Advent: December 7

Isaiah 40:9-11 (ESV) Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” 10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

John 10:14-18 (ESV) I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

The Old Testament is loaded with the good news in gospel predictions, preparations, reflections, and results. These gospel glories were given hundreds of years before their fulfillment, and they cause us to feel the audiences’ anticipation and hope in the middle of despair. We should feel that tension as we read these gospel glories.

The season of Advent invites us to experience that anticipation and hope. Jesus has come. These Scriptures have been fulfilled. Those who first received God’s promise hoped and did not get the fulfilled promise, but we did. Yet we find ourselves still having to hope in God to make the good news of Jesus continue to be effective for us as we have believed and hope for in the midst of waiting for the fullness of his kingdom to come on earth as in heaven.

What are you waiting on? How are you continuing to hope in the gospel? Are you looking to God and waiting in faith on him?

Isaiah 40:1-11 makes us feel this anticipation and hope while we continue waiting on the fullness of Jesus’ reign.

Isaiah looks forward to Judah’s captivity in Babylon and he preaches for their comfort before the actual captivity. That fact alone should be comforting because the Lord loves them so much, he sent a comforting promise before he disciplines them, so that while they are under his heavy Fatherly hand they can know he is working for their good.

Isaiah also brings comfort with the message of verse 9 that personifies Jerusalem as a preacher of the good news. This comforting because it means they will one day be restored from their impending captivity to their homes, will have a message to share, and that good news they are to preach is the same truth that restores them from their captivity.

One must ask, what is the good news that is to be preached upon their restoration that is the truth that restored them? Isaiah answers at the end of verse 9, “Behold your God!”

God himself is the good news. God in his person is the gospel. Israel gets restored because they look to the Lord in faith. Upon their restoration they cannot help but preach that gospel from the mountain tops.

To mine the depths of this amazing message of the good news to look at God, there must be a few questions asked like: Who is God? What is his name? What about him is “good news”?

The authors of the New Testament intend for us to have answers to these questions.

The authors of the New Testament say God’s name is Yeshua, Jesus (Matthew 1:21), and they say he is the Lamb of God who takes away the world's sin (John 1:29). Jesus says of himself in John 10 that he is the “Good Shepherd”. These authors tell us God’s name, what he’s about, and how he is good news.

One facet of the good news about God he wants us to see is that he is a shepherd who will care for his flock, gather them up from being scattered, carry them, feed them, and lead them.

God is the Good Shepherd.

Do you see it? Do you see what Isaiah and the gospel writers are doing?

They are telling us that Jesus is God and thus in his person and work he is the very essence of the gospel. Jesus comes to bear witness to the good news of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as THE God and that good news is experienced in his shepherd-like love and care for his people, and that love is displayed by laying down his life for his sheep.

Jesus shows us he is the Good Shepherd God in going to the cross to bring salvation and comfort to his people and he conquers death by resurrection.

Isaiah 40:9 invites everyone to look at this God. Behold your God!

In the Advent season let’s intentionally look at the good news that Jesus, God, is our Good Shepherd and he has come to shepherd us well. Let’s invite others to look at Jesus to see and believe.

Let’s live in the anticipation and hope that because he has come, he will continue to Shepherd us well in all seasons of life.

Advent. Behold your God!