THE JOY FROM MESSIAH- Isaiah 35:1-10

Joy is a remarkable emotion. It is contagious. When you watch children open up presents on Christmas morning, it brings you joy.

When you see a soldier, coming home from a long, overseas tour of duty reunited with his children and wife, it brings you joy.

When you receive the good report from the doctor, or the unexpected check in the mail, or the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, when you take that delicious bite of key lime pie, you have joy.

But this joy is fleeting, quickly forgotten, easily stolen. And every human being strives after all of these things (and many more) for joy, only to be depressed and desperate because that joy is temporary, fleeting, and failing.

C.S. Lewis says it best,

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Each Advent is a reminder that we are far too easily pleased. Each Advent reminds us what can bring us endless joy, joy that is called unspeakable for its greatness and endlessness, joy that is called full of glory.

Only Messiah Jesus can bring this joy.

Yet, like many all over the world, we are a joyless people. Why? We either do not have the joy of the Messiah, or we have forgotten the joy of Messiah.

Joy from the Messiah brings complete change by freeing His people from death, fear, and all the effects of sin.

If you look to anything besides Jesus, you will not have everlasting joy.

I. Joy from Messiah Frees His People from Death- 35:1-2

Notice in these two verses the geographical changes that occur. Wildernesses are devoid of life. Dry land is barren. Deserts are places of doom. Life is scarce.

Death. The world is fraught with death. Each morning you read the news you hear of death. Friends and family members are constantly informing us that someone has died.

Bobby, this is suppose to be about joy, remember? Oh yes, I remember. We have joy from Messiah because He frees His people from death.

You may be quick to remind me that death still reigns. People still die. Even in Jesus’s time on earth people died. How can we have joy? We are not freed from death!

But oh, we are freed from death! The death from sin, the spiritual death that plagues all human beings since the fall of Adam. Listen to Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:1-2 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

You were dead. There was no life in you. We were wildernesses, dry lands, and deserts. How can we break out with gladness and joy, with singing?

Because the glory of Lebanon has been given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. We have seen the glory of the LORD and the majesty of God in Jesus (John 1:14). Jesus came to deliver His people from death. And He does that, and we have joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Listen to the rest of Paul’s words from Ephesians 2:1-10 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us (those who were dead in trespasses and sins, children of disobedience, servants of Satan) in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, …”

The greatest gift in all the world is not a diamond necklace, new video game, new car, or even a book, as hard as that might be to believe. The greatest gift in eternity is salvation freely and graciously given to those who were dead. That gives us joy, and that joy cannot be taken away.

Even when facing His own death, and knowing the disciples’ coming struggle, He told them that the joy that would experience from Him would never be taken away from them (John 16:22).

II. Joy from Messiah Frees His People from Fear- 35:3-4

Anxiety and depression are skyrocketing. No doubt this has much to do with the present issues with covid. People have lost lives, jobs, and businesses. Savings have been plundered to cover the normal expenses of life.

We also experience fear on a more personal level. Fear of the potential health issues. Anxiety over what will happen in our relationships. All of the many what-ifs that plague us. We are fraught with fear. How can we have joy in the midst of all this?

Because Messiah frees His people from fear. Now, it is important to note, both from the biblical text and the experiences of human beings are not delivered from those situations and potentials from which we draw fear. That will come, but not yet. The psalmist knows that the Lord is with him in the valley of the shadow of death.

The difference, the life-changing and incredibly-Jesus-focused difference, comes with the Messiah. His presence delivers us from fear.

Isaiah says, behold. When is the last time you simply beheld God. I mean, when is the last time you dwelled on who God is? Passages such as Isaiah 6, 40, 41, 55, all present wonderful views of God. Meditate on them! Think more about God from His Word, and the Messiah will bring joy because He will deliver you from fear. Oh, there is so much more we could say at this point. But we must move on to the future, to the glorious deliverance of His people from all affects of sin.

III. Joy from Messiah Frees His People from All the Effects of Sin- 35:5-10

There is joy, a transcendent joy, that comes from being freed from all the effects of sin. There are several layers of human existence which are infected with sin. Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, demonstrates the all-encompassing freedom from the effects of sin.

A. Freedom from the Horrific Effects of Sin in Creation- 5-7

Notice that many of these took place in the life of Jesus displayed in the Gospels. Blind people receiving sight, deaf people hearing, lame people walking and dancing, all the affects of sin reversed (Rom. 8:18-25).

But Messiah’s freedom draws out more joy but undoing the horrific effects of sin in creation itself. The terrifying and destructive forces of nature in the forms of tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and plagues, will all be abolished. God’s deliverance is so utterly complete and exhaustive, that lions will lay down with lambs (Isaiah 11:6-9). Even viruses will be productive and peaceful. Coronavirus will never take another life. Cancer will be neutralized without another treatment of radiation.

Even mosquitoes will be beneficial. That is how complete and utterly thorough God’s freedom of the horrific affects of sin will be. But it gets better.

B. Freedom from Sinners- 8

Isaiah calls them unclean. Those who oppose God in any capacity will assigned to hell. Now, there is a sense in which this should move us. We should pity and have compassion on those who will be doomed to eternity in hell.

In another sense, though, as we consider the holiness of God, we cannot miss the righteousness of God’s purging the earth of unrepentant sinners.

Revelation 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””

C. Freedom from the Old World- 9-10 (Rev. 21-22)

Summarizing his statements on the deliverance, he describes the full reversal of the old world, the sin-ridden world, and makes a completely new world.

All of the old life, the sorrows, the sins, all of it will be banished like a puss-ridden garment, replaced with a new garment, but on a higher level than we can imagine.

Joy from the Messiah brings complete change by freeing His people from death, fear, and all the effects of sin.

How do we have this joy from Messiah? Isaiah says He will come and save you. He will save. But our response is to repent and believe. Paul, quoting Isaiah, says this in Romans 10:8-13 “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Christian, you have called on the name of the Lord. But perhaps the weeds of this world, whether it be death, or fear, or the sinful things of this life have chocked out that joy. Confess your sins and behold your God.

If you have never called on the Lord, it is as simple as saying no to sin and yes to the Savior.