Many of us will be familiar with different parts of Isaiah.  It contains many passages which are very well known,  yet there are also large parts of Isaiah we rarely pick up and study.   So what will we be hoping to achieve over the coming months?

  • To understand the structure, themes & key messages from Isaiah and how they are relevant us today

  • To build confidence with reading Isaiah and other prophetic books

  • To be reminded of God’s passionate heart towards his world, his people, and his purposes

This series that will naturally include a little bit more teaching and history as we try to understand the context and message of Isaiah’s original message. But each time we preach, we will be seeking to provide helpful real-life application to our everyday modern lives in Luton.

It will be helpful to remember that Isaiah was not arranged neatly by topic, nor was it arranged in the order of when it was written. Rather we see Isaiah’s artistic and intellectual gifting at work as he ‘weaves’ or ‘braids’  a number of themes together throughout the whole book. That’s why we can be reading a prophecy which seems to be on one particular subject, then find it suddenly jumps onto a different theme. The 5 major themes which we see ‘braided’ together are as follows:

  1. The holy one of Israel  – a key phrase for Isaiah, and a key figure in Isaiah’s calling

  2. Judgement & Hope Intertwined – usually presented together

  3. A future messiah – in chapters1-37 he looks like a king;  in 38-55 he looks like a servant; in 56-66 a Conqueror

  4. The City motif – Mount Zion aka Holy City aka Jerusalem usually represents God’s people.

  5. Jewish nation vs the nations – as the book progresses we see other nations drawn in and become part of Gods people.

Date

& Preacher

Title and Outline

1/2/2026

Jon

1. INTRODUCTION

History around this section of Bible

Key themes we will see in Isaiah and structure of our series

8/2/2026

Elizabeth

2.Judgement and Hope – Israel (1-12)


Looking across the first 12 chapters at the judgement coming to Israel.  The reality of judgement, the reality of hope. 

15/2/2026

Tony

3.’Children’ in Isaiah (7-12)

The Prophetic significance of Isaiah sons (7:1-9, 8:1-22, 9:1-7)
Another child we can see – Immanu-el (7:10-25)
What does all this mean to us?

22/02/2026

Jon

4.Judgement and Hope – Nations (13-27)

Judgement on Israel shifts towards being judgement on the nations. There are 3 cycles of judgement. 

A world without God, or a world with God. 

03/03/2026

Linda

5.’Choice’ in Isaiah (28-39)


Six woes are presented in chapters 28-35.   Through those 6 woes the issue of ‘who do you trust?’.  Where will Judah and Israel look for hope?

 
   
   

19/04/2026

Linda

6.   Judgement and Hope – Who is our God? 

Awake awake in 51, and the compound names of God in 52-53.

26/04/2026

Tony

7.  Judgement and Hope – Messiah Songs (i)  (42-52)

The ‘Servant Songs’   in chapters 42, 49, 50, and 52.

03/05/2026

Jon

8.Judgement and Hope – Messiah Songs (ii)  (59-63)

The 4x ‘Anointed Conqueror’ songs in chapters 59, 61, 61, and 63.

10/05/2026

Tony

9.  ‘Church’ in Isaiah  (56-66)

Chiasm of shape,  chiasm of ecclesiology.

The glorious, humble, righteous bride.

 

As the church of Jesus, living in Him, we are a prophetic people.  Not that we are prophets in the OT sense, rather that in God’s purposes WE ARE THE ONES who have the holy spirit living in us,  and we are the ones who are commissioned, mandated and empowered to share God’s truth to the world.  WE are modern day Isaiah’s,  modern day Jesus’.  Let us hear from Him, and step fully into that commission and call.  For His glory.