The Victory of Christ

THE VICTORY OF CHRIST  

An Exposition of Isaiah 53:10-12

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   April 21, 2018

Series: Holy Week 2019

Note:   Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

INTRODUCTION

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the good news that Jesus died for the sins of His people and rose again for their justification:

“[Jesus our Lord] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)

The gospel – and the word ‘gospel’ simply means ‘good news’ – the gospel is centered on Jesus Christ our Lord, His atoning death, His triumphant resurrection, and the corresponding promise of salvation, on the basis of His death and resurrection, to every sinner who repents of his or her sin and runs to Jesus as the all-sufficient Savior. Every man, woman, or child who trusts in Jesus is forgiven and is brought into a right relationship with the living God. As Scripture,

“[If] you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

The entire Bible ­– both the Old Testament and the New Testament – proclaims this same gospel, this same Christ, and this same salvation.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

In order to ponder this glorious gospel on this Resurrection Sunday, let’s incline our ears to hear what God says through Isaiah 53:10-12. Isaiah 53 is most often associated with the sufferings of Christ, and rightly so, and yet Isaiah 53 also proclaims the resurrection of Christ and the everlasting fruit of Christ’s saving work. Holy Scripture says:

“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

(Isaiah 53:10-12)

PART 1: WORLD, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

Let’s unpack this passage in four parts. Parts 2-4 will unfold the good news. Part 1 sets the stage by highlighting the bad news. In other words, ‘World, we have a problem.’

In terms of Isaiah 53, the bad news is set in the background of the text, but it is there – and we must see it! Although Israel was the original audience of this passage, the message of Isaiah is rightly applied to the whole world. As Paul tells us in Romans 3, the whole world, “both Jews and Greeks, are under sin” (Romans 3:9), and all who are saved are saved “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). In Isaiah 53, Israel is seen to have a problem, and the whole world shares the same problem. This problem, this bad news, is sin.

Do you see this problem in the background of Isaiah 53:10-12? The big problem that we all have is that we are characterized by “iniquities” (v. 11), we are guilty of “sin” (v. 12), and we are, by nature, “transgressors” (v. 12). This same language is used earlier in Isaiah 53: “our transgressions” (v. 5), “our iniquities” (v. 5), “we… have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way” (v. 6), “the transgression of my people” (v. 8). 

The reference to sheep going astray is a very helpful description of sin. We ought to go God’s way. We ought to cherish His thoughts and delight to walk in His ways. He is the sovereign God, and we are His finite creatures. He is the Potter, and we are the clay. He is the Shepherd who would lead us beside still waters and restore our souls and guide us in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:2-3), and we are not very smart sheep. As not very smart sheep, we ought to trust Him, we ought to trust His fatherly love for us, we ought to trust His perfect wisdom, and we ought to follow Him wherever He leads. For He is good and holy and righteous and merciful and kind, and He leads His people into truly fruitful living. But alas, we turn to ourselves, trust the counsels of our own mind, make our own judgments, chart our own course, and try to manufacture our own salvation. And yet, it will never work. There is no life, no beauty, no excellence, no goodness, no righteousness, no wisdom, no flourishing, no enduring value, apart from God. As a sinner, you can have the illusion that you have some good things apart from God, but the day is coming when everything will be laid bare, illusions will cease, and righteous judgments will be handed down from the throne of God.

What does sin look like in action? It looks like empty religiosity (Isaiah 1:10-15): we go through religious motions, but our hearts are far from God, and our conduct is not godly. It looks like having no compassion for orphans and widows (Isaiah 1:17, 23): we are greedy and we want to get and take and seize, but we do not want to give generously for the good of others (Isaiah 1:23). It looks like being impressed by the things that we make and the things that we accomplish, but not being impressed by the worth and work of Almighty God (Isaiah 2:6-22). It looks like preferring cheap parties over God-centered worship:

“Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.” (Isaiah 5:11-12)

Sin looks like replacing God’s standard with the unenlightened standards of our progressive age:

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight.” (Isaiah 5:20-21)

The problem with sin, of course, is that it meets with God’s disapproval.  Those who “like sheep have gone astray” – and Isaiah 53:6 tells us that all have done so! – those who “have gone astray” don’t only find themselves far removed from the blessings of God, but they also find themselves actively opposed by the God who is holy and just. Where does sin lead?

“Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,

and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,

so their root will be as rottenness,

and their blossom go up like dust;

for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,

and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,

and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,

and the mountains quaked;

and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets.

For all this his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is stretched out still.”

(Isaiah 5:23-25)

Why had Jerusalem become a wasteland (Isaiah 52:9)? Why had Israel become “barren” and “desolate” (Isaiah 54:1), “deserted and grieved” and “cast off” (Isaiah 54:6), “afflicted” and “storm-tossed” (Isaiah 54:11)? The answer is simple: God judged her for her grievous sin (Isaiah 40:2).

The Question

The question is: is there a way for sinful people to escape the peril of their sin? In Isaiah 52–54 the good news of God’s comforting grace is spoken to a people who were well-acquainted with the bad news. But Isaiah 52:7-9 highlights the good news:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,

who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

The voice of your watchmen–they lift up their voice;

together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.

Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem,

for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.”

(Isaiah 52:7-9)

And Isaiah 54:7-10 also highlights the good news:

“For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the LORD, your Redeemer.

This is like the days of Noah to me:

as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth,

so have I sown that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you.

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”

says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

(Isaiah 54:7-10)

What has happened? How has a recalcitrant people become a redeemed people? How has a people under God’s wrath become a people under God’s love? How has a deserted people become a gathered and graced people? How has a wasteland under the woe of judgment become a sanctuary of peace and salvation?

The answer, it turns out, rests on the shoulders of one Man. This is the glorious gospel of Isaiah 53.

Part 2: Jesus, the Righteous Servant of God, Died For Our Sins

The bad news of Part 1 prepares us from the good news of Parts 2-4. And here is Part 2: Jesus, the righteous servant of God, died for our sins. This is evident in Isaiah 53:10-12 as well as in Isaiah 53:4-9. I think the best thing to do is simply to read verses 4-12, but before I do so let me call your attention to an important related passage in Isaiah 1. Isaiah 1:4-6 says,

“Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity,

offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken the LORD,

they have despised the Holy One of Israel,

they are utterly estranged.

Why will you be still be struck down?

Why will you continue to rebel?

The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

From the sole of the foot even to the head,

there is no soundness in it,

but bruises and sores and raw wounds;

they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.”

(Isaiah 1:4-6)

Isaiah 1:4-6 describes a sin-sick people: struck down, sick, faint, no soundness, bruises and sores and raw wounds. How can a sin-sick people get healed? Answer: by a Righteous Servant who takes their sin upon Himself and suffers the consequences of their sin in their place. When we see Jesus Christ on His way to the cross – beaten, spit upon, a crown of thorns pressed onto His head, and then His hands and feet nailed to the cross, and finally forsaken by God – we see a picture of one who is bruised and wounded and sick “[from] the sole of the foot even to the head”. But not for His own sin, but for our sins. The Savior ‘became sin’ for us (see 2 Corinthians 5:21) and “[became] a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). Listen to Isaiah 53:4-12 –   

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried out sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

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.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth. 

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

(Isaiah 53:4-12)

Behold the Righteous One!

Behold the Righteous One! I shall never forget the profound insight I learned from Pastor John MacArthur many years ago. He said the reason that “there was no deceit in his mouth” (v. 9) is that there was no deceit in his heart.[1] That, of course, is exactly right, for Jesus Himself taught us that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). So “no deceit in his mouth” reveals no deceit in His heart. How easily we get caught up in deceit; how easily we are deceived; how easily we deceive ourselves and others. By contrast, Jesus is the pure and spotless Lamb whose entire person is characterized by truth.

