2022-4-24

Last week we saw in the Book of Isaiah that God’s people Israel had fallen far from God. They were supposed to be a holy people, the Lord’s own possession, who would dwell with God in the promise land, faithful and righteous.

However, because of their idolatry, they fell short from this calling. Isaiah pointed out that Israel needed redemption.

But also made it clear that God wanted them to be redeemed.

Also, last week I explained the Israel is a mirror that reflects the spiritual condition of all humanity. So the same can be said for all of us that...

We all need redemption.

God desires that we all are redeemed.

Also in the Book of Isaiah is the means by which Israel, and all of humanity will receive redemption.

We cannot redeem ourselves, we must be redeemed by God. In order to do this. Isaiah shows us that Our redemption centers on the Redeemer. This is the Messiah, the Christ, who will takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

Christmas is the celebration that God fulfilled His promise to send the Redeemer.

Easter celebrates how the Redeemer provided redemption for us. At Easter, we focus on the cross, burial, and, resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Isaiah prophesied about about the cross 700 years before it happened. He gives insight as to the work Jesus accomplished on the cross.

So Christmas and Easter go hand-in-hand.

However, you need to understand something else about Isaiah, he prophesied about things yet unseen. God did not give him a complete view about the Redeemer.

1 Peter 1:10–12 ESV

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

This means that we know more about Christ than Isaiah did:

1. Because ordained us to live when we do

2. The Redeemer and His work have been announced and written down in the Scriptures of the NT (progressive revelation). I hope you realize what an amazing honor we have to know things that Isaiah wished to know.

For example, here is something you know that Isaiah didn’t know. The total work of the Redeemer would be accomplished over the course of two advents.

Isaiah described the work of the Messiah in two seemingly contrary ways:

1. As a suffering servant

2. As a conquering king

As we will see on Friday night, the Redeemer suffered so we may be saved. But Isaiah as describes him as:

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

How do you reconcile this?

Let me tell you a story...

Climbing Mt. Princeton

We got confused and started climbing what we saw was the peak. The problem was that we could not see the huge valley between what we climbed to the top of and the peak of Mt. Princeton. Perspective would have helped us a lot!

Isaiah received the blessing of prophesy from God, but he did not know that the suffering servant and the conquering were like the peaks of two mountains.

Isaiah did not know there would be two advents of the Redeemer. He did not know about this gap of 2000+ years between the cross and Jesus’ return on the clouds. He did not know about the church.

So Isaiah vision conflates the pictures of Jesus as suffering servant and conquering king. Nevertheless, the revelation was perfect for Isaiah in his time and to his people. It is awesome to us to see how God revealed His plan before it happened.