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Three, perhaps starting with verse 7.
Isaiah 53, verse 7.
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. Her shearers is dumb, so he openeth 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, 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 in the pleasure of the Lord, shall prosper in his hand. 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 spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
A comment that's been very helpful to my own soul with respect to this chapter and other parts of the Bible as well.
Beginning at verse 7 to the end of the chapter.
It's not any more the remnant that we talked about yesterday who said he was wounded for our transgressions and we have the word our and for our iniquities and so on. The viewpoint changes here and it's really.
The one that's looking at it is not us as much as it's gone. It's the Lord Jehovah. And he's giving a commentary on it as he sees it and as he viewed it. And sometimes it's very helpful. We say we wanna know God's thoughts about something. How does he see it? And so I believe from verse 7 to the end of the chapter. And when there's a my or an I.
It's himself that's referring to my people. It's not our people, It's not us, but it's my people. And uh, when he says I, he's speaking, I will divide, I will do this and that. Another example of the same way of seeing the perspective is when the apostle John is writing the revelation. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ.
It's what he had to say about it. And so that John would get the right perspective on it. He says in the end of the third chapter, he says, John, as it were, you come up here, you come up, hit her so that I can give you the picture from heaven's viewpoint instead of from Earth. And so the revelation from that point on is given primarily from heaven's viewpoint of what's going to take place.
And so he says, come up, hit her. And then John gets, you might say to see it from God's perspective. And so to me in this, the verses which we take up this morning, it's a precious thing that God looked upon his Son as he's LED out to Calvary. And, uh, it's God that's saying he's LED as a, is at least a report, you might say, of that perspective. It's not so much.
While we see it and we look at the awful way that he's treated and so on, we do and we receive from that. We benefit from that.
But it's even better to say God looked at it and he watched the procession from the judgment hall to the cross, and he looks upon his Son and he says these lead as a sheep to the slaughter. But.
God takes tremendous appreciation for the way He went.
God looks upon it and he says he didn't open his mouth, He didn't say a thing. He went submissive as a lamb and he could say that's my servant, that's my servant. And he, God, could take complete satisfaction and find complete contentment in his own soul as he watched the proceedings.
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Of what was happening, and see Him lead among from men as a lamb to the slaughter, but without a murmur, without a complaint, but as a submissive, perfect lamb going there to the slaughter. Well, brethren, may our hearts appreciate.
Umm, what our God saw and what He appreciated in His Lamb.
Twice here, it says he opened not his mouth connected with.
Those two statements there in the seventh verse, he was oppressed, he was afflicted, but he opened not his mouth. He was led at the lamps of the slaughter and was of the sheep done before her shears, and he opened not his mouth is that it's my own mind that suggests that God recognizing his.
Lack of self-defense in two different aspects. That is, there was the abuse of his person and he didn't complain.
And there was the abuse of his character. He didn't point.
Is that correct?
When it came to its person and character, he never as a man, He never defended himself, even in his pathway. Sometimes been pointed out that on another occasion there were two things that they accused the Lord Jesus of. They said thou art a Samaritan and half the devil. And he did answer the charge of having a devil, because that brought into question his deity. But He never answered the charge of being a Samaritan, because that was, if I can put it this way, a slur on his character.
Even the woman at the well said the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. And as far as his, uh, character as a, a man, as the humble servant walking here in this world, he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. But when it did come to the truth as far as his deity or to uphold God's character, then he always did answer. And so you find that before Pilate.
We find that when he was falsely accused, when they brought into question his man, His character as a man, He never answered. It says he answered him never a word, but he did answer Pilate when it came to a question of the truth that's concerning God's character or his deity, than he did answer, He said to Pilate, I wonder if I'll say it. And so I think what you say, John, is very true and very helpful.
And rather, isn't that something for us to consider in a practical way? You know, someone says something against us, someone brings into question a slur on our character or something we've done. And uh, the immediate response of human nature is we want to defend ourselves. We want to vindicate ourselves. But the Lord Jesus never did as the man. But when the truth is in question, then we always want to be ready to give an answer.
We always want to not be contentious when it comes to the truth, but we want to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints.
That commend itself, John, maybe you have a thought. I was just thinking how that connects practically with first Peter chapter 2.
Might look at it briefly.
First Peter, chapter 2.
Umm, verse 20.
Verse 21 actually, oh, verse 20 verse Peter chapter 2 verse 20 for what glory is he buffeted for your faults He shall take efficiently. But if when you do well and suffer for you take it patiently. This is acceptable with God or even here unto where you call because Christ. This is the verse I was thinking of Christ also suffered for us. That's wonderful. We just sang about that.
But he did more.
Leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was violent mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled not again when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him. That judges righteously.
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I think if we can grasp that John that helps us from trying to defend ourselves, committed himself to him that judges righteously. We we judge brethren oftimes from outward appearances.
But so often I found that I misjudged because I just see superficially and what a example we have in the Lord Jesus.
Pilot marveled greatly. Here was this man and I'm sure he had seen many cases argued before him, and people can be very eloquent in defending themselves.
And sometimes it's very moving to listen to defenses like that. But here is the Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, and there he stands.
