Be Careful What You Wish For

Isaiah 7:10-14

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Be Careful What You Wish For

When you were a kid, did you make a Christmas list for your parents? Who am I kidding? Do you do that now for your spouse or your children or the sibling across the country for your family gift exchange? What’s on the top of that wish list this year? If you could have anything, what would it be?

It's exciting to make wish lists. But if you look back through the long list of gifts you got for Christmas, how many of the ones that were #1 on your list still bring you lasting satisfaction today? The toy you wanted as a boy will be old news, in some cases before the New Year. The clothes that were on trend when you got them will be unwearable before you know it, either because they’re out of style or you’re out of shape. Even when we get what we want, it’s rarely – if ever – this magical experience that will transform our lives forever. Much more often, our tastes change; we grow tired of what we once thought we couldn’t live without; or the stuff that did bring us satisfaction for a while simply wears out.

So, what’s a wish list maker to do 4 days before Christmas? Is there something you can think of that would bring you lasting satisfaction year after year, maybe even into eternity? Can you guess where I’m going? What is the only thing that can provide you lasting satisfaction forever? It’s God! The same yesterday, today and forever, who doesn’t change like shifting shadows, but is constant and steady and always exactly what we need.

That makes it simple! Just bump God to the top of your wish list and we’re done. We’ll all have a happy Christmas. Amen.

But it’s not that easy, is it? If you’re honest, do you really think you could bring yourself to demote your current #1 wish list item from its place on top of the pile in preference for God? Or maybe a harder question: do you honestly, deep down, truly want God (and everything that means) to be at the top of your list? It can be easy to say that he should be #1, but be careful what you wish for. Ahaz certainly was.

Ahaz was given a golden opportunity, one many of us would envy: The Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”[1] The sky was the limit for Ahaz. He could ask for anything he wanted, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Earlier in chapter 7, Isaiah tells us: Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.[2] The kingdom of Judah was in trouble. Two fierce enemies had joined forces against it. King Ahaz and his people didn’t stand a chance on their own.

God had already come once with words of comfort for Ahaz: “Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid…[3] It will not take place, it will not happen…[4] Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.”[5] God promised protection. With God on his side, Ahaz had nothing to fear.

But Ahaz didn’t want divine promises. He wanted earthly assurances. He made a deal with the proverbial devil: Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”[6] Instead of trusting in the Lord, Ahaz turned to one of the most wicked kingdoms in history, with the worldly wisdom that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but with complete spiritual bankruptcy in his heart.

And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.[7] God had told Ahaz to trust him. Ahaz plundered the house of the Lord to pay off a mercenary for protection.

So, when Ahaz says, “I will not put the Lord to the test”[8] it’s not from a place of conscientiousness or faith. It’s the exact opposite. It’s a rejection of God altogether. Because here’s the thing: had Ahaz accepted God’s invitation and asked for a sign, then he would have had to abide by that sign and go along with God’s plan. But that was the one thing Ahaz was unwilling to do. He had made his own plans, and they were better than anything God could offer him.

So, let me ask you this question again: is God your #1 desire? Is a close relationship with your Lord the thing you think would bring you a happy Christmas? Even if it you know it to be true – even if you can admit to yourself that everything on your wish list this year isn’t even going to cross your mind next year – would you still kind of rather have that hockey sweater, or that trip to Hawaii, or a half dozen pack of cherry cordials because you know they would scratch that itch? They may not be forever solutions, but they would sure feel good now.

Or, how about that harder question I asked you earlier? Do you honestly, deep down, truly want God (and everything that means) to be at the top of your list? The thing about God is that he’s not a toy you can set aside when you get tired of him. He’s not a sweater you can hang in the closet when he goes out of style. He is your Lord and Master, and if you want him in your life, you can’t pick and choose which parts.

