as reflected from Isaiah
[ 3 voices ]
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As a consequence, Isaiah has often been called “the Fifth Gospel.” St Jerome said that Isaiah “should be called an evangelist rather than a prophet because he is able to describe all the mysteries of Christ and the Church.” Augustine once asked his bishop for advice on vacation reading, and Bishop Ambrose prescribed Isaiah“because, I believe, he is more plainly a foreteller of the Gospel and of the calling of the Gentiles than are the others.” In Early Judaism, the figures of dominating stature were Abraham, Moses, David and Isaiah.
The New Testament itself has a strong presence of Isaiah. There are approximately 250 references to Isaiah in the New Testament, and of the 37 times that Paul quotes from the Prophets, 27 are from Isaiah. When Jesus spoke in the synagogue at the beginning of his ministry, he quoted from Isaiah. When the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip to explain the Scriptures to him, that Ethiopian was reading from Isaiah. Philip had ready answers for him, interpreting Isaiah with “the good news about Jesus.” Much of the imagery and language of the book of Isaiah was familiar and deeply rooted in Jewish religion and culture; it formed a major part of the backdrop against which the first century Jews interpreted their experience of the risen Christ.
This reading takes sections of text from Isaiah and from the Letter to the hebrews and lays them side by side. hebrews is not the obvious choice to illustrate the influence of Isaiah: it includes only one direct quotation and only a few allusions.
There are, in fact, significant differences between the books. Isaiah is a large collection of texts — narrative history, poetry, prophecy — recorded for the benefit, the edification of the whole nation of Israel. The narrative and events described circulate within the world of high politics: kings, courts and the affairs of empires.
On the other hand, the Letter to the hebrews is written in the form of a sermon to a local church in early Christendom. The author lived in a world of ordinary, vulnerable people who had been persecuted and who were in danger of further persecution. They were, in fact, a community of Christians who were engaged in a painful struggle for their own existence, and the author is concerned that they are in danger of “falling away from the living Gods.”
Herein lies the similarity. The book of Isaiah also addresses a people living through a time of extreme danger. And this danger threatens to destroy their trust in God. The authors of Isaiah and hebrews both respond with dire warnings but also with words of deep-felt encouragement. And both speak boldly of the Messiah as bringing about God’s saving purposes.
This reading is especially appropriate for the Advent season.
Direction:
Reader A speaks the text from hebrews and Readers B and C speak the text from Isaiah. To help clarify this distinction it would helpful Reader A was physically separated from Readers B and C; for example, left and right at the front of the sanctuary, or front and back.
Presentation time: 9 minutes
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The Reading
ONE • God Has Spoken | ||
| A | God spoke | |
| A | We do see Jesus | |
| B | born in humility | |
| C | returning in glory | |
| A | Long ago God spoke to our ancestors | hebrews 1.1 |
| B | From the beginning, I have not spoken in secret, | Isaiah 45.16 |
| A | in various ways through the prophets | hebrews 1.1 |
| C | from the time it happens I have been there | Isaiah 45.16 |
| A | But now at last in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son | hebrews 1.2 |
| C | And now the Lord GOD has sent me and his spirit | Isaiah 48.16 |
| B | For to us a child is born to us a son is given | Isaiah 9.6 |
| A | whom he appointed heir of all things | |
| C | And the government will be on his shoulders | Isaiah 9.7 |
| A | through whom he also created the worlds | |
| B | who made all things who stretched out the heavens who spread out the earth | Isaiah 44.24 |
| A | He is the reflection the radiance of God’s glory | hebrews 1.3 |
| C | And he will be called Wonderful Counselor Mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace | Isaiah 9.6 |
| C | and the exact image of God’s very being | hebrews 1 |
| B | The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding the Spirit of counsel and of power the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD | |
| A | the brightness of God’s glory | hebrews 1.3 |
| C | He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears | |
| B | but with righteousness he will judge the needy with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth | Isaiah 11.2-4 |
| A | He sustains all things by his powerful word | hebrews 1.3 |
| B | He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever | Isaiah 9.7 |
| A | by the power of his word | hebrews 1.3 |
| C | As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth so is my word that goes out from my mouth | |
| B | It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it | Isaiah 55.11 |
| C | for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea | Isaiah 11.9 |
| A | Come, Lord Jesus | |
TWO • God Incarnate | ||
| A | God Incarnate | |
| A | We do see Jesus | |
| C | born in humility | |
| B | returning in glory | |
| A | who for a little while was made lower than the angels | hebrews 2.9 |
| B | You are my servant in whom I will display my splendour | Isaiah 49.3 |
| A | who during the days of his life on earth offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears | hebrews 5.7 |