Completely mute before piling. Oh, how different we are, how natural it is to defend ourselves.
How important that we stand here and gaze at this one That was like a sheet before her. Shears is dumb. Did not open his mouth. You know I shaped before it. Sheared is fairly nice looking animal. After it's sheared it's kind of ugly looking. Nobody likes to be made look ugly.
It's natural to defend ourselves, but here was God's man.
Never a word in his own defense. If it was to God's glory, like you say, Jim, yes, he spoke, but when it was his own person, his character, he left that for God. And I think that is a real lesson to us so often because we want to defend ourselves, we start.
Quarrels amongst brethren. Lord, help us brethren to drink deeply of the Spirit of our Savior.
I trust this is the on the same thought many, many years ago, our dear brother Philip Gladding, who was in the Lord's work.
Make this statement, he said, brethren, I am to never defend myself If I'm verbally abused, if I'm slandered, I'm not going to defend myself. But he said I am always to defend the name of Jesus. And he gave example that during his ministry and his labor in different parts of the country.
If he heard someone nearby, take the name of the Lord Jesus in vain.
He would go over to that person immediately in a nice way and say, dear brother, please do not take that name in vain. That's my precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, that you are slandering and and taking his name in vain. He says please do not do that. And I thought that was good.
I trust that it's a long distinct thoughts we're.
We're taking them here, you know, We're not to defend ourselves.
The Lord didn't defend himself.
The perfection of the person of the Lord Jesus is brought out in it, and what's before us in that?
Did he feel it? Yes, he did. You could say reproach has broken my heart. He was a man. He was given feelings and uh, he particularly felt being isolated and rejected and he felt it in his soul. But as we said in the beginning, this is God's commentary on it. And that's the greater and more important aspect of it. It's the moment. It's between you and me.
And your treatment of me are my treatment of you. We haven't gotten where we need to be. The Lord Jesus here and the Father God who looks down upon him sees him as submitting to the will of God in the circumstance. And that's what goes deeper, brethren. And that's what is necessary for us to properly react to such things. All they didn't say anything, you know. Well they didn't say anything is for therefore I'm not supposed to say anything and so on. And our minds go that way that no, I'll keep my mouth shut because.
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But that doesn't really deal. That doesn't really do it for the heart. But the God looked upon him as the Lamb led to the slaughter, and he saw in it that the Lamb was submitting himself to God in it.
And he finds his satisfaction in that. It's like, umm, verse 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He can see it as I have taken him into this place where he's to be bruised. It wasn't as it were. Man has done it. Yes, man did it. Man was the one that was re is responsible for murder in it. But that's not the perspective here. It is.
It pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. It's not man bruised him. Man's put in degree, but it pleased the Lord to bruise him. And so the submission of character is the is the expression of Come unto me. I'm meek and lowly in heart. He was meek and lowly in heart, yes, before man, but more significantly before God.
And so he goes as a lab, submitting himself to the will of God in what was happening. And he's dumb.
He's done He. He says nothing in his heart to God or to man.
God has left a verse in the 39th, 1000 verse nine. I was dumb. I opened up my mouth to close the mouth.
Verse 39 Verse what brother? Thank you. Read it again.
This word oppressed means really to be ill treated in Mr. Darby translates it that way. So he was ill treated and then to be afflicted is really to be abused. He was abused not only physically but verbally and that word rails that we read in second there in first Peter really is needs to be verbally abused or to be railed upon. And so whether it was to be ill treated physically or to be.
Railed upon why there was the same effect there was the he suffered as a righteous man and in perfection showed that it wasn't going to be a lashing out as it was with the first atom. And so we have that admonition given to us as the Lord Jesus as the example given to us in first Peter there I just want to read one more verse in that chapter for the next chapter.
Because it says in chapter three, First Peter 3.
And umm verse 9 not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrary wise blessing, knowing that ye are therefore unto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
So the higher motives of the believer are to be seen in a practical way.
So, as you say, he always sought the will and the approval of God the Father. And it's beautiful, isn't it, to realize that with the Lord Jesus, he understood very clearly that there would be a day of vindication and when God's approval will be yet given and shown. And you know, brethren, that hasn't happened yet. He has his rightful place in heaven today. God has highly exalted him, given him a name that's above every name. He's crowned him with a crown of glory and honor, as we get in Hebrews 2.
But the Lord Jesus has never been vindicated on this planet yet this planet that railed on him, this planet where he was abused and taken out and nailed to the cross, He's yet waiting for that time. And it's interesting, isn't it, that Hebrews even tells us, as he seated at the right hand of God, what he's thinking of and looking forward to, henceforth, expecting until his enemies be made his footstool. And really, the heart of God will never be truly satisfied until his Son.
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Is vindicated and has his rightful place and God is able to show his approval to the world of his Son and what he accomplished for his glory here in this world. And brethren, if you and I can just grasp this in our souls again, it's going to help us. Whose approval and acceptance do we really want? I think we see a little of the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ and the apostle Paul in his dealings with the Corinthian Saints.
They questioned everything about him. They treated him as the off scouring of the earth. He said that's OK, we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. He was looking for the Lord's approval. And brethren, isn't that what we really want? Thinking of Mary two in the 12Th of John, you know, she poured out her ointment at the feet of the Lord. And it wasn't just Judas that spoke against her. All the disciples spoke against her. You know, you never read of Mary saying one thing there in that house on the 12Th of John.