There are times, I think, we would all agree that we’d be happy to have God around – maybe not when foreign armies are approaching, but certainly when we feel alone, or afraid, or anxious, or just plain exhausted. It’d be nice to have God around then. But he’s not a genie in a bottle you can summon and then dismiss when he grants you your wish. He is your Lord and Master, and if you want him in your life, you can’t pick and choose which parts.

Because as often as we would be happy to have him around, there are plenty of other times that it wouldn’t be as convenient. When temptation comes knocking, again. And you know it’s sinful; you know it’s wrong on multiple levels, but you like it. You don’t want God around then, do you? It would be embarrassing; you’d feel guilty. Worse, he might stop you, and that’s not always what your sinful heart wants.

It’s almost the new year. Lots of us are looking ahead and making plans. Would you rather God be part of that process? Because you know that if God is there, he’s going to change your plans. He’s going to put things on your calendar that you actively don’t want. Do you really want God around then? Or would you rather he just sit that one out and let you make your plans, and then you can fit him in as time allows?

The sad fact is, you don’t have to be a wicked king to weary your Lord. You don’t have to sell the soul of your kingdom to try the patience of your God. We do it every day in big and small ways. We put the Lord to the test, even behind a mask of faithfulness – even every Sunday Christians – when we fail to value his presence in our lives or deliberately try to evade it.

But this is the character of our God. To a wicked, rebellious, immoral king – who put up a false pretense of piety to try to hide his spiritual bankruptcy – even to Ahaz God said: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.[9]

God burst his way into our lives – unasked, unforced, unearned – with a promise that we don’t always appreciate, but that we do all always need. Despite our sin and faithlessness – despite our wayward fecklessness – God still demonstrates his grace and patience to us by surrendering his Son to be born of virgin so that he could become Immanuel, i.e. God with us.

That’s what Jesus was 2,000 years ago – truly God with us, i.e. your Saviour from sin, in flesh and blood, who so eagerly desired to spend every waking minute of eternity with you that he gave up his earthly life for you, to demonstrate his patience, to pay for your sin, to give you the greatest sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights, that you have a God who loves you. For millennia the cross has been that sign – and rightfully so – but it started in the manger, when God became Immanuel, i.e. God with us.

And that’s what he still is – God with you. It’s no small thing that we celebrate the Sacrament today. This is the very real body and blood of our Saviour given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of all your sin. It’s no small thing that we gather here for worship every week – and twice more this week. This is where we hear his voice and see the signs of his love, testifying to his patience and grace, and to the eternity we will get to spend together with him forever in heaven.

I don’t actually believe that any of you would (or should) put God at the top of your Christmas wish list. That’s not what that list is for. But I would invite you to put him at the top of your heart – not as a seasonal sentiment, a novelty that will eventually wear off, and certainly not a genie in a bottle to summon and dismiss at will. Put him at the top of your heart as Immanuel, i.e. God with us – that constant, eternal presence and the sign of God’s love and grace, his patience and faithfulness, that he so freely and fully gives to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[1] Isaiah 7:10-11

[2] Isaiah 7:2

[3] Isaiah 7:4

[4] Isaiah 7:7

[5] Isaiah 7:8

[6] 2 Kings 16:7

[7] 2 Kings 16:8

[8] Isaiah 7:12

[9] Isaiah 7:14

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Jesus Gives You More Than Rose-Coloured Glasses

Isaiah 35:1–10

1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.

3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”

5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
    and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
    grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

8 And a highway will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10     and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Jesus Gives You More Than Rose-Coloured Glasses

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s something peculiar about this Sunday’s candle in the Advent wreath…

It’s pink.

Maybe you already knew that. Maybe you have one sitting at home right now. Maybe you realized it for the first time when you walked in and saw it was lit. But do you know why it’s pink?

The simplest answer is that it’s a happy colour. The Third Sunday of Advent has been historically titled “Gaudete Sunday,” which means “Rejoice!” The rose-coloured candle is meant to match the rosy theme of joy that pops up all over the Christmas story, from the shepherds in the field to Mary herself. Isn’t that nice?

