#DailyDevotion The Gospel Is Twice As Good As The Law

Isaiah 40⁶A voice called, “Preach!” “What should I preach?” I asked. “All people are grass, and all their beauty like a flower in the field. ⁷Grass dries up, and a flower withers when the LORD’s breath blows on it. Yes, the people are grass. ⁸Grass dries up, and a flower withers, but the Word of our God will stand forever.” ⁹Get up on a high mountain, Zion, to tell the good news! Call with a loud voice, Jerusalem, to tell the good news! Raise your voice without fear, tell the cities of Judah: “Here is your God!” ¹⁰See the Lord GOD coming as a Mighty One to rule with His strong arm. See the reward He has with Him, and what He has won goes ahead of Him. ¹¹Like a shepherd He takes care of His flock; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them at His bosom. He gently helps the mother sheep.

A man of God does not preach on his own accord and if he does the LORD corrects him (cf. Nathan when he tells David to build the temple). The voice says “Preach!” Now what should we preach? The Law of God! That Torah tells us, “All people are grass, and all their beauty like a flower in the field.” Yes we are like grass that grows up but then the wind blows over us and we wither. You might remember from Isaiah 64 how we were compared to a leaf that shrivels up and the wind blows us where it wills because of our sins. We think we will live forever and so we do what we will. But our sins limit our life and we do not do what we will but what the ruler of this age wills. If Adam did not rebel, then we would have lived forever and we would be like God. As it is, because of our sins and Adam’s rebellion we waste away and are seen no more.

The Word of our God will stand forever however! Both his Law and his Gospel do not change. His Law which says “do this and don’t do that” always stands and always accuses us, condemning us to death because we, like Adam, rebel and sin against God’s holy will. The Law though isn’t the last word. The voice says, “Call with a loud voice, Jerusalem, to tell the good news!” Indeed, he is told twice to preach the Good News!

So what is this Good News? “Here is your God!” Wait, how is that good news? Because of the word “your.” Your God is the LORD who redeems Israel. Your God is the one who saved Israel from Egypt. Your God is the God who promises Abraham his seed will be a blessing to the world. Your God is the LORD Jesus Christ who is prophesied as coming to you. Jesus Christ is the LORD, who came to us at a Mighty One with his strong arm. With his mighty outstretched arm on the cross of Calvary he has overcome the curse of the Law which condemns us. With his mighty arm Jesus the LORD took up his life again defeating death and the grave.

Now listen to the Good News, our God, the LORD Jesus Christ is coming again. He has his reward with him and what he has won goes before him. That reward is eternal life, the resurrection from the dead, the kingdom of God, a new heavens and a new earth. He will gather us up like a shepherd does a lamb on that great day. Though we have withered like the grass and gone away, he will raise us up immortal, imperishable and glorious like him on that day.

Merciful God and Father, remember we are like grass that withers and fades away, so do not hold our sins against us but for the sake of our LORD Jesus Christ grant us repentance unto life and forgiveness that we may rejoice in his revelation on the Last Day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.