It’s Advent — the time of year when we remember the birth of Christ. We kind of look back in time through the lens of faith and remember some things. We remember the Baby, born in a stable, the angels singing, shepherds, magi — wise men. And that which we look back upon is what people hundreds, even thousands of years earlier, looked forward to, through the lens of faith.
One of the passages that helped them do this is Isaiah 40.
Isaiah 40:1-5 (NIV) 1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. 3A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
From the time Isaiah wrote those words until over 700 years later, when Jesus was born, people had to see this through the lens of faith. Those living in Jesus’ day — blessed are they — saw this come to pass. When John the Baptist showed up, Matthew said…
Matthew 3:3 (NIV) 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
You and I, however, look back in time and see the same things. We do this through the lens of faith. This podcast teaches us what to look for at Christmas. More importantly, this podcast tells you how to find Mercy, Purpose, and Redemption in the Christmas Season.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download