Jesus Christ, Source of Eternal Comfort
“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:1,9)
Three exclamatory statements point us to the source of comfort; they are all presentations. Yes, people need to be comforted when they have been battered by the waves of a rough and tough life, when it has gone on for longer than they expected and there seems to be no clear hope for better times. People need to be comforted in order to see beyond the limitations of science and economics; people need to be comforted in the captivity they can’t escape, yet even there God knows and is present. Isaiah’s second major section of his book starts off with God himself calling upon his people to be comforted – our circumstances may be different, but it encourages to know that God knows, and He is concerned.
The first exclamatory statement came from Elisha as he presented the resurrected boy to her mother: “Here, take your son!” (2Kings 4:36) The generous Shunammite woman had almost accepted her unfortunate condition as barren, but the man of God prophesied and excited her with the promise of a son. The baby boy grew up and was the solace and comfort of the family, until the dark moment when a headache took his life in a twinkling of an eye. The disturbed woman frantically hunted down Elisha to intervene, and indeed he did. The presentation of the boy now alive changed the entire mood and comfort was restored.
The second statement was by Thomas the apostle, when the risen Lord Jesus Christ visited and asked him to touch his hands and side in order to confirm it was Jesus. Thomas exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” Thomas was presenting to himself the Lord who had been crucified but was now alive. This brought comfort to both Thomas and other disciples in the hardest season when hopes had been shattered and the future was very bleak.
The third comes from Isaiah as he seemingly comforts future Jews in their Babylonian captivity. However, the statement would well apply to the disciples beholding their risen Lord Jesus Christ: “Here is your God!” (Is 40:9). The presentation of a living Messiah brings comfort to all whose hope was in Him. More so, for us today, the presentation still makes sense: not as receiving a risen son like for the Shunammite, and not as receiving and touching Jesus’ hands like for Thomas, but truly receiving our God who is alive and present. The foregoing were preparatory (and fleeting) scenes to point us to the source of eternal comfort – our God. He loved us so much that He gave His Son who passion and victory we celebrate especially in this season. He is indeed the source of eternal comfort; receive Him in your heart and enthrone Him there forever: “Here is your God!”
God bless you all. Have a Blessed Easter season!