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Celebrate Second Advent Sunday with Isaiah 40

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Giant Advent wreath in Kaufbeuren (Bavaria, Germany)

This Sunday is the second advent lights two of the four outer candles. Its focus is on love and reading in Isaiah 40, which prophesied the preaching of John the Baptist, who would come to “prepare the way of the Lord.”

Many of these verses have become the words of powerful musical works. This chapter details God’s power and how He will redeem His people and offers a hopeful message to those who will trust the Lord.

Once again prophecies of chapter 40 foretell both the first and second comings of the Messiah. If we “liken” the teachings in chapter 40 to ourselves, they can be a beautiful and powerful testimony of the Lord and His power in our personal lives.

Third Sunday Before Christmas or Second Advent Sunday
Isaiah 40:1–11

1 Comfort ye, ^acomfort ye my people,
	saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
that her ^awarfare is accomplished,
	that her iniquity is ^bpardoned:
for she hath received of the Lord’s hand
	^cdouble for all her sins.
3 ¶ The ^avoice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
	^bPrepare ye the ^cway of the Lord,
make straight in the desert
	a ^dhighway for our God.
4 Every ^avalley shall be ^bexalted,
	and every ^cmountain and hill shall be made ^dlow:
and the ^ecrooked shall be made straight,
	and ^fthe rough places plain:
5 And the ^aglory of the Lord shall be ^brevealed,
	and all flesh shall ^csee it together:
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 6 The voice said, Cry.
	And he said, What shall I cry?
All ^aflesh is ^bgrass,
	and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:
	because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it:
	surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:
	but the ^aword of our God shall stand for ever.
9 ¶ O ^aZion, that bringest ^bgood ^ctidings,
	get thee up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings,
	lift up thy voice with strength;
lift it up, be not afraid;
	say unto the cities of ^dJudah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand,
	and his ^aarm shall rule for him
behold, his ^breward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his ^aflock like a ^bshepherd:
	he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Many of the verses in Isaiah 40 have become the words to wonderful musical works because this chapter richly describes the Lord’s power and how He will redeem His people. As a family today listen to this part of Handel’s Messiah:

If we “liken” the teachings in chapter 40 to ourselves, they can be a beautiful and powerful testimony of the Lord and His power in our personal lives.

Further Study:

The JST, Luke 3:4–11 in the LDS edition of the King James Bible appendix offers another look at each of these verses.
Who did Luke describe in Isaiah 40:3–5?
What changes can you find in the Joseph Smith Translation.
In your own paper copy of the scripture, you might write this reference next to Isaiah 40:3–5.
In what ways could you personally apply the message in Isaiah 40:3?
How do you think God will literally fulfill Isaiah 40:4. Read verse 5 and consider how all flesh can “see it together.”
How can these verses, 4—5 be fulfilled in a spiritual, personal way?
How might these verses apply to anyone who wonders if righteousness is worth the effort, if they will live with God, or what could happen in the future?