The Righteous One’s Work of Substitution and Exchange

This Righteous One engaged in the beautiful work of substitution and exchange. He took on Himself the sins of unrighteous people, and He took on Himself the consequences of those sins: “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (v. 6) and “upon him was the chastisement” (v. 5). He entered into the ugly reality of our sin, so that we could enter into the beautiful reality of His righteousness. What did Jesus’ atoning death achieve for His people? Jesus’ atoning death achieved justification for His people. Justification is the restoration of a right relationship with God in which we stand before God as righteous people: “by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” (v. 11) Jesus bears our iniquities, and we get to bear His righteousness.

Jesus’ atoning death also achieved peace and healing for His people: “upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (v. 5) The good news of peace and salvation is proclaimed in Isaiah 52:7 and God’s “covenant of peace” is assured to God’s redeemed people in Isaiah 54:10, but Isaiah 53:5 shows us that Jesus is the One who secures this peace – and He bought it by means of His blood. How do sin-sick-from-head-to-toe rebels get cleansed, healed, and renewed? By the blood of the Lamb. He “carried our sorrows” (v. 4) so that we could carry His joy: “Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people” (Isaiah 52:9). He “was cut off out of the land of the living” (v. 8) so that we could be reconciled to God: “For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:7-8). He suffered judgment (v. 5, 8) and entered into the grave and into the sphere of death (v. 9) so that we could travel the other direction: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)

Jesus, the Righteous Servant of God, died for our sins.

Part 3: Jesus rose again and beholds, enjoys, receives, and directs the fruit of His suffering.

Now to Part 3. As I mentioned earlier, when we preach and teach from Isaiah 53, we typically do so in order to proclaim the suffering and sacrifice of Christ. And yet, Isaiah 53 also proclaims the resurrection. So here is the third point: Jesus rose again and beholds, enjoys, receives, and directs the fruit of His suffering. After He died, He lives! Notice how Isaiah 53:10-12 proclaims the Righteous Servant’s resurrection.

First, verse 10 says: “when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring.” The idea throughout the passage is that Jesus’ atoning death is eminently fruitful, and Jesus will live to “see his offspring.” He will live again to behold the fruit of His suffering.

Second, verse 10 also says: “he shall prolong his days.” How does a crucified Messiah, who is “cut off out of the land of the living” (v. 8) and consigned to a grave (v. 9), have His days prolonged? Answer: by resurrection! The One who “poured out his soul to death” (v. 12) swallowed up death and arose the vanquisher of the grave. Long live the King!

Third, verse 10 concludes: “the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” This phrase “the will of the LORD” – which can also be rendered the delight of the Lord or the pleasure of the Lord[2] – also occurs at the beginning of verse 10. The two uses of this phrase present us with the great wonder of salvation. Verse 10 begins: “Yet it was the will [the delight, the pleasure] of the LORD to crush him.” Verse 10 ends: “the will [the delight, the pleasure] of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” Yahweh was pleased to have His good hand of justice land on His beloved Son, so that His good hand of “great compassion” (Isaiah 54:7) and “steadfast love” (Isaiah 54:10) could land on His people. And Jesus, the Righteous Servant, is the mediator who brings God’s “covenant of peace” (Isaiah 54:10) to God’s redeemed people. That great passage in Isaiah 11 shows forth the Messiah’s fruitful ministry – and what does He do? He brings God’s righteousness, God’s faithfulness, and God’s peace to God’s people (see Isaiah 11:1-10). “[The] will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” is a promise that after the Righteous Servant has been crushed and put to grief, He shall rise again and administrate the blessings of God’s glorious kingdom.

