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Standalone Sermon | The God of All Comfort

October 6, 2024
Isaiah 40:1-11

1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

2Speak 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.

 

3A voice cries:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4Every 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.

5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

    and all flesh shall see it together,

    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

 

6A 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.

 

7The grass withers, the flower fades

    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

    surely the people are grass.

8The grass withers, the flower fades,

    but the word of our God will stand forever.

 

9Go 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!”

 

10Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

    and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

    and his recompense before him.

11He 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.

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Purpose

To discover and experience Jesus Christ in our midst

To cultivate mutually encouraging relationships

To participate in God’s mission to the world 

Opening Prayer

Lord God, without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Responsive Prayer — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 7

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction,

With the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings,

You will also share in our comfort.

Summary and Connection

This study celebrates the great comfort that God brings his people. Isaiah chapter 40 contains a dramatic turn from judgment to relief. Isaiah predicted exile for Israel, but here he promises return. What’s beautiful is that this comfort was promised to the nation of Israel two centuries prior when they were being exiled to Babylon. Long before they knew they needed it, God was promising that his comfort, his glory, and his gentle shepherding would rescue his people. In accordance with this sermon, “The God of All Comfort,” we want to ask ourselves: From where do we draw comfort? And how does God’s comfort come to us today?

Discussion Questions

1. Looking at the Bible

Observation: Read the passage privately. What does the text say? What is the theme of this passage? Do you notice any keywords?

Take time to examine the passage and ask the following questions:

  • What exactly does Isaiah mean by “comfort, comfort” in this passage?
  • In what contexts is Isaiah promising this comfort will appear?

2. Looking at Jesus

At Central we believe that all of Scripture points to Jesus. In other words, Jesus is the theological center of the Bible. Every passage not only points to Jesus, but the grand narrative of the Bible also finds its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus.

Jesus said that the Old Testament always pointed to him. Consider verse 5:

  • How was verse 5 fulfilled for the nation of Israel?
  • How was verse 5 fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry?
  • How will verse 5 be fulfilled when Jesus returns?

3. Looking at Our Hearts

Let’s ask two questions of ourselves:

  • In what contexts are we seeking comfort?
  • How do we, today, “behold our God” as it says in verse 9? 

4. Looking at Our World

Verse 9 says “good news” twice, which has the same meaning as “gospel."

  • How might our work — and how might Central — be shaped by this good news of comfort?
  • How do we share the good news of God’s comfort in a hurting world? 

Sending

God’s word is a lamp to our feet. Christ’s teachings are a light to our path. May God’s word take root in our lives. May Christ’s love nourish and sustain us. Amen.

  • View Study Guide Notes

    Question 1: Going from the beginning to the end of the passage, the comfort is in tone (“speak tenderly,” verse 2), promise (“pardoned,” verse 2), God’s personal return to his people (verses 5, 10), God’s glory (verse 5), God’s might (verse 10), and God’s affection for his people (“my people” and “your God” in verse 1, a gentle shepherd in verse 11). And God is speaking all of this to a sinful, rebellious, lost, and wayward people! There are also some beautiful paradoxes: speaking tenderly and tallying sins in verse 2, and the mighty God who is a caring shepherd in verses 10-11.

    The context for comfort in these verses is also paradoxical. At the beginning, comfort comes in the midst of judgment (verse 2). Then, God appears in a desert (verses 3-4). Finally, the voice that cries comfort also reminds us of our own death (verses 6-8). Consider the significance of the fact that God’s comfort comes in judgment, in the desert, and in death.

    Question 2: This question asks us to think through the progressive fulfillment of verse 5. Some writers compare the prophecies of Scripture to mountain ranges: From far away, we see a single mountain ridge, but as we come closer, we see mountains beyond mountains. In a similar way, God authors the story of the world in such a way that some Scriptures echo through redemptive history more than once. Israel was truly rescued from exile. But, as the Bible shows, they still needed rescue from sin and death. Isaiah 40 forms the backdrop for John the Baptist’s ministry in the New Testament, and Jesus truly revealed God’s glory most especially on the cross, where he took the exile and judgment of his people so that God, like a shepherd, could bring us home. And yet, all flesh has not yet seen the final glory of God. We look forward to Jesus’ return when everyone will see our God who made us his people. In the meantime, we get to share this good news of Jesus so that others can also receive this comfort.

    Question 3: Our definition of comfort today is very materialistic. Physical safety, health, sustenance, and belongings. Yet Isaiah says that comfort comes in the midst of great discomfort. Christians are not masochists and do not seek out suffering, but at the same time, how should Isaiah 40 change our expectations? Discuss how we behold God in Jesus and in everything that he’s done for us. Do we go to Jesus more when we are comfortable or when we are suffering? When should we be going to Jesus?

    Question 4: Take what has been discussed and apply it to what we do in the workplace, with our families, and as part of our church. God’s comfort should make us profoundly comforting people. It should free us to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep,” as Paul exhorts us to do in Romans 12:15. Because we understand the complex and difficult contexts into which God brings comfort, we should not be quick to declare that there is a silver lining, that recovery is right around the corner, or that compared to the good times ahead this grief or hurt is unimportant. God does not rush. Israel’s exile lasts a long time. The world has groaned for centuries since Christ’s first appearing. These sobering acknowledgements should make us appreciate God’s comfort all the more, and be all the more gentle as we apply it to ourselves and others.