Messiah Will Save Series

Messiah Will Save

Isaiah 35:1-10; 45:21-22; Matthew 1:21: Hebrews 12:12-13, 18-24

“Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

These words, recorded by the prophet Isaiah, spoke words of hope to the people of Judah at one of the darkest moments in their nation. Like a blossom in the desert, the prophesy gave promise that life would come forth from the barren circumstances they faced. They did not understand the theology of this promise - they did not know that it referred to Jesus, the Messiah who would come from heaven. The one thing that they were able to hold onto was the promise that God had not forgotten them.

Looking back, we understand that the words of this promise were fulfilled when Jesus came to earth to save us. We read in Matthew, “...You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt 1:21)

We need to be reminded of this promise today. People are losing hope. Everyone seems to be concerned about the state of things in our world. We hear every day about:

Terrorist attacks

Economic meltdown

Racial tension

increased homelesness and poverty

crime, drugs, gangs

People seem to be without hope

By looking back to Isaiah’s prophecy, we can gain hope for our lives today.

ISAIAH’S TIME

The time was around 700 BC. Judah had a series of revivals, but now they were in a time of great NEED. The ASSYRIANS had captured several cities of Samaria. Jerusalem was surrounded by the Assyrian army. People were starving, fearful and overwhelmed at the thought that like the northern tribes of Israel, Judah would also be taken into captivity.

ISAIAH’S MESSAGE: JEHOVAH WILL SAVE

Isaiah 35:3-4 “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.””

The Name ISAIAH literally means Jehovah Will Save! Every time someone spoke Isaiah’s name, they recited the promise that God had not forgotten them!

Isaiah 45:18-19 “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.” (Isaiah 45:18–19, ESV)

Isaiah 45:21b-22 “Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

WE NEED A SAVIOR for our TROUBLING TIMES

Isaiah’s message is just a powerful today: WE NEED a SAVIOR

ISAIAH 35:4 says “He will come to save you.”

HOW would God come? How did the inhabitants of Jerusalem think that God would come? In a mighty whirlwind? In destruction killing Egypt’s firstborn? In a pillar of fire and a mountain burning with smoke? NO. He came as a baby, lying in a manger.

Very similar to Isaiah’s name, the name JESUS literally translates “Jehovah Saves.” “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”” (Matthew 1:21, ESV)

Jesus as a frequently used name in the First Century. It is the most common reference used to speak of our Savior, being used over 600x in the NT. It is a COMMON name with great meaning.

The MESSIAH would come as a CHILD

This gives us HOPE

PEOPLE NEED HOPE TODAY, just as they did in ISAIAH’s TIME

JUDAH was DESPERATE

We can relate to the feelings the people of Judah were experiencing during the Assyrian invasion. Unless someone came to save them, they were doomed.

Everyone is captivated when someone is RESCUED. It could be a person from a burning building, a fishermen lost at sea or people trapped in an earthquake. We are all overwhelmed with concern when we hear of hostages taken by terrorists, regardless of where it takes place. Whenever we hear of a crisis with people in need of rescue, ever effort is extended to rescue them. NO PRICE is too high for their rescue. NOTHING is HELD BACK. During rescue operations, no one asks, “do we have the money to pay for this rescue?” EVERY EYE is CAPTIVATED