The Earthly Ministry of Jesus in a Nutshell

I. Introduction

Isa 51:1-8

Setting:

Again, we’re near the center of the middle third of the last portion of Isaiah. Confusing enough?

Nearing the climax of the revelation of Messiah as a suffering servant in Isaiah.

Structure

Listen: The speaker addresses his hearers in three sets of parallel appeals.

Vs 1: Listen to me (Shema) Hear and respond.

Vs 4: Give attention to me. Give ear to me. (Quashab) listen with attentiveness. Block out other signals.

Vs 7: Listen to me (Shema).

In each place, he addresses the hearer with descriptive terms. Assuming that the population being addressed is constant, we can learn several things about the hearers.

Ethnically Jewish (vs 4)

Faithful believers in God (vs 1, 7).

This is addressed to believing Israel, not just descendants of Jacob.

Rom 2:28-29 “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

Look: Similarly, the speaker directs the attention of the hearer by directing the gaze of their attention:

First to What He has done in the past (vs 1-2).

Next to what He will do in the future (vs 6.

Chiasm:

Law (vs 4, 7)

Righteousness (vs 5, 6, 8)

Salvation (Vs 5, 6, 8)

Arm (vs 5, 5, 9)

Center: The hope of the gentiles for Messiah.

Overall pattern is A B C D E D C B A B C D

The half-repetition of the structure leaves us looking for hope, which is the point of the prayer in verses 9-11.

The Chiasm’s focus in vs 5 serves as a pivot point for the verse. Above that, salvation is focused on the restoration fo lost paradise. After it, salvation is focused on the destruction of evil.

Before the pivot, we “look back.” After, we “look forward.”

II. Body

Verses 1-3

The appeal here is to those who live by faith in God, who seek God and His righteousness.

The theme of this whole chapter is hope for salvation.

In this first portion, the speaker anchors our hope in evidence from the past.

Abraham and Sarah are the Rock and Quarry of the Jewish people.

Abraham and Sarah were called from among the nations. They were not Jews. This is fitting, as the speaker has not yet called the hearers “His people” or “His nation,” as He will in vs 3, 4.

God calls our attention to the past experiences of faithful people in Abraham and Sarah.

God calls our attention to His past behavior in blessing those who trust Him in faith.

God is seen as the comforter of Zion. This is one of the central aspects of the work of the trinity.

God the father is comforter. 2 Cor 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Jesus comforts us. 2 Cor 1:5-7 “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.”

Jesus is a comforter, and he sends another in the person of the HS: John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

The word for comfort here, נָחַם nāḥam, is also the root of the town name from which Jesus based his ministry, Capernaum, or the village of comfort.

The restoration of Eden stands as another theme of this first section, which is again a backward perspective.

Hope comes from a memory of what has been lost. That can be restored.

The physical creation’s restoration is used as a metaphore for the spiritual restoration of mankind.

Just as wasteplaces can be made lush, broken souls can be reanimated by the Spirit of God. Notice the presence of several fruit of the Spirit: Joy, gladness, and thankfulness.

Sermon by John Chrystostom on Isaiah 51:3-4 focuses on this interpretation.

Thanksgiving in worship (vs 3) is a strong Biblical indicator of the heart that is oriented rightly toward God. Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

Verses 4-6

The Jewishness of the audience is the focus of the address at the beginning of this section, not that the faithfulness has left the view.

The Jewishness of the audience is immediately juxtaposed with the inclusion of gentiles into the promises, “a light to the peoples.”

The word that goes out to the gentiles is set in the future (from the perspective of the returning Babylonian diaspora). It is not the Mosaic law.

Not a command for Gentiles to submit to the Sinai covenant.

New covenant, referenced in Jer 31:31-35.

This is the new covenant of the gospel, referenced by Christ. Luke 22:19-20 “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

This clearly not the temple sacrificial system, which Christ’s covenant relegated as superfluous.

Christ as the light of the world has been addressed in several other places (Isa 42:6 and Isa 49:6, for examples).

The going out of the gospel to the nations tips the first domino of the chiasm.

The righteousness that is sought by the audience, referenced in vs 1, is not one of adherence to the law of Sinai.

