Can You Loose Your Salvation?

The further we read in John chapter 6 the more assured we should be of the expression: “once saved always saved.”

Why do I think this?  Glad you asked.  There is a series of verses in chapter 6 that teach clearly that the decisive impulse in our coming to Christ comes not from ourselves, but from God.

• vs. 37 – “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”  God gives his own to Jesus.
• vs. 44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”
• vs. 63-65 – “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

We also see this teaching in the larger context of the book of John (8:47; 10:26-27; 12:37-40)

So it seems that everyone God draws does in fact come.  God’s drawing and calling is infallibly effective.  His drawing produces its desired effect.  He draws them and they come.

Jesus says several times in John 6 that He will never loose any of those whom the Father has given Him.

• vs. 37 – “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
• vs. 39 – “this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should loose nothing of all that He has given me”

So we see all who the Father draws come.  And all who the Father draws to Jesus are kept by Jesus.  Jesus looses none of those given to Him by the Father.

Since these things are true, we should rest in the truth of God’s Word taught here and in Romans 8:38 which says: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Amen and amen!

What God saves He will not loose.  Therefore be assured of your salvation today and rejoice in the great mercy, grace, and love which He has lavished on you!

And if you haven’t come to Jesus, pray that God the Father will give you eyes to see Jesus for who He really is:  The Bread of Life.

Come, eat, drink, and believe!  Come to the waters and drink from the fountain of life without cost!  Believe and make Jesus your life treasure today and be saved.

Don’t Quit Your Job and Don’t Work to Earn Your Salvation

In my last post we looked at John 6:27 where Jesus says to the crowd following him: “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.”

We saw that no one can work to earn their salvation.  The only work you can do to gain salvation is to simply “believe” (John 6:29).

So what did Jesus mean when he told the crowd in verse 27:  “Do not labor for the food that perishes”

What does he mean by this and how does this apply to my day-to-day working at home and in the workplace?

He knows the crowd is seeking Him because they want their bellies filled with more bread.  They worked to track Him down so that they could get some more of it.

This does not mean stop working and quit your jobs.  There are so many references in the Bible honoring work.

Eph. 4:28 – “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

2 Thess. 3:10-12 – “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

Do your work and bring home the bread.  The ordinary way of eating is to work.  Not beg off of others.  The Bible everywhere assumes that and teaches that.

So what does he mean?  It doesn’t mean quit your job.  Do your work and bring home the pay check.  And when you do feed yourself and your family.

So what changes for people who eat Jesus and feast on Him as the Bread of Life?

A new chapter, Eternity, is added to your work life.

Retirement is not the last chapter of your life.  Eternity is.

This bread, Jesus, becomes your supreme treasure.  All other values go down as He goes up.  That is a huge change.

In conversion your eyes are opened, you see Jesus for who He is, crucified son of God, bread from heaven, righteousness, etc….  Then you eat, you don’t work for him.  He comes into your life and he becomes your life and brings infinite happiness!

You stay in your job.  1 Cor. 7:24 – “in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.”

Everything about the goal of that job changes.  Your primary purpose is no longer money, but working for the glory of Christ.  When times look good Christ gets the glory.  When times are tough, you work for His glory.  Your heart is set on making much of Him in your work.  He is dominant in your heart and mind.  Every aspect of your vocation becomes a way of magnifying Him.

You are driven in your work for the glory of Christ.

Col 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Everything done in the name of Jesus and for the glory of Jesus; whether caring for the home, or running a corporation, will be rewarded by God.

You will no longer be driven by money, power, passion for retirement, because every day Jesus will be with you and your treasure.  He is the feast the truly satisfies your soul.

He is so much better than a few years of aged retirement.

This fact changes everything!

So He’s not saying stop working to care for your family, but what He is saying is that believing in Him will be your treasure.  Believe in Him and make him your treasure today!

No amount of working = eating.

Should I Quit My Job and Earn My Salvation?

In John 6:27 Jesus says to the crowd following him: “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.”

At first glance and reading out of context one may think that Jesus is saying that to follow Him I should quit my job and start working for my salvation.

