The First Sunday of Advent (OTA)

Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

²    Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her

       that her warfare is ended,

that her iniquity is pardoned,

       that she has received from the Lord’s hand

double for all her sins.

³    A voice cries:

       “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

⁴    Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

       the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

⁵    And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

⁶    A voice says, “Cry!”

And I said, “What shall I cry?”

       All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

⁷    The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

⁸    The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.

⁹    Go on up to a high mountain,

O Zion, herald of good news;

       lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good news;

lift it up, fear not;

       say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your God!”

¹⁰    Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

       behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

¹¹    He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

       he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

There is a voice of one crying in the wilderness. This voice is going to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the voice that is going to point to the Lamb of God who will take away the Sins of the World. This voice is John the Baptist. This voice is similar to the voice in Malachi. This voice is calling us to repentance.

God is calling for Comfort. God is calling for judgment. The people are referenced as grass that withers and flower that fades. These people are dying. They are going to be lead into the valley of the shadow of death. These dead people will be gathered to the Holy Mountain. God will lead these dead people on level ground into the arms of their shepherd.

Wow! This sounds really confusing. But it is pretty simple. The people of God are dying because of their sin. They are going to have to pay double for all their sins. The wages of sin is clearly death. Thus, the voice in the desert is preparing the people for the coming judgment.

But then there is the Herald in Jerusalem, on Mt Zion, and the cities of Judah. This herald tells of Good news. There is good news of great joy, to be shared with all people. That born a long time ago was a child, a Savior, in the City of David. This Savior is going to be their Shepherd. This is Jesus Christ our King. Jesus Christ pays the price (double price) for our sins. He brings comfort to his people. He brings hope to people.

Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come again. He will come and raise us to new life.