During Advent, we will be using study prompts and other activities tied to the sermon for the week. Read the sermon aloud and follow-up with spoken responses to the two questions at the end. Find our full sermon compilation for individual, small group, or congregational use, Sermons for Advent and Christmas 2022 at www.sermonsthatwork.org. [RCL]…

Isaiah 35:1-10 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened.” These will be not only familiar words to many but also a familiar tune. Isaiah 35 is featured in the popular alto recitative in Handel’s Messiah. As we come to the text today, we pray for fresh eyes. We look upon a scene that…

Isaías 35:1-10 Contextualmente hablando, este pasaje se refiere al florecimiento del desierto del sur de Edom, un área por debajo del Mar Muerto. La creación de un crescendo que habla del regreso definitivo de los exiliados de su tierra santa, estos versos pintan un rico retrato de la próxima era de plenitud. Los antiguos israelitas…

Isaiah 35:1-10 Chapter 35 is Isaiah’s prophecy about the day of God’s glory wherein there will be rejoicing, gladness, blossoming and shouts of joy. The people will experience a sense of renewal, as he assures them that their salvation includes being saved from their enemies and restoration. There is no place for fear in God’s…

Isaiah 35:1-10 Contextually speaking, this passage refers to the flowering of the southern desert in Edom, an area below the Dead Sea. Building up to a crescendo that speaks of the final return of those exiled from their holy land, these verses paint a rich portrait of the coming age of fulfillment. The ancient Israelites…