Sexagesima February 12, 2023
Isaiah 55:10-13
Word Power
v.10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Dear friends in Christ, just ask any farmer – rain and snow are very important. For without them—without enough of them—plants will not grow—seeds will not germinate—stalks will not bring forth fruit in abundance. You can harrow and plough and fertilize till the cows come home—nothing’s going to happen—without rain. For it is water that is the catalyst—water that sparks the growth and gets things moving. Just look at the trouble we have when there are droughts—erosion of farmland and poor crops that can lead to widespread famine.
And water, dear friends, is what God says His Word is like. The Word He promises will cause great fruit to burst forth from the earth, for which all shall give thanks and rejoice. His Word pours forth from His abundant pleasure—gracing us with His promises of love, peace, and life. Yet the Word is such a small thing—such an ordinary, everyday, commonplace thing—we sometimes forget how powerful it truly is. Just like with rain and snow, sometimes we don’t appreciate it—even grumble and groan about it, taking it for granted when it is given to us in abundance—until it is gone that is.
See the Word seems so inconsequential—especially when compared with the great and mighty powers of the earth—sin runs rampant in our society, seemingly unchecked—people and churches slide into error and heresy—Christ is proclaimed not as Saviour, but as mere mortal, wise teacher. The church grows ever smaller and less impactful on the world around her. Indeed, it can be very difficult to trust that what God has given us will be sufficient to see us through the day, when we are beset on all sides by many and varied evils.
So it is very easy for us to begin to believe that the Word simply by itself—undiluted and without any trappings—will have any effect. In looking at the state of the world and the church around us we may think that the Word is not enough—that we must do something, anything, to help nudge it along and so build the church. And therein lies our greatest folly. Therein lies our problem.
Whenever we start to think that the great work of growing Christ’s church has anything to do with us we should remember this text spoken from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah centuries before the coming of Jesus. Here God is very clear—it is He who accomplishes this great and mighty task—Christ—His Spirit—and His Word. It is all Him. We are called upon to scatter the seed, but it is He who causes it to grow.
The Word of God is not simply words written on a page, or spoken aloud that are an empty echo—just reverberating noise. No, indeed, the Word accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent—it does what it says—for the Word is imbued with divine power and life. Indeed, the will of God becomes concrete and audible in the Word—it is the very utterance of His nature.
What is the great divine purpose of the Word? His purpose is to save you and all sinners like you. For the Word was sent forth from the Father—the divine Word—the Son of God—took on flesh—to live and die for you—so that by His sacrificial death in your place—He might garner a harvest of abundant fruit, Himself being the firstfruit of all the dead in His resurrection.
The message of the Word—the promise given through Isaiah and all the other prophets of the OT, pointed forward to the divine Word of God who would become man. The message of the Word of God—the message of salvation and redemption—has been personified and fulfilled in Christ Jesus. What a blessing this Word is to us—this Word which speaks to us the forgiveness and mercy of God granted for His sake to us sinful human beings. This Word teaches us that there is naught that we can do to earn God’s favour, but that we have been called to the one true faith through this holy Word of the Gospel and have been changed.
As the snow and the rain are the mediating causes of growth, and therefore, the cause of the enjoyment of what is harvested (ie the fruit)—so is the soil of the human heart (that Jesus described in the Gospel reading for today) softened, refreshed, and rendered productive and fruitful by the Word out of the mouth of God. For in the flood of the Lord’s Baptism, wherein water is combined with God’s Word of promise, our hearts were softened and the seed of faith planted deep—to spring forth—through continued nurturing of this life-giving Word—unto life everlasting. For His powerful Word has broken down and removed the barriers of sin and death that entangled us—causing new life to spring forth—a burning faith and desire to do God’s will.
Jesus is the living Word made flesh—those who despise Him and His Word will perish. But the Word is effective because it is God’s Word—and it will not depart without bearing fruit. For where the Word of Christ is believed –there is the church—and there she is growing—growing in the hearts and minds of all those who believe. By the preaching of the Gospel unbelievers are dramatically changed as their many idols are destroyed. For where the Gospel is—there also then is faith and mercy and forgiveness and life—for the Gospel sanctifies—makes holy—in every place and bears fruit—according to God’s good purpose.
But once again, the Word seems so weak and foolish—there appears to be no strength in it—how can it be believed that all the power, victory, and triumph of God are in the Word of a feeble human mouth? For the enemies of the Gospel may ask, “Do you really think that everything depends on the Word? No. We must act, we must work, we must think.” But here this text contradicts them for it says plainly and clearly—the Word does this. This, dear friends, is a great consolation to those of us who are weak—to give us strength—lest we be offended at the lowliness of God, who says that His every victory is in His Word.
This holds true as we meditate on Christ—the Word made flesh. His cross seems so weak—so terrible—on Calvary’s mountain Jesus seems to have lost to Satan, sin, and death. Yet it is precisely in His cross that His victory was accomplished—for you and for me. It is in the weak and lowly things of this world—water, bread, wine, and the Word that God works such great miracles. With a Word He declares you no longer guilty sinners deserving of His wrath—but forgiven—freed children—His beloved sons and daughters for the sake of His Son on the cross. With a Word He washed you in baptism. With a Word He gives you His own body and blood to eat and to drink—to strengthen and nourish you all the days of your life. Just as the rain and the snow achieve everything for the earth—so also the Word of Christ accomplishes everything for the sinner—calling us to repentance and faith in the living Word made flesh. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Isaiah 55:10-13
Word Power
v.10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Dear friends in Christ, just ask any farmer – rain and snow are very important. For without them—without enough of them—plants will not grow—seeds will not germinate—stalks will not bring forth fruit in abundance. You can harrow and plough and fertilize till the cows come home—nothing’s going to happen—without rain. For it is water that is the catalyst—water that sparks the growth and gets things moving. Just look at the trouble we have when there are droughts—erosion of farmland and poor crops that can lead to widespread famine.
