Isaiah’s Prophecy – Jesus

Introduction

In the four-year, I’ve left some of these on the table out there. If any of you would like to have one of them, please free to take one. There’s just a few, but we’ll make more if you need it. It’s called the daily Bible reading chart. And if you’ll follow that beginning on January the 1st through next December 31st in 1986, you will have completed the entire Bible from Genesis to through Revelation. I encourage you to use that to encourage you to read the Bible daily. We are happy that you’ll be happy if you’ll use that in your studies of the Word of God. The more you learn about the Word of God, the more like Christ we can become. This past Wednesday, for instance, we completed a successful study of the general epistle of James and a more profitable study.

For me, as from my own studies, I don’t recall being involved in in a very long, long time. For your edification, I strongly recommend that you begin your own study of the general epistle of James at home. The message of James is relevant to this and to every age. Its theme is sounded in chapter 1, verse 27, where James said, pure and underdefiled religion before God is to visit the fathers and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. We’re not to let our souls be spotted and their soil and are dirtied by its contact with the world. Seeing that God has put us in the world, but he expects us to be not of the world. James shows in the most practical way possible, what Christian Christianity is all about.

It is a very special book. And it deserves our most diligent study. Applying its teachings to our lives will cause us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. If we’ll pay attention to the instructions of this inspired man, we will be turned from half-hearted Christians into truly consecrated and faithful disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Bible study, brethren and sisters, is very, very important. We’ve begun one in Joshua in the auditorium today with Brother Steve Folk. And in Joshua chapter 1, verses 6, 9, and 18, the Lord, God of heaven, said to Joshua, Be strong and of a good courage, three times in that one chapter. And also we have a study going on in 1 and 2 Thessalonians for Brother Steve Miller in one of the classes down the hall.

1. Jesus Christ in Prophecy in Isaiah 53

I exhort you with all my heart to come and be with us at the Bible study. You’ll profit thereby. You can’t become a better Christian unless you learn more about Christ and apply his ways to your own. Turn with me, if you will, please to Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah chapter 53. We’re going to talk about Jesus Christ in prophecy. Isaiah chapter 53. In verse 1 of this great messianic book about Christ, which was inspired of God, we hear the prophet Isaiah say, Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Remember, we’re talking about Jesus Christ, as revealed by Isaiah, many centuries before Christ was born. Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground. He shall, he hath no form nor comliness. And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed him not. That’s what man said. That’s what man would think about Jesus Christ. And we see him now as a servant of God, as God sees him. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, and he was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.

And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Think of that.

He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before his sharers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. And his death now is seen by God. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

2. Who Was Isaiah?

He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoiled with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Did you notice how many times in that reading from the prophecy by Isaiah? How Jesus Christ was to bear the sins of his people. How marvelous that God would reveal that many years before Christ came on the scene. But I think it’s well if we consider who was Isaiah? Who was this man who spoke these great and wonderful words as the Spirit moved him from God to tell us about these things?

He was a prophet of the Most High God, who was called to the office of priest in the year that King Uzzah died. Which reigns, which this would be about 740 years before Christ. And he continued to speak for God through the reigns of Joseph and Ahaz. And probably and through some of the reign of Hezekiah. His long prophetic ministry covered the last 40 years of the eighth and perhaps some of the seventh century before Christ was born, seven or eight hundred years before Christ was born. Isaiah was the son of Amos, Amo-Z, not to be confused with the prophet Amos. He was a man, he was married and he had sons. And his activities were largely confined to the city of Jerusalem and especially to the palace and to the courts of the kings.

He is known as the great messianic prophet. For much of his prophecies had to do with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. A prophet is one who is a spokesman for God. He’s not able, he’s not only able to tell things that will happen in the future, but to tell things that have happened in the past. He is a spokesman for God, whether he is foretelling the future or whatever he’s saying. He’s saying it as God would have him to say it. He warned kings of the terrible social injustice and the immorality that the people were engaged in. And he warned them that they could not continue in such except that God would punish them. He proclaimed that God loves righteousness more than he loves sacrifice.