She never spoke up, but the Lord gave his approval. He gave his sense of what was commendable and for his glory, and she's wrought a good work and so on. Brethren, are we willing to take up that spirit of the Lord Jesus? He did everything for the Father's approval, for the Father's glory. Has it been fully vindicated yet? No, but it will be. And so he could commit himself to him that judges righteously. Before we pass on from the seventh verse, I'd like to just make this little comment to.
Because this verse is quoted in the 8th chapter of Acts, and I think it's very beautiful. You know, brethren, the Spirit of God hasn't left us in any doubt as to who is being spoken up here. It's beautiful. You know, so often we go to the Old Testament and we make applications and we see by comparing Scripture with Scripture who is being spoken of and it's the Lord Jesus. But let's just go to the 8th of Acts and read it. And it's the context of its quotation there.
Before I read this, we know the story well. It's the Ethiopian eunuch. And you know, the Ethiopian eunuch had come up to Jerusalem, no doubt having heard passed down from one generation to another in the court of Ethiopia, the story of the visit of the Queen of Sheba and how she had seen the glory of the Kingdom at Jerusalem under Solomon and had her heart's desires satisfied and her hard questions answered.
And seeing the riches and brought many of the riches given to her as gifts back to that country. And he'd heard of the glory of Israel in Jerusalem under King Solomon. But you know, when the Ethiopian eunuch came up, it was too late to see the glory of the Kingdom while under a Solomon. Jerusalem was not in its glory now. It was in its shame. Jerusalem had rejected the true Solomon. Jerusalem the Jews had taken.
The Lord Jesus, the true Solomon outside its gates and nailed him to a Roman cross. He was too late to benefit from the blessings of of the temple and so on. He couldn't receive the blessing inside the walls of Jerusalem. It was too late for that. But he leaves Jerusalem and in a wilderness place, he's sitting in his chariot. And I often wonder how he got a hold of a coffee of the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. Maybe we'll find out in glory that someone slipped him a copy, saw his dejection. Maybe he bought a copy as he left the gate of Jerusalem. Or I don't know, but somehow.
He secured a copy of the 53rd of Isaiah. He's sitting in his chariot reading it. And just noticed in verse 30, Philip runs directed by the Spirit of the Lord. And then in verse 31, Acts 8 and he said, how can I Philip? And asked him if he understood the reading. He said, how can I except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him 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 is dumb, so opened he not his mouth.
I'm sorry a lamb be done before his chair so often he nod his mouth in his humiliation. His judgment was taken from taken away. And who shall declare his generation, for his life is taken from the earth. Now notice this. And the eunuch answered. Philippines said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this of himself, or of some other?
Now, brother, unless there's any doubt in our minds as to who Isaiah 53 is referring to, here's the answer. Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him, Jesus, that beautiful. Doesn't that give a calm and a confirmation to our souls this this morning? We don't have to wonder who we've been Speaking of when we speak of Isaiah 53 and the sufferings of Christ.
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That's not an application of Isaiah 53. That is exactly who the prophet was referring to in a prophetic way. And Philip begins at that same scripture. You know, it wouldn't have mattered where the prophet, where the unit was reading in the Old Testament. Philip could have begun at the same scripture, but the Spirit of God made sure that Philip had a copy of Isaiah 53 so it could be confirmed to to us that Philip began at the same Scripture.
And preached unto him Jesus. And what was the result? Why this man drank in these words concerning the sufferings of Christ. And he received it and went on his way, rejoicing. He was baptized and no doubt went back to Ethiopia with a great testimony as to who he had found. Not in Jerusalem he couldn't. It was in its shame. But he found it outside its walls, in the blessed Lord Jesus, the one who had indeed been LED as a lamb dung before her shears.
Well, it tells us in verse 80 was taken from prison and from judgment.
Lord watched it.
Design go to the Hall Council and the Jews.
And be there condemned, taken to pilot, condemned, taken to Herod and mocked, so on.
And where is it gonna end? He's cut off out of the land of the living. That is the consequences of these mock trials and evaluations of himself and his person is he's cut off out of the land of the living.
Who's going to declare his generation? And it's not brought out here, but, uh, the Lord felt that.
The Lord had a deep sense of being cut off in the midst of his own days. And, uh, he had come to bring a testimony for God to man, and now he's cut off in it. And so who's to declare it, to turn back just to get a little more sense of it, into the 49th chapter of Isaiah?
Umm.
It's not so much the length of days there, but in Isaiah 49.
It says in verse four. Then then I said, and this is the Lord speaking prophetically. Then I said.
I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for not and in vain. Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord. My work is with my God. There's a submission here, but there's also a sense of as a man, uh, as it were, that.
Not looked at in redemption side of it and the cross, but rather here he is. He feels that Another example of it is the 102nd Psalm. It's very precious, really determined 102nd Psalm.
Uh, in the 23rd verse of the Psalm he says he who? Jehovah.
