The Word of our God
January 2, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 40:1-11
Key Verse: Isaiah 40:8
Introduction
As there is no other Name (Jehovah God) under heaven whereby we are saved, there is no other written Word whereby we are comforted. This Word, written, is not of men but of God. We have been given His Word. It is the grass that withers, “but the word of our God shall stand forever.” The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God. The Westminster Confession of Faith teaches us that is by the inward work of the Holy Spirit we are fully persuaded and assured “of the infallible truth and divine authority” of Scripture. And that “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture.”
The Gospel is nothing more or less that Isaiah’s statement that “the word of our God shall stand forever. Paul testifies that his preaching was not “with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4). It was the Spirit and His authority, or word that made the preaching of the Gospel of Christ efficacious. It was the wisdom of God, not of man, that must be preached. Paul said that he spoke “the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (2:7). It is that which was hidden and now revealed by God that we preach Christ. For “it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (2:9).
Comfort My People –Isaiah 40:1-2
Who are those who need comfort? They are the people of God! How can we be a comfort to those around us when we do not know our Lord’s comfort? When we look at the world and condemn its sins, forgetting that log wedged into our own eye, then we do not know the comfort of our Lord. The Lord speaks to Isaiah that he may proclaim clearly, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.”
It is in a sense of unworthiness that we find our best comfort in Christ. It is then we feel the breath of the Lord upon us. The compassion of the Lord breathes heavily upon those who come to Him, knowing that He alone can and will deliver us from our transgressions and despair. This comfort is found in Christ our Good Shepherd, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4).
Isaiah is to speak to the people “comfortably,” or from a heart of deep concern and understanding. The one who gives such comfort knows that “Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it… The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Prov. 16:22-24). The message from the Lord that Isaiah is to preach, is that His people’s “warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.” The reason for God’s forgiveness is that “she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” The Lord’s justice has been accomplished. He has given to Israel what justice demands, no more, no less. In Christ, by the grace of our Father, we have received justice. Christ took upon Himself our sins, guilt, and deserved punishment. In Him we are comforted, having our iniquity pardoned.
Discussion: What is Isaiah’s message to God’s people?
The Glory of the Lord –Isaiah 40:3-5
That pardon, given to His people, Israel, is justified in Him who will come. For the “voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Receiving “double” or true justice for their sins, the people of God hear the promise of redemption. In the desert there will be a straight way. The valleys and mountains will be made as one land, that all may see, having no crooked paths or rough places to walk. The highway will be for God’s walk, not ours. It will be His way of salvation. His Son will be sent, and no one will be able to hinder His coming.
The Gospel writers are moved to see this verse as fulfilled in John the Baptist, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matt. 3:3). The One who walks this straight path is confirmed by John, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). In Him who is the only Way, Truth, and Life, will we see the glory of God. In that straight path, that provision and promise kept, will the glory of God be seen. ‘Glory’ meaning all that is revealed of our God and His Messiah; as He is revealed in His Word. He and His marvelous work of grace will be revealed, “and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”
Discussion: How is the glory of the Lord revealed?
The Enduring Word –Isaiah 40:6-8
What the “mouth of the Lord” has spoken, will endure forever. For “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Every gift comes by the Word of the Lord. He spoke, and the earth was formed. The Lord spoke, and creation was his from the minutest cell to the mighty sun. The grass soon turns brown, the flower loses its beauty, but “the word of our God shall stand forever!” It is the flesh of man that is like grass. So is their goodness. For the good they may do comes from the lust of their flesh. Both will pass away. Only the Word of God will stand firm. Only His goodness that He manifests in His people will stand.
It is the Lord who “breathes” upon the flesh of man and the flower of the field. In His breath there is life. It is He who gives life, and who takes it away. It is the Lord who sends forth His Spirit, and they “are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of the Lord shall endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in his works” (Ps. 104:30-31).
Discussion: What does it mean that the Word of the Lord stands forever?
The Lord’s Herald –Isaiah 40:9-11
Who is the Lord’s Herald? The Teaching Elder or Pastor is set apart to teach, admonish, and comfort; they are Ministers of the Word. However, who is to do the work of the Herald? Are we not all to be Heralds or Evangelists? It is the Family led by the father; it is the Congregation lead by the under-shepherds; the people of God getting that High Mountain, and not hiding the Word under a basket. The Lord says, “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain.” That we might get the full meaning of this, the Lord repeats the same thought in other words, “O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength.” This command to be God’s Herald is not to say that we have to add something to our list of certain gifts. It is saying that one of the basic characteristics of the Church of our Savior is that of a Herald. This is what Zion, Jerusalem, His Congregation, is a Herald. This is part of the nature of the Church. Therefore, get into that position where the voice of the Gospel will be heard. We do this with the strength and authority of our King and Savior. Therefore we are not to be timid or afraid, but proclaim to the people of God, “Behold your God!” It is the Lord who will come with a strong and authoritative hand. He will rule with majesty. His reward is with Him, for what He will say and do will be accomplished to the glory of the Father. His word is efficacious as the Gospel is heralded. It will be seen in the reward that all that comes to Him will not be lost. Scripture teaches this of Christ: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
It is the Church that needs to hear this message. We cannot preach Christ unless first Christ is preached to us. We cannot give glory to God in our daily lives unless we have seen the glory of God in our fellowship as sheep of our Good Shepherd. O Zion, proclaim the Word of God, the full counsel of our Lord, clearly and strongly. In Christ, then, we will see the glory of the Triune Godhead.
