March 10, 2024: Sunday School

Order of Service

• Prayer of Invocation
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Redeemer's Delight and New Names for Zion

Scripture: Isaiah 62:1-12

I. The Redeemer's Delight and Willing Work

A. The Redeemer's commissioning in Isaiah 61:10-11

1. Clothed with garments of salvation — meeting humanity's need
2. Covered with a robe of righteousness — meeting God's requirement
3. The beauty of the work pictured in bridal and wedding imagery

B. The Redeemer delights to do this work

1. Psalm 40 — "I delight to do your will, O my God"
2. Hebrews 10 quotes this psalm twice in describing Christ's once-for-all work as Redeemer
3. Isaiah 53:11 — the righteous servant makes many to be accounted righteous

C. The Redeemer's intercessory ministry (Isaiah 62:1, 6-7)

1. "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent" — contrasted with the suffering servant's humility and silence
2. Points to Christ's ongoing intercession at the Father's right hand
3. The High Priestly prayer of John 17 as a New Testament parallel

D. The Redeemer raises up his people to pray (Isaiah 62:6-7)

1. Watchmen on the walls — a continuous, day-and-night praying ministry
2. Goal: that Jerusalem would be made a praise in all the earth
3. Echoes the Dominion Mandate and the Abrahamic promise to bless the nations
4. The people of Zion participate in the prayer that brings about the Lord's purposes — already living in Zion, yet waiting for the fullness of Zion (see Hebrews 12)

II. The New Names for Zion

A. Names in biblical times carried deep significance and were tied to identity and calling

1. Examples: Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob all received name changes tied to God's purposes
2. The Lord himself speaks new names over his people (Isaiah 62:2)

B. From "Forsaken" to "Not Forsaken" (Isaiah 62:4, 12)

1. Isaiah 49:14 — "Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me'"
2. The Lord answers: "You shall no more be termed Forsaken"; "a city not forsaken"
3. Application: believers who feel forsaken are named by God as not forsaken

C. "My Delight Is in Her" and "Married" (Isaiah 62:4-5)

1. Wedding and honeymoon imagery — the Covenant ceremony and the joy that follows
2. The Lord is a faithful husband to his people; the theme runs to Revelation 19 and the marriage supper of the Lamb
3. Ephesians 5 — Christ watching over, guarding, protecting, and lavishing his bride

D. "The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord" (Isaiah 62:12)

1. 1 Peter 2:10 — "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people" — applying this name to the church, both Jew and Gentile
2. Echoes of Hosea and the restoration of a people once called "not my people"
3. God names his people according to his work for them, his love, and his delight in them