Everything that the Lord did, he with it, it was with respect to his, with, with God. Not we always look at the man's side of it and what people did to him and so on, but for himself, he always took it beyond that. And so here he's speaking to God.
He says he weakened my strength in the way he shortened my days. He recognized that Jehovah had the power of control over those circumstances taking place there that day in Pilot's Hall and so on.
Umm, and so he says that, and then he said, Oh my God, take me not away.
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In the midst of my days now where they have a semi colon in the King James, there's really a break there. You could put dots in there properly to get the sense of what's being said here. The Lord says, Oh my God, take me not away in the midst of my days. Imagine what he's saying within his soul. We don't have it recorded. It's not between himself and fellow man, but he, he looks at the Lord and he says don't take me away in the midst of my days.
He was in his early 30s, in prime of manhood, if you will. And what's what's Jehovah gonna answer?
He's not gonna be down. That is, the Lord isn't gonna be silent to his servant in such a question and such a a a recording of what he felt and his soul at that time. And the answer is of Jehovah, thy years are throughout all generations of old. Hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. What an answer.
Of the Lord to him he says, they shall perish, but thou shalt endure. Yeah, all of them shall wax old as a garment, as a vester shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed without the same. Oh, what a blessed answer, that he GI is given in those in those that time. And he said, thou art the same, thy year shall have no end, and so on. What a blessed response that he.
Takes him to his deity. Really. And uh, says you're my son, you're the same.
Uh, passage of what's gonna take place on earth isn't the full picture of the story. And, uh, and yet the Lord looks at him here in Isaiah 53 and, and he says, well, from he's cut off, he's gonna declare his generation.
It gives the reason why.
The end of the verse, he says. For the transgression of my people what He's stricken, that's why.
That's why he's cut off from the land of the living, he said. Well, why is it? Well, it's for the transgression of my people.
The Lord at this point Jehovah is recognizing the people. He doesn't say low am I? You're not my people. You send your whatever No when it comes to the work of the cross.
And the the what the Lord has to do there, the Lord Jehovah looks at it and it says it's my people and it's their transgression that he's being cut off for.
It's interesting that right at the beginning of the New Testament, his generation is declared. So it's the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. And then you have as well and Luke's gospel right down to the son of Adam, the son of God.
And so in the Jewish order of things, they oftentimes when there was a matter of judgment, they would declare the generation of the individual that was on trial. And so you see that in connection with the in Joshua, I'm just going to point this out in Joshua Chapter 7 and verse 16 in connection with Akan and it says.
There Joshua Chapter 7 and verse 16. So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought.
Israel by their tribe and tribe of Judah was taken, And he brought the family of Judah, and he took the family as bazaar heights, and he brought the family of Lazar Heights, man by man. And Zapdi was taken, and he brought his household man by man. And Akan the son of Carmine, the son of Zabdai, the son of Zeera of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Akan, My son, I praise thee, give glory to the God of Israel well.
In connection with the Lord Jesus, if they had declared his generation, they would have recognized that this was the Son of David. They would have recognized he was the Christ Son, the Messiah come. But his generation was not declared.
How beautiful. But the Lord Jesus, his Gen. his generation has declared in Matthew's Gospel chapter one. I love to read those stories.
And in a certain sense, his generation was declared by what Don Red and Salma? 102 And God answers, thou art through all generations.
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Is the eternal one God's beloved son, and God's answer was given fully in resurrection. And that's what, uh, we have to realize, brother. And sometimes in this life, there is not vindication. There wasn't for the Lord Jesus. He died, it looked like he was a criminal that had died. There was no vindication.
That God's answer is in resurrection, and that should be a real encouragement.
To us to go on in spite of everything here.
This is the prophetic word. Wonderful. Here we have 5, and in Daniel we have plans.
So God always has a perfect timetable and a perfect reason. Does indeed. And I think it's beautiful to see Brother Bill. And it's important to realize too, in the context of this again, that when it says my people, it's the Jewish people, it's Israel, isn't it? And they will be blessed in the coming day. He's going to bring them into tremendous blessing in an earthly way.
But if they're going to have to recognize first of all those wounds in his hand and in his feet and in his side, they're going to have to recognize why he was cut off. They're going to have to recognize that if that work of Calvary, that's a very act that they are rejecting him was the very act that God used to bring them eventually into blessing. And on the grounds of pure sovereign grace. We enjoy a chapter like this in connection with our blessing. We sometimes supply it in the gospel.
And rightly so. But it's important to realize that all blessing for man, whether it's the heavenly company in a future day or whether it's the earthly company, it's all based on that which took place when Jehovah laid on him the iniquity of us all and when he was stricken for the transgression of his people. You know, so often it's hard, isn't it, to think beyond what things mean to us.
Rather than I trust the work of Calgary means everything to us, but it's going to have a far, far more reaching effect than just our being brought into blessing. It's going to bring into blessing his earthly people. It's going to bring in the blessing of the nations of vast multitude that no man can number and every level of creation that as we said the other day, groans and travails and pain till now.
Is going to feel the effects of redemption in a coming day because really the sense in Hebrews is that he should taste death for everything. Every level of creation has fallen and come under the effects of sin. But on the grounds of the work of Calvary, it's all going to be brought. In fact, I just want to say this too. I thought of it when Robert was speaking last night. You know, the last thing that the Lord Jesus showed his disciples.
