Out Of Darkness, Into Comfort- Mark 1:1-8 & Isaiah 40:1-2

Last week we finished the Book of Judges and we saw the importance of dealing with sin rightly. In Judges 19 there were ‘sinful individuals, living in sinful families, who live in a sinful community’. In our sin nature we are prone to deal with sin in ways that ‘appear to be right in our own eyes’, but ignoring sin or dealing with it in fleshly ways will not work.

When we came to Judges 20 we thought we witnessed a better response to sin. In Judges 20:18-28 it appeared that God was at work among the people to bring them true repentance. If the story had ended in verse 28 we would have concluded that Israel had repented; however, in the rest of Judges 20-21 we saw no evidence that what was done was true repentance.

Judges 19-21 taught us two lessons regarding repentance: you cannot deal with sin in carnal ways or through religious looking things where the heart is still far from the LORD. In the end, the scriptures testified what was done in Judges 19-21 was not true repentance, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” (21:25)

Because of what we saw at the end of Judges we we might ask.

• “If Israel did not repent rightly, what hope is there for me? Have I really repented?” (Is. 42:16, 43:1-3)  

• “If Israel had so quickly become so faithless, could God fulfill the promise that he had spoken in Genesis 3:15, ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel?’”

• We might ask, “How can we ever expect to have hope and comfort if things are this bad?”

After having studied the book of Judges we ought to have a longing to turn our attention to the KING and His Word that Israel was rejecting. (21:25) This is why we’re going to study the Gospel of Mark. Let’s read Mark 1:1-8, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, ‘After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’”

As we read Mark 1:1-8 you probably saw themes that were in the Book of Judges. For example,

• Judges 19:1 began with these words, “In those days, when there was no king in Israel…”, but Mark 1:1 immediately introduces us to this King in v.1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus came proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand…”. (1:14-15)

• Another parallel is the importance of true repentance. Mark 1:2-3 is a quote from Isaiah 40 which speaks of this. After this Mark 1:4-8 shows that John the Baptist came fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy by preaching “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Over the next few weeks we will transition from the book of Judges into the Gospel of Mark by considering Isaiah 40 where Mark quotes from in Mark 1:2-3. We saw in Judges 19-21 a faulty repentance even though it looked like God was providing a pathway to repent. In Isaiah 40 we will see how the LORD helps sinners to repent rightly. Judges 19-21 may have overwhelmed you, but Isaiah 40 will comfort you greatly. Isaiah 40:1-2 says, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly (comfortably, gently, to the heart) to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.”

Isaiah 40 is an important transition in the book of Isaiah; therefore, let me begin by speaking about the structure of this book and these particular verses. First, the book of Isaiah mirrors the structure of the Bible. For example,

• There are 66 books in the bible; and there are 66 chapters in the book of Isaiah.

• There are two sections in the bible; similarly, there are two sections in the Book of Isaiah.

• The first section in the bible has 39 books; similarly, the first section in Isaiah has 39 chapters.

• The second section in the bible has 27 books; similarly, the second section of Isaiah has 27 chapters.

• Isaiah 40 is a text that is in all four of the Gospels and when you begin reading at this point, you notice that something unexpectedly changes.

Structure of Isaiah 40:1-2: This is an unexpected message of comfort which mentioned 3x. This message of comfort permeates everything we will see in the coming weeks. This message of comfort is founded upon three profound truths: the warfare has ended, iniquity has been pardoned, received double for all our sins.

Earlier we asked, “How can we ever expect to have comfort when things are this bad?” All of us have found ourselves in hopeless situations and wondered if God could comfort us in the misery that our sins have brought about. Well, consider that this word of comfort is in sharp contrast to the first 39 chapters where you often see that God is at war with sinners. For example, Isaiah 5:25 says, “Therefore, the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people, and He stretched out His hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger has not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still.” (9:12,17,21;10:4;23:11)

This message of comfort in Isaiah 40:1-2 comes right after God has told Israel that the Babylonians were going to carry them off into exile. Isaiah 39:5-7, “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, who you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” Three times Isaiah speaks of Hezekiah’s children who will experience these things. We might ask, “We asked earlier, “How can God fulfill the promise in Genesis 3:15, or the promise given to David, because of this hopeless situation? How can there be any comfort or hope in this situation?”

Hezekiah hears these things and he finds comfort in the fact that there will be peace and security in his days. That is how the first section ends! (1-39) In this moment, Hezekiah is like those people in Judges 19-21 who sought comfort in temporal things. Hezekiah finds comfort, but it is not the comfort that Isaiah speaks of in Isaiah 40:1-2, comfort and peace with God.

Because of how Isaiah 39 ends, this word of comfort is the last thing that you would expect to receive (or take seriously) in this moment! My friends, if God can speak of comfort in this environment, surely God is the God of all comfort who can comfort us in our time of our need. (2 Corinthians 1) In our sinful nature we won’t surrender to the LORD and stop fighting against Him. We are alienated from God and we hate His Word. We love our sin and will not submit to the LORD and His Word. Wasn’t this what we saw in Judges 19-21? Israel would not surrender and repent so the war between them and God continued.

