Isaiah 53:2-6 & Peter 2:24
On Sunday, Pastor Paul concluded the 2024 Advent sermon series “The Promises of Christ,” which explored Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. He began the sermon by revisiting the passage from the first sermon, specifically God’s prophecy of Jesus in Genesis 3:15. Pastor Paul recounted the story of Adam and Eve's fall into sin. Deceived by the serpent, they experienced shame and a broken relationship with God. However, despite their disobedience, God offered a glimmer of hope through the promise of redemption found in His judgment of the serpent, stating:
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
Jesus is the offspring of Eve, whose heel was continuously stricken by Satan. Throughout Jesus’ life, Satan relentlessly tried to undermine Him through temptation, false accusations, and unjust convictions under both religious and civil laws. The final strike to Jesus’ heel was the nail that secured His feet to the cross. Yet, by remaining sinless, even unto death, Jesus crushed Satan and defeated death through His resurrection.
Isaiah 53 reveals that the One whose heel was prophesied to be struck would also be the One whose wounds would bring healing to Israel from her sins. Pastor Paul discussed how Jesus is the Suffering Servant. Isaiah depicted Jesus as the one who would bear judgment and death intended for sinners. Through Him, the sins of the world are justly judged, thereby offering forgiveness and peace with God to all who place their faith in Him as God's Son and sacrifice for their sins.
Pastor Paul encouraged the congregation to grasp the significance of this truth, especially during Communion. The sacrament symbolizes reconciliation with God, made possible through Christ’s broken body and shed blood during the crucifixion. He emphasized that by accepting this truth and remaining faithful, believers can find peace amid trials, likening Jesus to the eye of a storm—calm and unwavering amidst the chaos.
Ultimately, the sermon served as a reminder of the importance of seeking an unbroken fellowship with God after being pardoned for sin through faith in Jesus. How is fellowship with God maintained? Through the means that he provides and commands us to observe. These means include Sabbath worship, scripture reading, preaching, prayer, remembering our baptisms, and coming to the Lord’s Table with a clear understanding that Jesus calls us to the Table and is the host of the Table.
This Christmas, give yourself to the One who loved you by suffering your fate as declared in God’s law, reconciled you to God so that you don’t have to hide in guilt and shame like Adam and Eve, and calls you to follow him in this life alongside other followers, to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness as we fulfill his Great Purpose for us to go, preach, baptize, and make disciples.
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