“There will be a highway where once was
burning sand. A highway called the Holy Road. Not a route for rebels, but a
road for the redeemed, those ransomed by the Lord. It’s the road from
barrenness to Zion, the road from oblivion to God’s eternal city. It’s a safe
and joyful road, and God is walking with us as we travel. Our songs of joy will
reach their crescendo when we walk through the gates, into that city where
sorrow and sighing are no more.” – Isaiah
35:8-10 (a synthesized version based on the New International Version, The
Message, the New Living Translation and The Living Bible)
Last month my wife and I took a day and went
to Thomas Jefferson’s home in Monticello. We wandered through the back roads of
Virginia, and found ourselves on Route 666. Yes! Route 666!
I told Connie, “I hope we’re not on this road
for very long!” My friend Paul Athey says I should have turned on the radio. Maybe
AC/DC would be playing their song “Highway to Hell.”
But today we’re talking about another route. It’s
the Highway of Holiness described by Isaiah the prophet.
We are in Advent season, this month before
Christmas. We remember Jesus’ coming to earth the first time as a helpless
baby. And we reaffirm our conviction – that
Jesus will come to earth a second time, as Lord of all creation.
Isaiah was a prophet, and Bible Prophecy can
be complicated. It often has its fulfilment in three parts. Sometimes the first fulfilment relates to an
immediate event in ancient Israel, like a siege of Jerusalem by some foreign
army. Often a second fulfillment relates to Jesus coming as Israel’s Messiah. And
sometimes a third fulfilment speaks of what God will do at the end of days, when
He sets all things right. So it’s complicated.
This morning we’re looking at this Highway of
Holiness as a picture of God’s plan for the human race.
The word “Highway” has been used in English
for 1000 years. It describes a main road between two cities or towns, available
for public use. Historically, it might be paved, but not necessarily.
Ancient Israel had several well-known and
well-used routes – the Way of the Sea, the Way of the Patriarchs, and the
King’s Highway. Isaiah refers to highways four different times in his book. (35:8;
40:3; 11:16; 62:10)
Let’s look at this scriptural Highway under three
Headings:
1 First, The Journey (that is, traveling along
the Holy Highway)
2 Second, Our Destination (that is, entering
God’s eternal city)
3 Third, The On-Ramp (how we can get started on
the Holy Road)
1 The Journey. Verse
8 says this journey is “the Holy Road” or the “Way of Holiness.” It is a road
that God has built and set apart to get us from here to the eternal city.
You can’t get to Nirvana on this route. It’s
not the Reincarnation Highway. This is the road to Zion, the New Jerusalem.
It’s not a route for those who rebel against
God. You can’t walk on this highway and at the same time walk along Sin’s
Pathway. You can’t willfully disobey God and at the same time be walking on His
Holy Road. How can you be walking on two roads at the same time?
Our Father calls us to integrity. And a
person of integrity does not attempt to walk two roads at once.
Verse 9 says that only the redeemed will walk
there. Ultimately, it’s a road for those whose sins have been covered by the
blood of Jesus.
The Apostle Peter puts it this way: “…God paid a ransom to save you from the
empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with gold or
silver [but with] the precious blood of Christ...” (1 Peter
1:18-20)
So this road is for the ransomed, the redeemed
– those of us whose lives have been rescued from emptiness and oblivion.
It’s a safe road. Isaiah says, “No
lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast.” Lions or tigers or bears may
threaten from the side of the road, but they can’t get up on the road.
Let me break away from this metaphor to say
that this is the road of Christian living. This is real life. There are sometimes irritating pebbles in our
shoes. Our vehicle will need to stop every 300 miles for fuel. Our vehicle will
be delayed occasionally for repairs. We may be distracted by the struggles of
life.
And you may become fearful on this road, but
then you remember that the Road-Maker promises you safe passage to your
destination.
It’s a joyful road. God built it. He has
traveled down this road to come here to us. And He welcomes us as we begin. He’s
traveling with us all the way, until we reach our destination. So there is joy and
singing and dancing as we travel along.
I’ve traveled The Pan American Highway in
Nicaragua. It runs from Alaska in the north to Chile in the south. In Nicaragua
you’ll see: Eighteen-wheelers and Bluebird buses, Mercedes and Yugos, horse-carts
and oxcarts, two-wheeled carts pushed or pulled by humans, tricycle taxis and
pedestrians. Amazing diversity!
It’s similar on the Holy Highway. People from
every race and nation and language. Traveling together, arm in arm. Homeless
persons and millionaire persons, singing together. Democrats and Republicans,
dancing together. In the shadow of the cross, we are one tribe. One body – the
Body of Christ.
2 Our Destination. The Apostle Peter says that someday the elements will
melt with fervent heat. And God will usher in a new heaven and a new earth. He will set things right. The world we
live in has been badly damaged by the effects of sin. But the day will come when God pushes the “Reset” button, and somehow He will bring His redeemed
people through that fiery judgment. He will bring us to His eternal city.
Verse 10 says, “We will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown our
heads, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Our journey will be complete
when we enter the New City of Jerusalem.
John the Revelator describes this city in his
Book: Revelation, chapters 21 and 22.
This New Jerusalem
represents a whole new order of creation. This city
shines with God’s glory. This city is laid out as a square, 1400 miles on the
north and south sides,1400 miles on the east and west sides. This city needs no
sun or moon, for God’s glory illuminates this city. There is no night
there. Nothing evil is allowed to enter. Only those
whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
And a river runs through it – the River of
Life, clear as crystal. This River flows out from God’s throne. It surges down the
center of the main street and irrigates a certain species of tree: the Tree of
Life. This tree has not been seen since the Garden
of Eden. In Eden there was only one of this species. In the new Jerusalem there
will be whole groves of this tree! This Tree of Life bears a fresh crop each
month. Its leaves bring healing to the nations.
I want to arrive at this destination, this
beautiful city. And by God’s grace I intend to. What about you?
3 The On-Ramp –
our personal Starting Point. Verse 1 says that this highway starts in “the
desert.” It starts in “the parched land” – “the wilderness.”
For me personally it started when I was
twelve years and seven months old. I was just becoming aware of my sinfulness. Theologians
call it the age of accountability. I was beginning to feel guilt. I was becoming aware of supernatural evil… the
reality of a spiritual enemy. I was becoming aware of my rebellious heart. I
was fearful that if I died I was not ready for God’s heaven. I knew I needed help
from above.
One October evening, in bed, waiting to fall
asleep, I called out to my Creator. I asked for forgiveness, for God to come
into my life. Immediately I felt the power of my sins forgiven. Sin’s weight
was lifted from my life. I knew my sins were washed away. The blood of Jesus
covered my sins and made me clean.
We all have to start somewhere. Perhaps the most
quoted sentence of our time comes from the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tsu.
He said, “The journey of 1000 miles
begins with a single step.” You begin wherever you are today.
You may have never been to church before, or
you may have been a church member for 50 years. But at some point you need to
get on the Highway.
There are many on-ramps available to you. And
every access point is linked to Jesus the Redeemer. There is no other name
under heaven by which humans can be saved. Jesus said, “I am the Way. I am the
Truth. I am the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I urge you, if you are still in the desert,
looking for a way out – Here is your on-ramp. This morning – here is your opportunity. Say yes to Jesus. Trust
Him as your sin-bearer. Call out to Him! Say, “Jesus, help me. Forgive me. Come
into my life. Get me started on this Holy Road.”
He stands waiting to welcome you, ready to
embrace you, just as you are.
