Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers on Isaiah 40:3-5

What is the main message of Isaiah 40:3-5 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Isaiah 40:3-5 describes how God brings His salvation to people. The passage speaks of "preparing the way of the Lord" and reveals that God's blessings, forgiveness, and comfort come exclusively through the person of Jesus Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this is "the very heart and center and core of the Christian message" - that God sent His own Son into the world to accomplish our salvation, and there is no other way to receive God's blessings apart from Him.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the uniqueness of Christianity compared to other religions?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christianity stands "absolutely alone" and is not in series with any philosophy or outlook on life. He states: "It has a uniqueness and a distinctness and a separateness that puts it entirely in a category on its own." Unlike other religions or philosophical systems, Christianity is not about mankind discovering something about God through evolution, study, or investigation. Rather, it is about God sending His Son into the world - something that had never happened before and makes Christianity completely unique.

What does "prepare the way of the Lord" mean in this passage?

"Prepare the way of the Lord" refers to the ancient custom of preparing roads for important dignitaries before they traveled. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this imagery describes how God had to make special preparation for His Son to come into the world. This preparation involved the incarnation - where "every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low" - representing how Christ, though divine, humbled Himself to become human (mountains brought low), while human nature was elevated through His taking on our flesh (valleys exalted). It also refers to how we must prepare our hearts through repentance to receive Christ.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as a common misunderstanding about Christianity?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies a common misunderstanding where people think they can be blessed by God directly without Jesus Christ. He mentions people who say, "I believe in God, and I say my prayers regularly...I believe God blesses me and answers my prayer," but who never mention Jesus Christ. He calls this a terrible danger - thinking that God's forgiveness comes simply through His love, without Christ's intervention. He states firmly: "This message of comfort, of pardon and forgiveness, of new life and a new outlook and a new beginning and the blessings of God, they come and they come alone, and only in and through the Lord Jesus Christ."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the incarnation of Christ?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the incarnation using the imagery in Isaiah 40:4: "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low." He describes how Christ, being equal with God, emptied Himself and laid aside the marks of His eternal glory to become a helpless baby (mountains brought low). Simultaneously, human nature was elevated (valleys exalted) when Mary, a humble virgin, was given the privilege of bearing the Son of God. The result was "two natures in one person, indivisible - God-man, perfect man and perfect God" - creating "the new highway along which alone God's blessing can come."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about repentance?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that repentance is essential before Christ can come into our hearts. Drawing from John the Baptist's message, he explains that repentance means: - Recognizing God's holy law and righteous character - Putting an end to all self-confidence - Ceasing to rely on nationality, religious background, or good works - Abandoning hypocrisy - Acknowledging oneself as "a miserable, wretched, vile sinner, deserving hell and nothing else" He emphasizes that Christ came for those who recognize their desperate need: "He's for paupers. He's for sinners...He came for people who are down and out, morally and spiritually."

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize that Jesus Christ is essential to salvation?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes Christ's essentiality because he observes many people claiming to be blessed by God while completely bypassing Jesus. He applies a simple test: "Where does Jesus Christ come in? Is he absolutely essential? Is he absolutely vital? Is he in such a position that if he were taken away, your whole belief and your whole situation would collapse?" He argues that true Christianity cannot exist without Christ at its center, as He is the only way God provides forgiveness and blessing. Only through Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection can our "warfare be accomplished" and our "iniquity be pardoned."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about how all people stand equal before Christ?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that "there's no difference between a religious and an irreligious person before Christ." He states: "The person who's been brought up in a religious way and who hasn't believed in Christ is in exactly the same position as a person who has come out of the foulest gutter in the land this evening. No difference." This illustrates his point that "every valley and hill shall be brought low" - all human distinctions disappear before Christ, and everyone must come to Him in the same way: acknowledging their sinfulness and need for salvation.