Sermon
for Sexagesimal, February 16, 2020
Grace to
you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Isaiah 55:10-13 10Just as the rain and
the snow come down from the sky and do not return there unless they first water
the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout, so that it gives seed to
the sower and bread to the eater, 11in the same way my word that
goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty. Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please,
and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it. 12Yes, you
will go out with joy, and in peace you will be carried along. The mountains and the hills will break out in
shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their
hands. 13Instead of thorns, a
fir tree will grow up. Instead of
briers, a myrtle tree will grow up. This
will make a name for the Lord. It will
serve as an everlasting sign that will not be cut off. (EHV)
God’s
Word gives life—everlasting.
Dear fellow
redeemed,
The area in which we live should make this text very real
for us. Every year, the amount of snow
and rain that fall upon a thin layer of topsoil goes a long way in determining
how successful our local economy will be.
At the same time, because it is such a common thing, water is often
taken for granted, even though without it, nothing can survive. So, pure water is vitally precious for life.
As
precious as water is for life on earth, ultimately, there is something far more
necessary for true and lasting life.
Though the water produces food to sustain our bodies, we still eventually
face death, and if not for God’s grace, that death would be eternal. But because God has an everlasting love for
the people He created, He has provided the means by which we may have
everlasting life. Our sermon text shows
us that God’s Word gives
life—everlasting. The Lord God
declared:
"Just as the rain and the snow come down from
the sky and do not return there unless they first water the earth, make it give
birth, and cause it to sprout, so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to
the eater, in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth will not return
to me empty. Rather, it will accomplish
whatever I please, and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.”
As the snow
melts and spring rains pour down on the land, the grass greens and the trees push
out new leaves. Soon after, new shoots
of the crops come bursting up through the ground to produce the food we will
eat for the coming year. All of this is
God’s gift to the world, which serves also as a picture. God’s main focus isn’t on the earthly growth
He provides but on our spiritual lives, and just as no plant can grow without
water, so saving faith never grows without the water of God’s Word.
The
immediate context of this portion of Isaiah is God’s promise to deliver the
enslaved nation of Judah from its captors.
For their lack of loyalty to God, His people would be driven out of
Judah into slavery in Babylon. In this, the
people of Judah picture all the people of the world. We all were enslaved by evil forces that led
us to sin. Our own desires opposed God’s
will. Our actions led us into judgment. At the same time, God used His chosen people
to tell the story of the salvation He provides for all people. After God declared His intention to rescue the
Judeans and return them to the homeland He had given them, He confirmed that
His words were not just empty talk.
You and I can look around this planet and see the
power of God’s Word. As He spoke in the
beginning, God immediately brought into existence this world and everything in
it—everything we so often take for granted, God produced using only His
command. Likewise, everything God spoke
through His prophets happened exactly as He said.
For you and me, the declaration made in our sermon
text calls us to give special attention to all of God’s Word. Just like seed that lies in the ground will, without
moisture, eventually die. Thus, without
the life-giving water of God’s Word, we too would suffer eternal death. Our Gospel lesson spoke of the farmer
planting seed in his field. Seeds that
landed on a hard-packed path were soon gobbled up, while seed that landed on rock
sprouted quickly, but just as quickly was seared to death by dry heat. Likewise, new sprouts of many other seeds
were choked out by things that stole away their water. Only the good ground retains the moisture
that gives life.
God has
declared that He “wants all people to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) Through Isaiah,
our Lord declares, “My word
that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty. Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please,
and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.” God promises that His
Word gives life wherever it is properly used.
When the Word enters our lives, we are given faith in Jesus which produces
spiritual life. God’s Word is so
powerful that St. Paul later declared, “I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation
to everyone who believes.” (Romans
1:16)
My friends, the power of God’s Gospel brought you to
faith in His Son. That’s also why you
are here this morning, to drink deeply from the refreshing water that only
Jesus gives. You and I need regular
drinks of the Gospel’s power to refresh our souls and to retain and grow our
faith. We put our salvation in grave
danger if we take for granted the hydrating power of God’s Word.
Years ago, a bicyclist on a regional tour suffered a
fatal heart attack. The autopsy revealed
that even though he was in great shape, he hadn’t drunk enough water as he rode
his bike on that cool day. In the cool
air and wind of his ride, he never felt the need for a drink, and it cost him
his life. The same thing can happen to
our spiritual lives if we neglect to regularly drink deep of the living water
of God’s Word through which He continually refreshes us on our journey to
heaven.
