This Sunday's Worship Materials can be found in the "Featured Sermon" below. We meet in person at Harper Park Middle School, and the service is also livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

The Promise of His Death (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

December 18, 2016 Speaker: Dr. David Silvernail Series: Christmas in Isaiah - Advent 2016

Passage: Isaiah 52:13– 53:12

Well, we’re almost to Chrismas — just ten days away. We’re continuing our Advent sermon series on “Christmas in Isaiah.” From now through January 1st, we’ll be looking at six promises from the Prophet Isaiah that directly relate to the person and work of Jesus Christ. This Sunday we’ll be looking at “The Promise of His Death” from Isaiah 53:1-12. Great! Wait! What? His Death? Really? At Christmas time? Yes. Well, Joy to the World (with sarcastic tone accompanied by eye-rolling). How can we talk about His Death during the Christmas season of joy and gladness? Well, if you remember, when the angels appeared to the shepherds in the Gospel of Luke, they said, Luke 2:10-11, “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David ”uc" style=“text-decoration: underline;”>a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." A Savior. And that’s what Isaiah 53 is all about. Who is this Savior? Jesus. What will He do? Die on the Cross? And why is that something for us to look forward to (in Isaiah’s time) and rejoice in (in our time)?

The Cross is the centerpiece of Christianity. It’s what gives Christmas its meaning. It’s not just the Incarnation of the Christ. But it’s the Incarnation of the Christ, who came to be our Savior, and the granting of our salvation required His death. If Jesus didn’t die on the Cross, He wouldn’t be our Savior, and we wouldn’t be celebrating Christmas or Advent. So “The Promise of His Death” is very much a Christmas story. And we’re going to be looking at it closely this Sunday. It is truly one of the paradoxes of the Christian Faith, that the Good News of Great Joy is about the arrival of a Savior who will die for you and for me (which is also why we call it “Good Friday”). We’re going to learn together how the messianic promises in Isaiah can comfort our hearts and remind us of great truths this Advent season. And hopefully, it will make our Christmas even more meaningful. See you Sunday, Dr. Dave.

More in Christmas in Isaiah - Advent 2016

January 1, 2017

The Promise of His Reign (Isaiah 40:1-11; 9:7)

December 25, 2016

The Promise of His Resurrection (Isaiah 25:1-9)

December 11, 2016

The Promise of His Life (Isaiah 61:1-11)