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Isaiah 60:1-3, 10-11
'Instead of...'
Morning Service
Advent III, December 11th, 2005
Hope Lutheran Church, Aurora, CO
Dear Saints,
This day has a name, an ancient name, Gaudate Sunday. “Gaudete” is Latin for rejoice, and so this Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, is called Rejoice Sunday. Advent is a season of preparation, of repentance, and so we mark the church with blue, the color of repentance and hope. But today, you will see, we have lit the rose colored candle, the color of rejoicing.
We hear of joy and rejoicing in the readings today. In the epistle of St Paul to the Thessalonians, “Be joyful always.” [1 Thessalonians 5:16] And in Gospel from St John, “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.” [St John 1:6f] In the reading from the prophet Isaiah, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.” [Isaiah 61:10]
I hope that your Advent devotions and Christmas preparations bring you joy as you continue to meditate upon and sing about the wonderful gift of God to us: the birth of our Messiah, Jesus.
It is with joy that we consider the Old Testament text before us this morning from Isaiah 61, and we will consider the text under this theme: “Instead of...” Instead of, what do you think of when you hear those words? Something is being replaced, switched. You are being handed something different that you expected. That something has taken another's place.
Perhaps your order was messed up at the restaurant, and they bring you fish instead of steak. The weatherman could misread the numbers, and you wake up to sunny skies instead of snow. The time of the meeting was changed, and you forgot, and so you walked in at 3:00 instead of 1:00. Instead of means that things are being switched around, changed.
Remember father Jacob in the Old Testament. He met Rachael, the daughter of his uncle Laban. Laban promised Rachael to be Jacob's wife if he would work for him for seven years. After years of work the wedding night came. But then, in the morning, Jacob saw that he had married Leah instead of Rachael. [Genesis 29] Laban made the switch, much to Jacob's consternation. He would work another seven years before he married Rachael.
Our lives are often full of 'instead of's. We're tired instead of energetic; sick instead of well, grumpy instead of happy.
It's been a life of 'instead of's ever since the Fall into sin. Instead of obeying God, and not eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve ate the fruit and disobeyed God.
Then follows a dreadful list of 'instead of's.
“Cursed be” instead of “it is good.”
Hiding from God instead of seeking Him.
Sin instead of righteousness.
Pain instead of joy.
Sickness instead of health.
Suffering instead of paradise.
And, the worst instead of of all, death instead of life.
That's how it is in this fallen world. Instead of the original perfection, we are bound to original sin. Things are different than their supposed to be, broken instead of prefect.
But the Lord isn't content with us having death instead of life, and so He sends His Son, our Lord Jesus. And now things with change again, another set of 'instead of's. This is the message that we heard from Isaiah. The Lord Himself speaks to Isaiah promising that He, the Messiah, would come.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
And here come the 'instead of's:
...to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. [Isaiah 61:1-3]
His life instead of ours, and His death instead of ours. His getting God's wrath instead of us. His being cursed instead of us. The cross, Jesus' cross, is the greatest 'instead of' in all of history. It's there that we get life instead of death, salvation instead of damnation, forgiveness instead of judgment and wrath. He is there, on the cross, in our stead, instead of us. Jesus has taken our place under God's condemnation, suffered and died in our place, instead of us. It is there that we are called 'righteous' instead of 'sinner'. That we are forgiven and set free and become the children of God.
And so, instead of the ashes of mourning He gives us a crown of beauty. Instead of mourning and sorrow He gives us the oil of gladness. Instead of a spirit of despair and hopelessness He gives us the garment of praise and thanksgiving to Him, for all of His wonderful works and gifts to us.
Dear Saints,
I don't know what kind of 'instead of's this fallen world is handing you today.
Maybe a pink slip instead of a Christmas bonus.
The doctor's dreadful, “I'm sorry” instead of “everything went fine.”
The kid's call to tell you they won't be able to make it this Christmas instead of joyful planning and reunion. Or even a Christmas alone, instead of with loved ones as Christmases past.
I don't know the 'instead of's that this world is passing out to you this Christmas season, but I do know the 'instead of's that the Lord Jesus has for you.
Joy instead of mourning.
Comfort instead of terror.
Peace instead of warfare.
Light instead of darkness.
Forgiveness instead of judgment.
Hope instead of despair.
Life instead of death.
And all of this, because Jesus died instead of you. All this because your sins are all forgiven. Amen.
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INJ
Pastor Wolfmueller