Where's the Proof?

Exilic, Messianic, even Eschatological; dealing with the Messianic component

Full text begins with v.1 of Isaiah 40.

The immediate audience may have seen this good news as coming immediately after the exile that was to come

…they should have known from the prophecy that it would be 70 years

Those returning may have seen it as coming soon—hopefully

We now see it in hindsight and much more clearly

Vv. 9-11 begins a passage translators have dubbed “the greatness of God”

Does relate to the return of the exiles from captivity

The longer range prophecy is the coming of Jesus, 1st and 2nd

Purveyor of Good News

Not a point of the message…merely an observation

In our collective memory—music of the Messiah

Oh thou that tellest good tidings to Zion

Two schools of thought:

1)That Jerusalem herself was to announce the coming of the Messiah; most translations; back to the Geneva

2)That heralds to the region would announce the good new from or to Jerusalem; NIV is the major exception ..along with the Handel!

The Hebrew can be read either way and translations differ accordingly

Either way, the message proclaimed is the same

A message of power, position, and passion

Power

The LORD God comes with might

Word-nerd lesson (since we already mentioned translation variants)

Two words; both regularly translated “Lord”

Adoni Yahweh

Lord GOD

Sovereign LORD

Might

Connotation: firm, hard, strong; heavy, severe; powerful

…we can see that as an irresistible force

Arm rules...

Power, force, help; military forces

Image of an unstoppable force

Reward and recompense are imagery of a king returning from battle with booty

Easier to see @ 2nd coming; but here in his first coming

We can put that into the context of the hymn, “…the power of Satan breaking”

Position

The shepherd

They tend their flocks, they feed their flocks, they protect their flock

Best illustration of a shepherd:

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Passion

Shepherds carry their sheep in a loving way

…gathering to his arms

…carry them close

…gently lead those with need of special tenderness

Proof

We’ve discussed the power of Jesus

King of King and Lord of Lords

Every knee will bow...

Final conflict will end in His victory

He is our Shepherd

23rd Psalm greatest illustration of the work of the shepherd

Fast-forward to

John 10:11 ESV

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Greatly surpasses the tenderness even of the shepherd outlined in our text

Greater even than the 23rd Psalm

He lays down His life for His sheep… That’s the ultimate shepherd

…lots more to unpack in chap. 10…not today

Those who understood who He was understood the connection we’ve just made

Those who rejected Him, did not, would not, understand

An Ugly Reality

This good shepherd DID lay down His life for the sheep

We are in a time when people don’t see the true nature of the Shepherd

They see the cute baby lying in the manger

They see the man, the prophet, the teacher, maybe even the martyr

They don’t see forward to the risen Jesus, savior of the World

So many look at Christmas as a time of wonder, a time for family, a time for being generous

It has become more social than sacred…even believers fall into the trap

Even believers tend to forget the whole story

As tender, as wonderful as the Christmas narrative is, it leads to the cross

Made necessary by our sin

Matthew 1:21 ESV

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Salvation would not be easy

He would bear the sins of the world at the cross

The message of Christmas is the message of the cross

1 John 4:10 ESV

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Propitiation: the offering that appeases the offended party

He would then be resurrected…by the power of the Father

…and His spirit lives within all who believe on Him

Do you understand the full impact of the coming of the Good Shepherd