I often hear people describe some foreign markets as places of chaos and commotion filled with buyers and sellers negotiating the prices on many goods.

Isaiah cries out with an urgency that is found in such marketplaces: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters… Come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk.” With tremendous determination he proclaims God’s Word, calling people to receive that which truly gives life. The Old Testament describes the spiritual nourishment of God’s Word as a fountain of living water, a bubbling brook, or the wells of salvation.

Yet, people are typically concerned with worldly things. The Lord laments such attitudes, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” The Lord watches His people often pursue the things of this world. God’s people are tempted to ignore the things of God in search for great treasure. Maybe they covet the latest model of chariot. Perhaps they strive to keep up with the Solomon’s when building houses. Or it just might be that they can use their wealth and labor to achieve a position of power, thinking, “I could at least rule a little bit.”

Others spend money and labor craving wisdom or happiness in this world. Mankind has many opinions, philosophies, and false religions. Many people gather false teachers to tell them exactly what they want to hear. Others claim to worship the Lord while also worshiping their own invented ideas. Some simply desire to live lavishly, laboring to eat only the choicest foods and best wines, seeking ultimate pleasure in all that this world has to offer.

Over the course of history some of the objects we deeply desire to spend our labor and money on have changed. Instead of 1-2 horsepower for satisfaction, we drool over cars with hundreds of horsepower. But the basic desire of our sinful natures sure haven’t changed a bit. Ultimately, we want to have something, achieve something, or be something in this world.

It’s not that the things of this world are necessarily bad. God created all things. The things of this world can serve a purpose and be enjoyed in godly ways. Unfortunately, we often desire these things apart from God. We make ourselves the center of the universe, and we make everything about getting what we want to make us happy. Sadly, our culture is buying into the idea that our personal happiness is the most important thing. So, we will buy things, seek positions, and trust philosophies that we think bring happiness. We’re tempted (just like our first parents) to believe that the chief end of life is our personal happiness. When we buy into such beliefs we buy into idolatry—forfeiting trust in God in order to trust in ourselves, other things, or other ideas. None of these bring eternal satisfaction. They certainly don’t solve sin and death.

The Lord, however, offers you food which completely satisfies. “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” The food that the Lord offers has no cost to us. It’s free spiritual nourishment for our souls, because our Lord is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

What is God’s food? He says, “Listen, diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”

GOD’S FREE FORGIVENESS IS THE RICHEST FOOD OF ALL—ENLIVENING OUR SOULS!

The Lord desires that we eat up every bit of His Word of forgiveness, because it feeds our souls into eternal life. Just as food nourishes our physical bodies, so the Holy Spirit nourishes us with God’s Word that bestows all the benefits of our Lord’s death and resurrection—the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation from the devil. Jesus told the devil, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus (the Word become flesh) is the Bread of life. He says, “Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” By faith we cling to Jesus’ promises, gobbling up every morsel of the forgiveness He offers us, because “where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation,” and it’s all absolutely free to you.

The Lord feeds you with the free forgiveness of sins through hearing the Good News of the salvation Christ accomplished by His everlasting covenant. The Lord promised the coming Messiah: “I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.” God promised to David, “Your throne shall be established forever.” The promised everlasting covenant comes in and through Christ Jesus. He is David’s Son who sits on David’s throne. And yet, at the very same time, He is David’s Lord and our Lord. The fulfillment of God’s promise.

This everlasting covenant is fulfilled through the shed blood of Christ and freely given through God’s Word. Jesus declared on the night He was betrayed, “This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

The free gift came at the price of Jesus’ precious blood. “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross in order to offer us salvation in His name free of charge.

Christ Jesus has defeated sin and death for you through His death and resurrection. Everything Christ Jesus has done—as promised in God’s Word—is for you. You cling to this free gift in trust that Jesus will fully fulfill all His promises.

A great many peoples from various times and in many places have received the nourishment of Jesus’ free forgiveness. Isaiah says, “Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.” The promise began with Abraham and is fulfilled in the Holy Spirit’s work of calling people around the world to faith through God’s Word. As Abraham’s descendants, God’s people then and now witness to the Lord’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness as the children of God!

Even though you live many, many years after and many miles from where salvation was accomplished, you are fed the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice through God’s blessed Word of forgiveness. You have been cleansed by water and Word in Baptism. You may receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus, given and shed for you in, with, and under the bread and wine.

We join many brothers and sisters in Christ from many nations, delighting in the rich food of God’s Word, feasting on the forgiveness of sins in Christ. As Isaiah proclaimed this message, his hearers may have been reminded of Rahab from Jericho or Ruth the Moabite. Neither were originally part of God’s covenant people, but they were grafted in. And both are in the line of Jesus. Many other Gentiles from biblical history to this day have heard, received, and believed the free promise of our Lord. The Good News of salvation spreads far and wide.

Christ Jesus freely gives the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life in paradise that He won for the world on the cross to us sinners through His blessed Word that you have received. The Word of our Lord nourishes you in body and soul unto eternal life. Amen.