Life In The Covenant Of Peace (Isaiah 55:1-13, Luke 24:1-12)
Rev. William L. Barron, April 9, 2023Part of the Eastertide series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
In this prophecy, God Himself delivers a gospel sermon, addressing Isaiah. The people have sinned, and judgment is on the way, followed by restoration. Altogether, it is a restatement of the covenant of peace. Originally, there was a covenant of works followed by a covenant of grace. However, Eve's seed misunderstood and expected the messiah to be an earthly leader. Yet, God's response to original sin was grace bringing peace with Him. Isaiah 55 is an invitation to come and experience peace with God, a free gift that can never be earned. Living water quenches our spiritual thirst. The spirit and the bride say, "Come" (Rev. 22). The Holy Spirit and the Church have the same message to offer: restoration for spiritually needy lost people. Assurance comes with the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. The women at the empty tomb testified of this to the fearful disciples. Just as they brought the men, Jesus brings a people unto Himself to have peaceful everlasting life with God. The Church has a message--Come and experience everlasting peace! It is a solution that solves the needs of all. As the women experienced, we can all know the joy of the resurrection through the Holy Spirit and the Church.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
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| « Substitutionary Atonement | None | True Spirituality » |
Isaiah 55 (Listen)
55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
(ESV)
Luke 24:1–12 (Listen)
24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
(ESV)