Series Theme: According to Your Word

Third Sunday of Advent

printable version

Reading: Isaiah 61:1-9

Connecting Question

What is some good news in your life right now?

Who has brought you good news before?

Prayer for Illumination

God for whom we wait, you come to us in the broken bread and the cup we share. Make us ready always to welcome Christ into our hearts and send us forth to be your people in the world. Amen.

CONTEXT

How do we live in trust and hope according to God’s words? Our sermon series, According To Your Word, looks at how God’s promises have always been with us, guiding us, challenging us, and foretelling the coming of Jesus! Our title comes from Mary’s conversation with the Angel Gabriel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Though we may not be asked to do a big thing like this – but then again, we don’t know. God makes big promises and does big things. It is our joy to be a part of it. Join Easter this season to prepare for Christ’s incarnate arrival in the world.

From Dr Dick Nysse at EntertheBible.org:

It was a book addressed to its own time, but because the word of God endures throughout all generations, it speaks to the modern reader as well–not as predictions of the present and future from a distant past, but as a living word of God that brings hope and challenge now just as it has done throughout the ages.

Prophetic books like Isaiah are, for the most part, written in poetry and should be read accordingly. Readers should offer appropriate care for and attentiveness to the common features of Hebrew poetry, such as repetition, thematic echoes, line endings, metaphor, and the creative use of language.

Look at the Book

Jesus read and studied Isaiah! How powerful to think that we will learn from Isaiah just as Jesus did growing up. Name one or two familiar images you carry in your memory from the Bible. For example, shepherd.
Isaiah is divided into two main “books.” Book two begins at chapter 40:1. Open there now.
Read Isaiah 40:1-2. If these verses were the “theme verses” for the second part of Isaiah, what would the message that Isaiah is trying to share from God?
Google the hymn “Comfort, comfort, my people.” What lyrics or images stand out in this important hymn?
Turn to Isaiah 61. Notice that this passage looks more like poetry than prose. How might you prepare to read a poem different than a paragraph of words?
In verse one, who is the first group Isaiah is called to share good news with? Is this surprising or not? Much of this book is directed at the people of God who have failed to keep God’s covenant promises and ethical standards in the way they care for themselves and their neighbors.
There are four groups of people identified in verse one. Who are they and why do they get special call outs?
What group are you nudged to learn more about? How is Easter addressing each group?
In verse 2, there is support for mourning. What else do we mourn beyond the death of a loved one? How does God support us?
In verse four, what images are used as a comfort? Which one are you drawn to?
Use google and find where Jesus quoted this passage in the Gospels. Why did he use it there?
What would you like to talk about that we have not yet?

Taking it Home

What is something you are doing this week to prepare for Christmas that brings you joy?

God of the promise, you call your people together into your one mission in Christ’s name. Make us brave, grant us peace, challenge our expectations, and empower us to truly follow your Spirit’s lead. You are our one God who calls us together as one people, and we thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Grow Guide | Dec 15, 2024