The Gospel

Isaiah 6 is the perfect example of the gospel of Christ, even though it’s in the Old Testament!

Isaiah 6:1–7 (NIV)
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

The idea of God’s holiness is depicted for us in Isaiah chapter 6, where Isaiah was granted a vision of the Lord seated on His throne, “high and exalted.” The Scriptures paint a moment in which all who witness are filled with emotions of awe. Isaiah beholds seraphim (angels) with six wings, proclaiming continually, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” This repetition of “holy” is a superlative and does not only emphasize an attribute of God, but His complete and absolute position. This transcends all human understanding. It is beyond ourselves.

After acknowledging God’s glory, Isaiah recalls his own humanity. Which is tarnished, marred, and plagued by sin. Finding himself in complete opposition to the holiness of God he calls out, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” The Prophet’s response to God’s holiness is an honest acknowledgment of his own unworthiness and the inherent separation caused by sin. This contrast between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of humanity highlights the desperate need for redemption.

In accordance with the Bible, humanity’s redemption from sin is found solely in Christ. Isaiah’s vision moves to a time of atonement. Here the seraphim take a live coal from the altar and touch his lips, declaring, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” This scene demonstrates the yearning of God’s mercy and His own desire to forgive our fallen nature. His compassion for mankind through Christ. For only through Jesus Christ can humanity’s sin be completely atoned for, as He would pay the ultimate price with His own blood on the cross.

Thus, the story of God’s holiness, humanity’s sinfulness, and Christ’s redeeming work unfolds in Isaiah 6. It portrays a vivid picture of God’s character, humanity’s condition, and a living hope of reconciliation through Christ. God’s holiness demands reverence, yet, remains approachable only in Christ. Our sinfulness cries out for repentance and highlights human dependence on Christ’s sacrificial death. For it is in Christ alone, that humanity’s sinfulness is once and for all atoned for, and where one can with all certainty approach a holy God.