St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Advent Vesper #1. November 30, 2005 Isaiah 40:1-8

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

Americans spend about $11 billion dollars every year on funerals. As baby boomers begin to die—there is this almost irresistible impulse to make our funerals somehow better than the funerals of the past. How could you do that? Well, it’s suggested—if you really like playing golf—you could have your loved ones—your survivors meet at the 9^th hole—and you could give away glow in the dark golf balls with your name tastefully printed on them! You know how—at lots of funerals they have picture boards—with lots and lots of photographs? Well, now you can make a video—a kind of video biography—maybe 20 minutes long to celebrate your life. People who really like animals—might have the after the grave side luncheon served at the zoo. One lady plans to have her friends and relatives watch an out door showing of To Kill A Mockingbird! Some people have even gone so far as to have what they call a celebration of their life—a brief program and reception when they know they are dying—rather than have everyone gather when they are dead. If all this life affirming celebration is because we know the Messiah took all our sins away—that’s one thing. If all these doings are to distract us from the painful reality of sin and its bitter consequences of death and decay—then these parties are not just whistling through the cemetery. These celebrations are the most tragic lie to our selves. It is only by the grace of God that we can gather here today—comforted by the fact that Jesus took all our sins away. Today God’s Word comforts and encourages us:

The Promised Messiah Is At Hand!

1. We have double forgiveness for all our sins

2. God’s Word stands forever

This is the paragraph where we think for just a few minutes about the whole scroll of the prophet Isaiah. The name Isaiah means “the Lord is salvation!” What a powerful name for one who preached God’s Word. God’s Word tells us Isaiah preached God’s Word during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. What does that mean to us? We remember during the reigns of David and Solomon Israel enjoyed a golden age—a time of peace and prosperity. But as often happens—when times are good—people are making money and spending money—your mutual funds are doing well—SUV’s in heated garages and people eating out in restaurants—what about your Heavenly Father? Oh, he’s nice—don’t misunderstand. But who needed their Heavenly Father—when everything was going so well? Military success brought an optimism that pretty quickly turned to arrogance and self-confidence. People became more and more confident that everything would remain just the way it was—just fine for them. People who got ahead started to look down on the little people and pretty soon they began to take advantage of the little people. Soon there was oppression and injustice. People relied on their earthly connections and neglected their spiritual health. The LORD sent Isaiah, Micah Amos and Hosea. They called God’s people to repent. The people thought—as long as we are going through the motions—showing up at church—putting in our envelope—that ought to be good enough. After all—what did the LORD expect—all their heart, all their soul, all their strength, all their mind? How much did the LORD expect them to love their neighbor? As much as they loved themselves?

Isaiah preached God’s Word is the days of King Ahaz. What does that mean to you? God’s Word says, “He did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel (that is the wicked kings of the north) and even sacrificed his son in the fire.” 2 Kings 16:2,3 To offer up his son as a whole burnt offering to a false god sounds horrible! Yet how dare we Americans throw stones at King Ahaz—when you can have your unborn baby put to death under the protection of the Supreme Court of the United States for as little as $300 to $500? Who are we to throw stones at King Ahaz when somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 ½ million babies are aborted every year in the United States of America—because they might be the wrong sex, or might have been born less that flawless or maybe we just don’t want them? In the days of wicked King Ahaz Judah was under attack by King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel—the northern Kingdom. These wicked kings slaughtered 120,000 Jewish soldiers and carried off 200,000 captives. And yet the LORD promised Ahaz they would not overpower Judah. Ask—ask for a sign—and the LORD would provide it—reassuring this weak and wicked Ahaz that his military enemies would not overpower him. “Oh, he said—he would not ask for a sign—he didn’t want to put the LORD to the test!” What hypocrisy! Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:13,14 The wickedness of people can never ever spoil the grace and goodness of God.

35 years later Isaiah preached God’s Word when Jerusalem was again under siege—under attack this time by the bloody and cruel Assyrians. When—humanly speaking—everything looked utterly hopeless—King Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed that the LORD would have mercy on them and deliver them. The LORD by grace alone—sent one angel—one angel—who in one night—put to death 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. God’s people repented of their sins and served the LORD. But after Hezekiah died—his son Manasseh became king. Manasseh was a wicked king. God’s Word says he shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from one end to the other… 2 Kings 21:16 Ever after that—it was said of wicked kings—they did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as their father Manasseh had done. Manasseh became the standard of evil against which all other evil kings were measured. How sad is that?