At when he led them out as far as Bethany was, he lifted up his hands.
And what did they see in those hands that were lifted up before he vanished from their sight? He, they saw those wounds. They saw those pierced at hands. And you know, it's interesting that in Zechariah the first thing they say is, what are these wounds in my hand? The last thing the disciples saw were those hands wounded. And when they see him another day, when the remnant sees him another day, they're going to ask that question, what are these wounds in my hands? And he's going to tell them what they are.
And they're gonna recognize that that work was for them, and not until then will they be able to be brought into blessing.
And every class last site, the last opportunity is given. Jim has just spoken about his people and the remnant. Verse 9.
It says he or they appointed his grave with the wicked. That was the intent. Let's give this man a pauper's grave with those other criminals that we have put to death.
As they saw him, but the Lord looked at it and said no.
The moments the work of atonement is done, the moment the Lord Jesus vows his head in death, and then the soldier pierces his side to bring forth the blood after that.
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God takes over with respect to that precious body and that precious person, and he says everything connected with him and the world is done.
It's done. There's no more testimony. There is no more interaction between them. And so only his own touch him from that point on, they take his body from the cross, they prepare it for burial, they bury him. The the world that was gonna put him in a, a criminal's grave has nothing to say to it. And from that moment that he has taken down from the cross and taken to the grave.
We have no record that a single unbeliever ever saw him again on earth.
Every single record it was between himself and his own. And so he gives us, we are given perfect and a complete testimony as to the physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus. But it was to those of faith that the world has nothing to say to it and to see it. And so as he says, this was a of the Lord, he said.
He's stricken for the transgression of my people.
They intended, that is those who took him there, to put his grave with the record. But no.
He was, that is not fair. That's not righteous, that's not what I'm going to allow. And because he did no violence, he did not do wrong. He doesn't want to get a criminal scrape. Umm, there was no deceit in him and his defense, which was not a defense at all. He didn't defend himself as we've already had. And so the Lord gives, puts him with the rich in his death.
The world will see the Lord Jesus to return in power and great glory, and we have that in Revelation, uh, chapter one and verse 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him involved hindrance of the earth, shall wail because of him, Even so for him.
And I was thinking of Daniel nine. Our brother referred to how in connection with Daniel's 70 weeks.
It says that Messiah would be cut off and have nothing.
Well, you know when the Lord Jesus suffered there on the cross.
And then expired. Gave up the ghost.
He hung there.
And the cross. And it appeared as though he was perhaps the biggest loser, that.
Man had ever seen, but when you think of what God has given to his Son in return for what He's accomplished here on earth.
We see that he enjoys the highest place in heaven. God is highly exalted him and giving him a name which is above every name.
And so it's wonderful to see that although man rejected the Lord Jesus here on earth.
We see that God has exalted him in heaven and uh, I was thinking in connection with, uh, Mao's being opened.
Shut on. You know, in verse 15 of chapter 52 of Isaiah, it says that the king shall shut their mouths at him.
Well, as the Lord Jesus was before Pilate.
The Roman power there.
The Lord Jesus itself as He opened not his mouth.
And Pilot said to the Lord, Do you not realize that I have power?
To crucify thee, and I have power to release thee. He was amazed at the Lord Jesus and how he answered nothing. But you know the Lord said, have no power against me, except that were given to thee from above.
And I believe that was brought out in Psalm 102, how the Lord Jesus recognized that what was taking place was truly of God and He was submitting to the will of God.
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But the coming day, we're gonna see the Lord appear in power and praise the Lord.
In King of Kings.
And he will have the last word.
And Kings tells us here was shut their mouth in. So we look forward to that day.
Not many here in this room. We love the thought of disappearing when he holds his rightful sway.
Gives public testimony to who he truly is.
As the Son of God.
1/2.
Is God.
The light is the lightest to honor him.
Being with the rich in his death was perhaps fulfilled in two men that the Lord Jesus.
Or that God had ready to take care of the precious body of the Lord Jesus after he had laid down his life. And we know the story well. There was Joseph of Arimathea, and Scripture confirms in Matthew's Gospel that he was a rich man.
And he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. But when the Lord Jesus died, God had his servant right there. And he comes out boldly, and he goes to Pilot, and he begs the body of the Lord Jesus. All that secrecy and shyness, or whatever it was that kept him as a disciple secretly is now removed. And he owes. And Pilot grants him his request, and he takes the body of Jesus.
And another man joins him, who though he had spoken once in defense of the Lord Jesus in John 7, yet from the third chapter of John until the Lord Jesus died, you read really nothing about him but that one little comment where he defends the Lord Jesus in the council. And his name is Nicodemus. And what does he do? He brings a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 LB weight. And think of the tenderness of those two men.
Those two disciples of the Lord who both of them to a great degree had been secret disciples during the pathway of Lord Jesus for one way or for one reason or another. But now they come and just picture the scene with love and tenderness for the body of the Lord Jesus. They take that body, they wrap it in those spices and Joseph has a rich man has that tomb and God made sure that the body of his beloved Son.
