December 15, 2025
God Comes
for Sinners
"Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—as
when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water
to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by
the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts
for those who wait for him. You meet him who joyfully
works righteousness, those who remember you in your
ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our
sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all
our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who
rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden
your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand
of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the
work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and
remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we
are all your people.
I S A I A H 6 4 : 1 - 9
Be careful what you ask for from Santa. You know his naughty and nice list game, don’t you? Those who do good make the
“Nice” list and get presents and the warm embrace of home on
Christmas morning. Those who break the rules end up on the
“Naughty” list, rewarded only with coal, a clear admonishment
that their behavior means they don’t belong. We all want to be
on the nice list—and, if we’re honest, it feels satisfying when the
naughty get what they deserve.
In Isaiah 64, we find Isaiah praying for justice to come upon
the enemies of God’s people and, thus, the enemies of God. He
prays for God to make the nations tremble. After all, that is what
God does to those who violate his law and sin against him. Let
the naughty list justice come!
Isaiah reminds us that God favors “those who wait for him”
and meets with those who “joyfully work righteousness” (vv. 4–5).
But then comes a painful realization: “You were angry, and we
sinned. In our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be
saved?” (v. 5).
Isaiah wanted judgment for the wicked—until he remembered
his own place before a holy God. Suddenly, the justice he prayed
for seems terrifying. We too are sinners. We too belong on that
naughty list. We too are outsiders looking in when it comes to
righteousness. So Isaiah confesses sin and cries out for mercy.
Will God listen?
These Advent cries are met with the good news of Christmas
morning. The gift of Immanuel- God with us-means God has heard
the pleas of his people in verse 9. In Christ, he rends the heavens and comes down to tear up the naughty list. Jesus, the one
who “joyfully works righteousness,” took the record of sins that
stood against you and nailed it to the cross (Col. 2:14). Because
of him, you are assured a place forever on the nice list and a seat
in front of the Christmas tree, surrounded by his good gifts. You
wake up on Christmas morning, and every morning after, in the
loving embrace of Christ. For in him, there is no condemnation left
for you (Rom. 8:1).
ALMIGHTY GOD, YOU LOOK UPON THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF YOUR
SON AND FREELY GIFT IT TO ME SO THAT I HAVE
A PLACE IN YOUR HOME FOREVER. FORGIVE MY
SINS AND LET THEM NEVER BE ADDED TO MY
ACCOUNT FOR CHRIST’S SAKE. AMEN.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be
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Coming Home for Christmas: Advent in Isaiah © 2025 1517
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