"The Security of Our Holy Identity" Isaiah 62:10-12

Introduction:

A. On that original Palm Sunday Jesus was headed into Jerusalem to shouts of Hosanna and to appeals to Him for the salvation of the Lord.

B. The waving of palm branches signified a heroes welcome in anticipation of the deliverance that was to come.

But it must be said that what the people anticipated and what God anticipated was not actually the same. And this is something helps us understand just what kind of preview that Palm Sunday really is. Look back at this preview of deliverance being described in verses 10-11:

I. The Preview of Deliverance (10-11).

A. This sounds like Palm Sunday doesn’t it.

Especially when you go back up to Isaiah 61 and you realize that Jesus read from the first few verses of that chapter in the Synagogue and said it was fulfilled in their hearing in Luke 4:18-19.

This ties the context of Isaiah 62 to His first coming. And it is obvious because Isaiah addresses the daughters of Zion and he references their salvation in verse 11.

B. But it is actually talking about something that is yet to happen. That original Palm Sunday was giving us all a preview of something to come.

Palm Sunday was from the historical past but it had spiritual significance tied to the Kingdom of God that we live in now but look forward to for the future.

The Messiah King of God rode into Jerusalem knowing full well what was coming over the next few days. And it wasn’t just about establishing the Kingdom of God but it was also to secure a deliverance for God’s covenant people.

Look back at verse 12 where we see the proclamation of deliverance:

II. The Proclamation of Deliverance (12).

A. This proclamation of deliverance is depicted the identity that is being declared over the people of God in verse 12.

Notice They shall be called: The Holy People

This denotes that they are set apart as sacred by God and for God. A Holy God has made a people Holy for Himself and He has decreed a plan that would secure them to Himself for eternity as a Holy people.

Then Isaiah says they shall be called: The Redeemed of the Lord

This denotes the idea that the Lord has acted as their kinsmen redeemer like Boaz did on behalf of Ruth. The book of Ruth is giving us insight into the kinsmen redeemer laws so we can see it in application to our relationship to God through Christ. He has paid our ransom to make us His own.

Then we see that they shall be called: Sought Out

He has initiated their redemption by His sovereign grace to have a people for His very own in covenant relationship. They were not seeking Him out, but He was the first and primary mover in their direction. And He decreed His action from the foundations of the world to bring them to Himself. God has sought out a people to make as His own.

Then last but not least, they shall be called: A City Not Forsaken

This denotes that in spite of their sin He has not forsaken His people. Isaiah uses the term city here to refer to the true Israel. They are those from Jew and Gentile ethnic backgrounds who have been set apart by God, for God.

And He has secured them to Himself through the blood of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. God decreed that His Son would come and rescue His people from sin and this fallen world.

Had God not have sent Him and Christ had not have come we would have been forsaken and it would have been everything we deserved. Adams sin brought the separation and we all have followed in Adams footsteps and we prove it daily.

But our Great King who is mighty in battle, fearless in the face of death, His face set like flint, and He went courageously right into the middle of the battle to take on our most fierce enemy riding on a donkey’s colt.

Talk about anti-climatic what was that donkey all about? Shouldn’t it had been a white horse? It was a donkey to show the humility by which He came to extend mercy and grace to sinners through conquering sin and death on their behalf and suffering their punishment of God’s wrath in their place as their substitute. He came as the Lamb of God to take away sin Humble and on the foal of a donkey.

Conclusion: And He comes that way to you this morning to old out the offer of salvation by faith alone in Him and in His work. You will either come to Him now in the humility of His offer of grace to you or you will have to contend with Him on the final day. Come to Jesus by faith alone!

A. Believers you may feel forsaken in this world by this world but God has secured you to Himself and nothing that this world throws at you can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. I know we are at times cast down under the weight of this fallen world in our struggles with sin and the evil one; but we are not forsaken.

Our God has initiated our redemption and He has made us His own. Find your rest in His provision of grace to you in Christ. Confess and receive from His hand. Let’s pray!