Jesus once met a woman at a well outside Samaria,
and He said to her,
" If you
knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’
you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." (John 4:10) Jesus’ living water
gives eternal life, and it refreshes us day after day in our journey through
this life, so that our eternal lives don’t shrivel away. That Samaritan woman, and many in her town,
heard Jesus’ words and believed in Him as God’s promised Messiah, thus they
received salvation through His Word, for God’s
Word gives life—everlasting.
God’s
message to us is true for eternity.
Several times throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, God spoke from heaven saying,
"This is my Son, whom I love; with
him I am well pleased.” (Matthew
17:5) Trusting God’s Word, we know with
all confidence that Jesus is God’s one true Son from all eternity.
Jesus said, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his
hands. The one who believes in the Son
has eternal life.”
(John 3:35-36) Since we believe that Jesus lived and died
for us, and that all our sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake, we can know with
complete confidence that we have an everlasting home waiting for us in heaven,
just as Jesus promised when He said, “In
my Father's house are many mansions. If
it were not so, I would have told you. I
am going to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)
Perhaps, however, you occasionally wonder whether
your faith is enough, or is strong enough, for you to have forgiveness and
salvation. Because our corrupt flesh
sometimes doubts, Jesus gave us signs to show that our salvation is dependent not
upon ourselves, but upon Him, alone. He
gives Baptism so that we may know that through the water and the Word, He has
claimed us as His own. The Holy Spirit gives
His word of promise through St. Peter, who wrote:
“Christ also suffered
once for sins in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to
God. He was put to death in flesh but
was made alive in spirit, in which he also went and made an announcement to the
spirits in prison. These spirits disobeyed long ago, when God’s patience was
waiting in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In this ark a few, that is, eight souls, were
saved by water. And corresponding to
that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the
guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. He went to heaven and is at the
right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.” (1 Peter 3:18-22)
Jesus wants you to be absolutely sure that your sins
are forgiven, so He gives you His body and blood in His holy Supper to assure
you that with His life, He has paid the full price for your misdeeds. In His last supper before He was betrayed,
Jesus handed bread to His disciples saying "This
is my body, which is given for you.” (Luke 22:19) And handing them the cup of wine, He said, “This is my
blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of
sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
When you come to the communion rail to eat and drink, today, know with
full confidence that these words are true for you. Your sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus’
precious life sacrificed for you. In
this supper, Jesus is promising that you have eternal life, because He has paid
the penalty of death for all sin. God’s Word gives life—everlasting. The Lord declared:
"Yes, you will go out with joy, and in peace
you will be carried along. The mountains
and the hills will break out in shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of
the field will clap their hands. Instead
of thorns, a fir tree will grow up.
Instead of briers, a myrtle tree will grow up. This will make a name for the Lord. It will serve as an everlasting sign that
will not be cut off.”
In His
poetic way, our Lord was telling His people that He would rescue them from the
torment and trouble in which they were living.
God’s Word, here, has two fulfillments: first, of course, that the
people of Judah would be allowed to return to their homeland in Canaan. They would return to Jerusalem to rebuild the
temple and worship again in the land God had promised to their fathers. But the ultimate fulfillment of these words
is far more important. You and I, and every
believer who ever lives, will be led out of the torment of this dark and troubled
world into a home of great blessing and joy.
Because the Tree of Life has grown up from the thorns of this world, “You shall go out with joy, and be led out
with peace.” These words of our Lord
stand forever—the promise of His eternal home in heaven, also given to us, in
which there will be only peace and joy.
Of course, in heaven, we won’t be worried about
earthly water. The deserts so common on
earth won’t be a concern any longer, for we all will drink from “the river of the water of life…as clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1) The salvation God gives isn’t something to help
us only in the world—it rescues us from death and gives us sure hope. It gives you and me unending life as we are gathered
around God’s throne to be eternally at His side.
The people of Judah were afraid that they would
never see their homeland again.
Sometimes, when we think of our future at the end of this life, we too
feel afraid. To take away our fears, we
have full assurance of life everlasting as the Holy Spirit tells us through St.
Paul:
“Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus, who died and, more than that,
was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also
interceding for us! What will separate
us from the love of Christ? Will trouble
or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Just as it is written: ‘For your sake we are
being put to death all day long. We are
considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.’ For I am convinced that neither death nor
life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor
powerful forces, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will
be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:34-39)
My friends, during any trial or torment, hold on to
the promises God gives through His Word.
Every word of the Bible points to one truth: that by His Son, Jesus
Christ, you have been made right with God Almighty. Jesus lived for you and died on the cross in
payment for all your sins, and for His sake, each and every one of us stands
forgiven—declared righteous—by God Almighty.
This is God’s Word, His promise to you: God’s
Word gives life—everlasting. Amen.
The peace
of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.
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