Fourth, verse 11 begins: “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied.” Here is another reference to beholding and seeing, as we already saw in the earlier phrase “he shall see his offspring.” “[The] anguish of his soul” will accomplish something, namely, the justification of God’s people, and the Messiah would rise again to enjoy the fruit of His anguish. Out of this anguish the Righteous Servant “shall see” what His anguish accomplished – He shall see the “many” who are justified by His death. Notice how verse 11 continues: “by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” He will see all those redeemed sinners whose sins He bore – He will see all those redeemed sinners who now bear His righteousness – and He will not only see them, He will see them and smile. “[He] shall see and be satisfied.”

Fifth, verse 12 is a promise from the God the Father Almighty to His Righteous Servant: “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors.” What is envisioned here is a great inheritance and the impressive spoil of a great victory. But how shall One who has died inherit anything or enjoy the spoil of victory? Answer: by rising again. And what does the risen Christ inherit? What is the spoil of His victory? Consider this: by His death He satisfied the justice of God, He vanquished the power of sin and death, He disarmed the devil and the demonic forces of darkness, and He broke the stranglehold of the world. And now the spiritual graveyard of the world is looted, and many sinners are awakened to the love of the Crucified Christ, and their chains fall off and they rise up and with great affection and loyalty they follow Christ.[3] Jesus Christ inherits the nations! Jesus Christ enjoys the incomparable spoil of sinners reclaimed for God!

The Lord God foretold the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ about 700 years before these events actually took place. Behold God’s plan! Behold God’s Righteous Servant! Jesus, the Righteous Servant, rose again and beholds, enjoys, receives, and directs the fruit of His suffering. The Crucified Christ rose again to enjoy everlasting fellowship with the Church that He redeemed by His blood.

Part 4: The Fruit of Christ’s Suffering is a Beautified, Purified, Strong, and Dearly Loved Global Church

This leads us straightaway to Part 4. Looking at the entirety of Isaiah 52-54 helps us to get a clearer sight of the fruit of Christ’s suffering. Let me summarize it this way: The fruit of Christ’s suffering is a resurrected, beautified, purified, strong, everlastingly loved and secure global Church – and this resurrected, beautified, purified, strong, everlastingly loved and secure global Church is the blood-bought fruit that the risen Christ enjoys. We have to understand that every blessing for God’s people that is described in Isaiah 52-54 (and frankly, every blessing for God’s people that is described anywhere in the Bible) is the fruit of Christ’s saving work. So let’s consider a sampling of verses from Isaiah 52 and Isaiah 54.

Isaiah 52 begins:

“Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion;

put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city;

for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem;

loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

For thus says the LORD:

“You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.””

(Isaiah 52:1-3)

How does a world of transgressors under God’s wrath become a people of beauty under God’s peace? Notice what is pictured here? “Awake, awake” and “Shake yourself from the dust and arise” points to the resurrection of God’s covenant people. “[Put] on your strength” points to their strength. “[Put] on your beautiful garments” points to their beauty. “[For] there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean” points to the purity of her life and fellowship. “[Loose] the bonds” points to her redemption from captivity. God commands us to do these things, but how can we do these things while we are stuck in our sin? The answer, of course, is that the Righteous Servant “bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” And through that gracious sin-bearing and intercession, the Holy Spirit rushes into our hearts and makes us alive by the mighty power of God. By the power of the Spirit, the Church rises to do what God commands.

Now skip ahead to the beginning of Isaiah 54. This is a fascinating passage to read right after reading Isaiah 53. Because when we read Isaiah 53 we come to understand that transgressors cannot produce their own salvation, cannot produce their own justification, cannot produce their own peace and healing. Who produces it? Christ Jesus, the holy Messiah, who suffered in our place. He produced “offspring (v. 10), and He produced it by His death. His suffering “brought us peace” (v. 5). The anguish of His atoning death was instrumental in the justification of sinners (v. 11). To put it simply: We cannot and did not produce salvation, but He can and He did. Our job is to celebrate His achievement. Isaiah 54:1-4 says,

““Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;

break forth into singing and cry aloud,

you who have not been in labor!