This was an unwelcome truth to the Jews, because they were willing to give some of their goats and sheep and animals of other kinds and birds that God had authorized, but they were not too eager to obey God and God’s laws and the ways that God would have them to do. They wanted to go after their own ways. They wanted to do their own thing, so to speak. God did destroy many of the people through the Assyrian captivity. But a remnant was saved, and that remnant did not bow their knees to any false gods to Baal. They did not bow their knees to the God of idolatry, and they became a nucleus of people through whom Jesus Christ was born. Isaiah constantly warned King Ahaz and Hezekiah to trust in God and not in foreign alliances with other countries, especially with ungodly nations.

3. Not Despised Because of Any Sin in Himself

Does that sound familiar? Isaiah spoke as one who had no form nor calmliness, no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected of men, and as one from whom men would hide their face. He was despised, and we esteemed him not, Isaiah 53. It may shock some of you to learn that this is the description of the one who is identified by inspired men as being Jesus, the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. But such as in the case of both Philip the evangelist and John the Apostle, and others so apply the prophecy that we just read. In answer to the eunuch’s question. Of whom speaketh the prophet this? Do you remember the Ethiopian eunuch asking Philip? Philip preached unto him Jesus, Acts chapter 8, verses 34 and 35.

John quoted Isaiah 153 and verse 1. He said, Lord, who hath believed thy report and to unto whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Along with Isaiah 6 and 10. And then he stated, These things said Isaiah, because he saw his glory, and he spake of him. John chapter 12 and verse 41. When Isaiah spake the things that I’ve read to you that are recorded in Isaiah 53, he spake of him of Jesus Christ. Thus both Philip and John interpret the policy, the prophecy as fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Jesus is not now, brethren. And nor has he ever been despised and rejected because of any flaw or because of any sin in himself. He did no sin. Neither was Guile found in his mouth.

2 Peter 2, verse 22. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4 and verse 15. His public challenge to the people was, which of you convinced me or convicteth me of sin? John 8 46. And Pilate’s verdict was I find no fault or no crime in him. Matthew 3. I beg Gregory Pardon, John 18 38. I find no fault in him. And yet he was rejected and despised by his own people and by many today. God from heaven declared, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him, Matthew 3 and verse 17. Much evidence along the same line abounds in the New Testament. But this will suffice to prove the proposition that Jesus is not despised and rejected because of any sin in himself or any flaw in himself or any personal defect in himself.

4. Why Despised and Rejected? Look at Ourselves

But why then was this one whom God sent to save us so despised and rejected by so many? Why then is there no form nor comeliness nor beauty that we should desire? Why is he despised and rejected of men? As the fault is not in Jesus, then brethren we need to look at ourselves. Those of you who’ve never obeyed the gospel and don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God, because if you did, you’d be busy doing what he asked you to do. Why is it so? Well, Jesus is not attractive to worldly minded people. Neither materialism, a love of the things of the world, sensualism, a love of pleasure, pride nor any other thing, which sets the mind on things which are upon the earth, can discover any beauty in Jesus.

If you love materialism, sensualism, and pride is filling your heart, you don’t see any beauty in Jesus Christ. You see beauty in those things, maybe, but not in Christ the Son of God. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life blind those in the clutches of these things to the superior beauty of Jesus Christ. When we see him through lust tinted glasses, there is no beauty that we should desire him. The many who are traveling the road to destruction are doing so because of their ignorant attitude to the beauty of holiness. Jesus Christ said, straight is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be on it. And straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto eternal life, and few there be that find it.

Are you among the few? If not, you’re among the many that are on the broad way to destruction. When those who trust in numbers observe, you know, a lot of people go with the majority. But when those who trust in numbers observe that the majority, and that the majority of people, believe it or not, in this country and throughout the world, despise Jesus, else they would obey him. But when they see the majority not going much for Jesus, they go along with them. They despise him also. They join the crowd. And so, in so doing, they must reject Jesus in order to go with the crowd. Pride, confidence in self prevents personal conviction of sin. If you think you’re all right, if you think you’re already saved, you’ll not see any beauty in Christ if you’ve never obeyed his gospel.