But as my Hebrew professor in Seminary would always tell us, the 3 most important words in biblical interpretation are “context, context, context.”

Clearly we know from the context of this passage and the rest of Scripture that Jesus is not teaching such a thing.

So then, what did He mean when he said this?  How is it that I can labor for the food that endures to eternal life rather than the food that perishes.

The crowd had the same question.  They asked in verse 28 – “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Jesus answers them in verse 29:  Believe.

That’s it.  Simply believe.  That is the work of God.

The problem with this crowd is that they had no faith.  They did not believe.  They simply wanted more of that great bread and fish that Jesus created for them the day before.  They did not love Jesus for who He was, they loved Him because He was useful to them.  They were working for and seeking the bread that perishes when all the while Jesus was telling them that He is the bread of life.

What about you?  What are you working for?  Are you striving for the bread that perishes thinking that it will satisfy you.

Jesus said  ”I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Ironically, when Jesus stopped giving out the miracle bread, the crowd of 15,000 or more left Him.  Only 11 remained.

And no, don’t quit your job.  More about working your job for the glory of God in a later post….

Does Church Energize You or Drain You?

Hopefully you went to church this morning to worship our great God and King.

When you woke up this morning were you excited about going, or were you dreading it?

If you were dreading it, ask yourself: “What do I go to church for?”

There are many answers to this question:

• to see friends
• for the music
• because I have to
• my family makes me
• ….
• to worship God.

If you feel drained by the thought of going to church, then it is likely that your answer to the question was not the last one on the list above.

Set your mind on the Lord today. Begin thinking now and each day this week about worshiping the Lord with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ next week.

Set your heart and mind on worshiping Jesus each day and at Church next week.

Think of what you are doing as going to worship Jesus Christ, rather than going to church.

Then see if you feel energized by the opportunity to worship the Lord rather than drained by the prospect of “going to church.”

Was Jesus’ Ministry an “Epic Fail”?

I’ve been working through John chapter 6 for a little over a month now in sermon preparation.  As I study the chapter, I’m struck with the fact that Jesus starts the chapter with likely around 20,000 people following him.  He ends the chapter with 11.

How is it that Jesus goes from a superstar mega-church Pastor who the people are ready to make their King by force, to a flock of only 11 followers in one chapter?  I say 11 because in verse 70 he identifies Judas as a devil, so obviously Judas did not believe in Jesus and was not a true follower.

In verses 1-15 we see that Jesus created bread and fish out of nothing.  5 loaves and 2 fish don’t feed over 5,000 people to their fill and produce enough for leftovers.  The rest of the chapter is all about Jesus showing people, with increasingly offensive language, what they were supposed to have seen, but didn’t see.

The people just didn’t get it.  They wanted to have their physical bellies filled, but Jesus was trying to teach them that He is the true bread of life that will satisfy the hunger of their souls.  So many today are searching for a Jesus that will satisfy their worldly cravings.  So many today are just like this huge crowd that was following Jesus to see the signs He was performing and to have their bellies filled.  When all the while Jesus is teaching us by His Spirit through His Word that He is the true bread.  He is the living bread.  He is the living water.  Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.  Whoever believes in Him will have the hunger and thirst of their souls eternally satisfied.

What about you today?  Does Jesus satisfy the hunger of your soul, or do you merely see him as a useful way to satisfy your worldly cravings?  If your answer is the latter, He will have no part in that.  Just as he had no interest in acquiescing to the crowds desire to make Him King.

So was Jesus’ ministry an “epic fail” at the end of John 6?  Not at all.  For He chose the 11.  And he said that he will loose nothing of all that the Father has given to Him.  The 11 remained and believed, even though the teaching was hard.

Only What’s Done for Christ Will Last…

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “‘twas worth it all”;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Author Unknown

What will last from your life?

Are you making the most of the only life you have for the glory of Christ?

What advantage then has the Jew?

The end of Romans chapter 2 and beginning of chapter 3 is a very hard text to understand.  We are dealing here with this question: What is the difference between a spiritual Jew and being a Jew by birth?

