Here is a question you probably haven’t asked yourself: Why do the Gospel writers introduce the ministry of Jesus with Isaiah 40? It might seem like a pointless question, but understanding this helps us understand the theological significance that the Gospel writers are communicating!
Isaiah 40 contains the proclamation that ended the suffering of the exiles in Babylon. It was the decree of the Lord to comfort His people after 160 years of silence and 70 years of Exile. Although in the time of Jesus the Babylonian exile was over, the Jews still considered themselves to be in exile and in need of restoration. When they read Daniel 9, they saw two phases of their deliverance from exile: (1) the Babylonian exile would end after 70 years (Jer 29:10; Dan 9:2) and (2) as soon as their Babylonian exile was over, their "exile" (of a different sort) would be extended another 70 "weeks" (in prophetic time meaning 490 years). As far as the Jews were concerned, Isaiah 40 would not be completely fulfilled until the messiah came to end the exile.
The Gospel writers saw the coming of Jesus as the fulfillment of this promise! Jesus marked the end of the exile! The end of divine silence! In Jesus the Christ, the Holy One of Israel speaks! In Christ, God comforts His people and frees them from their bondage–both physical and spiritual. Although it took a long time, God kept His promise. For it is written, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Is 40:8). Christ is our freedom (Ps 119:45; Jn 8:36; Gal 5:1, 13-14).
During the Advent season, Christians all around the world take this time to celebrate God's faithfulness in keeping His Word. What is tragic, however, is that Americans plan on worshipping a poor king who was born in a stinky manger, by spending 3.6-5.2% over 2019 in holiday shopping. Despite a pandemic wreaking havoc on the economy, the NRF forecasts that Americans still plan on spending between 755.3 - $766.7 billion!
Gifts are great, but… “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (Is 40:28). And in the coming of His Son, He has kept His promise! He has decreed comfort and freedom for us! And so, we now look to the future when Christ will come again. Instead of spending enormous amounts of money this season on things we do not need, why don’t we, in response to God's faithfulness, join John the Baptist in preparing the way for the King?
Here is a short list I shared this past Sabbath of ways we can prepare the way for Jesus this season:
Listen Empathically
Be present in the moment
Rejoice in the good. Build people up.
Pray without ceasing
Testify to the light (voice the good you see in others and the world)
Be the voice and let Christ be the Word.
Build close and loving friendships with people outside the church
Forgive/be reconciled
Be honest with someone about what you are doing
Confess your personal sin to God or a trusted friend
Studying Scripture
Starting a spiritual discipline (talk to me if you would like guidance on this)
In keeping with His promise in Isaiah 40, Christ came into the world. And in Keeping with His word (Jn 14:3), He will come again. Let us prepare the Way for the Lord.
—Pastor Alex Portillo