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Chapter 28 sits among a series of prophecies to the nations. In these prophecies, God gave Judah the confidence to trust in Him because the other nations would ultimately fail to preserve themselves and others. Israel (North) and Judah (South) received prophetic messages concerning their wandering ways and choices. All choices bring particular consequences established by God. We have the freedom to make our decisions, but God reserves the right to pre-determine the consequences. He consistently reminds us that He wants to direct us toward life as He has created it. For those who choose to build their lives upon His foundation, they will receive the blessings of a covenant relationship. As believers in Christ, we receive the opportunity to know God and follow Him through Jesus Christ.

The book of Isaiah is the most quoted book of the prophets by the New Testament writers. Jesus also began his ministry by quoting from Isaiah. This book contains themes and messages that emphasize God's actions toward his covenant people, Israel, and it prepares us to see how Jesus Christ would fulfill the old covenant and establish the new covenant in himself.

Song of the Vineyard 1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for…

What would you do if you met someone that you greatly admired from a distance like an athlete, actor, or important person? You may recall the extreme actions of fans of the Beatles, Elvis, or Michael Jackson. Excitement and awe combine to overwhelm the emotions. Some cry and even faint. Isaiah caught a glimpse of God as King, in the Temple, and among the angels' sacred song. But he was extremely afraid. He pronounced a woe and quickly reasoned that his life was going to end.

Chapter 7 contains an important section that we will visit in future sermons. The setting is Ahaz's reign, a descendant of Uzziah. He became king in the Southern Kingdom (Judah). During this time, the king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) conspired with nearby Syria to make an alliance to invade Judah. This worried King Ahaz, and God sent Isaiah to encourage him. Isaiah’s went to the king with his firstborn son, Shear-jashub. His name meant, "a remnant shall return". This prophetic name was meant to inform Ahaz that God would keep his covenant promise in the future. But God also gave Ahaz another sign of his promise. It was the sign of Immanuel.

Amidst a dark future, God shines the Light of Jesus who will fulfill God's covenant plans, and so we too must entrust ourselves and continue to wait as we look forward to the completion of the promised future.

God promised to discipline His covenant people for their rebellion and idolatry through various means, of which God reserved foreign invasion as a severe consequence. Although the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms were divided, God kept His promise to discipline both regions through the surrounding nations. During the time of Isaiah, Assyria was such a nation used by God. But why would a holy God use an unholy nation for such a sacred purpose? Only the King of all Kings is all-wise and powerful to carry out such a righteous plan.

The arrival of Jesus inaugurated the Plan of God to restore all that was lost in Eden because of Sin. God's solution to Eden is Jesus, a root of Jesse, the heel crushing the serpent, and the rightful king over the world. We receive this promise but await a future. In the meantime, we can experience the King in our lives and taste what the future will be like.

Looking beyond the Christmas Holiday As Christians, we know that Christmas is only a holiday that points to something greater. The emphasis we want to recognize and celebrate is the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Our joy, hope, and celebration are in the One who came from heaven to earth to be the fulfillment…

Although John does not include an account of the birth story, he affirms the statements of the other gospels that Jesus was God incarnate according to God's plan.