Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Isaiah 35:1-10
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  December 15, 2019

When I was recently considering my call to southern Arizona, one of the things many people mentioned that they wouldn’t like about living in Arizona is that they don’t have the change in seasons like we do in Wisconsin. But you know, it’s been said that we really only have two seasons in Wisconsin: Winter and Road Construction. I’m guessing that I’m not alone when I say that “joy” isn’t usually the emotion that comes to mind when I think of being on the highway. Whether it’s slogging down the beltline at the wrong time of day or crawling down the Interstate because of the orange barrels everywhere, it’s usually frustration and annoyance that come to mind long before joy. 

Maybe that’s how we feel about this time of year too. Maybe for us, the holidays are not the “most wonderful time of the year.” This time of year when the focus is on family and loved ones is one of the hardest times because of the loved ones we’ve lost and the family that we miss. 

And yet, today we are going to talk about finding joy on a highway, a holy highway.  This third Sunday of Advent is all about rejoicing. In some churches, their Advent candelabra has a pink candle. That pink candle is called the Shepherd’s candle. The color changes from blue to pink to show how the shepherds’ fear was changed to joy. And that’s really what Isaiah is focusing us on today as we look at chapter 35. Eight times in ten verses Isaiah talks about rejoicing or joy or happiness. Just look at the last verse. “Happiness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

So why are we joyful here at Eastside during Advent? Is it because of the great friends that we’ve made over the years? Is our joy found in our history and tradition? While those things may bring some joy, that’s not what makes us joyful. And it’s certainly not this world which brings joy. How does Isaiah describe it? A wilderness; a desert; a wasteland. There’s a reason most people choose not to live in the desert. There’s a reason wildernesses are called “God-forsaken.” 

But while much of this is true of the world we live in because of the effects of sin, we’re not really even talking about world, are we. No, this picture that Isaiah is painting in chapter 35 is really a metaphor for the soul. The soul of all mankind is by nature a desert, a wilderness, a wasteland. It is parched and dead and ugly. There is no joy to be found there; only blindness and deafness and unable to speak or move or do anything. Just like it is impossible for the desert to bring forth life, to bloom on its own so it is impossible for anyone to make themselves worthy of God’s grace. It is impossible to produce true joy on our own.

But that’s where God steps in. Isaiah says, “The wilderness and the desert will be glad. The wasteland of Arabah will rejoice and blossom like a crocus. It will bloom lavishly, and there will be great joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it. It will be excellent like Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD and the majesty of our God.” Out of paradise and into the desert. That’s where God sent Jesus. God sent Jesus into the desert of this world. And how does the desert respond? It rejoices; it blooms lavishly. These pictures that Isaiah uses would have been shocking to his original readers. The crocus is not a desert flower. It needs plenty of shade and especially water to bloom–but when Christ comes, we find it in the desert. The don’t find trees like the mighty cedars of Lebanon or the mighty oaks of Carmel in the desert. You don’t find rich pasture land like in Sharon. But this is what happens when God steps in. He completely reverses our expectations. Wherever he goes, even in the desert of our hearts, life springs forth. And not just any life, a lavish life. Life which prompts great joy and singing.

And so Isaiah urges us: “Strengthen the weak hands and make the shaky knees steady. Tell those who have a fearful heart: Be strong. Do not be afraid. Look! Your God will come with vengeance. With God’s own retribution, he will come and save you.” You can’t help but hear the words of the angels to the shepherds. Don’t be afraid. God has sent his Savior. And what happened when Jesus came? Isaiah foretold it: “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unplugged. The crippled will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy. Waters will flow in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland. The burning sand will become a pool, and in the thirsty ground there will be springs of water. There will be grass, reeds, and rushes where the haunts of the jackals once lay.”

We see all of those things happening in Jesus’ ministry. In all of his miracles, Jesus was showing people exactly who he was: he was the promised Savior. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. He was the one who would bring true and lasting joy because of what he came to do: to live and die and rise again! And what Jesus would accomplish Isaiah describes in a very interesting way. He says: “A highway will be there, a road that will be called the holy way. The impure will not walk there. It will be reserved for those who walk in that holy way. Wicked fools will not wander onto it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious animal go up on it. They will not be found there, but only the redeemed will walk there.” 

Isaiah describes the result of Jesus’ work as a highway, a holy highway. This is the way to salvation. This a road where no dangers are found, where the Devil can’t devour, where no false prophets or unbelieving fools will be able to lead people astray. This is a picture of the Holy Christian Church. This is where all believers walk, because of their status, because of what Christ has made them: redeemed. Protected by their Savior, no longer burdened with sin or guilt, no longer afraid of death, the redeemed walk. This is where Christ has placed you! And what is the result of us being placed on this holy highway?

“Then those ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with a joyful shout, and everlasting joy will crown their heads. Happiness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” The result is pure, unadulterated, everlasting joy. It’s the joy that comes in knowing that our sins are forgiven. Joy that can only be found in the security of our home in heaven. On this highway, you have already passed from death to life.  You have been baptized into Jesus. You have found the life-giving waters—or better yet, they have found you. You have streamed into his death and have been washed back out of the grave into the newness of life. There’s nothing we need to do to get to heaven! It’s all been done for us! 

That’s why we rejoice in Advent, even though we’re still traveling through the desert. We find joy in anticipating Christmas, joy in longing for our eternity that comes with Christ’s Second Advent.  May that joy continue to fill your hearts! May it strengthen your weak hands; steady your shaky knees, and calm your fearful hearts for your God has come! And he’s coming again! Amen.