"Everlasting Clothing!"
Isaiah 61:10-11
Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.Isaiah 61:10-11
My Dear Friends in Christ,
The clothing we wear says something about us – about who we think we are, and what
we stand for. The first clothing ever worn on planet earth was, you may recall, made of fig
leaves! And its very design told an enormous story about its wearers. For they were created
to remain naked, and as unashamed about it as any animal is. Bears, for instance, don’t blush
when human beings approach them. Neither do alligators, as far as I know – but then maybe
no one ever stopped to see of the gaping jaws were surrounded by pinkish hued flesh. But back
to Adam and Eve’s makeshift modesty garments. Were they not wearing them only because
they were ashamed? And were they not ashamed because they had sinned? And does not their
clothing speak more of what they had become than what they had done? In fact, their rebellion
caused the first death of any animal life, as recorded in Genesis 3:21, “And God their SAVIOR
made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them1" Thus God showed them that
“the wages of sin is death,” if not for the sinner, then certainly for some other, poor soul.
Therefore, most people carefully select what they will wear when they want to make an
impression (at least they used to, before “baggy” somehow became a fashion statement!). But
sadly, even the finest clothing we own – even our favorite outfits – eventually wear out, and
must be replaced. In fact, only once in the history of the world did people's clothing last an
exceptionally long time (Deut. 29:5), and that wasn't nearly forever! Therefore, lest we be
found "naked and ashamed" as were Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:7), we shall need somehow to
obtain "Everlasting Clothing" before we can enter into heaven. But where will we find such
clothing, of which the world has never even conceived? Isaiah tells us that God Himself has
prepared and given to us:
I. "A Robe of Righteousness!" (vs. 10d "He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness!")
A. We have no righteousness of our own.
1. We were conceived in sin.
a. How many of you had to teach your little children to sin?!?
b. Yet no one "shrink-wrapped in sin," as human beings enter into the
world, can get into heaven! (Matt. 5:48)
c. Sin is not merely an "outer covering," like clothing, but now part and
parcel of our nature, "woven" through and through us! Therefore:
2. We continually sin in thought, word and deed.
a. We often cannot even admit to ourselves when we have been wrong!
b. Just as Adam & Eve did in Eden, we constantly seek to justify ourselves
– to ourselves, to others, and even to God
(1) We are continually, madly sewing fig leaves together, hoping at last
to find some fashion that will cover our spiritual nakedness!
(2) We even hold “high fashion” shows, parading down the runway in
the latest futile, ghastly attempts to disguise our disfigurement:
“I’m ok, you’re ok,” “you’ve got to love yourself before you can love
others,” and currently the most popular of all, “Self Esteem is the
most important thing we can teach our children.”
B. Christ has wrapped us in the robe of His Righteousness. (We are passive in this
work.)
1. A robe woven for every human being (objective justification) of:
a. The warp of Christ's perfect obedience to God's Law which we have
broken.
(1) His virgin birth by the Holy Spirit freed Him from the inborn
inheritance of Adam.
(2) His life, although "in the likeness of sinful flesh," was entirely
without sin, spot or blemish.
b. The woof of Christ's suffering and death to atone for our sins.
(1) Thus He "made amends" to the fabric of mankind's torn relationship
with God.
(2) What sinner could satisfy the wrath of God? What poor beggar
could pay off our national debt? What mere earthly tailor could sew
up the rent that ran through all of God's creation?
(3) Only Christ, "Who knew no sin," but whom "God made to be sin on
our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him!"
(2 Cor. 5:21)
(4) Thus, He did not merely “patch up” this ruined creation, but
actually re-wove it in His Image – He who is the Image of God, born
of the Virgin Mary into the image of man, for our salvation!!!
2. A robe placed by God Himself upon every Christian (subjective justification)
through:
a. His Word and Sacraments spread throughout the world. (vs. 11 "The Lord
our SAVIOR will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all
the nations!")
(1) There is no nation on earth where the Gospel of Christ has not been
proclaimed with effect.
(2) We are blessed to live in one in which it is still being proclaimed,
though who knows for how long?
b. His Holy Spirit working through these means to create faith in human
hearts. (vs. 10a "My soul will exult in my God!")