If you read and study the People’s Bible Commentaries—the scroll of the prophet Isaiah comes in two volumes—chapter 1 through 39 and chapter 40 through 66. This is not by accident. It has been said chapter 1 through 39 are mostly law and little gospel—40 through 66 mostly gospel and little law. And yet it is Isaiah chapter one where it says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 God’s unconditional forgiving love is just everywhere—through and through God’s Word! God’s grace and mercy and profound goodness are just everywhere through and through God’s Word!

God’s Word says, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” Comfort, comfort my people… The way you hug someone and hold them—and literally pat them with your hand and speak gently in their ear—it’s going to be ok! This is not just an optimistic wish. This is Gospel good news for Jesus’ sake. Comfort—say it again—comfort for God’s people. This forgiveness is full and complete—whatever your sins have been! Jesus died for every sin. Jesus died for the man who tied up his puppy and pounded it. Jesus died for people who go deer hunting—and instead of shooting deer—shoot other hunters. Jesus died for people who have done unspeakable things to small children—then buried their bodies in shallow graves. Jesus died for people who had done what is so terrible God’s Word says it is a shame to speak of what they do in secret. Jesus died so that we might have God’s forgiveness wrapped around us like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A man named Robin was supposed to be put to death today in Virginia. Robin was found guilty in a court of law for murdering a worker in a pool hall. Robin was found guilty of stabbing him with a pair of scissors. Robin says he did take the money—he just didn’t drop the bloody scissors where they were found—on the way to his cousin’s house where the cops found him. An eye witness says he’s 80% sure that Robin is the murderer—but a county clerk threw the scissors away—a couple of weeks after a new law said you have to save DNA evidence. If you were the Governor—would you change the death sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole? What would you do? What would be the right thing? What about justice for the victim and his family? How can you allow 11 executions in 4 years—then have mercy on Robin? The fact is—Jesus died for the 999 people who have been executed for their crimes since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976—my first year at the Seminary. Jesus died for the man who traded his VCR for $50 worth of cocaine—then realized his wife would wonder where the VCR was. So he murdered his mother-in-law and stole $300 from her—then murdered his stepdaughter—with duct tape—to try and cover up that crime! Jesus died for people who sit in church on a cold Wednesday in Advent—thinking to ourselves—I’m not perfect—but at least I’m not as bad as these people! Jesus’ sacrifice was so powerful and so complete—it’s like we have received from the LORD’s hand double for all our sins!

A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” John the Baptist was the ultimate and essential fulfillment of this promise—a voice of one literally calling to God’s people to repent! This Advent season we will hear more than once—that call to repent! The problem is forever the sin corrupted human heart. Few times during the year is that sin spoiled heart more obvious than around Christmas time. Turn on the news—the news—and they show children that are supposed to be playing with their new toys—socking, kicking and literally biting their siblings. The news shows children at the mall—literally lying down on the floor screaming while their parents cave in—and buy them whatever they insist they have to have this Christmas. The news shows children in restaurants—throwing food—screaming and shouting at their parents—showing absolutely no respect for any adult. This is painfully wrong—because God’s Word says it is wrong. These little people need to be reminded in consistent terms—that such sinful behavior is wrong and will not be tolerated—not by their heavenly Father nor by their earthly father! Only encouragement from Jesus—from law and Gospel—from very little on—and continuing through teen age years—will result in people of God—trained up on God’s Word—so that when they are old—they will not depart from it. The stakes are too high—for us to indulge our children’s sinful behavior—out of fear they somehow won’t like us if we discipline them. Road construction on the human heart can be painful for little people and big people. But in the end it yields a life that gives glory to God.

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” If you have been to a funeral lately—if you have stood out in the cold beside the grave you heard these words. It will be five years the 10^th of December—when our friends lost their twenty year old son—his young heart literally broken. It was the day we heard of the terrible accident that we got their Christmas card—asking—“Where would we be without Christmas?” Where would we be—if the Son of God had not been born of the Virgin Mary—taking our flesh upon himself? Where would we be—if Jesus had not humbled himself and become obedient unto death—even death on a cross? We would be lost without Christmas and Good Friday and Easter. But because Jesus came to save us we are rescued, redeemed and saved! With Gospel encouragement Isaiah called God’s people to prepare for Jesus’ earthly birth. With even greater anticipation we wait for Jesus to come again on Judgment Day. Amen!

To God alone all glory!

Rev. Anthony E. Schultz