No. 27. >> Nick, you are right. These suggestions are both practical and very helpful. Professor Lessing, would you add to what you have already shared by giving us an example of an Easter sermon from Isaiah? >>DR. R. REED LESSING: I would be happy to share one more sermon. This time from Isaiah Chapter 25 Verses 6 through 9. And this is a common text in any number of lectionaries when it comes to the celebration of our Lord's resurrection. So we're beginning to see that Isaiah covers all the bases from birth to death to resurrection. Let's get started here. And we get started contextually again. And this is the way the sermon begins: The party is over. It can mean it's 2 a.m. and I've got to go to work in six hours. Besides, everyone is leaving and my wife is probably still up. Your out of eats and drinks, the party is over. Or it can mean: It's all over. The fat lady has sung. The curtain has gone down. And my ***nicasia has struck out. It's this second sense of the party is over that coincides with the context of our text. Namely, the cosmic judgement of Isaiah 24. Hear this Word of the Lord from Isaiah 24:8 and 9: The gaiety of the tambourines is stilled. The noise of revelers has stopped. The joyful harp is silent. No longer do they drink wine with the song. Make no mistake about it. In Isaiah Chapter 24 verse after verse this is the declaration. The party is over. And yet, after the Lord's judgement in Chapter 24, our text from Chapter 25 states: On this mountain General Yahweh will prepare a feast. Cosmic judgement will give way to cosmic mercy. Fasting will give way to the feast. God's people will drink wine again with the song. All because of the promise that we have in Isaiah 25 Verse 8. Death will be swallowed up forever. On this day, Easter day, resurrection day, we gather to celebrate that the Lord has done just that. You see, there's nothing dead about Jesus. John 1:4: In him was life. And that life was the light of men. John 6:35: I am the bred of life. John 6:66: You have the words of eternal life. John 10:10: I have come that they may have life. John 11:25: I am the resurrection and the life. John 14:6: I am the way, the truth and the life. Climatically Paul throws a triumphant fist up in the air. And shouts: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Far from being over, this party has just begun. And make no mistake about this, either. Jesus of Nazareth is the life of the party. He's not some fable or fairytale that we've made up inside our head. He's God the Son. He's risen from the dead. Isaiah says: On this mountain General Yahweh will prepare a feast. It is time to drink wine again with the song. Every party brings a certain set of questions. The first one being: Who is invited? Isaiah stresses that all are invited in the following ways. As we look at our text -- before we preach obviously -- we will see this universal aspect of Isaiah 25:6 through 9 that we want to incorporate into our sermon. Twice in these verses Isaiah mentions the phrase: All people. Then he mentions: All nations. Then he mentions: All faces. Then: All the earth. Note the sequence. All people invites all ethnic groups. All nations invites all political groups. All faces invites each individual. And just in case we don't get it, Isaiah concludes with the words: All the earth. All are invited. John Carlson is a Lutheran pastor in Minnesota. Several years ago he noticed that in his town on the night of the senior prom, only the popular kids were invited. So he came up with an idea of holding a celebration for kids who couldn't get a date because they weren't all state and felt, well, second rate. This prom was for them. Now Timex gives out watches to the kids who attend. Other kids have joined in. Now it's more popular than the real prom. Carlson calls it the Reject Prom. Been rejected lately? Told you don't belong? Feeling second rate? Do you know about partner rejection, peer rejection, parental rejection? Do you know about deep running personal rejection? All are invited. The next question: What about my appearance? Answer: Come as you are. But you say: My face bears the marks of worry. My shoulders are stooped from burdens. My lips are dirty from slander. My heart is hardened Towards my spouse and children. My fingers are stuck, accusing, pointing at my brother. My arteries are clogged with bitterness and resentment. So you're thinking: What do you mean: Come as you are? I'm a spiritual mess. So am I. So is Israel. Isaiah tells us in his day that Israel was clothed with the same disgrace of sin. Isaiah 1 Verse 6: From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness in you. Their tear-filled faces, again, in our text, bear the marks of guilt and shame. So much so that our text says they covered their faces with ***shroughs and sheets. But it's come as you are. Luke 15:22: Bring the best robe. Put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Let's have a feast and celebrate. The Father provides the proper attire for prodigals. Easter baptismal robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb. Come just as you are. But what about party gifts? No gifts, please. For this celebration we can bring nothing. Listen again to the verbs that are driving our text from Isaiah 25:6 through 9. The Lord will prepare. The Lord will destroy. The Lord will swallow up. The Lord will wipe away. The Lord will remove. He does it all. No gifts, please. Luke 14:17: At the time of the great banquet he sent his servants to tell those who had been invited: Come. For everything is now ready. No gifts, please, because this God puts everything on the table. Gifts that are purchased at the cost of spitting, mocking, whipping, nailing, bleeding, sweating and dieing. And now he lives to give the gifts. And what awesome gifts. Isaiah tells us: A feast of rich food. A banquet of aged wine. The best of meats and the finest of wines. True body and true blood through which we receive washing, cleansing, healing forever. Finally, with any party there's an RSVP. This God is so passionate about our attendance at the celebration, he gives us the words with which to respond with. Isaiah 25:9: In that day they will say: Surely this is our God. We trusted in him. And he saved us. That day Isaiah speaks of is today. Just now. So come joyfully, expectantly. Come triumphantly. For with the holy, holy, holy, with the Words of Institution, with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, these liturgical pieces tells us that the celebration begins. And with the final trumpet call it will be brought to consummation in the marriage feast of the Lamb and his kingdom will have no end. Brothers and sisters, it's time to drink wine again with this song: The feast is ready. Come to the feast. The good and the bad. Come and be glad. Greatest and least. Come to the feast. And so we have an Easter proclamation from Isaiah. Trying to stay in Isaiah, stay within the context. But obviously sprinkle any number of New Testament promises that demonstrate the fullness of the Isaianic proclamation in Jesus, our Lord.