Tue Sep 15

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words comfort and good news.

Reading

Isaiah 40:1-11—The Consolation of Israel

Optional Reading

Luke 2:22–38

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

Simeon was waiting for God’s comfort to His people.
Isaiah promised God’s comfort to His people.
Jesus is the only one who can bring us comfort from God.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

Who wrote Isaiah 40-66?
What message does Isaiah bring to Jerusalem?
Who is the source of comfort for repentant sinners?

Catechism

(1 Q&A each week related to the preaching text)

WSC #22

How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Heb. 2:14, 16; Heb. 10:5; Matt. 26:38; Luke 1:27, 31, 35, 42; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 4:15; Heb. 7:26

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

We’re told that Simeon, a righteous and devout man, was waiting for the consolation (or comfort) of Israel. He knew that comfort would come through the promised Messiah.

Isaiah prophesies God’s consolation to His people in Babylon. But, because this happens 100 years or so after Isaiah writes, some claim a “2nd Isaiah” as the author of this section. But the Bible presents Isaiah as a unified book with one author—Isaiah, son of Amoz.

So, by the Spirit of God, Isaiah writes above his ability and brings comfort to Judah—and to us. Comfort—yes, comfort. How gracious is our God! To be sure, we sin. And we often face the temporal consequences of our sin as discipline from a loving Father. But an end to God’s loving discipline comes. And comfort from God comes tenderly to His people.

The promised comfort was to come through a Shepherd who would tenderly care for His flock (v.11). This comforting Shepherd is the child Simeon took up in his arms. He would purchase God’s pardon for our sin with His own life. God is justly angry with us when we sin—but only temporarily. His ultimate wrath has been poured out on Christ for us.

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 85b, 119v

Prayer

Rejoice in Jesus bringing the comfort of God to us.
Give thanks for something from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.