Does God still care about Israel as a nation, or has the believing church today replaced Israel?

This text begins to unlock the answers to that question.

Romans 2:28-3:2 reads as follows:  ”For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.  What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.”

Wait a minute??  Didn’t Paul just say that being a true Jew and true circumcision is “of the heart and in the Spirit and not in the letter?”

Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Now he is saying that being born a Jew and being circumcised a Jew is a great advantage. How are we to understand this?

We see throughout the Scripture that the Lord has chosen Israel to be His people, a light to the nations to lead them to God.

Deut. 33:29 ²⁹ Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.”

God has often spoken with a great deal of respect and blessing for the Jews.  They are described as:  a holy nation, a peculiar treasure, the seed of Abraham His friend.  He instituted circumcision as a badge of their covenant relation to Him.

How is it now that after what Paul just said at the end of Ch. 2 that these things are still meaningful?  Is circumcision now a dishonor and a fruitless insignificant thing?  Certainly not!  There is much significance and honor in being a circumcised Jew, but the point here is that these things are not infallible and do not save.

God is just and will bring judgment and wrath on all who sin, both Jew and Gentile.

The door  to salvation is open to the Gentiles as well as the Jews, but the Jews have a fairer way up to this door, by way of their covenant-privileges, which are not to be undervalued, though many that have them perish eternally for not living up to them.

Paul discusses many of the Jews’ privileges in Romans 9; but here he mentions only one:  that unto them were committed the oracles of God, that is, the scriptures of the Old Testament:  The types, promises, and prophecies, which relate to Christ and the gospel. The scriptures are the oracles of God: they are a divine revelation, they come from heaven, are of infallible truth, and of eternal consequence.

God’s Word was committed to the Jews; the Old Testament was written in their language; Moses and the prophets were of their nation, lived among them, preached and wrote primarily to and for the Jews. God’s Word was committed to them as trustees for succeeding ages. The Scripture was deposited in their hands, to be carefully preserved pure and uncorrupt, and so transmitted down to posterity.

The Jews were entrusted with that sacred treasure for their own use and benefit in the first place, and then for the advantage of the world.  The Jews had the means of salvation, but they did not have the monopoly of salvation.

Psa 147:19-20 He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. ²⁰ He has not dealt thus with any nation”

Why this special and peculiar affection and love from the Lord?

Deu 7:7-8 explains this clearly “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; ⁸ “but because the LORD loves you”

He loves them because He loves them.

So why should we be any different?

Should we not be like God in this peculiar attachment?

Should we not give them the same place in our heart that God gives them in His heart?

Where is our love for the Jewish people?

Where is our longing to see them saved?

We see in Romans Chapters 1 & 2 this message of “the Jew first”. We see that the Gospel is for “the Jew first”

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ¹, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

The power of God unto salvation should be preached to “the Jew first.” We also see in Romans 2 that judgment will begin with “the Jew first.” The Jews will be the first to stand forward at the bar of God to be judged.

Rom 2:5-9 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,⁶ who “will render to each one according to his deeds¹“: ⁷ eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸ but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness– indignation and wrath, ⁹ tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;

So when the dead small and great stand before God, and the books are opened, and the dead are judged out of those things that are written in the books, Israel—poor blinded Israel—will be the first to stand in judgment before God.

We also see that glory, honor, and peace will be to the Jew first

Rom 2:10 ¹⁰ but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Why?  Because they have received more light than any other people.  “To them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:2)

God’s Word was given chiefly to Israel. Every prophet was sent first to them; every evangelist and apostle had a message for them.  Messiah Jesus came to them.

We see this in the gospels.

Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  Jesus sent the disciples to the Jews first.

Mat 15:22-24 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” ²³ But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” ²⁴ But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Jesus taught that He was sent to the Jews first.

Act 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit)

Why not leave Jerusalem?  The Holy Spirit was not bound by space and time to only appear in Jerusalem was He?  Certainly not!  They were to remain in Jerusalem because the Gospel was to go to the Jew first then to the nations.

