Joy: The Ransomed Will Return
I read a story one time about Charles de Gaulle, a former president of France. He led France during World War 2 and was the preeminent French politician for 30 years.
de Gaulle was a very serious man. When you spend your entire adult life fighting the Nazis I suppose you learn to be pretty straight-edged. Anyway, one time a French diplomat came to say farewell to the president as the diplomat was being reassigned, and he said, “Mr. President, I am filled with joy at my new appointment.”
De Gaulle, in his own hard-line way, replied, “Monsieur, you are a career diplomat. Joy is an inappropriate emotion in your profession.”
We’re talking about joy today. You can go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 35 which starts on page 401 of the pew Bible.
And I want to say the exact opposite of President de Gaulle to you: “Christian, you are a career diplomat of heaven. Joy is exactly the appropriate emotion in your profession.”
Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of the heart when the King is in residence there.
As disciples of Jesus, we have the privilege of being joyful in all things. Even the painful things, even in suffering, even when the world is crashing — because of the restorative acts of God through Jesus.
Here’s our big idea from Isaiah 35, and in it is the source of our joy:
Big Idea
By the redemption accomplished in Jesus the Christ, God is restoring the cursed creation and suffering humanity to their original purposes.
The first question of the Westminster Catechism is this:
What is the chief end of man? That is, what is our purpose, why are we here, what is our aim in life? What is the chief end of man?
Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
Through the redemption accomplished by Jesus, God is restoring us to that purpose. And as we — and all of creation — are restored to that purpose, we will exude joy as we walk the road of life.
Let’s read Isaiah 35:
Isaiah 35:1–10 CSB
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!
Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
the parched ground will become a pool, and the thirsty land, springs. In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs, there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path. Fools will not wander on it.
There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it,
and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Creation Transformed: From Sterile Desert to Fruitful Garden
We live in a world that is constantly groaning under the weight of human sin. When Adam fell into sin in the garden of Eden, God cursed the garden and the world just as He cursed mankind. Where there were once glorious blooms, now grew thorns and thistles.
Praise the Lord that, by His grace, He allowed a great deal of beauty to remain — we can still see sunsets, flowers, stars, and rainbows, but all of those are under the curse. We’ve never seen a redeemed sunset through redeemed eyes. Isaiah, throughout his book, refers to this corruption, the results of this curse, as a fertile field that has been turned into a wasteland. The transformation of the very good Earth of Genesis 1 to the cursed desert is part of the penalty for human sin.
Paul says in Romans 8 that all creation is groaning all the time under the weight of this bondage to decay. It’s waiting, like a woman in labor, to be remade for its original purpose.
But more painful than the curse of the land is the curse upon humanity itself. Our bodies are subject to disease that attacks organs and bodily functions. Eyes that were created to see the glory of God’s light go blind; ears that were created to hear the various sounds of God’s creation go deaf; legs that were crafted with strength and flexibility become paralyzed. Hands that were designed to work the earth and provide compassionate touch become weak and frail.
But more painful even than that, is the curse that corrupts our minds so that they are filled constantly sinful thoughts. The curse of death upon our hearts so that they delight in evil instead of God’s goodness.
The sin of Adam and, by its generation, our sin has done unfathomable damage to to ourselves, to others, and to the world.
But Isaiah 35 is a poem that stands as a glorious prophecy of God’s intention to transform this cursed world through Christ. In Isaiah 2 and Isaiah 11, we’ve seen the prophecy of transformation already: weapons, economies, social orders, animals. Isaiah 35 steps up and says, “The whole world and everything in it will be changed. So be strong, don’t fear.
It starts with the transformation of creation: the desert of decay will rejoice and blossom like a rose, singing praise songs to the God of salvation. What was formerly marred by human sin is now lavishly replenished. Every piece of the restored earth will forever proclaim the glory of God. When we take steps in the new earth, it will radiate with the glory of God in Jesus Christ to a degree that no sun will be needed for light. At last, Isaiah says, the earth will liberated from her bondage to decay.
People Transformed: From Cursed Weakness to Blessed Strength
But just as the curse of humanity is more painful than the curse of creation, so will humanity’s renewal be so much more joyous.
The consummation of Isaiah 35 promises physical perfection for every redeemed human being.
Blind eyes, deaf ears, lame legs, and mute tongues are no more. Death will be abolished.
Isaiah promises that every single human being will function as God intended in creation; joy will fill their hearts and their mouths will erupt in praise for God, verse 6, as they look on a universe redeemed from the same curse they were under — water flowing where once was desert.
The Transforming Event: “Your God Is Coming to Save You”
Of course, Isaiah’s words go so far beyond anything that happened in the Old Testament. Even when the exiles returned from Babylon, rebuilt the temple, and rebuilt the city — it was clear that the glorious restoration that Isaiah prophesied had not yet come. In fact, many of the returned exiles were disappointed with the restoration — we saw that in the prophet Haggai. The physical restoration of the remnant to Jerusalem fell short of the promises here.
The people were still waiting for that transformative event; the physical exile was over, but we were still exiles spiritually. The words of Isaiah 35:1–7 were looking ahead to a moment in history where everything changed and glory was ushered into a broken world, when heaven would come to us: verse 4, “Here is your God…He will save you.”
Jesus the Christ is the Yes and Amen of the promise of Isaiah 35, his birth was the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of darkness.
There’s a reason that Jesus pointed John the Baptizer back to this Scripture when he asked whether or not Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus replies, go and see!
