Isaiah 40:9 (ESV) … “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
In verse 9 we see the people of God coming out of the valley and climbing the mountaintop to declare God’s victory over the enemy. They come “to preach the Good News.” The good news in that day was the defeat of Babylon and the release of the captive Jews (52:7–9).
The Good News today is the defeat of sin and Satan by Jesus Christ and the salvation of all who will trust in Him (Isa. 61:1–3; Luke 4:18–19). God’s arm is a mighty arm for winning the battle (Isa. 40:10), but it is also a loving arm for carrying His weary lambs (v. 11). “We are coming home!” would certainly be good news to the devastated cities of Judah.
We have the same good news message of Salvation to share with this lost world. The good news of the gospel of Jesus is to be preached. The great truth is that people cannot respond to the good news if they do not hear it. They cannot obey the commands of God if they do not hear them. Our faith, yes, it is to be a “lived out witness,” however our faith cannot and must not replace the preaching of the good news. The preaching of the good news is a very verbal declaration that Jesus is Messiah and Lord, that he fulfills God’s plan for humanity and he alone is Lord of the world must be preached to the utter ends of our earth!