Act 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The apostles were not all from Jerusalem.  They were given specific instructions to remain there and to preach there first rather than returning home make disciples.

When Peter preached in Solomon’s portico he said this to the Jews:

Act 3:25 “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, `And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.  26 “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Paul and Barnabas when preaching to the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia said this:  Act 13:46 “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

We see throughout the book of Acts that the Apostles first preached to the Jews in the Synagogues of the towns they evangelized, then to the Gentiles.

So in our text we see that “first of all” or “chiefly” the benefit of being a circumcised Jew is that they were entrusted with God’s Word.  This is the first in a list of many reasons that being a circumcised Jew was an advantage.  Paul continues the list in Romans 9-11.

Romans 9:3-5 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, ⁴ who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; ⁵ of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is Jewish!

Our job now as Gentile believers, according to Romans 11, is to provoke unbelieving Israel to jealousy, and in doing so that some may be saved.

Rom 11:11-15 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. ¹² Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!  For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Zec 8:23 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: `In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”‘”

This has never been fulfilled; but, as the word of God is true, this is true.  The Bible tells us here that here is great advantage in being a circumcised Jew, but it will not save you.

Don’t hear me incorrectly.  The Bible does not say to preach to the Jew alone, but to the Jew first.

We are to go and make disciples of all nations.  Let’s follow the biblical imperative and offer it to “the Jew first.”

Jesus Christ, Our Perfect Suffering Servant – Isaiah 53

Last week we saw in Deuteronomy 21 the damage sin causes in the community and nation and the Lord’s requirement that sin be atoned for.

We learned that sin is deadly and severs our relationship with the Holy God.  We also learned that we are all sinners and are all guilty and deserving of death as a consequence for our sin.  We learned that the only way sin can be atoned for and forgiven is through the shedding of blood.  Therefore we have a problem that must be solved.  We desperately need atonement for our sins. That was the bad news…

Then we rejoiced in the Good news and learned that God has provided His own atonement for our sins through the sacrifice of His perfect Son, Jesus Christ.

In Isaiah 53 we see in great detail the humility and exaltation of our Lord Jesus foretold by the Prophet Isaiah 700 years before the actual events took place.

This text is considered the “forbidden text” by Jewish rabbis because it so clearly points to Christ as the Suffering Servant of the Lord.

Let’s dig into the feast starting at Isaiah 52:13….

The Humble/Exalted Servant of God

¹³ Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.

• Who is “My Servant?”  Israel, Isaiah, another prophet?
• We know from the context that It cannot be Isaiah or Israel.

• Isa 42:1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
• Isa 49:6 Indeed He says, `It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth. “
• Isa 53:11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
• From these verses and many more in our context we can discern that “My Servant” is someone other than Isaiah or Israel.  If so, then who could it be?  Who in history will perform these mighty acts foretold by Isaiah?
• The Hebrew verb meanings and constructs convey this idea: That he will rise up, he will raise himself still higher, he will stand on high. The verbs in the Hebrew denote the commencement, the continuation, and the result or climax of the exaltation; the resurrection, the ascension, and the sitting down at the right hand of God.
• And so we see at the outset of our text that the Servant of the Lord will deal prudently/wisely and as a result will be highly exalted.
• I believe we will see clearly today from our text and its fulfillment in the New Testament accounts that this Servant is the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Vs. 13 says that He will “deal prudently.”  What is meant by “deal prudently”?  What is so great about His actions that the Lord would be pleased to highly exalt Him?  Let’s continue through the text to find out….

¹⁴ Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;

• Just as His degradation was the deepest degradation possible, so His glorification would be of the highest kind. The height of His exaltation is held up as presenting a perfect contrast to the depth of His degradation.
• It is interesting that the church before the time of Constantine pictured the Lord, as He walked on earth, as repulsive in His appearance; whereas the church after Constantine pictured Him as having quite an ideal beauty.
• They were both right: He was unattractive in appearance as he lived and walked the earth; but He is ideally beautiful in His glorification.

¹⁵ So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.

