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 wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert 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 people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness 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 endures forever.”
You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem,lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:1-11 NIV)
I once heard a pastor recall what his mother told him when he first became a pastor. On his seminary graduation day, his mom gave him a hug and told him three words. Three words that he never forgot throughout his ministry. Can you guess what those three words were? What three words of advice would a mother give her soon-to-be-pastor son? It was this: “Comfort the people.” “Comfort the people.” Why would she say that? Because that’s what we all need, isn’t it? As different as we all are, there is something that we all need: Comfort. “Comfort the people.”
Here’s some recent proof: This past week, the latest statistics were reported about suicides in America. In 2022, more Americans committed suicide than ever before. Know how many? Over 49,000 people in just one year. A number of years ago, the famous actor Heath Ledger took his own life. Before he died, he wrote this: “Everyone you meet always asks if you have a career, are married, or own a house… But no one ever asks you if you are happy.” Isn’t that heart-breaking? Are you happy? Am I? It’s easy to see the reason for that mom’s advice. “Comfort the people.”
Of course, that mother got it from God. God knows. God knows about all your hurt and all your pain. And he cares. God cares for you. Did you hear what he told his prophet Isaiah? “Comfort, comfort my people.” Even 2,700 years ago, people needed comfort. For them, there was a very clear reason. The Israelites had rejected God. They had worshipped idols. So Isaiah prophesied that God would let the Babylonians destroy them and take them as captives to Babylon. Can you imagine that? How would it feel to watch your family die and then be dragged into captivity?
We don’t have to imagine it. They tell us in the Bible. In Isaiah’s day, people were saying, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God” (Isaiah 40:27). People were saying, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14). Does that sound familiar? “God has forgotten me.” I bet you’ve thought that. Maybe because of a divorce. Or a sickness. Or the death of a loved one. Maybe because of depression, which doesn’t need any reason to drag us down. Maybe for you it’s all of those things at once. Life is awful, isn’t it?
So listen again: “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.” No matter what you’re facing, God wants to comfort you today. No matter what breaks your heart, God wants to give you hope today. In fact, God commands every preacher of God’s Word: “Comfort, comfort my people.”
How? You know how easy it is to say comforting things. “It’s okay. You’ll be alright!” It’s so much harder for those words to mean anything. With destruction and exile on the horizon, what comfort could Isaiah give God’s people? It started with this: “Proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed.” Even before the Israelites went into exile, in God’s eyes, it was over. Suffering has an end date. Heartache won’t last forever. That’s true for you too. God knows when the suffering will end. The date is set. It won’t last forever. It can’t! It might take 70 years. That’s how long the Israelites were in exile. Maybe you won’t see it until heaven, but know this: Suffering has an end date. Heartache won’t last forever. Know what that gives you? Comfort.
Here’s the second thing: “…that her sin has been paid for.” Remember what sins those people had done? They had rejected God and worshipped idols. Let’s be honest: That is really bad! God couldn’t forgive that, could he? Of course he could! Because when Jesus died on the cross, which sins did he die? All of them. Every single one. “Her sin has been paid for.” That’s true for you too. Guilt can weigh down our souls. But it doesn’t have to. No matter what you have done, your sin has been paid for by Jesus. You are forgiven! Know what that gives you? Comfort!
Here’s the third thing: “…that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” People debate what this statement means. It could be saying that more than enough punishment for sin had already been paid. Whatever their sins deserved, it was doubly paid! Or, it could be saying that God had way more good things planned than the bad things they had done. As big as their sins were, God’s grace was doubly more. Both statements are true! All the punishment for sin was placed on Jesus on the cross. All of it! And God promises that our troubles are nothing compared with the joys he’s prepared for us. Know what that gives you? Comfort! Your troubles have an end date. Your sins are forgiven. God has so much grace for you. Comfort the people!
So why don’t we feel that? Why don’t we feel God’s comfort? Because so many things get in the way. Isaiah wrote: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD, make straight in the desert 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.” What does that sound like? Road construction! The picture is of God’s people returning from exile. It’s a long way from Babylon to Jerusalem. God was going to remove all the barriers so he could come and bring them home.
