Christmas Candlelight and
communion service Villa Rica 2002
Isa. 61:1-11
"The Spirit of the
Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news
to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To
proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the
favorable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God."
This communion
service is a gospel encounter, a remembrance and a celebration. We have
already had food and fellowship with family and friends. Now we come to
the table of the Lord. Here we see the gospel in substantive form; here
there is food for the soul.
I. THE AFFLICTED EXALTED
Isaiah was given the
Word of the Lord about the meaning of Christ's coming. We have read just
a few verses but in those few verses we have the glorious, good news of
the promise of the coming of One who would exalt the brokenhearted, lift
up and revive the heart of the afflicted, transform the mind and heart
of the disconsolate to praise and joy.
When Jesus began his
public ministry he went to the synagogue and read these words from the
prophet Isaiah. He sat down and said; today this Scripture
has been fulfilled in your hearing. (Luke 4:21)
Flashback about
thirty years to Bethlehem and you find this man coming to earth as a
baby boy. His arrival was told to the shepherds in the field and they
were told by an angel not to be afraid because he had great good news
that would be for all people, for today in the city of David there has
been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Isaiah prophesied
this great event and the scripture we have read today attests to the
fact that this will indeed be an event that will exalt the afflicted.
His coming will alleviate the distress and misery of mankind. Only by
his arrival can man know God's redemption and reconciliation to Himself.
II. The Table of the Lord Is a Remembrance