• The word “sprinkle” here is also used in referring to the sprinkling of the blood with the finger on the altar of incense on the day of atonement.  Thereby giving the image that the Servant will atone for the sins of the nations.
• So even from Old Testament prophecy we can see that God’s plan of salvation has always been for Israel and the Nations.
• The first section in the prophecy closes here: The servant of the Lord, whose inhuman sufferings excite such astonishment, is exalted on high; so that from utter amazement the nations tremble, and their kings are struck dumb.

53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

• Notice the shift to the first person plural “our.”  This cannot be Isaiah’s report, for he would have used the singular.  It cannot be the Gentiles, for we know from 52:14-15 that they have not heard and will be astonished when they do.  So from the context of the passage we can deduce that it is the nation Israel making this confession.
• This verse is quoted in the New Testament…

• John 12:36-37 -  ³⁷ But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”
• Romans 10:16 - But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
• Israel, the nation which acknowledges with penitence how shamefully it has mistaken its own Savior, laments that it has put no faith in the news of the high and glorious calling of the servant of God.
• What is the “report/message” Israel is referring to?  None other than the humility and exaltation of Messiah, the Servant.
• All that follows is the confession of the Israel of the last times, to which this question is the introduction.
• This text is one of the greatest prophecies of the future conversion of the nation Israel, which has rejected the servant of God, and allowed the Gentiles to be the first to recognize him. A remnant in Israel will repent and trust Messiah Jesus.  Then this chapter will receive its complete historical fulfillment.

² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

• Notice the words:  “tender plant”, “dry ground”
• Both figures depict the lowly and unattractive character of His humble beginning.
• The expression “out of dry ground,” brings out the miserable character of the external circumstances in which the birth and growth of the servant had taken place.
• The “dry ground” is the state of the enslaved and degraded nation Israel; The dry ground is the corrupt character of the age and nation into which He was born.
• Here we see the humility in our Lord’s coming.  He did not come in majesty and glory, but in humility as a baby.  Born in a barn and laid in a feeding trough.
• His appearance was also humble:  the rest of verse 2 could be said this way:  “We saw Him, and there was nothing in His appearance to make us desire Him, or feel attracted by Him.”
• He dwelt in Israel, so that they had Him bodily before their eyes, but in His outward appearance there was nothing to attract or delight their senses.

³ He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

• Following from verse 2, the impression produced by His appearance was rather repulsive and contemptible.
• The chief men of Israel and the great men of this world, drew back from Him.
• He was a man of sorrow of heart in all its forms.
• His life was one of constant painful endurance.
• The wrath instigated by sin, and the zeal of self-sacrifice burnt like the fire of a fever in His soul and body.
• Those who saw Him hid their faces from him, and considered him worthless.
• Of Jesus they claimed:”He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” (Joh 10:20)
• Jesus was despised and rejected by those in power and leadership and was a man of no reputation or esteem.
• The second section closes here. The preaching concerning His calling and His future was not believed; the Man of sorrows was greatly despised and rejected.

⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

• This verse is quoted in the New Testament in Matthew.
• Matthew 8:16-17 – ¹⁶ When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”
• The meaning is not merely that the Servant of God entered into the fellowship of our sufferings, but that He took upon Himself the sufferings which we had to bear and deserved to bear, and therefore not only took them away (as Mat_8:17 might make it appear), but bore them in His own person, that He might deliver us from them.
• Here we have the image of Jesus as our substitute.  Bearing our griefs and sorrows upon Himself.
• Here Israel confesses its own blindness in that as Christ carried their sorrows and griefs, they reckoned them to be His own sins rather than theirs.  They saw this punishment from God as a result of Christ’s own sins.  How blind Israel has been!

⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

• He was pierced and crushed because of our sins and iniquities. It was not His own sins and iniquities, but ours, which He took upon Himself.
• In this way He made atonement for them in our place.
• This was the cause of His suffering so cruel and painful a death.
• The Apostle Peter when describing how we will suffer as Christians said this of our Lord Jesus’ sufferings…
• 1 Peter 2:19-25 – ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²² “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed. ²⁵ For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
• We were sick unto death because of our sins; but He, the sinless one, took upon Himself a suffering unto death which was the essence of the suffering that we deserve.
• It is this submission to the Father through suffering unto death on the cross that became the source of our healing.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

• Here we see Israel’s confession and repentance.
• Israel in its exile resembled a scattered flock without a shepherd; it had lost the way of the Lord (Isa_63:17), and every one had turned to his own way, in utter selfishness and estrangement from God (Isa_56:11).
• But as Israel heaped up guilt upon guilt, the Servant of the Lord was He upon whom God Himself caused the punishment of their guilt to fall, that He might make atonement for it through His own suffering.
• We also should make this confession.
• We as Israel should see the depth of our sin and depravity and the infinite grace and mercy of our Lord.  We are great sinners, but He is a Great Savior.
• Psalm 14:1-3 – The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. ² The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. ³ They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.
• Ephesians 2:1-3 – And you were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
• We are sinners and the Lord laid our sins on Jesus…
• 1Peter 3:18 – For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
• All this great multitude of sins, and mass of guilt, and weight of punishment, came upon the Servant of Jehovah according to the appointment of the God of salvation, who is gracious in holiness.
• The third section ends here. It was our sins that He bore, and for our salvation that God caused Him to suffer on our account.

His suffering, death, and burial

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

• We see clear fulfillment of this by Jesus in the all the New Testament Gospels…
• Matthew 26:63 - Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
• Matthew 27:12-14 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
• Mark 15:5 - But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
• Luke 23:9 - Then he questioned Him with many words, but He (Jesus) answered him nothing.
• John 19:9 - and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
• John 1:29 – John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

• Perhaps a better rendering:  “He has been taken away from prison and from judgment; and His generation considered that: ‘He was snatched away out of the land of the living; for the wickedness of my people punishment fell upon Him’?”
• The meaning here is not that prison and judgment were removed from him, but rather that it was out of the midst of suffering that He was carried off.
• Jesus was killed for our transgressions.

⁹ And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

• Jesus also clearly fulfilled this prophecy in the New Testament
• He was crucified between two thieves.
• Matthew 27:32-38 - ³³ And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, ³⁴ they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. ³⁵ Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” ³⁶ Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. ³⁷ And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸ Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.
• He was buried in a rich man’s tomb.
• Matthew 27:57 – ⁵⁷ Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.⁵⁸ This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. ⁵⁹ When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
• In His burial the exaltation of our Savior begins because he was sinless till the end.  The humiliation is complete.  Atonement has been made.

His Exaltation

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You 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.

• His sacrifice was of both body and soul.  Therefore His sacrifice redeems both our bodies and souls.  The self-sacrifice of the Servant of Jehovah is complete and the end of all sacrifices.
• The suffering of His Servant was to be the way to glory, and this way through suffering to glory was to lead to the establishment of the church of the redeemed.
• The reference here is to the new “seed of Israel,” the people redeemed by Him, the church of the redeemed out of Israel and all nations, of which He would lay the foundation.
• He should live long days, as Jesus says in Revelation 1:18 - “I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
• Verse 10 looks forward to Jesus as the mediator of a new covenant, and the restorer of Israel, the light of the Gentiles and salvation of the Lord even to the ends of the earth.
• We also see that the Father takes much pleasure in the Son:
• Isa 42:1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
• At Jesus baptism:  Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
• At Jesus’ transfiguration with Moses & Elijah: Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

¹¹ He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.

• The dead yet living One, because of His one self-sacrifice, is an eternal Priest, who now lives to distribute the blessings that He has acquired.

¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Philippians 2:5-11 Sums this up perfectly – ⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• Christ is the exalted King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is Savior of Israel and the Nations.
• Remember, our text today is Israel’s confession.
• In the person of the Servant of the Lord the idea of Israel is fully realized, and the true nature of Israel shines forth in all its brilliancy.
• Israel is the body, and He the head, towering above it.
• Jesus is the the Suffering Servant of Isaiah and the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:15 where Moses said – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,”
• The Servant of the Lord goes through shame to glory, and through death to life.
• He conquers when He falls; He rules after being enslaved; He lives after He has died; He completes His work after He Himself has been apparently cut off.
• His glory streams upon the dark ground of the deepest humiliation.
• Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
• Believe in Him and have abundant and eternal life today!

