Lenten Sermon Series on Isaiah

This Lent, we will explore highlights from the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah lived 700 years before Jesus, ministering during a time when God's people were decadent and in decline; they practiced religion formally, but their lives were marked by selfishness, callousness, and idolatry. Meanwhile, the nations of Israel and Judah faced threats of invasion and conquest from foreign empires. God pronounced judgment on his people, but God also announced hope:  a messiah who will set to right all that is wrong within us and in the world. Join us for this series and renew your hope in God, who reigns the world over all the chaos.

March 2:  Isaiah 1:1-20  Isaiah summarizes his prophetic mission as a call for God's people to turn from formal religion and selfishness and to turn to God in penitence and faith. 

March 5 (Ash Wednesday):  Isaiah 5:1-17   Join us at 7 pm for our Ash Wednesday service. Ash Wednesday is a holiday in which we remember our mortality and need for penitence and faith. We will reflect on Isaiah's parable of the vineyard to explore these themes. The service will conclude with an opportunity to receive an imposition of ashes as a visible expression of our desire for a deeper spiritual connection with Christ. 

March 9: Isaiah 11:1-16   Jesus is the only one who can save us from our sinful and broken world. He is a perfect King who both saves and judges with perfect righteousness. Isaiah prophesied that the new king would be defined by rest, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear. This king would be perfect and like no other king.

March 16: Isaiah 25:1-12  This prophetic song of praise to God celebrates His ultimate victory over death. He will host a grand feast for all nations on Mount Zion, signifying a time of complete redemption and joy. God will wipe away tears and remove all sorrow, providing a refuge from oppression and a place of ultimate peace and security for those who trust in him.

March 23: Isaiah 40:1-15  The prophet delivers a message of comfort and hope to God's people, particularly those in exile, by proclaiming that their time of hardship is over and God will soon bring them restoration and deliverance. Isaiah calls for a voice to cry out in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord.

March 30: Isaiah 49:1-13  This is often referred to as the "Second Servant Song," it describes the mission of God's chosen servant. It highlights their role as a light to the nations, bringing salvation and restoration to the people, even when facing rejection and suffering. The servant is divinely appointed from birth, chosen to gather the scattered Israelites and extend God's covenant to all peoples.

April 6: Isaiah 58:1-14 The prophet critiques the empty religious practices of Israel, emphasizing the hypocrisy in their worship and fasting. While the people go through the motions of religious observance, their motives are flawed, as they seek to impress God rather than genuinely worship Him. God instructs them on the true meaning of fasting, highlighting the importance of compassion for the poor and oppressed over mere ritualistic observance.

April 13 (Palm Sunday) Isaiah 61:1-11 The prophet talks about a future "Servant" who will spread good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, free those who are captive, and restore cities. This shows God's plan to heal and redeem His people, replacing their sadness with joy and giving them salvation and righteousness. It hints at the coming of Jesus Christ and his mission.

April 17 (Maundy Thursday) Isaiah 53:1-12 The prophet highlights Jesus's suffering and death on the cross as a means of atonement for human sins. It emphasizes His rejection and affliction, illustrating that His death was a substitution for the penalty humans deserved. Jesus enabled humanity to be counted free and justified before God through His suffering and obedience to God's will.

April 20 (Easter) Isaiah 65:17-25 The prophet presents a vision of a new creation, featuring a new heaven and earth where God lives with His people in joy and peace. Jerusalem will be renewed, and there will be harmony among all living beings. People will experience long lives without fear of harm or temptation, enjoying a close relationship with God.