God Speaks: The Advent of the Prophet
Advent 2024 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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God Speaks: The Prophecy of Hope
God Speaks: The Prophecy of Hope
We begin the 2024 Advent season with a focus on prophecy and hope. Of all the feelings that we should experience with the beginning of Advent, it should be hope.
“Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eye, sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called ‘the rejoicing of hope’ (Hebrews 3:6).” William Gurnall
As we consider the Advent season, we have two perspectives. First, the perspective of those in the Scriptures themselves. They were eagerly anticipating the first advent, the birth of Jesus. That is what we are celebrating and remembering each Advent season.
Second, we have our perspective. Our perspective looks back in worship for the First Advent, and on the basis of the veracity of that Advent, we are eagerly anticipating the second advent.
In this first Sunday of Advent, then, we have the stage set for us for the remainder of the Advent Season, that is, a focus on the wonderful, mysterious, and glorious truth that God speaks.
In the Scriptures, as Hebrews 1:1 states, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.” God used the prophets to speak on His behalf.
We will not dive into the details of all the various messages and prophets throughout the Bible. Rather, we will focus on one Prophet, the Lord Jesus.
He is the Prophet spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:18 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
I. The Prophet’s Purpose- Isaiah 61:1–3
I. The Prophet’s Purpose- Isaiah 61:1–3
Prophets were anointed by God to speak on His behalf. They were the means that God used to communicate His Word to us.
In Isaiah 61, one of the many Messianic passages, we see an emphasis on the prophetic ministry of Jesus. In this passage, we see the Trinity, the Gospel, and in the Gospel according to Matthew, the Prophet’s arrival.
A. The Trinity and the Prophet- Isa. 61:1
A. The Trinity and the Prophet- Isa. 61:1
In 61:1 we see the Trinity:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD
The LORD
Me
The Triune God is working for His glory and our redemption.
“Every operation is from the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.” Matthew Barrett, Simply Trinity, 293
God the Father anoints God the Son, and God the Son, through God the Spirit, proclaims the plan of redemption, “that he (our Triune God) may be glorified” (Isa. 61:3).
B. The Prophet and the Gospel- Isa. 61:1–2
B. The Prophet and the Gospel- Isa. 61:1–2
What is the prophet’s message? It is the Gospel of Reconciliation, the Gospel of full forgiveness of sins and restoration to our Triune God. But let’s consider this Prophet’s message of hope here.
1. The Recipients of the Prophet’s Message
1. The Recipients of the Prophet’s Message
His message is to the poor.
Isaiah mentions the brokenhearted.
He mentions the captives.
He mentions those who are bound.
He mentions those who mourn.
The people who need salvation, a point that is literally in the name of Jesus, as we read in Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.””
The recipients of the Prophet’s message are poor, broken sinners in need of salvation.
2. The Contents of the Prophet’s Message
2. The Contents of the Prophet’s Message
The content is one of hope, the complete reversal of our sin-riddled existence, overwhelmed by the emotional desperation of that state.
Good news
Healing (“binding up”)
Liberty
Freedom
the year of the LORD’s favor
Comfort
The Prophet preaches Good news indeed!
3. The Results of the Prophet’s Message
3. The Results of the Prophet’s Message
As a result of the Prophet’s message, sinners become Saints, those who were captive become free, those who were separated from their God become “oaks of righteousness” and “the planting of the LORD.”
This was prophesied about 700 years before the Prophet was born, but He did come.
C. The Prophet’s Arrival- Matt. 1:16, 18–25
C. The Prophet’s Arrival- Matt. 1:16, 18–25
Even here we see the Trinity. The birth of God the Son, by the Holy Spirit, according to the word of the LORD (a prophecy from Isaiah 7:14).
Jesus became man, He took on human nature. It would be unbelievable were it not recorded in Holy Scripture!
Cyril of Alexandria, in his book, On the Unity of Christ, writes,
“He was born of a woman according to the flesh in a wondrous manner, for he is God by nature, as such invisible and incorporeal, and only in this way, in a form like our own, could he be made manifest to earthly creatures.” St. Cyril of Alexandria
The Prophet came to earth. And He preached (prophesied) to many, both God’s people and those who would reject Him.
The Gospel of hope gave good news to the poor, bound the broken hearted, freed the captives and those bound, and told them of the Lord’s favor for them in Christ.
II. The Prophet’s Return- Isa. 61:2–3; Luke 4:16–30; Matt. 24:44; 2 Thess. 1:5–10
II. The Prophet’s Return- Isa. 61:2–3; Luke 4:16–30; Matt. 24:44; 2 Thess. 1:5–10
The Candle of Prophecy and Hope gives us hope from the past. Jesus really did become man.
But it also gives us hope (and a warning) for the future. The Prophet, for whom so many had waited for so long, came. And the Prophet, for whom so many have waited for so long, will come again.
A. He Came the First Time- Isa. 61:2–3; Matt. 1:22–23
A. He Came the First Time- Isa. 61:2–3; Matt. 1:22–23
Notice how Matthew phrases this, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet…” It was prophesied, and it was fulfilled. Jesus was born. But the Prophet of the Lord, Jesus, also prophesied about another coming, His second coming, His return.
B. He Prophesies His Return- Matt. 24:44
B. He Prophesies His Return- Matt. 24:44
“The Son of Man is coming…” Jesus tells us He is coming again. But His second coming will be most unlike the first coming. The first coming was humble, unknown to most of the world.
The second coming will be undeniable, as we read in Matthew 24:30–31 “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
But the Prophet, the Lord Jesus, who speaks hope to God’s people, gives more details about His second coming.
C. He Elaborates on His Return- 2 Thess. 1:5–10
C. He Elaborates on His Return- 2 Thess. 1:5–10
Paul, as a prophet of the Prophet, provides great detail on this Second Coming. Or, we could phrase it this way, the Prophet, capital P, continues to speak through his prophet, lower case p, about His Second Coming.
The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his angels
He will be revealed in flaming fire, not a humble manger
He will inflict vengeance on His enemies, not endure their mocking and shaming
He will wield eternal torments on His enemies, not lay down His life to wicked men
He will be glorified by His Saints
