“Who hath
believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?(Isaiah 53:1 in part). Presented here in this
chapter is the all-encompassing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ which
confronts every man to give an answer based on his subsequent revelation in the
gospels including his death burial and resurrection. So the prophet predicts
that which is to befall him (Christ) several hundred years prior to the actual act
of redemption that is to occur at the time of his crucifixion and subsequent
resurrection.
Let
us explore the chapter in order to understand more fully all of the truth involved
by faith in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. First let us understand how he was viewed and
generally received by the people save a remnant from among them. “He hath neither form nor comeliness; and
when we shall see him; there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is
despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we
hid as it ere our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53: 2-3 in part). In other word
he did not bring an appearance or charisma of natural appeal which would have
captured their attention. His message
was what he was all about.
“Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But
he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All
we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.: (Isaiah 53:4-6).The
foregoing verses are probably the most clear setting forth of the gospel to be
found in the Old Testament. There is a clarity and inclusiveness given here in
this one chapter which can be correlated precisely with the New Testament
accounts given in the four gospels but also verified time and time again in the
epistles of the New Testament. When it was written it was pure prophecy but it
had a certain fulfillment in the person and work of Christ to bring redemption
to any and all of mankind contingent upon who would embrace it by faith and
then faithfully endure in its promised provisions.
The
accounts of his ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel are
thoroughly covered in the four gospels including all of the details of his
suffering and persecution demanded by the Jewish hierarchy and the Pharisees.” He came unto his own and his own received
him not. But as many as received him, to them he gave thrower to become the
sons of God, even to them who believe on his name.” (John 1:11-12).
Salvations
plan was to be extended so the Gentile nations and while it was to the Jew
first the work of Christ was to become universally available to anyone who
would embrace it by faith. There are two distinct aspects in the provision of
Christ’s sacrifice of himself on the cross.
First is the shedding of his blood for the life is in the blood and
without the shedding of blood there is no remission. “Much more then, being justified by his blood we shall be saved from
wrath through him.” (Romans 5:9) and
numerous other verses and texts found in the New Testament. The blood of Christ
is for the cleansing of sin and addresses the issue of forgiveness and the
receiving of the Holy Spirit when the act of faith has been exercised by any
individual.
The
deeper work of salvation addresses the issue of deliverance from the power of
sin inherent in the fallen nature of man. Moving forward from chapter five of
Romans the Apostle Paul provides us with a very comprehensive and definitive
explanation of the meaning of the cross to set us free from the power of
indwelling sin. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has made me fee from the law of sin and death.” (Rom.8:1-2) We must
come to understand and then apply the effectual working of the cross in our
lives individually. This means a complete submission of our hearts and lives so
that we can effectually enter into the reality of a walk led by the empowering
of the Holy Spirit. We must apprehend as did Paul when he said at Galatians
2:20 “I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live yet not I , but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I
live in the the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me, and
gave himself for me.” This more clearly explains Isaiah 28:4 “He was wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him, and by
his stipes we are healed.” So we are called to take up the cross in the
depth of its meaning because…”he hath
poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and
he bare the sins of many, and he made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah
28:12).
So we
conclude that without the blood there is no forgiveness, but without the cross
there is no deliverance. They each must be applied by faith.
David Lance
Dean website:authordavidlancedean.com
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