Was gently, also gently laid in a rich man's tomb, and not only a rich man's tomb, but a man who had genuine love and affection for the Lord Jesus with the help of Nicodemus. Oh, think of God's care for the body of His beloved Son, anticipating the moment that was so near at hand, when God would raise him from the dead.
And it was a tomb where there had been nobody, like no corruption of death that ever been there. And that body that was laid there did not see corruption either because God raised him from the from the dead. It's wonderful to see how God vindicated everything.
Oh.
Something to the Lord to recognize that He is the One.
That subjected the lamb to the suffering.
It's not essentially, although it's true that command treated him awfully, as we've had before us, but in verse 10, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.
What a thought, brethren, what it meant to God.
Himself, the Father himself.
To be participating in what's necessary for the work of fulfillment in this way.
Quite touched my soul this weekend and thinking about.
Demand says let's put him to death, we will not have this man and he takes them out to Calvary to put him to death.
But man has no power over his life. Man could not take his life.
00:50:07
Another that's there for Calgary is his people.
As it says, for the transgression of my people. Was he stricken?
If you go to Exodus chapter 12, when it's the slaying of the Lamb, it says the whole congregation shall kill it.
But in reality.
They're responsible for it is for the transgression of my people. Was he stricken? But they don't, in actual fact.
Put him to death.
In Genesis 22, the Father goes with the Son with the knife in his hand.
Abraham lifts up his hands with that knife in it to slay the sun.
And uh, yeah.
Blessed it be the person of the lab. The Father's hand does not slay the sun in that way either.
She's in the absolute last act of perfect submission.
Does not taste death from the hands of his people. He does not taste death directly as an act of Jehovah.
He expresses the perfection of it all by bowing his head and dismissing his own spirit.
That's the sun, that's the Lamb. That is our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
I think it's summed up beautifully because as you say, God didn't take his life from him, but it was His will that he lay down his life. And so he says of his life that in John's Gospel, no man taketh it from me. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. And then he adds, this little comment, this commandment have I received of my father. And I suppose that's the thrust of what he said. It says prophetically, Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. That is, it was the will of his father and to accomplish the will of the father.
In completion, the month then lay down his own life.
And I love to think, Jim, and that what you mentioned how he laid down his life. I think there's only one time in Scripture where the Lord speaks about his love for the Father. The end of John 14 says that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me commandment even.
So I do arise. Let us go ahead.
What majesty in that person?
That little statement that's made in.
Umm, couple of times in Genesis chapter 22, they went, both of them together perhaps as seen here, because it says in verse 10, it pleased the Lord. And at the end of verse 10, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. But then you see in verse 11, he shall see of the travail of the soul or the fruit of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. And so you see the Father pleased with the work, and you see the Lord Jesus perfectly satisfied with the results.
Of that work, the Father is pleased, God is pleased, but the Lord Jesus is satisfied. Just think of it. He's going to be satisfied for eternity with the results of that work on the cross of caliber.
The precious thing because the father couldn't have been satisfied that the son was not.
That is, he, the father, is the one that puts him into this position.
It's his will that he be bruised. He is the one that has subjected him to the suffering. But then the father can look and say, well, the son is going to see the fruit of the travail of that suffering and he is going to be satisfied. And that, if I could use the word comfort in it, is the comfort to the father's heart.
00:55:03
And he finds rest and satisfaction. And so even among men, we understand the principle of it. If someone has to put someone else through something that's very difficult for them and uh, realizes they're not going to like or the process that they have to go through still, let's say a parent with a child, if they can see that in the end result, we'll say the child after having been put through the difficult time.
In the other side of it can say, oh I'm so thankful I see now.
Or I appreciate now. And so the Lord Jesus looks at the fruit of the travail, of the bruising and, uh, the Father can say he's satisfied.
There's a contrast given in the SE 69th Psalm verse 31, and it says this also shall please the Lord better than an ox or Bullock that has horns and books. And so the the contrast given to what took place in the Old Testament and all those Jewish sacrifices just pointed towards the Lord Jesus and that would please the Father and the heart of the Lord Jesus would be satisfied too.
We're not always satisfied with the fruit of some work, are we? I'm not a farmer, but I know there are farmers here and they go out and perhaps they do everything they feel is necessary in putting in a crop, making sure that crop is irrigated, fertilized, whatever they do, making sure that the weeds are taken care of and so on. And at the end of the harvest, perhaps there's they're not satisfied with how many bushels per acre they got.
I've sometimes used this illustration too, those who know me best and if my family was here, they would attest to the fact know that I'm absolutely useless when it comes to working with my hands. But I remember one time I to graduate from junior high, I had to take a shop and I chose woodworking and I made a little book stand. But you know, I never really was satisfied with it. And sometimes during my youth I would make certain things and my parents had a.
Large wood stove in the basement of their home, and often before anybody saw the results of what I had tried to do that was gone in the fire because I was so dissatisfied. But I'd rather think of the work of the Lord Jesus. Think of what it means to the heart of God who has been glorified and satisfied in it. And think of what it means to the heart of the Lord Jesus and will mean in a coming day when he views that fruit in all its completion when he looks. And let's keep it in its context for a moment when he looks at his earthly people.
