exactly as He
over 700 years before the first Christmas promised and
proclaimed in the inspired words of the Prophet Isaiah we
have considered in this sermon
b) in this we rejoice now, knowing His victory is our freedom
c) and we look forward to enjoying that freedom in everlasting
glory with Him
Laurencia Bembenek heard no pardon of freedom from the government. But you and I, we have heard God’s pardon for our sins. We know our Savior, born to be the glory of Israel and the light for all nations.
Jesus has indeed given us true freedom. Please don’t forget that this freedom is what we really are celebrating in Christmas.
So we ask again, "For what are we waiting? Freedom?" We have it! It has come! And everlasting freedom and joy will be ours!
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