Atonement is still needed… (Deuteronomy 21:1-9)

As I’ve been preparing a sermon on Deuteronomy 21:1-9 this week I’ve been reminded how deeply we still need atonement in our lives today.

Christians often think of atonement for sin as an Old Testament concept that has little relevance in our daily lives today. The Hebrew word often used for atonement literally means “to cover over.”  Our English word “atonement” carries the meaning of reconciliation or “at-one-ment”.  Being at one with the Lord after having been separated from Him.

In the passage I’ve been studying, the Lord provides details concerning how to deal with an unsolved murder in Israel.  Atonement must be made for the blood-guiltiness caused by the unsolved crime.  A punishment for the crime must be carried out by the Elders of the closest town to where the body was found.  And in this case, it must be carried out on an innocent animal.  The innocent animal must die in place of the person who committed the murder.  By doing so, vs. 8 says that “atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood.”

So what’s the big deal?  Why is this atonement necessary?  Why did the town’s leadership have to go to so much trouble for a person found dead?

The answer is the central theme throughout the Scripture.  It is God’s plan of redemption since the foundation of the world.

The Bible tells us that the “wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

We know from the creation account in Genesis that Adam and Eve were created by the Lord to have an intimate personal relationship with Him.  We know they were also given specific instructions concerning how to live and be.  When Adam & Eve sinned they were separated from the Lord and cast out of the garden.  The fig leaves Adam and Eve fashioned for clothing were not sufficient to cover their sin and nakedness.  Therefore the Lord provided and animal sacrifice and used its skin to clothe Adam and Eve.  Gen 3:21 - Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.  Since that first sin in the Garden God has required the shedding of blood to atone for sin.  From this first sin of man till this day man’s sin separates him from a right relationship with God.  Therefore atonement must be made to cover our sins to make that relationship right again.  Hebrews 9:22 According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.  We see throughout the Scriptures that a blood sacrifice was required and offered of God’s people to make atonement.

And Jesus provided the once for all sacrifice to make atonement for the sins of all who would trust in him.  Hebrews 9:26b-10:1 He (Jesus) has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.  Joh 3:16-18 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And so, the Lord has not left us to suffer his wrath and condemnation without an escape.  We have this blood guiltiness on our hands for sin, but there is a way to escape the wrath to come.

What should be our response to this gift?  How can a person receive this gift of salvation, pardon and eternal life from the Lord?  The only way is by grace through faith.  By trusting in Jesus Christ alone you can be saved.  Act 16:30-31 - Philippian Jailer asked: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ Apostle Paul replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.  It’s that simple for you and for me, but the cost was tremendous to the Lord Jesus.

The atoning sacrifice has been provided.  Our response is to believe and be saved.  That we would put our faith in Christ alone for salvation.  For without faith it is impossible to please God.

Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ?  If not, trust Him today.

And let us look to and reflect on His death, burial, and resurrection this week as we celebrate Easter this coming week.

Benefits of Home Discipleship – Part 6

We are walking through several benefits to the household approach to discipleship listed by Eric Wallace in his book “Uniting Church and Home.”  My goal in these blog posts is to help us consider the urgent need for families to live out the biblical mandate of home discipleship.

Benefit 11: A household approach better prepares people for marriage. A household approach to ministry enables young people to evaluate the characteristics of a potential marriage partner in the confines of safe, real-life relationships. You best see the true character of a person in how they act in their home environment. You can see how a person practically lives out their faith in the way they interact with their family. My wife Katie and I experienced this growing up. We met when we were fourteen years old and saw first-hand how each of our families interacted with each other and what their priorities were. We knew the obstacles we were facing as we walked toward marriage and prayed together for the Lord to see us through them. He has blessed us with fifteen wonderful years of marriage and five beautiful children.

Psalm 78:1-7 gives a beautiful picture of the results of home discipleship:

“Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments”

Amen