Rev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - Pastor

The Third Sunday of advent - December 16, 2002

Lessons: Isaiah 35:1-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

"Old, Living Words"

Introduction:

Currently, a new movie is coming out, called 'Lord of the Rings'; I don't normally 'plug' movies in my sermon, but it's based on a series of books that I deeply love.

The three-book series, "Lord of the Rings"created a whole new type of literature, a fantasy novel. When it was published in the 1950's there had never been anything like it before.

The story was written by an Oxford college professor, J.R.R. Tolkien. He was a Christian, and a close friend of C.S. Lewis, perhaps the most important Christian writer in English in the 20^th century. They would meet with a group of friends weekly to read their new writings to one another.

Tolkien was a professor of Anglo-Saxon language, the language spoken in England from 400-1100 AD. His favorite areas of study were stories like Beowulf, and old mythological stories like the Icelandic Sagas.

But for fun, he created a whole new world,with a history that ran for thousands of years, even creating several new languages for the characters to speak! The book is inspiring, in that it gives the reader a deep sense of the ultimate victory of Good over Evil. According to Tolkien, it is not a Christian allegory, but tells instead one Christian's story of Good and Evil.

And in reading 'Lord of the Rings' when I was 18, God began to give me a call to the quest of building ministry which has consumed my life.

One of the most interesting characters, in a book filled with dwarves, elves and hobbits is a character he named the 'Ent.' The Ents are an ancient race of tree-like folk, 14' feet high, and look like a tree. They are tree-shepherds, who care for the forest. They move slowly, and most people take them for trees. They sleep or rest for ages and ages, but then, in time of danger or when the time is fulfilled, they then spring to life, and can move very quickly and powerfully. They don't rile easily, but woe to anyone who does rile them.

In the story, the Ents semi-slumber for these long periods of time, only to awake when they are needed. They are very old, and have lives undimmed by time. They just wait, and wait, and wait, then suddenly spring to life when the right time has come. Remember that part: About things that just wait, and wait, and wait, then suddenly spring to life when the right time has come. Our OT lesson is like an Ent- one of the prophecies that just wait, and wait, and wait, then suddenly spring to life when the right time has come.

I) Words that Come as Hope in Judgement

As we turn to Isaiah's words, these are striking words. They are from the early part of Isaiah which is full of gloom and doom. Isaiah began his ministry declaring judgement on Israel, the northern kingdom. Later he would announce judgement on the southern kingdom of Judah. In chapter 34, just before our passage he speaks forth a blistering curse on the neighboring kingdom, Edom. Edom was a country of kinfolk, descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. But from the earliest days, back when Moses tried to lead the people through Edom, they had resisted Israel. Now, at 700-something BC, they had sided with Israel and Judah's enemies. Chapter 34 is one of the most absolute curses God speaks to any nation in the Bible, finally calling on the demons themselves to possess the country!

II) Words That Will be Fulfilled-Over and Over Again!

But even in the first part of Isaiah, Isaiah can't stand all bad news. In the midst of this, he breaks forth into promise. He speaks of a day when everything will be made right. But as we look at these words, when will these times come? When were or when will these words be fulfilled? That is the amazing thing, and the main point of this sermon. They get fulfilled over, and over and over again. And they still await fulfillment! Like the imaginary Ents, they keep waking up when they're needed!

So the first time these words were heard, these were words of promise to Israel. They were surrounded by enemies, and Moab was making it hard for people to come to Jerusalem to go to the temple to worship. Travel was dangerous, but God has a word of promise for the people at that time. Let's hear our OT text again:

READ Isaiah 35:1-10

But these words were not done. They were only partially fulfilled. These words came to life again when the people of Judah had been taken into captivity in Babylon 150 years later. These were words that promised when they returned, they would be protected; a safe way would be provided, unlike the suffering when they were taken into captivity. But even then they weren't completely fulfilled. And during the next hundreds of years, Judah began to see that these words had something to do with the coming of the Messiah. The words slept once more, except in the hearts of those waiting.

Then when John the Baptist came, these words, linked to Isaiah 40:3-4 came alive again. This time making a way in the wilderness meant something entirely different. It meant getting ready for the Messiah.

Then Jesus came, and he came to John in the wilderness; and then he began to heal folks; and when John the Baptist asks Jesus if he is the Messiah, Jesus answers with these words! ] Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. [6] Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy...

But there was still not a complete coming of the Kingdom of God; times like last week's text, about lion and lamb laying down together, etc. And all Israel had not been brought back. And the text slept.

In Luther's day, he read these chapters allegorically. He said the curse on Edom in the previous chapter were words for the Roman church; and this chapter were words of Gospel promise for the renewed church of the Reformation.

Calvin interprets these words of promise as being for the church too. He saw them as pure gospel. They spoke to the church of the 1500's.

And yet we await a time of world peace; of safety; of joy and wholeness with the return of Messiah Jesus. We await the fulfillment of all the other sleeping words of Isaiah; words of promise of the Messiah King who will bring the world peace and harmony.

But oddly enough, we may be seeing these words of our text waking up again. Today, the desert of Israel is blooming again. Exactly in these places of the Negev, with irrigation since the Jews returned, the desert is blooming, as in no other time in history. Does that fit our text? Maybe.

We see Israel gathered in its land for the first time since 722 BC; Unified as one nation for the first time since about 950 BC. They are speaking Hebrew; they are called Israel, not Israel and Judah; they control Jerusalem; they hold almost all of their historical territory. And millions of Jews have returned from every corner of the globe.

I remember some time in 1985 I received a mailing from some obscure, somewhat wacko Bible-prophecy group. I read it carefully, and showed it to my staff. It claimed that they had a prophecy that God was about to release millions of Jewish people from the Soviet Union. This seemed quite impossible, because Jews were being kept in the USSR like prisoners then. Hundreds had sought refuge in the US embassy, where they were underfoot and creating nuisance. The USSR had said 'nyet' to them for decades, and it was getting worse. Here this group said this was going to change. Yeah, right.

In a handful of years, the USSR didn't exist anymore! Several million Russian Jews headed in mass exodus for Israel. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. These old words have come alive over, and over and over again. When will they finish their work? When Jesus comes.

But these words are alive, and sharper than a two-edged sword. They will be fulfilled, even as they speak to our day, our time and our circumstance. They tell of a time when the people of Israel will return. We saw that in part about 500 BC. We've waited 2,500 years to see it again. These words did it. They will continue to shape history; they will continue to come awake and be fulfilled until they are just as surely completely fulfilled. Handel chose these words for his epic oratorio, Messiah. Millions are reminded of them every year. God wants these words to bombard our ears. And he will fulfill them. Like Tolkien's funny old Ents, they'll just keep waking up as long as they're needed. Hear these words. You can trust them! Invitation; amen!

December 16, 2001-Advent 3

Isaiah 35:1-10

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Like the crocus, [2] it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

[3] Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;

[4] say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution he will come to save you."

[5] Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

[6] Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

[7] The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.

In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

[8] And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.

The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.

[9] No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed will walk there,

10] and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

James 5:7-10

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. [8] You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. [9] Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

[10] Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 11:2-11

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples [3] to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

[4] Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: [5] The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. [6] Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

[7] As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? [8] If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. [9] Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10] This is the one about whom it is written:

" 'I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way before you.'

[11] I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.