For the children of the desolate one will be more

than the children of her who is married,” says the LORD. 

“Enlarge the place of your tent,

and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;

do not hold back;

lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.

For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,

and your offspring will possess the nations

and will people the desolate cities.

Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;

be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth,

and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.””

(Isaiah 54:1-4)

These are spiritual words for spiritual people. The desolateness of the barren womb and the reproach of widowhood are metaphors for spiritual emptiness, spiritual inability, spiritual bankruptcy, spiritual shame. How does a spiritually broken people become a spiritually beautiful and fruitful people? By the love of God (Isaiah 54:5-10) displayed through the sacrificial offering of Christ (Isaiah 53). In Isaiah 53:10, the risen Christ “[sees] his offspring.” His offspring is the Church of forgiven and redeemed sinners. Now in Isaiah 54:3, where is the Church? We should understand that the Church’s offspring (Isaiah 54:3) – the Church’s sons and daughters – are, in fact, Christ’s offspring (Isaiah 53:10). And where is the Church? Everywhere! “[Your] offspring will possess the nations”!

It started in Jerusalem with a small band of disciples who were gathered together after our Lord’s resurrection. And the good news traveled to Judea and to Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Isaiah 52 says, “The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:10) And Isaiah 54 says, “Enlarge the place of your tent…. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.” (Isaiah 54:2-3) Christ’s offspring is a global Church, and it is a big tent! Let me say it again: Christ’s Church inhabits a big tent! This tent, this tabernacle, this holy temple fills the earth, and every redeemed sinner is a part of this joyful assembly. We who have been redeemed are the beloved of God:

“For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name, and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.” (Isaiah 54:5)

And this “LORD of hosts” has said to His dear Son and Righteous Servant: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” (Psalm 2:8) Christ is the living Lord of His global Church!

The saving work of Jesus is so great that it secures the peace and prosperity of the Church forever. Isaiah 54:11-17 says,

“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,

behold, I will set your stones in antimony,

and lay your foundations with sapphires.

I will make your pinnacles of agate,

your gates of carbuncles,

and all your wall of precious stones.

All your children shall be taught by the LORD,

and great shall be the peace of your children.

In righteousness you shall be established;

you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;

and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me;

whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you.

Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals

and produces a weapon for its purpose.

I have also created the ravager to destroy;

no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,

and you shall refute every tongue that rises against in judgment

This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD

And their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

(Isaiah 54:11-17)

The servants of the Lord enjoy a great heritage of peace and salvation, and why? Because the Righteous Servant “brought us peace” and established us in righteousness when He shed His blood on the cross. Thus we see in Isaiah 52 and 54 the resurrected, beautified, purified, strong, everlastingly loved and secure global Church, and this is the blood-bought fruit that the risen Christ enjoys.

A FINAL WORD

One question remains to be answered. My entire sermon up to this point has consisted in telling you the news – both the bad news and the good news. Isaiah 53, set in the context of Isaiah 52-54, is the good news of Jesus Christ. I have told you the bad news about our sin, and then I took time to tell you the good news about the atoning death and victorious resurrection of Christ. But all this begs a question: what about you? Are you included? Are you a beneficiary of Christ’s saving work? The Book of Isaiah concludes with a stark contrast between two groups of people: on the one hand, there are the redeemed who worship before the Lord; and on the other hand, there are the rebels who perish in their sins (see Isaiah 66:15-24). What about you? And how do you know whether you are in one camp or the other?

The answer comes right out of Isaiah 52-54.[4] And it is one answer, although I will show you the answer from different vantage points.

Has the Gospel awakened you?

Isaiah 52 says, “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion…. [Loose] the bonds from your neck, O captive daughters of Zion.” (Isaiah 52:1-2) If the gospel of Jesus Christ has awakened you to spiritual life and liberated you from captivity to sin, then you are included.

Has the Gospel produced joy in you?

