Isaiah 56-66, the last section of the book, holds forth a vision of the kingdom of God—a kingdom that is both now and not yet—calling us to a life of faith that is centered on Christ and bears witness to his saving rule. In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that God’s grace gathers […]
In Isaiah 55 we are invited to know the comfort of God promised since Isaiah 40. It’s an invitation to enter the kingdom of his faithful servant and beloved Son, Jesus. It’s a summons to acknowledge his rightful rule, to come to him and live! And the call to the thirsty to “come to the […]
Isaiah 55 is the last chapter of this section of Isaiah that has been focused on the servant of the Lord (Isa. 49-55). We’ve seen how, through the sacrifice and exaltation of Jesus, God in Christ has made the way for sinners to be brought under the reign of his grace. Now, having just described […]
Isaiah 53 explained how God would one day redeem his people, establish his throne in Zion, and reign as King over the nations. This plan of salvation would be accomplished through the sacrifice and exaltation of his servant, our substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. What follows now in chapter 54 are three stunning images that […]
In many ways, every thread used in the tapestry of the OT is woven together in Isaiah 53: the promises of Genesis, the redemption of Exodus, the sacrifices of Leviticus, the wanderings of Numbers, the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy, the victories of Joshua, the deliverances of Judges, the dynasties of Samuel and Kings; the […]
All along, Isaiah has told us that the Lord alone will be exalted. And his blessing would come to all nations through the witness of his redeemed people under the saving rule of his Messiah. We’ve heard of the child of Isaiah 9 who would sit on David’s throne forever and establish God’s kingdom of […]
When Israel had given into the “sleep” of despair, doubt, and hopelessness, God brought them a word of comfort, calling them to wake up from their slumber to the reality of his reign. In this passage, pastor Keith gives us the remedy for our own sleep of remorse, self-doubt, and despair. and calls us wake […]
For this Lord’s Day, we were pleased to have Joe and Sierah Pliska with us from Landmark Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. The Pliskas are preparing to serve as missionaries in Japan and Joe was able to share their plans for gospel ministry with our congregation and preach on the next passage in our Isaiah […]
For this Lord’s Day gathering, we spent time lamenting the sudden and tragic death of one of the precious children in our congregation, Orlando Vargas Jr., who died the day before his sixth birthday. We took time to weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15) because “if one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians […]
In chapter 51, God gives a word of comfort to the faithful remnant then and the true Israel today. The servant once more calls his people, his church, to listen. It is the Lord Jesus who is speaking here to sustain the weary (50:4). It is his voice which the righteous obey (50:10). And along […]
In the four “servant songs” Isaiah is painting a picture of who Jesus is, what characterized his life, and what he came to do as God’s servant. In the first song, the servant is the Spirit-filled ruler who brings justice to the nations. In the second song, he is the prophet who restores Israel and […]
Isaiah 49 begins with a portrait of the faithful servant of the Lord who would bring Israel back to God and be a light to the nations. Verses 1-13 describe the redemption that would take place soon (in Israel’s return from exile), eventually (by the work of Christ), and ultimately (in the new creation). But […]
Last week, we began the next section of Isaiah 40-66. In chs. 49-55, the focus is on the servant of the Lord, who would be for Israel and for the world what Israel failed to be. He would be the one chosen by Yahweh to bring faithless Israel back to their God, ending the separation […]
In Isaiah 40-66, we find God’s word of comfort and promises of salvation to his soon-to-be exiled people. After promising to raise up Cyrus of Persia to liberate Israel from Babylonian exile (chs. 40-48), the focus changes in chapters 49-55 to Israel’s greater problem of captivity to sin and their stubborn unbelief (chs. 49-55). The […]
Since Isaiah 40 we’ve been hearing God’s comforting word to his soon-to-be-exiled people. To be sure, he’s had some uncomfortable words for them as well, calling them out for their sin and rebellion and idolatry and hypocrisy. It was for these reasons they would eventually lose their temple, their city, and their land, and go […]
