Born in Humility,
Returning in Glory
the Christ of the Letter to the Hebrews
as reflected from Isaiah
[ 3 voices ]
- A
- God spoke
- A
- We do see Jesus
- B
- born in humility
- C
- returning in glory
- A
- Long ago God spoke to our ancestorsHeb 1.1
- B
- From the beginning,
I have not spoken in secret, Isa 45.16 - A
- in various ways through the prophets Heb 1.1
- C
- from the time it happens
I have been there Isa 45.16 - A
- But now at last
in these last days
he has spoken to us by a Son Heb 1.2 - C
- And now the Lord GOD
has sent me and his spirit Isa 48.16 - B
- For to us a child is born
to us a son is given Isa 9.6 - A
- whom he appointed heir of all things
- C
- And the government will be on his shouldersIsa 9.7
- A
- through whom he also created the worlds
- B
- who made all things
who stretched out the heavens
who spread out the earthIsa 44.24 - A
- He is the reflection
the radiance of God’s gloryHeb 1.3 - C
- And he will be called Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of PeaceIsa 9.6 - A
- and the exact image of God’s very beingHeb 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 gloryHeb 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 earthIsa 11.2-4 - A
- He sustains all things by his powerful word Heb 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 foreverIsa 9.7 - A
- by the power of his wordHeb 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 itIsa 55.11 - C
- for the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the seaIsa 11.9 - A
- Come, Lord Jesus
- 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
Heb 2.9 - B
- You are my servant
in whom I will display my splendourIsa 49.3 - A
- who during the days of his life on earth
offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears
Heb 5.7 - C
- But I said, “I have laboured in vain
I have spent all my strength for nothing at allIsa 49.4 - B
- Let me weep bitter tears
Do not try to comfort me
for the destruction of my beloved people”Isa 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 mightIsa 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 faintIsa 40.31 - A
- and he was heard because of his reverent submissionHeb 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 outIsa 42.2-3 - A
- Since, we, the children, share flesh and blood,
he himself likewise shared these same thingsHeb 2.14 - B
- He will be named Emmanuel
God with usIsa 7.14 - A
- Come, Lord Jesus
- 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 deathHeb 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 dawnedIsa 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 deathHebrews 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 prisonersIsaiah 61.1 - A
- It was fitting that God
for whom and through whom all things exist
in bringing many children to gloryHeb 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 youIsa 55.5
- A
- that God should make the pioneer of their faith
the author of their salvation
perfect through sufferingsHeb 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 woundsIsa 1.5-6 - A
- to make a sacrifice of atonement
a reconciliation for the sins of the peopleHeb 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 iniquitiesIsa 53.5 - C
- For he bore the sin of many
and made intercession for the transgressorsIsa 53.12 - A
- Son though he was,
he learned trusting obedience from what he sufferedHeb 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 livingIsa 53.7-8
- A
- and, once made perfect
he became the source of eternal salvation
for all who obey himHeb 5.9 - C
- By his knowledge
my righteous servant will justify many
and he will bear their iniquitiesIsa 53.11 - B
- I will make you a light for the Gentiles
that my salvation may reach
to the ends of the earthIsa 49.7 - C
- Nations will come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your dawnIsa 60.3 - B
- For my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all nationsIsa 56.7 - C
- Peace, peace to the far and nearIsa 57.19
- A
- When he had made purification for sinsHeb 1.3
- B
- After he has suffered
he will see the light of life and be satisfiedIsa 53.11 - A
- he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on highHeb 1.3
- C
- And the glory of the Lord will be revealed
and all people will see it togetherIsa 40.5 - A
- Come, Lord Jesus
- 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 contriteIsa 57.15 - A
- Because he himself was tested
tempted by what he suffered
he is able to help those who are being testedHeb 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 wordIsa 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 youngIsa 40.11 - A
- Therefore, brothers and sisters
lift up your drooping hands
and strengthen your weak kneesHeb ??? - 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”Isa 35.3-4 - A
- and make straight paths for your feet
- B
- Make straight in the desert
a highway for our GodIsa 40.3 - A
- so that what is lame may not be put out of joint
but be healedHeb 12.12 - C
- Then your light will break forth like the dawn
and your healing will spring up quicklyIsa 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 GodHeb 12.2 - C
- He is returning in glory
- A
- Christ will appear a second time
to save those who are eagerly waiting for himHeb 9.28 - A
- Come, Lord Jesus
-
ONE • God Has Spoken
TWO • God Incarnate
THREE • God With Us
FOUR • Christ Will Come Again
The Book of the prophet Isaiah has long been appreciated for its vivid imagery depicting broad Messianic themes: the Anointed One, the Coming One who will bring about God’s redemptive purposes in history; the Messiah as King who “will judge the needy with righteousness and with justice will give decisions for the poor;” but also Messiah as obedient servant whose suffering unto death works God’s redemption.
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