(1) Just as preparing this garment is entirely the work of God, so is
putting it on us!
(2) Isaiah 26:13 O God our SAVIOR, other masters besides Thee have
ruled us; but through Thee alone do we confess Thy name.
(3) 1 Co. 2:14 "But a natural man does not accept the things of the
Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot
understand them, because they are spiritually understood."
II. "Garments of Salvation!" (vs. 10c "He has clothed me with garments of salvation, (i.e.,)
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness!")
A. This miraculous Robe of Righteousness grants everlasting life to all who wear it.
1. Like some miraculous suit of armor, except not external!
2. We cannot enter the Kingdom of God in the filthy rags of our sins.
a. Is. 64:6 "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our
righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."
b. Matt. 22:11-13 "But when the king came in to look over the dinner
guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said
to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And
he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand
and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (This was at His Son's wedding
feast!!)
3. We must be properly clad in this eternal clothing which, in this case, literally
"make the man!"
a. Rev. 7:14 (from Epistle lesson) "These are the ones who come out of the
great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb!"
b. Gal. 3:27 "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ!!!"
c. Eph. 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having
cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might
present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle
or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless!!!"
B. All who wear these garments glorify their Savior.
1. They rejoice in Him! (vs. 10a-b "I will rejoice greatly in my SAVIOR, my soul
will exult in my God!")
a. Many of the Christmas cards we send and receive say something like,
"May the joy of Christmas be yours throughout the New Year!"
b. But Christmas lasts only a few days.
c. So Isaiah gives us good reason to keep the joy of Christmas all year long!
2. They praise His Name! (vs. 11 "The Lord our SAVIOR will cause righteousness
and praise to spring up before all the nations!")
a. It is our doubts about Him that cause us despair!
b. He wants us to come hear His Word of Promise – the forgiveness of our
sins – and rejoice & give thanks!!!
c. He wants us to proclaim His fame to all we meet: "Christ has redeemed
you!"
III. The Glory of a Bride! (vs. 10e-f "As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as
a bride adorns herself with her jewels.")
A. Our glory is for now visible only to the eyes of faith.
1. The Church seems to be losing her influence in the world.
a. In Europe, only a small percentage are still Christian.
b. The U.S. is now called "a post-Christian society."
2. Individual Christians may be persecuted, poor, unemployed, sick, etc.
B. Our glory is nevertheless real!
1. It is assured by the Word of God.
a. "As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland" – I have translated,
"turban," thus:
(1) "As a Bridegroom acts as a Priest, wearing a turban..."
(2) Isaiah here speaks of Christ's sacrifice once again!
b. "As a bride adorns herself with her jewels," which "jewels" are:
2. It is the glory of the Gospel of Christ, which we both possess and dispense. (Is.
62:1-2 "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will
not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her
salvation like a torch that is burning! And the nations will see your
righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name,
which the mouth of your SAVIOR will designate!")
3. It is the very glory of Christ, given to His dear Bride. (Is. 62:3-5 "You will also
BE a crown of beauty in the hand of your SAVIOR, and a royal diadem in the
hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," nor to your land
will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; but you will be called, "My delight is in
her," and your land," Married "; for your SAVIOR delights in you, and to Him
your land will be married. for as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons
will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will
rejoice over you!!!"
Dear Fellow Wearers of the Robe of Righteousness,
The animals God killed to cloth Adam and Eve were only the first in a never-ending
stream of the bloodshed needed to cover our sin. Well, of course it will end at The End of time,
when Jesus returns. For just as it was only His shed blood that prevented God from killing
Adam and Eve in the first place, so also it is that same blood that covers our shame, and
preserves our lives forever. Therefore, it does indeed appear that only our SAVIOR could
prepare such "Everlasting Clothing" as would be fit for eternal life in His Kingdom. And here
in Isaiah He has also proclaimed that the Church is not only the home of those who are so
dressed, but His very clothier, the wardrobe of God, from which we have been clothed in the
height of fashion of heaven itself – the righteousness of Christ! Therefore, we can now discard
our self-righteousness, our need and desire to justify ourselves, our hypocrisy, and trust in this
"Everlasting Clothing!" May God grant such deep and abiding faith to you this day, as you
rejoice in your resplendent new covering. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts & minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