| C | But I said, “I have laboured in vain I have spent all my strength for nothing at all | Isaiah 49.4 |
| B | Let me weep bitter tears Do not try to comfort me for the destruction of my beloved people” | Isaiah 22.4 |
| A | with cries and tears to the one who could save him from death | |
| B | Surely God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the LORD God is my strength and my might | Isaiah 12.2 |
| C | Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength | |
| B | They will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint | Isaiah 40.31 |
| A | and he was heard because of his reverent submission | hebrews 5.7 |
| C | He will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out | Isaiah 42.2-3 |
| A | Since, we, the children, share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared these same things | hebrews 2.14 |
| B | He will be named Emmanuel God with us | Isaiah 7.14 |
| A | Come, Lord Jesus | |
THREE • God With Us | ||
| A | God with us | |
| A | We do see Jesus | |
| B | born in humility | |
| C | returning in glory | |
| A | He himself likewise shared with us in our humanity so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death | hebrews 2.14 |
| C | The people walking in darkness have seen a great light | |
| B | on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned | Isaiah 9.2 |
| A | might destroy the one who has the power of death that is, the devil so that through death he might free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death | hebrews 2.15 |
| B | The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me | |
| C | He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners | Isaiah 61.1 |
| A | It was fitting that God for whom and through whom all things exist in bringing many children to glory | hebrews 2.10 |
| B | Surely you will summon nations you know not and nations you do not know will come running to you for he has endowed you with splendor | |
| C | has glorified you | Isaiah 55.5 |
| A | that God should make the pioneer of their faith the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings | hebrews 2.10 |
| B | From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in his body but bruises and sores and bleeding wounds | Isaiah 1.5-6 |
| A | to make a sacrifice of atonement a reconciliation for the sins of the people | hebrews 2.17 |
| C | Because he poured out himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors | |
| B | He was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities | Isaiah 53.5 |
| C | For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors | Isaiah 53.12 |
| A | Son though he was, he learned trusting obedience from what he suffered | hebrews 5.8 |
| C | He was led like a lamb to the slaughter | |
| B | By oppression and judgment by a perversion of justice he was taken away | |
| C | And he was cut off from the land of the living | Isaiah 53.7-8 |
| A | and, once made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him | hebrews 5.9 |
| C | By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities | Isaiah 53.11 |
| B | I will make you a light for the Gentiles that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth | Isaiah 49.7 |
| C | Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn | Isaiah 60.3 |
| B | For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nationsIsaiah 56.7 | |
| C | Peace, peace to the far and near | Isaiah 57.19 |
| A | When he had made purification for sins | hebrews 1.3 |
| B | After he has suffered he will see the light of life and be satisfied | Isaiah 53.11 |
| A | he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high and all people will see it together | Isaiah 40.5 |
| A | Come, Lord Jesus | |
FOUR • Christ Will Come Again | ||
| A | Christ will come again | |
| A | We do see Jesus | |
| C | born in humility | |
| B | returning in glory | |
| A | He had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God | |
| B | I live in a high and holy place but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit | |
| C | to revive the spirit of the lowly to revive the heart of the contrite | Isaiah 57.15 |
| A | Because he himself was tested tempted by what he suffered he is able to help those who are being tested | hebrews 2.18 |
| C | The LORD God has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word | Isaiah 50.4 |
| B | For he tends his flock like a shepherd he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart He gently leads those that have young | Isaiah 40.11 |
| A | Therefore, brothers and sisters lift up your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees | hebrews 12.12 |
| C | Strengthen the feeble hands steady the knees that give way | |
| B | say to those with fearful hearts | |
| C | “Be strong, do not fear your God will come with divine retribution he will come to save you” | Isaiah 35.3-4 |
| A | and make straight paths for your feet | |
| B | Make straight in the desert a highway for our God | Isaiah 40.3 |
| A | so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed | hebrews 12.12 |
| C | Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will spring up quickly | Isaiah 58.8 |
| A | Let us not lose sight of Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith | |
| B | He died in humility | |
| A | and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God | hebrews 12.2 |
| C | He is returning in glory | |
| A | Christ will appear a second time to save those who are eagerly waiting for him | hebrews 9.28 |
| A | Come, Lord Jesus | |