How Isaiah 40 Anticipates the Love of John 3:16
Isaiah 40:1 (KJV) Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
There is something tender in these words: like the voice of a father kneeling beside a frightened child. It’s the voice of God, breaking through the thunderclouds of judgment with a message of compassion. Isaiah 40 opens what many scholars call the “Book of Comfort,” and it is here that the heartbeat of the Gospel quickens.
The first line of Isaiah 40 and the first clause of John 3:16 may not seem like equals at first glance. But pause and listen. Both declare the same truth: God sees us in our brokenness and moves toward us with mercy.
John 3:14-17 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
In Isaiah 40, the Lord addresses a weary people, proclaiming their warfare ended and their iniquity forgiven. He promises every valley will be exalted, every mountain made low, and that His glory will be revealed. He is not coming in judgment. He is coming as a shepherd.
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Does that not sound like the Jesus of John 3:16? The Shepherd who came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved?
The “One” Isaiah spoke about would come to comfort His people has a name. His name is Jesus!
Isaiah called for the path to be cleared: the way of the Lord made straight. And centuries later, John the Baptist would echo those same words, pointing to Jesus and declaring, “Behold the Lamb of God.” That same Lamb, foretold in Isaiah 53, comes into view through the wide-open door of Isaiah 40.
John 3:16 answers Isaiah’s question in verse 6: “All flesh is grass… but the word of our God shall stand forever.” What word endures forever? The Word made flesh. The everlasting love of God revealed in His only begotten Son.
Isaiah tells us who is coming. John tells us He has come.
And each declares that God is not silent, distant, or indifferent. He is near. He is coming with might, but also with mercy. With power, but also with peace. With judgment, yes; but first with Jesus.
Reflection on this Article
Comfort was never meant to be an abstract idea; it was meant to be a Person. In Isaiah 40, God promised One would come to speak peace, lead like a Shepherd, and reveal His glory. In John 3:16, that promise walked among us with pierced hands and a loving heart.
This isn’t just comfort for Israel. It’s not just comfort for the ancient world. It’s comfort for you.
But Isaiah doesn’t merely describe it, he calls us to prepare the way. And John doesn’t just record it, he demands we believe the truth. We must clear the road to redemption of pride, doubt, distraction, and self-righteousness.
So, the question remains:
- Will you receive the comfort of God, or will you cling to the counterfeit comforts of this world?
- Will you respond to His love with surrender, or resist it with apathy?
The voice still cries out. The path is still open. And the Shepherd still gathers His lambs.
If God has come near, you must not remain distant.
If God has offered comfort, you must not choose restlessness.
If God has loved you with an everlasting love, you must not delay your answer.
The wilderness is clearing. The way is open.
Come to the One who was given: not to condemn, but to save.
Bibliography
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Major Bible Themes. Revised by John F. Walvoord. Zondervan, 1974.
Ironside, H.A. Expository Notes on the Prophet Isaiah. Loizeaux Brothers, 1943.
MacArthur, John. One Perfect Life: The Complete Story of the Lord Jesus. Thomas Nelson, 2012.
Morgan, G. Campbell. The Heart of the Gospel. Fleming H. Revell, 1912.
Morris, Henry M. The Genesis Record. Baker Books, 1976. (for foundational context on God’s character and purpose)
Pink, Arthur W. The Attributes of God. Baker Book House, 1975.
Ryrie, Charles C. Ryrie Study Bible Notes. Moody Publishers, 1978.
Scofield, C.I. The Scofield Reference Bible. Oxford University Press, 1917.
Walvoord, John F. Jesus Christ Our Lord. Moody Press, 1969.
Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Comforted: An Old Testament Study of Isaiah 40–66. David C. Cook, 1992.
Author Biography:
Dr. Robert C. Crowder serves as senior pastor of Lakeview Baptist Church and is the author of numerous devotional and doctrinal works. Through 73Twenty Ministries, he focuses on teaching Scripture from a dispensational, conservative Baptist perspective. In this article, he draws connections between Isaiah’s prophetic comfort and Christ’s redemptive mission in John 3:16.