Matthew 11:5 CSB
The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,
In Jesus, our God has come to save us. By his wondrous ministry he began restoring fallen humanity. He caused the blind to see while on earth and by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the blind are made to see the light of Jesus for salvation. Jesus caused the deaf to hear and the Holy Spirit now opens ears deaf to the call of the gospel and allows them to hear of saving grace. Jesus loosed the tongues of the mute and now, by the Spirit, our tongues are loosed to proclaim the freedom from sin wrought by the death and resurrection of our Savior!
O, for a thousand tongues to sing/My great Redeemer’s praise
The glories of my God and King/The triumphs of his grace
My gracious Master and my God/Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad/the honors of thy name
Jesus the name that calms my fears/that bids my sorrows cease
tis music in the sinners ears/tis life and health and peace
He breaks the power of canceled sin/he sets the prisoner free
his blood can make the foulest clean/his blood availed for me
Yes, we still await the fullness of these promises with the return of the Lord, but they are no less being fulfilled now. Joy has dawned upon the world, so now is the time for us to act joyfully! I fear that sometimes we fall into the trap of remembering what Jesus did and looking forward to what He will do while missing the glory of what He is doing right now.
The Journey of the Transformed: A Highway of Holiness
Yes, we still groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for the redemption of our bodies. But Jesus has put us on the Holy Way — that’s what Isaiah calls the pilgrimage through this life in verse 8.
And the description of this highway is significant, particularly verse 9 in our world climate we live in right now, look with me:
Isaiah 35:9 CSB
There will be no lion there,
and no vicious beast will go up on it;
they will not be found there.
But the redeemed will walk on it,
If God has set you on the Holy Way, redeemed you from sin in Jesus, then your way is secure. No lion is able to devour you, no beast can snatch you up. Yes, you may still get scars and scuffs. Yes, physically harm might come, but spiritually you are secure in Christ. If you are in Christ, nothing is able to pluck you from the Father’s hand; you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. At at the end of this painful journey, you will put on the robes of white and join the rest of the multitude from every ethnicity, tribe, and language who also came out of this great tribulation called life. Rejoice at your security in Christ, don’t be afraid of the world and what it might do.
God’s Church is secure in Jesus. There is no need to be afraid. God has promised to build his church upon the confession that Jesus is Lord and nothing can tear down what God has raised.
There is no need to fear when nations rage, because they rage in vain against the Holy One. There is no need to fear or get angry when President Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act this week, ensuring federal protection for same-sex marriages. It cannot tear down the Church.
There is no need to fear or rage against the boogeyman of globalism. Globalism cannot tear down the Church. Socialism cannot tear down the Church. Communism cannot tear down the Church. No -ism can tear down the Church.
There is no need to fear and bemoan societal rejection of traditional Christian values. Values did not build the Church and their rejection cannot tear it down. Listen, if this church’s foundation is shared values — political conservatism, Southern gentility, God Bless America, and not
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, He rose against from the grave. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right Hand of God the Father, Almighty. He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen,
then it is not a church, it is a community club and that can go to hell for all I care.
God built His church upon the confession that, “Jesus is Lord,” and nothing else. And nothing can destroy what He has built upon that confession. So stop letting those things rob you of your joy.
Legalization of same-sex marriage cannot force you to give up your confession of Jesus as Lord, so stop letting it rob you of your joy.
Globalization cannot force you to give up your confession of Jesus as Lord, so stop letting it rob you of your joy.
Critical Race Theory cannot force you to give up your confession of Jesus as Lord, so stop letting it rob you of your joy.
Even death cannot force you to give up your confession of Jesus as Lord, so don’t let that rob you of your joy.
Can you see how, when the confession that Jesus is Lord is the foundation of your joy and not everything in life going the way you want…do you see how that can change your perspective. Suddenly those things feel less threatening, because they cannot threaten your foundation.
Look at the command God gives the people through the mouth of Isaiah in verses 3 and 4, they matter to this piece about letting fear rob you of joy:
Isaiah 35:3–4 CSB
Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!
Say to the cowardly: “Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
The words of our lips must be less, “Look what the world is coming to..” and more “Look what has come into the world! Jesus has come and is making all things new.”
Let the words of your mouths, when you speak to one another, put aside the fretting and moaning and let confidence and courage erupt from your mouths. Say to one another, “Be strong, don’t fear!”
If you see hands that are weak, strengthen them with words of hope and acts of service, don’t compound their weakness. If you see knees that are shaking, steady them with an arm around the shoulder and a call to endurance, don’t tell them how right they are to be afraid. Isaiah 35 is a message meant to be proclaimed to those still languishing under the curse. Encourage one another with the promise of final salvation, don’t let one another wallow in fear of something that may be going on in the world. Rejoice, Jesus is making all things new.
Lastly, I want you to see the incredible promise for those who travel the path sanctification — the promise of perseverance, verse 10:
Isaiah 35:10 CSB
and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
There is joy at the end of the journey that pales even the joy in the journey. Sorrow and sighing flee. We sigh with weariness and regret; we sigh for beauty we cannot reach and for understanding beyond our grasp; we sigh in our aching desire for union and love, and we sigh in our longing for what we do not even know how to name. But at the end of the journey, everything sad will become untrue. Every pilgrim will at last enjoy the full salvation purchased for them by Christ.
And here is the promise: the ransomed of the Lord will return. For the same reason we need not fear and rage on the journey, we can look forward in hope to the end: Christ holds us. Our arrival is not dependent on our faithfulness, but Christ’s faithfulness. Nothing can pluck you from the hand of the Father, so press on in joy toward the joy.
No matter how dark the hopelessness or dry and dusty the feeling of despair, there is confidence and joy in knowing that God will not leave his people abandoned. He will come to rescue and redeem them. He has come to rescue and redeem them. He has come to rescue and redeem you.
He is making all things new by the redemption accomplished by Jesus. In Christ, you are being restored to your true purpose, to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.