This word of comfort rests upon three realities that the LORD has done.

• First, this comfort comes from knowing that this warfare has ended. (2b)

• Second, this comfort comes because our iniquities have been pardoned and forgiven. (2c)

• Third, comfort is given because all of our sins have been paid in full. (2d)

Let’s consider Isaiah 40:2b, “Speak tenderly (comfortably, gently)...that her warfare is ended (accomplished)…”. Isaiah 5 spoke of the war that was raging between God and sinners, but now that war is over! Isaiah 40:2b may also be stressing something else. In the footnotes of your bible you see that the word ‘warfare’ can also be translated ‘hardship’, or ‘harsh service’, or ‘hard labor’. This word refers to an enlisted soldier whose hard service is coming to an end.

When Hezekiah heard about Israel’s exile he took comfort in knowing that he would not be subjected to such a harsh service in captivity. His sons, however, would go into exile and experience a harsh hardship, but they could be comforted in knowing that one day God would return His people into the Promised Land. These words of comfort are referring to more than the fact that the Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 39:5-7) would come to an end. Isaiah 40 speaks of comfort between sinful people and their holy God!

We know that Isaiah 40:1-2 is speaking about something more because Israel’s exile to Babylon could not be the basis of their sins being forgiven (2c). Nor could their exile be the basis for them receiving from the LORD’s hand double for all their sins (2d). Isaiah 5 showed us this.

When God’s enemies surrender through repentance this war is over and they are freed from their harsh service to sin. Isaiah 30 speaks of this when it says, “The LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as He hears it, He answers you.” (30:18-19) But to those who will not surrender we read, “For thus said the Lord God the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning (repentance) and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling, and you said, No! We will flee…”. (30:15)

Our second reason for comfort is “that our iniquity is pardoned…”. (Isaiah 40:2c) ‘Iniquity’ speaks of something that is twisted, warped, distorted, perverted, and ugly. Our sin warps every area of our life: thoughts, actions, words, intentions, etc. In the book of Judges when Israel rejected the LORD and forsook His Word they formed twisted, warped, distorted, and perverted views about Him.

Jesus describes this in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:24-25, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant!” What will the LORD do to such a wicked servant? In verse 28 Jesus says, “Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Isaiah 40:2c is very good news that such evil sins and warped perceptions of God can be forgiven and pardoned.

The word ‘pardoned’ speaks of something which is ‘acceptable’ and ‘delightful’. This seems odd, but this word is used in Isaiah 42:1 where we read, “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights…”. (42:1-4, 6-7) That is the same word that is used in our text. The concept of ‘pardon’ makes sense when you continue to read about what the Servant does to obtain the pardon for sinners, “I have put my Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice on the earth; and the coastlands wait for His Law...I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness”

God accepts the punishment of our iniquity in what Jesus Christ did when He offered Himself up for sinners. This pardon is given to all those who will repent and believe upon Jesus Christ. Oh the mercy and grace of God that saves wretches like us!

Finally, let us consider Isaiah 40:2d which says, “…that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” The word ‘double’ means ‘exact equivilent’. This means that the Father has pardoned all of our sins and brought an end to the war because Christ has made atonement for every single sin, transgression, and iniquity that His people have committed. Consider just how many sins you have committed. Think of the sins of omission and of commission that you’ve done. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Not one is forgotten or overlooked. Not one sin will be neglected to be dealt with so that it will accuse you some time in the future.

What a comfort it is, that we sinners, have our sins cast as far as the east is to the west. That we, who are such great sinners, can be forgiven and justified so that we do not need to look over our shoulder and wonder when the hand of God will fall upon us in judgment killing our bodies and casting our eternal souls into hell. Jesus Christ is the acceptable sacrifice for sins, the war is over, and our sins have been pardoned.

With this in mind, think of the words of comfort that the Gospel of Mark begins with, saying, “The beginning of the gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Oh how quickly we loose this comfort if we stop looking at Christ and remembering what good He has graciously and mercifully done for us.

Over the next few weeks I’d like you to practice four principles that we see in Mark 1:1-8.

• First, spend time meditating upon Mark 1:1 regarding who Jesus Christ, the Son of God is. Ask yourself, “Do I qualify for the comfort spoken of in Isaiah 40:1-2? Have I repented and believed upon Christ?” Or you might ask yourself, “What part of my life is not yet submitted to His Lordship and authority?”

• Second, spend some time each day reflecting upon Mark 1:2-5 to see what crooked parts of my thinking, my heart, my life needs to be dealt with?

• Third, According to Mark 1:6-7, what parts of your life needs to decrease so that Christ can increase? What parts of your life are you seeking attention, credit, or control which needs to be submitted to the LORD?

• Fourth, According to Mark 1:8, spend some time praying to be filled with the Spirit and living in dependence upon Him. Are you living according to His power and strength, or your own? Are you using the gifts He has given you, or are you running from them like Jonah?