God’s righteousness goes out with the gospel declaration. Righteousness tied to faith was known, albeit obscurely, by God’s people even in this dispensation (Hab 2:2-4).

The righteousness of God comes through faith to His people. This is the formula for salvation, even in the old testament. Romans 4:1-12.

Salvation and righteousness always occur in close proximity in this passage (vs 5, 6, 8).

The arm of the Lord is a symbol of his power to save. In the top of the passage, that power is used to restore the faithful downtrodden. In the latter portion, that power is used to destroy the effects of sin.

There is a very minority translation tradition, followed by the Coptic church, which interprets the Hebrew not to read “arm,” but “seed.” That makes this passage and Isa 53:1 even more expressly Messianic.

The judgement of the gentile nations in vs 5 is not punitive.

This portion of the passage is restorative.

This serves as the basis for their hope.

They are looking to Messiah to advocate for the righteous among them against their adversaries.

The central statement of the chiasm, and of the whole passage, is that salvation has gone out from the Jewish Messiah and will save the gentiles around the world who will put their faith in Messiah.

Gen 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Rom 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.””

As the Chiasm begins to run backward, we see a return through all these ideas, but this time with a filter of the destruction of sin and sinners before our eyes.

The created world will be destroyed, but the salvation and righteousness given by God to those who are faithful will preserve them in the midst of God’s destructive judgments.

The same Coptic Liturgy which reads vs 5 and 9 as “seed” declares that vs 6 concludes with a reference to the resurrection of Christ. All of creation is destined to destruction, but the servant of God will live forever and will not be dismayed (Psa 16:10).

He endures, therefore His works endure.

“Salvation” is Yeshua, Jesus.

Vs 7-8.

This passage opens with a call to those who have been saved through faith, echoing the sentiment of vs 1, but having been fleshed out by the chiasm, which concludes in vs 7.

Those saved are specifically described as those with the law in their hearts, new covenant language.

We are still in the shadow of the middle of the chiasm, so destructive judgement is still the theme.

The sinner will be destroyed (vs 8), so don’t fear them. Fear God instead!

God’s works of salvation and the gift of his righteousness are enduring. It is all that will persevere beyond the destruction of this world. Rev 20:11-15.

Notice that the Chiasm begins again: law, righteousness, salvation, and arm (vs 9). Where’s the hope? That’s the question that the rest of the chapter answers.

Where We See Jesus

This passage serves as a Cliff’s notes summary of much of Jesus’ teachings. He directly quotes from it or makes reference to it numerous times. Here are a few:

Abraham and Sara are called the rock and quarry of the faith (vs 1). Not the people, but their resolute faith in the word of God. Similarly, Jesus makes reference to foundations of faith in several places, most famously in the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matt 7:24).

Almost all of the Beatitudes (Mat 5:2-12) have precursors in this passage:

Those who mourn are comforted (Matt 5:4, Isa 51:3).

The meek inherit the earth (Matt 5:5, Isa 51:2).

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied (Matt 5:6, Isa 51:6-7).

Those who have pure hearts will see God (Matt 5:8, Isa 51:1).

Those who seek peace will be called sons of God (Matt 5:9, Coptic view of Isa 51:4-5).

Those persecuted will inherit the kingdom (Matt 5:11-12, Isa 51:7-8).

The permanence of the word of God in light of the coming destruction of this present age: Matt 5:17-18, Matt 24:35, Isaiah 51:6).

The downtrodden of every nation can find rest and comfort in Jesus (Matt 11:28, Isaiah 51:5).

The destruction wrought by moths and worms cannot touch the works or the people of God (Matthew 6:19-20, Matthew 6:30, John 10:28-29, Isaiah 51:8).

Don’t fear men, who can only ruin this life. Fear God, who is sovereign over all (Matt Matthew 10:28, Isaiah 51:7).

III. Conclusion/Application

Trust in the word of God.

It will have its affect in your life.

It will not fail.

The righteousness you desire to see in your life is tied to the salvation that God is working in you. Not your works. His.

God’s plan of salvation includes both restoring that which was lost and destroying that which is corrupted by sin.