Isaiah 52 continues, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”” Listen: I have brought you “good news of happiness” this morning. If this “good news of happiness” about Jesus and His salvation actually makes you happy and fills you with joy and peace, then you are included. If you rejoice in the good news that the God who reigns was pleased to “cut off” His Son in order to gather a wandering sheep like you, then you are included.

Isaiah 52 goes on, “Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 52:9) And Isaiah 54 begins, “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor.” (Isaiah 54:1) If the gospel of Jesus Christ causes you to stand up and sing the joy of Christ’s achievement, then you are included. Being a Christian isn’t about you laboring to produce salvation; it is rather about how Christ has labored and anguished to produce salvation for us. And this knowledge produces joy in the hearts of the redeemed – joy that Someone has borne your sins, joy that Someone has borne your punishment, joy that Someone makes intercession for you in the holy place, joy that the Good Shepherd laid down His life for not very smart sheep. If you have this joy, you are included.

Has the Gospel comforted you?

Isaiah 54 then says, “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced.” (Isaiah 54:4) And later: “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.” (Isaiah 54:11) And back to Isaiah 52: “Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 52:9) If the gospel of Jesus Christ has taken away the angst and brought you comfort, then you are included.

The Heidelberg Catechism begins this way:

Question: “What is your only comfort in life and death?”

Answer: “That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.”

Has the gospel brought you comfort and peace? Has the gospel brought you joy and song? Has the gospel brought God’s life-giving power into your soul? If so, you are among the offspring that the risen Christ delights to see.

But if you are a stranger to the blessings of the gospel, I must warn you. If you stand before God on the last day bearing the burden of your sins, I assure you that it will not go well with you. The peace that could have been yours, the healing that could have been yours, the righteousness that could have been yours, will be forever out of your reach if you insist on carrying your own sins and refuse to come to the sin-bearer. It takes humility to recognize: ‘I need a Savior’. But pride comes with a heavy cost.

Let me conclude with an appeal to those who have not yet tasted the Lord’s mercy:

Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling—
  Calling for you and for me;
Patiently Jesus is waiting and watching—
  Watching for you and for me!

“Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading—
  Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies—
  Mercies for you and for me?

“Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing—
  Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, death-beds are coming—
  Coming for you and for me!

“Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised—
  Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon—
  Pardon for you and for me!

“Come home! come home!
  Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
    Calling, O sinner, come home!”[5]

If you finally came home, the risen Christ – who delights to save sinners – would not turn you away but would once more see and be satisfied with the fruit of His labor. So come home! 

Let us pray.

 

ENDNOTES

[1] I heard this insight many years ago on a radio broadcast featuring Pastor John MacArthur (Grace Community Church; Grace To You).

[2] For the first occurrence of will/delight/pleasure of the Lord in Isaiah 53:10, see information under the entry “2654. chaphets” at Bible Hub – available online at https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2654.htm. For the second occurrence of will/delight/pleasure of the Lord in Isaiah 53:10, see information under the entry “2656. chephets” at Bible Hub – available online at https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2656.htm.

[3] This sentence echoes the familiar words of Charles Wesley in his hymn “And Can It Be?”: “Long my imprisoned spirit lay / Fast bound in sin and nature’s night. / Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray: / I woke– the dungeon flamed with light! / My chains fell off, my heart was free, / I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”

[4] I am drawing upon an insight I learned from others at the Charles Simeon Trust's 2018 Workshop on Biblical Exposition in Clifton Park, NY. Here is the insight: Psalm 97 indicates that one of the defining characteristics of those who benefit from the good news of God's judgment against idolaters is joy in it – "Zion hears and is glad" (Psalm 97:8). A similar logic is inherent in Isaiah 52–54: those who benefit from the good news of God's salvation are those who rejoice in the victory that Christ has achieved. 

[5] Will Lamartine Thompson, “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling.” Used version and formatting of hymnal.net. Available online: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1027.