Finally gathered around himself, established there in their inheritance and brought into blessing and the shout of a king is amongst them and his knowledge goes out throughout all all. He's going to be satisfied. He's going to be disappointed in any aspect of what the work that he took up for the fruit of that work. Not for one moment. He's going to be completely satisfied. And then let's apply it to ourselves because we often do.
Gonna look around in the Father's house, brethren, perhaps this afternoon, perhaps before we leave this place. Gonna look around, not at just a few gathered like this, but he's gonna look around at the whole redeemed company. You're gonna be satisfied, Disappointed that he chose any one of us now. Sometimes he's grieved at us now, but when he views this in the coming days, all with him, like himself, gonna be satisfied. We're gonna say yes, but who's gonna leave the singing?
Again, whether it's His earthly people or His heavenly people, who's gonna lead the singing, He's gonna joy over His people with singing. He's the one that's gonna rejoice. The Father is gonna be satisfied with the work that the fruit of the work His Son accomplished, rather than can we imagine what it's gonna be like and what else? We're gonna be satisfied as well. I'll be satisfied when I awaken His likeness. You will be too. What a mutual feeling they talk about. There's nothing like a mutual feeling.
Nothing like that mutual feeling of satisfaction. The Father, the Son and his people fully satisfied for all eternity.
01:00:09
Is so important, isn't it, to realize that redemptions work is the basis of all blessing?
And we will never forget it, brother, and I often think that we are going to have bodies that are transformed into bodies like Him and His glory.
His body of glory, but there will be one only in that eternal day that will carry wounds in His body.
The glorious Son of God.
We'll never forget the cost it was to him to bring us there.
Oh, what a tremendous thing it is. And we never should forget, even here, the cost. And I think that helps us to keep us in place, Brendan, lest we think we're somebody.
In ourselves, no, it's what He has done. It's who He is and what He has done. That work of redemption that is the basis of all blessing. I enjoy looking at that little word in verse 10.
He shall see his seed and see how often in the verses that we read on Lord's Day morning and the breaking of bread, how often that little word is used. You noticed in Genesis chapter 22 That was read from yesterday.
Umm which is such a beautiful picture of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus and.
There in verse 17 he says to Abraham.
Bless you know, bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand that is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in thy sea shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. There it is Psalm 22, just to briefly mention it.
Umm.
Mm-hmm.
Verse.
30.
A seed shall serve him. It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
Psalm 69.
In verse 36.
The seed also of his servants shall inherit it, and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
So I'm 102.
Verse 28. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
The blessing that flows from that work of redemption is incalculable.
OK, so you have him in Revelation, where he takes up the judgments in the coming day and the ultimate blessing for the earth and for Israel. You find him as the Lamb, don't you? It's interesting that only once he's mentioned as the lion of the tribe of Judah, the lion would speak of his strength and ability to open the book and to loose the seals and to take up the judgment, to bring about earthly blessing and so on. But in contrast to that, 28 times.
He's referred to as the Lamb in the Book of Revelation. And when they see him, they're gonna see him as such in a coming day. And it's the Lamb that eventually opens the seals. And all through Revelation, it's the Lamb. It's the Lamb because not only will we but the earthly company understand and recognize that, as you say, Bob, everything is on the basis of redemption. And so even in the midst of the heavenly company in Revelation 5.
He's a lamb, as it has been plain. Those wounds, as you say, He'll retain even. He's a glorified man today, and he'll remain as such for eternity. We're not gonna see him as he was. We're gonna see him as he is, but he's going to retain those wounds. And we know from a number of scriptures those wounds in His hands, in His feet, and in His sight as a constant reminder to either both the heavenly and the earthly company.
01:05:25
That their blessing is based on redemption and the blood that was shed by 28 times. He's the Lamb, and when he comes back to take up the blessings of this world and the blessings of his earthly people, they're going to see him as the Lamb.
Two, that it says Lamb because.
As in his first coming as the Lam is the submissive, obedient, dependent one who's mute.
And he takes that place without murmur.
And so God is that we're would say, this is the one who is worthy to establish order and righteousness over my creation. And so it's into his hands, the one who has been so lowly that he says he has done the work of redemption on the foundation on which things may be set right. He has made peace through the blood of his cross.
And now I appoint him to be the one. And so it's even as Lamb that he comes and puts down all that oppose that, which is against the glory and order of God. And, uh, so he's his character is Lamb. He's still the Lamb, but he takes on, as it were in that place given of God, a tremendous power.
To exercise the will of God, not in.
In that loneliness of place, but in that majesty and glory that he is so worthy.
Speaks of the wrath of the Lamb, doesn't it?
11 he's not only do we see him as the one that bore iniquity, but he's also the perfect servant to.
Present to man righteousness in the will of God who came, as you see in John's gospel in chapter one, he came and he was, behold, the Lamb of God. But in the same chapter He is the Word. He is the perfect expression of what God is.
And so as the servant he makes known and instructs and righteousness, he presents God to man and what God is. And that that is part of his work. And it's a wonderful thing that God has chosen to make himself known and to have a servant that can display him to us so that we might know righteousness, that we might know much more than that as well.