You may trust in your riches. I don’t know what you trust in for your salvation if you haven’t obeyed the gospel, but it must be something other than the beauty of holiness that can be found in Jesus Christ. Lacking conviction of sin and conviction of righteousness and conviction of judgment, a man cannot see him in his beauty. Conviction of sin that all have sinned. When you recognize that you’re included in the all that have sinned, then you must have that attitude in order for you to see the beautiful Jesus. And to desire Jesus for what he is. And for what trouble God went to to send him here to save you and I from death after a while. Christ is able to save you from your sins.

All who come unto God then must recognize their conviction of being a sinner. Nothing can be more desirable than a Savior when you need the Savior, and every man needs the Savior. The drowning man needs someone to save him, and when that someone comes, he gladly grasped hold of the Savior and is pull from the water. If he’s drowning in water. Likewise, you, if you haven’t obeyed the gospel, are drowning in sin, and you need Christ. And therefore, if you do see your Savior in that light, you can see the beauty that is in him. When you realize the ugliness of personal guilt for being a sinner, that’ll lead you to appreciate the beauty of Christ. The one by whom, whose stripes, we are healed. Jesus Christ took many stripes as he went up that hill to the cross.

Not only that, were those nails driven in his hands and in his feet, and he bled that you and I might have forgiveness of sin. He became sin for us. Coupled with the conviction of sin, then, and just as indispensable as that is the conviction of righteousness. God through the Holy Spirit justified Christ by raising him from the dead, and therefore putting to an end the charge of unrighteousness implied by his death on the cross. Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1 and verse 14.

It’s easy to see that God loved us. To send his only begotten Son to die for us. You know, to die on a cross was one of the most bad things that people could think of. Nothing but a common criminal died on the cross. And so, just to the appearance of man, Jesus Christ dying on the cross, he must have been a criminal. And the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that are lost, but to us who are saved, it is the power of God. Jesus demonstrated that he was the Son of God because He went through that horrible agony of death on the cross that you and I might live. Our Lord also included the conviction of judgment in his statement of what the Holy Spirit would accomplish when he came to his apostles.

Conviction of the defeat and punishment of the prince of the world, the devil, along with all those who would follow him, makes Jesus extremely desirable. The attractiveness of the devil and his ways dims and is extinguished as one views the destiny of Satan and those who are following him and are his admirers. The destiny of Satan and all liars and those who follow Satan is the lake of fire. Men and women must come to regard meekness and humility and lowliness of mind and of heart as strengths rather than weaknesses before Jesus has any beauty or cleanliness to them. Jesus said in Matthew 11, verse 28 through 30, listen to these beautiful words. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and learn of me, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Until a person realizes, brethren, that the burden of his soul is sin, and that the feeling of lack of fulfillment, and the anxieties, and the feelings of insecurity, and all other elements that contribute to making life miserable are part of the burden of sin. In other words, until a person is conscious of personal guilt before God, he will not seek the relief of the soul offered by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. When you think about the glory of Christ, it overwhelms me with awe. The glory of Christ, who is now seated on the right hand of God in heaven, where you and I hope to be, and we can be if we obey the gospel and are faithful unto death.

5. All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray

Isaiah explained why Jesus was despised and rejected of men in this way. This is what Isaiah said. All we, listen and apply this to yourself and not to your neighbor, please. All we like sheep have gone astray. That includes me and you. We have turned every one of us to his own way. Isaiah 53 and verse 6. All who are straying, straying around, following their own way, doing their own thing, are blinded to the beauty of Jesus. They fail to see in Jesus anything as it’s desirable. They love what they’re doing. They must be convinced that they’re wrong in what they’re doing. And come to Christ. And see the beauty that is in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. There’s not many people, not very many, when you consider the great number of people that are on this earth.

That acknowledge that the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps. In order, brethren, for us to know what way to go, God had to tell us, and he did tell us in Christ Jesus. We are not born with what God wants us to do. We are born with the ability to see that there is a God. But apart from his word, we know not what he wants. Well, thanks be to God that in the beauty of Jesus Christ, he has shown us the way from hell from earth to heaven. Glory be the name of God. Praise his matchless name for sending us the beauty that can be found in Christ Jesus. All who are in the world.