That’s what we need: Road construction. But not just on Mingo Rd. On our hearts. This was John the Baptist’s message. You could summarize it in one word: Repentance. If we want God’s comfort through Jesus, we need God to remove the obstacles in our hearts. Bulldoze the pride that blinds us to our need for a Savior. Fill in the despair that keeps us from trusting in Jesus. Bypass the lust that covers us with guilt and the drunkenness and the discontentment and the greed that pull our eyes off the cross. This is what God’s Word does: Road construction on our hearts. Repent! Nothing compares with Jesus. So don’t let anything get in the way of Jesus.
It’s all grass anyway. “A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field…. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.’” Does that sound familiar? We heard this on Thanksgiving from Psalm 103. That’s where it talks about love as high as the heavens and forgiveness as far as the east is from the west. Remember that? And in the middle, it said that all people are grass. This must be important! If God wants to comfort us, why does he call us grass?
Because we need to realize something. If we want true comfort for our hearts, where does it come from? God. If you want true hope in your life, where does it come from? God. That’s what’s missing in our world. God! When people struggle with despair or depression, they seek out counseling. That is good! If you are struggling, please seek help. People love you! People care about you! It’s just there’s something missing in any counseling that isn’t Christ-centered. What will that counselor say to build you up? She’ll point you to yourself. “You are special. You are good. Believe in yourself. You need to learn to love yourself first.” Does that sound familiar?
It’s all well-meaning, but there’s a problem. If I really look into my heart, if I really focus on myself, what do I see? Grass. Dead flowers. Failures. Sin. Guilt. Would you agree? When you’re struggling, when you’re discouraged, don’t look at yourself! The grass withers and the flowers fall. Even the best part of human beings—our faithfulness—doesn’t last. So what do we need? “The word of our God endures forever.” It’s in God and his Word that we find true comfort.
You are special, not because of you. Because of what God has done for you. You are special, because God knit you together in your mother’s womb. You are no accident. You are special, because God gave you life, and if God gave you life, that means that God wants you to be here, no matter what anybody else says. You are special, because Jesus died on the cross for you. He forgave all your sins. He suffered your punishment. He loves you! You are special, because in baptism, God adopted you into his family. He had a choice, and he chose you as his dear child.
The truth is, when the Bible says that you are grass, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Whew! Know why? Life doesn’t depend on us. It depends on Jesus. When you wonder if you’re strong enough, remind yourself, “Of course I’m not! God is strong for me.” When you wonder if you’re good enough, remind yourself, “Of course I’m not! Jesus died to save me.” When you feel like life is out of your control, remind yourself, “Of course it is! God is in control!” When you don’t know what the future will bring, remind yourself, “Duh! You don’t know the future! But Jesus does.” Jesus leads us to say, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Every day, Jesus gives you purpose for life. And on the day you die, Jesus will wipe away your tears and take you home to heaven. There is comfort, so much comfort, for the people of God.
So, comfort the people. That’s not just my job. It’s what all of us get to do. Isaiah continues: “You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!” Who gets to do that? All of us! We live in a world devoid of true comfort. We are surrounded by spouses and children and friends and neighbors who need comfort. So, comfort the people. Comfort the people with the comfort you yourself have received from God. Please don’t say, “It’s okay.” Say, “Here is your God! Here is what God has done for you!”
“See.” Can you picture Isaiah pointing his finger at Jesus? “See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm…. He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Is Jesus a powerful King who rules or a loving Shepherd who holds his sheep in his arms? Both! Jesus is Christ the King who right now rules all things for your good. You can trust him! And Jesus is your Good Shepherd who holds you close to his heart. Today. Tomorrow. Everyday.
So, comfort the people. Actually, I’ve been saying that wrong this whole time. God doesn’t say, “Comfort the people.” What does he say? “Comfort my people.” Even those rebellious Israelites, do you know who they were? God’s people by grace. Even you and me, after all we’ve done, do you know who we are? God’s people by grace. “Comfort my people.” You are the people of God. That means that God loves you. That means that God has a purpose for your life. That means that God wants you here. He promises it in his Word, and the “word of our God endures forever.” God wants to comfort you. That’s what he commands me to say: “Comfort, comfort my people.”
(To listen to this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior podcast, please click HERE. To watch this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior YouTube channel, please click on the link below.)
Comments