And so the whole earth, in this coming day of his glory, will be instructed in righteousness. Now it's, it's often been said, righteousness suffers. There is no man to do it.
When the Lord Jesus comes and instructs, then the earth will, righteousness will reign over the whole earth, and the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
After Satan in the end, uh.
Rebels, after the 1000 years of peace and reign and righteousness, he will be put down and that will be removed from the creation. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and then God himself will dwell in righteousness, won't have to reign anymore in that sense to keep it in control. But all that is in the creation in that point in time is simply righteousness will dwell.
There won't be any need for the servant to instruct in righteousness then either, because.
We shall know even as we are known, and so will the earth know and.
01:10:04
And uh, every man should be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
No more education needed.
As well to recognize he never assumes any of these things for himself. Never.
As a man, it's all in the hands of the Father to determine and decide. And so in the last verse it begins. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the Great.
God has made the choice to put all judgment into his hands. God has made the choice to give to the Lamb the responsibilities that are presented, uh, in the revelation and the carrying of them out. And so He assigns him the portion which is his. And what a portion.
What other portion would be suitable or proper to him? He is given that place.
Of head over all things, not only to the church, which is his body, but God is placed into his hands. The authority over all created all creation, angels and man, and everything else goes beyond the scope of this chapter, but he's assigned the portion that is his.
With the great, or it's greater than the great, it's the supreme place.
Of which we echo.
With our God and we say thanks, that's what he deserves.
It also says that he shall divide the spoil with the strong. And so there is the thought of companionship, isn't there? Why He desires to have those that come into blessing because of his holy work, and he appreciates that which we.
Show forth as far as our devotion to Himself, and walking in the strength, as it were, of the Word of God.
That rejected 1 And so if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign. So the Lord values in this scene that we name His name, and that we do associate with Him as the rejected one. He isn't the accepted one at the present time in this world, but we look forward to that time. It is appearing, and He will be accepted, and that He will rule in righteousness.
And we'll be there this time.
And his people will be vindicated too. We've spoken of his vindication, but God is going to make sure that his people are vindicated too. You know, Israel today, Jerusalem, their enemies have their missiles pointed at them. They'd like to do away with them in a moment if they could. But you know, there's a day when Jerusalem is going to be the capital of the world. The blessing is going to flow down from God through the Lord Jesus, but through those people that are so despised today, those people that the enemies would like to annihilate with them.
And then out to the nations and the whole earth. But isn't it tremendous, brethren, to think that there's a day when Israel is going to be brought into blessing and all are going to bring their tribute up. The nations are going to bring their tribute up to Jerusalem year by year, and if they don't, they're going to be cut off and suffer pestilence and famine. Going to be that great recognition. But what about the heavenly company too, brethren? We're following a despised Christ now, as Robert said.
But rather than he's coming to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that are about him in that day, you know, when heaven opens up to reveal the Lord Jesus coming back in power and glory, his heavenly people are going to be with him.
We're going to come with them and the earth is gonna look up and they're gonna see the people that they despise, those they burned at the stake, those that they ridiculed, many that they cast in prison, those that follow the rejected Christ, and they're going to see his people all with and like Him glorified. We're going to reflect fully the glories of Christ in that day. There's going to be a declaration, so to speak, I and the children whom God has given me. Now, brethren, doesn't that encourage us to just go on following that one now?
Not looking for vindication now, but just to follow a rejected Christ, knowing that again God's heart will be satisfied finally in the full vindication of His Son, and satisfied in the vindication of those who have been have been associated with Him here in His rejection.
01:15:21
But before that can happen, there will have to be brought very, very low and many are going to be cut off and like it says in Zechariah 2/3 will be cut off. Think of the awful slaughter of those people and in their mortal anguish they will be brought to repentance, and then God will intervene and raise them up and.
They will be the head of the nation's.
Not like it is today. Beautiful to think about.
Just like to comment on this little expression in verse.
12 He poured out his soul unto death. Beautiful. Just, uh, meditate on that.
Poured out his soul unto death. No God has made us to live. Really it is not.
God's original purpose when he created mandate, it wasn't his purpose that man die, but that was brought in through sin. But here the Lord Jesus coming into this creation poured out his soul unto death. And there's little expressions too in the New Testament. I'd like to connect with this. And when he's in the garden, I think it's in Mark's gospel, perhaps others he says now is uh.
My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death. Within John's gospel he says, Now is my sole trouble, And what shall I say? What was it that trouble his soul?
Was the thought of that work of redemption that was ahead? And the contact was thin. He could say to his own people, let not your heart be troubled. But his soul was troubled.
Oh, what a savior we cannot measure.
What it would be?
To be the light of the world.
And I hang there in darkness.
You could say a body has thou prepared me.
With the soul is the expression of the vessel.
That is laid down in death.
Mm-hmm. We can't measure, but we can always be enriched.
And grasping but a little.
Of what it was for him.
To bring us into.
Everlasting.
Astonishing.
And the light of the world is going to rise as the Sun of Righteousness, SUN Sun of Righteousness, with healing in his wings. What a day of light and blessing and glory there is for this world when he rises as such.
I wonder if we could stand and sing 110.
110.
Oh God, thou knowest glorified.
My holy blood.