Comfort, Comfort! (Isaiah 40:1-2)
Located on the front of the historic Trinity Church in Boston are the sculptures of six men. At the center are four Gospel writers who are flanked on the right by Paul and on the left by Isaiah, the author of the Old Testament book by the same name. Isaiah’s presence in this distinguished cloud of witnesses speaks volumes about his importance for the church.

Jerome (c. 342–420) wrote of Isaiah, “He should be called an evangelist rather than a prophet because he describes all the mysteries of Christ and the Church so clearly that you think he is composing a history of what has already happened rather than prophesying about what is to come,” despite writing approximately 700 years before Christ. Likewise, when Augustine (345–430) asked Ambrose (c. 327–400) for his advice on what he should read, the latter suggested Isaiah, “Because, I believe, he is more plainly a foreteller of the Gospel and of the calling of the Gentiles than are the others.” Isaiah is one of the most theologically significant books in the Bible.

Our series for Advent and Christmas, “Savior of the Nations Come,” employs a section in this book—Isaiah 40:1–11. For Advent grandeur, majesty, and supreme artistry, no section in Isaiah comes close to these verses. Their soaring language and unforgettable imagery are tightly woven into the fabric of the season’s hymnody, liturgy, and devotional literature. Join us this Sunday, as we hear of hope long foretold and now fulfilled in our Savior!