STUDY 18: CHRIST: BEHOLD YOUR GOD – ISAIAH 40
© Rosemary Bardsley 2024
In this study we look at Isaiah’s message about Christ in Chapter 40. If we read this chapter only from an Old Testament perspective, focused on Israel and without knowledge of Jesus Christ, we will miss much of its richness. But if, having come to know Jesus Christ, we take that knowledge back to this chapter, our understanding of this chapter, and also of Christ, are immeasurably enriched.
A. EXPECTATION OF THE SAVIOUR – 40:1 – 11
The first two verses assure God’s people, (‘Jerusalem’), that God’s judgement, predicted in 39:5 – 7, will come to an end. This was true in a purely physical sense ... that God would release them from the seventy years of exile they were to spend in Babylon, and bring a remnant back to Jerusalem. But Isaiah quickly moves on from that to talk about three voices that look ahead to the coming of Jesus Christ. These three voices immediately take us beyond the historical, physical judgements and restoration of Judah, and introduce us to Christ and the spiritual salvation that he would accomplish. We can, therefore, apply to ourselves the ‘comfort, comfort my people’ and the ‘speak tenderly.’ And, as we come to learn of Christ and salvation through his death, we can also embrace the grace of ‘her sin has been paid for’.
A.1 Prepare the way for the LORD – 40:3 – 5
God is coming
The first ‘voice’ is that of John the Baptist, announcing the imminent appearance of Jesus Christ. John knew who Jesus was, and he knew what Jesus would accomplish.
What do you learn about Jesus Christ and salvation in these verses?
Isaiah 40:3
Matthew 3:1 – 17
Mark 1:1 – 13
Luke 1:5 – 17, 67 – 80
Luke 3:1 – 18
John 1:29 – 35
It is important to notice exactly what Isaiah is saying here, and what is explained in the New Testament passages about John the Baptist. The One for whom John says ‘prepare the way’ is ‘the LORD’, he is ‘our God’. When he comes ‘the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind will see it together’. Thus Isaiah, along with John the Baptist, Matthew, Mark, Zechariah, Luke and the apostle John, all proclaim the identity of Jesus Christ as the LORD, the God of Israel. John, as the herald of Jesus Christ, was telling people to get ready for the coming of God to earth. John’s mandate far exceeded the Jewish expectations of a national hero/political/military Messiah. The One who was coming was God. He was coming not to restore Israel to national glory, but to reveal the glory of God, not just to Israel, but to all mankind.
So confident was Zechariah (John’s father) about the coming of Christ that he spoke in the past tense of Christ (who was still in Mary’s womb) and what he would accomplish:
‘ ...the Lord, the God of Israel ...has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David’ – Luke 1:68, 69.
He spoke of the divine identity of Christ, when he said of his newborn son ‘you are a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins’. - Luke 1:76, 77.
Lest we should have missed it, Zechariah further identified Christ and his saving work with the words
‘because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace’ – Luke 1:78, 79.
Clearly, given his father’s knowledge, John the Baptist knew that the one coming after him was God.
Preparing the way – the call to repentance
When John the Baptist came he preached ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near’ (Matthew 3:17); that is, God, the King, is about to appear; God, the King, is at hand. John called people to a genuine repentance, a genuine change of mind about God that would result in an observable change of action. His baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin (Mark 1:4). His commission was ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord’ – Luke 1:17.
Isaiah uses road-building language to describe the work of John the Baptist. Spiritually, the people of Judah, along with all mankind, lived in a spiritual desert, a spiritual wilderness. So deep was their ignorance of God, so great was their sin against him, that there seemed to be no way out, no way back. They were separated from God by a seemingly impassable barrier. The truth about God, the glory of God, had long been forgotten, smothered beneath generations of idolatry and human arrogance. These deep valleys of human separation from God, and these high mountains of pride and self-conceit, prohibited their returning to God. This impossibility was double-sided, arising both from their rejection of God, and from God denying them access to him (1:15; 59:1, 2).
But Isaiah’s challenge here, and John’s message, is a command his hearers to get ready, to prepare the way for God. That way is the way of faith and repentance. This challenge to repent, to return to God, was very relevant to Isaiah’s original audience who were given over to idolatry and sin. Isaiah himself challenged his contemporaries to this change of mind on several occasions.
Read these verses. How did Isaiah challenge the people of Judah to repentance and faith?
1:16 – 18
30:15
31:6
55:1 – 7
58:13 – 14
This same command to repentance and rest, to quietness and trust, confronts all people with the same truth – Christ, the King, is at hand, nearer than you know.
