Comfort, Comfort Now My Peoples

 

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5 ESV).

 

“Comfort, Comfort Now My People” is an old song with a powerful message. It is based on our reading today (Isaiah 40:1-5), which gives hope to God’s people. It provides hope that our comfort will come. In this song we sing about a prophet who was called to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist was that prophet (cf. Mark 1:1-11; John 1:19-34); he came to “prepare the way for the Lord.” John called people to repentance, preparing their hearts for the coming Savior. His work renews our hope that God fulfills his promise to comfort his people.

 

At the birth of Jesus, God fulfills his promise of bringing comfort. Jesus comes for the purpose of saving us from our sins. The Bible tells us that our sin has been paid for by Jesus’ death on the cross. Because Jesus has paid for our sins, we have comfort in knowing that we can find true peace and rest in him. Whenever we face struggles and challenges, we can remember that our comfort is in Christ.

 

I often turn to the old catechisms for concise statements of faith. The Heidelberg Catechism asks, “What is your only comfort in life and in death?” And it answers, “That I am not my own, but belong — body and soul, in life and in death — to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.” Such truth in so few words!

 

There is no greater comfort to be found than in Christ alone. Whatever you may be facing this Christmas season, understand it is merely another part of the journey that will lead us home to an eternal life that no longer tries our souls or darkens our spirits. We are free from sin and death. Comfort yourself and others with this great message of truth!