And unfortunately, brethren, many that list themselves as members of the Lord’s church have never learned the lesson. There’s a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. There are many groups practicing in religion things that they like, and thinking that they like it, they think that God will like it. This is known as presumptuous sin. You presume that because you like something, God likes it. It’s not so, brethren, unless you can find it in the Word of God. The best, one of the excellent examples of this is found in Acts chapter 8, which I won’t read all this to you. But I want you to make a note of it. Acts chapter 8, in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch.

6. The Conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch

He was one who had been to Jerusalem to worship God according to the way that he had learned. I don’t know whether he was a black, white, or a blended man. I believe he was a Jewish proselyte, or he would have seen no cause to go from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship. But he was told what it what he needed to do. And he was, Philip read to him from Isaiah 53. And upon hearing those words, the Ethiopian eunuch, well, who is he talking about? He’s talking about himself or somebody else. And upon that inquiry, Philip preached unto him Jesus Christ. And after he preached Christ to him, the man asked what he had to do, and he told him he had to be uh he had to obey the gospel.

Listen to it. How can I accept some man should guide me, says in verse 31? And he desired that Philip he’d come and sit with him. And the place of the scripture which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shears, so opened he not his mouth. You remember that I read that. And down in verse 34, and the eunuch answered Philip and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet? Of himself or of some other man. Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the scriptures and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said, See, here’s water. What doth hinder to me to be baptized?

And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest. And a beautiful confession he made. He answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And I’m here to tell you that the same thing that saved the Ethiopian eunuch is available to save me and you today. A man to be saved today must hear the gospel of Christ. And Philip preached it to the Ethiopian eunuch. And he must have mentioned something about baptism to him because he said, See, here’s water, what hindereth me to be baptized? And he said, If thou believes with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he says, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Brethren, people have had their heads chopped off and thrown to lines for saying that with the mouth.

But if you believe it in your heart, you must be willing to say it with your mouth to be acceptable in God’s sight. And the Ethiopian unit did it. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and we must repent of our sins. Not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, Peter said. Repentance caused by godly sorrow. Repentance arises in the heart of man when he recognizes what God has done to save him, and man has been a sinner and hadn’t done it yet. So he’s sorry. That he hadn’t come to God earlier. And this causes him to be thankful for God’s goodness. And so he turns from this life of sin to a life with God. And as we mentioned, he must confess his faith in God, that is to say, with his mouth what he believes in his heart, if he believes it, because if we deny Christ before men, he’s going to deny us before our Father which is in heaven.

With the mouth, confession is made unto salvation, Romans 10 10. Then a man must be baptized. I know that’s not very popular with the world, and maybe sometimes some may apologize for it, but not me. Peter said, the like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter chapter 3. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16, verses 15 and 16. You’ve heard those verses before. Just about every sermon someone mentions is those things. And we can’t mention it often enough. And yet we don’t want to overemphasize it. It’s just one of the items in the scheme of redemption that God has for man.

Conclusion

But then, brethren, after we become a Christian, our life is just begun in Christ. We’re babes in Christ. Babes in Christ. And we need to be cared for. The older need to care for the young babes in Christ. And then we must continue faithful unto death. If so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded in steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Colossians 1 23. And John reported what Christ told him in Revelation 2.10. Be thou faithful unto death, and I’ll give thee a crown of life. To those of you who’ve obeyed the gospel, you know what I’m talking about. To those of you who haven’t obeyed the gospel, we would encourage you to do so today, because today is the day of salvation.

We have no other time but now. I don’t know who’s going to see tomorrow and who’s not. To those of you who are Christians who have been negligent and brought reproach on Christ, you need to repent of that. Seeing as how God sent his son to help us to be faithful unto death, and some haven’t, we’ve been negligent. We need to pray God. We’re repent and pray God to forgive us. If you’re in any wise subject to the gospel, call this hour. We invite you to come forth now and render that obedience while we stand together and sing the song that’s been announced.