And then we hear readings like Isaiah chapter 35, where there’s nothing but good things—the land itself rejoices, the desert bursts into bloom, the weak are strengthened, the disabled become able-bodied, and everyone makes it home safe—happily ever after, the end. It’s quite the rosy picture! It almost seems too good to be true.

That’s the thing about Sundays like this one. When we make it this big deal about joy and rejoicing, is it tempting to think it’s all a bit superficial? Almost like we’re putting on rose-coloured glasses—we’re just going to put this happy filter over everything and say things are great, even when reality doesn’t seem to match up.

But a rosy filter is about as helpful as a mirage in a dry desert—it may feel like you’ve found a lush oasis, but shiny sand can’t take away your thirst. Having a positive outlook can’t guarantee you’ll be out of the hospital and back home by Christmas. Bank accounts don’t accept silver linings or glad tidings as legal tender. Thinking sweet thoughts about baby Jesus sleeping in a manger won’t magically make depression and anxiety disappear.

If all Isaiah gives us is an encouragement to look on the bright side, we aren’t much better off than before. Take off those rose-coloured glasses again, and you’ll still see hands and knees that don’t work like they used to. You’ll still feel that sharp pang of guilt every time you remember that moment where things went so wrong, and the consequences that came from it. You’ll still wonder if your life will ever stop being so messy and chaotic and nothing like you imagined it would be. What good does it do us, if our joy is just an optical illusion?

We need more than a wish, more than a dream to hold onto. We need a promise. We need someone who doesn’t just change our perspectives, but someone who changes our reality.

As he sat in prison, John the Baptist wondered if he had been wearing rose-coloured glasses. He had been pointing to Jesus as the long-promised Messiah, the one who would come to bring freedom and glory to God’s people—the one whom countless God-fearing generations had placed their hopes in. And yet, at what he thought was the cusp of ultimate victory, here he sat wasting away until, whether he knew it or not, the day of his execution. Where was this vengeance and divine retribution that Isaiah foretold the Messiah would bring with him? What happened to, as Isaiah prophesied elsewhere, “freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners”?[1]

If John had been looking through rose-coloured glasses all this time, he had to know. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus:

“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”[2]

Jesus didn’t address their doubts by telling them to have a more optimistic outlook, or to avert their eyes and ignore the problems they saw in front of them. Instead, he pointed to what they had already seen and heard themselves:

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”[3]

The signs were all there. The Messiah had come—in Jesus’ ministry, Isaiah’s prophecy was actively being fulfilled. No one else could perform the miracles he did: the disabled become able-bodied; diseases disappear as if they were never there; grieving families get to hear their loved one’s voice again. All from a man who proclaims to them the kingdom of heaven is theirs. After thousands of years of hoping in the promised coming, this was more than just wishful thinking—this was reality.

But then why didn’t it look like what they had expected? These miracles were great for the few who received them, but wasn’t the Messiah supposed to bring this restoration to everyone? Why were some people raised from the dead, yet faithful prophets like John the Baptist still had to die for their message? Why wasn’t life as a God-fearing Jew getting any easier?

Even now, long, long after Jesus completed his earthly ministry, we can still ask similar questions. Is this really it? Why didn’t he simply make handicaps and hardships disappear entirely? Where is this paradise that Isaiah describes, and the Holy Highway that keeps us safe from all the things that threaten to tear us apart?

Isaiah’s prophecy doesn’t tell us to don rose-coloured glasses and pretend those problems don’t still exist. Instead, he points us to the far greater problem that the Messiah came to address. A problem that goes much deeper than mere appearances.

It’s not just that we live in a broken world. We’re broken people. People whose sight from birth is not just tinted but totally blind to God’s righteous law. Our sinful, doubting hearts chase after every mirage, hoping to find some sense of joy in health or wealth or stability or anything that catches our eye. But it’s never the oasis we think it is. No illusion can wash our sin-stained souls or bring us any closer to a holy God.