The revelation of the glory of God
With the coming of Christ we see God. By his coming all of our human definitions of God are exposed as false. As we have seen in previous studies, the coming of Jesus Christ is the coming of light and truth. In Christ the glory of God is revealed for the whole world to see, for the whole world to believe. In Christ, God stands in our midst and says to us ‘Here I am. This is who I am. Look at me. Believe in me.’
What do these verses say about this?
John 1:14
John 12:44, 45
John 14:6 – 9
John 17:4
Hebrews 1:3
Wherever the gospel of Christ is preached, the glory of God is revealed.
In addition, a day is coming, Isaiah says (verse 5) when ‘all mankind together’ will see the glory of God. The New Testament teaches us that that day is the day of Christ’s return:
Check what these verses say:
Matthew 16:27
Matthew 24:30
Matthew 25:31, 32
Revelation 1:7
The certainty of this global revelation of the glory of God is affirmed by God - ‘the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’
A.2 All people are like grass – 40:6 – 8
In 40:6 – 8 we find a second ‘voice’, the voice of God saying ‘Cry out!’ And Isaiah wants to know what he is to cry. God’s reply describes our human weakness and transience – we are ‘grass’, we live for a little while, and then we die. All of our supposed ‘glory’ is fragile and brief.
In contrast ‘the word of our God stands forever’ – 40:7. The promise in verse 5 is secure, but this description of human weakness alerts us to the fact that, while God is absolutely able to do what he has promised in verses 4 and 5, we are absolutely unable to do what he has commanded us in verse 3. Of ourselves, we do not and we cannot please God. [See this study for what the Bible says about this.]
This inability, which includes our unwillingness, was also mentioned when God first commissioned Isaiah: there Isaiah was told to tell the people of Judah:
‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ See 6:9 - 12.
The proclamation of the message, rather than softening hearts to respond to God, actually hardens them into on-going rebellion. Unless God himself, in an action of grace and compassion, comes and does something for us what we cannot do ourselves, we are forever helpless, forever lost.
A.3 “Here is your God” – 40:9 – 11
A third voice is mentioned in 40:9, a voice that brings good news, the voice of all who know the good news of Jesus Christ. This voice is commanded to say ‘Here is your God!’ Here, in Jesus Christ, is your God. And then Isaiah gives a brief description of Christ:
He is the ‘Sovereign LORD’ who ‘comes with power’ – verse 10.
He rules with power and authority – verse 10.
He brings with him ‘his reward’ and ‘his recompense’ – verse 10.
And, rather than impose on us the impossible (40:6 – 8) burden of making ourselves ready for God (40:3), he gathers us in his arms, he carries us close to his heart, he gently leads us, like a shepherd caring for his flock (40:11). Like the good shepherd of Luke 15 and John 10. Because this God, this Shepherd, is Jesus.
B. JESUS CHRIST – THE SOVEREIGN LORD OF ALL
Having told us that Christ, the Lord, is coming (40:3 – 5), and having commanded us to shout out the good news ‘Here is your God!’ (40:9), Isaiah now gives us a lengthy description of the incomparable knowledge, authority and sovereignty of this Sovereign LORD/Shepherd (40:10, 11) in verses 12 – 31.
We have already looked at these verses in these studies:
Section C in Study 4 looks at the utter holiness (otherness, incomparableness) of God.
Study 6 looks at his sovereignty in creation and providence, and over the nations.
Isaiah is obviously speaking of the Lord God Almighty, who alone is God, here in Chapter 40; but he is also speaking of Christ, the Son of God. And we realise here, if we have not already understood it, that this God is Jesus Christ; that Jesus Christ is this God.
Questions:
[1] In 9:6 Isaiah identified Jesus Christ as ‘the Mighty God’. Read Isaiah 40:12 – 31 with Jesus Christ in mind. What do you learn about Jesus Christ (this Mighty God) from these verses?
About his ‘size’ – verse 12:
About his knowledge and understanding – 13, 14:
About his power over the nations – 15 – 17; 23, 24:
About the contrast between Christ and idols – 18 – 20:
About his sovereignty over people and the earth – 21, 22:
About his sovereignty over the universe (the ‘heavens’) – 25, 26:
About his ability to meet our needs – 27 – 31:
Knowing that these powerful statements in Isaiah 40:12 – 31 are about the Lord Jesus Christ, how does this impact your confidence and trust -
As you negotiate your life and your circumstances?
As you live in a culture that for the most part does not believe in God?
As you endeavour to live for him and his glory?
When you feel isolated, helpless, vulnerable?
When you hear his promises of forgiveness of sins and eternal life?