And water, dear friends, is what God says His Word is like. The Word He promises will cause great fruit to burst forth from the earth, for which all shall give thanks and rejoice. His Word pours forth from His abundant pleasure—gracing us with His promises of love, peace, and life. Yet the Word is such a small thing—such an ordinary, everyday, commonplace thing—we sometimes forget how powerful it truly is. Just like with rain and snow, sometimes we don’t appreciate it—even grumble and groan about it, taking it for granted when it is given to us in abundance—until it is gone that is.
See the Word seems so inconsequential—especially when compared with the great and mighty powers of the earth—sin runs rampant in our society, seemingly unchecked—people and churches slide into error and heresy—Christ is proclaimed not as Saviour, but as mere mortal, wise teacher. The church grows ever smaller and less impactful on the world around her. Indeed, it can be very difficult to trust that what God has given us will be sufficient to see us through the day, when we are beset on all sides by many and varied evils.
So it is very easy for us to begin to believe that the Word simply by itself—undiluted and without any trappings—will have any effect. In looking at the state of the world and the church around us we may think that the Word is not enough—that we must do something, anything, to help nudge it along and so build the church. And therein lies our greatest folly. Therein lies our problem.
Whenever we start to think that the great work of growing Christ’s church has anything to do with us we should remember this text spoken from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah centuries before the coming of Jesus. Here God is very clear—it is He who accomplishes this great and mighty task—Christ—His Spirit—and His Word. It is all Him. We are called upon to scatter the seed, but it is He who causes it to grow.
The Word of God is not simply words written on a page, or spoken aloud that are an empty echo—just reverberating noise. No, indeed, the Word accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent—it does what it says—for the Word is imbued with divine power and life. Indeed, the will of God becomes concrete and audible in the Word—it is the very utterance of His nature.
What is the great divine purpose of the Word? His purpose is to save you and all sinners like you. For the Word was sent forth from the Father—the divine Word—the Son of God—took on flesh—to live and die for you—so that by His sacrificial death in your place—He might garner a harvest of abundant fruit, Himself being the firstfruit of all the dead in His resurrection.
The message of the Word—the promise given through Isaiah and all the other prophets of the OT, pointed forward to the divine Word of God who would become man. The message of the Word of God—the message of salvation and redemption—has been personified and fulfilled in Christ Jesus. What a blessing this Word is to us—this Word which speaks to us the forgiveness and mercy of God granted for His sake to us sinful human beings. This Word teaches us that there is naught that we can do to earn God’s favour, but that we have been called to the one true faith through this holy Word of the Gospel and have been changed.
As the snow and the rain are the mediating causes of growth, and therefore, the cause of the enjoyment of what is harvested (ie the fruit)—so is the soil of the human heart (that Jesus described in the Gospel reading for today) softened, refreshed, and rendered productive and fruitful by the Word out of the mouth of God. For in the flood of the Lord’s Baptism, wherein water is combined with God’s Word of promise, our hearts were softened and the seed of faith planted deep—to spring forth—through continued nurturing of this life-giving Word—unto life everlasting. For His powerful Word has broken down and removed the barriers of sin and death that entangled us—causing new life to spring forth—a burning faith and desire to do God’s will.
Jesus is the living Word made flesh—those who despise Him and His Word will perish. But the Word is effective because it is God’s Word—and it will not depart without bearing fruit. For where the Word of Christ is believed –there is the church—and there she is growing—growing in the hearts and minds of all those who believe. By the preaching of the Gospel unbelievers are dramatically changed as their many idols are destroyed. For where the Gospel is—there also then is faith and mercy and forgiveness and life—for the Gospel sanctifies—makes holy—in every place and bears fruit—according to God’s good purpose.
But once again, the Word seems so weak and foolish—there appears to be no strength in it—how can it be believed that all the power, victory, and triumph of God are in the Word of a feeble human mouth? For the enemies of the Gospel may ask, “Do you really think that everything depends on the Word? No. We must act, we must work, we must think.” But here this text contradicts them for it says plainly and clearly—the Word does this. This, dear friends, is a great consolation to those of us who are weak—to give us strength—lest we be offended at the lowliness of God, who says that His every victory is in His Word.
This holds true as we meditate on Christ—the Word made flesh. His cross seems so weak—so terrible—on Calvary’s mountain Jesus seems to have lost to Satan, sin, and death. Yet it is precisely in His cross that His victory was accomplished—for you and for me. It is in the weak and lowly things of this world—water, bread, wine, and the Word that God works such great miracles. With a Word He declares you no longer guilty sinners deserving of His wrath—but forgiven—freed children—His beloved sons and daughters for the sake of His Son on the cross. With a Word He washed you in baptism. With a Word He gives you His own body and blood to eat and to drink—to strengthen and nourish you all the days of your life. Just as the rain and the snow achieve everything for the earth—so also the Word of Christ accomplishes everything for the sinner—calling us to repentance and faith in the living Word made flesh. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.