We don’t just need a change of perspective, or even a change of circumstances. We need redemption, and rescue. We need someone who changes our reality. And that’s exactly the Messiah Isaiah points us to:

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come…he will come to save you.”[4]

The miracles Jesus performed during his ministry pointed to his mission—but they weren’t the point of his mission. Your God did come, in real time and space, to completely reverse the effects of sin—to heal not only bodies, but souls. He came to fulfill everyprophecy, including the ones that looked anything but rosy. He came to take away our guilt and shame by taking them on himselfas he suffered and died on the cross. He came back from the grave to show us that not even death is strong enough to separate us from him and his love.

Jesus came to make this your reality. When he created faith in the barren wasteland of your heart by the power of his Word, he poured out streams of lifegiving water that washed you clean. Through his Word and sacraments, he continues to soothe your doubts and droughts, refreshing you with springs of joy and confidence in your redemption.

Are your hands weak with worry? Jesus holds you with his nail-pierced hands that will never let you go. Has life brought you to your knees? Jesus lifts you up and gives you his love and forgiveness to lean on. Is your troubled heart racing? Jesus comes to guard and guide you with peace beyond understanding.

When Isaiah says we can shout for joy, it’s more than just a rosy outlook. In Jesus, we see and hear our reality.

These gifts of redemption and renewal are already ours to treasure and rejoice over. Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t still face grief and pain every day. We don’t expect this life to be a paradise—because we’re not meant to stay here. We have something higher and better. God gives us more than comfort for the moment, more than just the hope of a “someday”—he puts us on his Holy Highway, driving us day by day closer to our home in Zion.

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.[5]

This is not just any path through a park—this is a road raised up, set apart as holy by the Holy One for his holy ones. Our guilt and sinfulness would have disqualified us from ever stepping foot on this path to God’s presence. But God, in his love for us, removed our impurity—not by looking at us through a rosy filter, but by colouring us crimson with Jesus’ righteous blood.

God calls us to this road that leads us home, and he makes it clear that nothing in this world can pull his rescued people off it.

“No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the LORD has rescued will return.”[6]

From our perspective, we still see many dangers on our walk to Zion. We may still feel the sand in our shoes, reminding us of the desert we came from—the desert of sin and its consequences. Yet by faith, we also see our destination clearly: our eternal home, the inheritance promised to us by the one who has kept every promise and fulfilled every prophecy. Our hands and knees may lose their strength; brutes and beasts may bring us harm; life may look nothing like we thought it would. But no danger visible or invisible can steal from us God’s promise that we, his redeemed and rescued people, will return safely to our eternal home, where everlasting joy will crown our heads. Because when God makes a promise, he makes it reality.

By faith, we can see not just the destination that lies ahead, but the joy we’ll have when we get there. Every Sunday, we echo the songs we’ll sing together when we enter Zion as fellow redeemed. When we encourage and uplift each other in Christian love, we preview the day that all sorrow and sighing will take off running forever. When we break from the bustle and busyness of life and instead find rest in the gospel’s words of forgiveness, it’s like joy and gladness finally catch up to us and become our traveling companions on the long road home.

We still aren’t blind to the broken world we live in. We know life here is far from a paradise. But we don’t need rose-coloured glasses to see real reasons to rejoice. Our circumstances don’t have to be happy for us to shout for joy that our God came to save us and reverse the effects of sin forever. Our joy comes not just from hope in a “someday,” it comes from confidence in a God who keeps his promises. Our joy is grounded in the knowledge of what our Messiah has done to put us on his Holy Highway and lead us safely home. Our joy is so much more than a rosy outlook. In Jesus, it’s our reality. Amen.

[1] Isaiah 61:1

[2] Matthew 11:3

[3] Matthew 11:5

[4] Isaiah 35:3-4

[5] Isaiah 35:8

[6] Isaiah 35:9,10