Isaiah 66:10-14 (ESV) 

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; ¹¹that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance.” ¹²For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. ¹³As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. ¹⁴You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

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The heart of the city of Jerusalem was the temple; the building God called His dwelling place.  That temple was the center of Isaiah’s universe because God was present with His people there. However, the prophet foretold a day when Jerusalem would be desolate, and the temple burned and laid to ruins (see Isaiah 64:10-11).  Isaiah understood that those who loved Jerusalem would mourn for what was lost.  So, the Lord inspired Isaiah to speak a message of hope for all who mourned over Jerusalem.  The message in our text today is about more than buildings and streets.  For Isaiah, Jerusalem was first and foremost the people, God’s people.  Jerusalem’s greatest sorrow was not what happened to the temple, rather it was what happened to its people.  

God gave Isaiah the ability to see with eyes of faith. He was able to see beyond the torn-down walls and the scattered stones.  Through a God-given vision, Isaiah did not see a city of ruins, but rather a city of people.  When God’s prophet spoke about Jerusalem, he was describing a city where God once again dwelled among and within His people. What Isaiah described was the Church, and seeing the Church gave Isaiah a reason to rejoice.   

The Church is people. With human eyes we may see the Church as nothing more than a building with pews filled with sinners.  People with tongues that do damage, with hands that pursue selfish gain, with flaring tempers. People filled with pride, who leave hurt, doubt, and despair in their wake led by someone who is himself a weak, heavily laden sinner. Unfortunately, that is a brutal fact of life.   

But the Church is not a building. The Church is made up of God’s people gathering around His Word and receiving His sacraments.  Jesus promises: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among you” (Matthew 18:20).  He is here among the people whose tongues have done damage and who use those same tongues to confess their sins then use their ears to take in God’s forgiveness.  Jesus is here in the water and the Word of Baptism that sets you apart as God’s own child.  Jesus is here speaking to you in Scripture readings, sermons, liturgy, and hymns.  Jesus is here listening to your prayers.  He is here, surrounding you with a community of believers.   This is what Isaiah saw with eyes of faith, and it gave him reason for rejoicing because where Jesus is, there is life.

So, Isaiah invites you to “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her” because Jerusalem is not a city of ruins. Jerusalem, the city of peace, is alive bringing the Word of life to those whom God has extended peace like a river: Amen.

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