Discussion: Who is to be the Herald of the Good News of Christ?
Redeemed in Christ!
January 9, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 44:21-23
Key Verse: Isaiah 44:22
Introduction
The Gospel of our Lord and Savior is being preached in every nation, Congregations belonging to Christ being discipled in the glorious Word of God. The hearing of the people of God has to be first tuned to the Word of God. Though the Word before us was first written to God’s Israel in the time of Isaiah, it is a Word to His people today. In the first few verses of Isaiah 44 we are told that God’s servant, Jacob must hear, “and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee … For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, …I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessings upon thine offspring” (44:1-4).
Though the sins of His people are bringing affliction to their lives, “God is never so angry with His Church as not to leave some room for mercy …The consequence is, that the prophets, whenever they threaten, always add some consolation as an abatement” (John Calvin). We have God’s prophetic, infallible Word with us, and we should heed His warnings and know His grace. Grace, however, comes to those whom God has chosen to be His servants; “for we do not serve God, because we are entitled to it, or deserve it, but because he renders us fit by a free election. …election comes first in order, and therefore David says that he was God’s ‘servant’ before he was born, because even from his mother’s womb he had been received into God’s family” (Calvin).
We have united into a Congregation saved by the grace of God, meeting together to express our love for God in our service and worship. We have been chosen to be His Congregation, the Body of Christ that we may know His love and mercy, and thereby moved to obedience and love. Therefore, it is the Lord Jehovah who alone is our salvation, who calls His people to repentance, even the nations who must hear the Word of their King.
Thou Art! –Isaiah 44:21
We must remember that it is not God but the world around us that deceive us in following another savior, to preach another gospel. Whether it is the babbling of psychology or the political correctness of the false prophets, man carves his own god to worship and ask, “Deliver me; for thou art my god” (Isa, 44:17). Is there an Authority beside Jehovah? Shall we too, fall down before the stock of a tree (44:19)? Shall we feed upon the ashes of the promises of government or courts that set their own standards of morality?
We must remember that men are fashioning their gods after images that are “profitable for nothing” (44:10). Remember what God is teaching us, how to discern good from evil. Remember this, “O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me” (44:21).
Jacob God has loved, unconditionally; He has shown mercy out of His good pleasure. God has chosen Israel; He has kept His covenant to be their God, and they His people. Abraham was accepted as righteousness because of his faith, for by grace are we saved through faith, a gift of God. In Adam we have all sinned, transgressed the law of God; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. In Christ we have received forgiveness of our sins, for He took upon Himself our guilt and paid the penalty. In Christ we have an abundant life for we are clothed with His righteousness.
Therefore, we see the Church as God has formed her, to be His servant. He will redeem His Israel, His Congregation of His Redeemed, for He has chosen for Himself a people, and they will not be forgotten by Him. Do not forget God for He has not forgotten you.
Discussion: What is our position or relationship to God?
I Have! –Isaiah 44:22
Where is our boasting? Shall the clay say to the potter, I have no need of you? Has our independent spirit said, we have chosen Thee, and therefore Thou shall bless us? Why does God continue to forgive us as we continually deny Him through our disobedience? The Lord says, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
Why do we return, day after day, in repentance, expecting that He who is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins? Is it not because He has redeemed us? Has He not redeemed us “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19)? Our Father has placed a thick cloud between us and our sins, that they may not claim us, but that He may claim us in Christ. Therefore, there is no reason for us not to return to God, who is the salvation of our souls. God has done this, will you not return to Him at this very moment?
Discussion: Who is it that calls us to repentance and faith?
Sing! –Isaiah 44:23
We come across the names of Jacob and Israel. Jacob reminds us of the words of God, “Jacob I have loved” (Rom. 9:13). In the same manner has God loved His chosen people, the Body of His Son, the Church (His blessed Congregation). He loves us personally (Gal. 2:20), and corporately (Eph. 5:25-27). Israel should remind us that God has kept His covenant to His chosen people, that we should show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Surely we have a reason to sing; “for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.” We can only sing, along with the heavens, when Christ, our King and Savior, is glorified in His Church. We can only break forth in singing, along with His creation, when we know that He is our Creator and Lord. Much worship today is a celebration to lift us up, rather than a celebration to lift up the person, and therefore, the glory of God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For He is our salvation!
Discussion: How does Psalm 126 help us sing of what has spoken to us in Isaiah?
Chosen to Serve
January 16, 2011
Lesson: Acts 9:1-22
Key Verse: Acts 9:15
Introduction
The book of Acts is a revelation of the Holy Spirit's work with people, with the souls of those who have transgressed, repented, and believed. There are also the souls of those who rebel and forever know the wrath of God. The preaching of the gospel and the growth of the God’s Congregations should be as visible today as it was then. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, today, as it was when the darkest of hearts came to know Jesus then.
And one of these souls was Saul, whose name was changed to Paul. His threats would be changed to witness. His persecution would turn to the love of the brethren. And what a love it was. Paul expressed his darkness, saying, "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it" (Gal. 1:13). He declared the light which pierced the darkness as that of the grace of God: "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace" (Gal. 1:15). This divine transformation of the soul resulted in God's glory: "And they glorified God in me" (Gal. 1:24).
Who Art Thou? –Acts 9:1-7
Saul was a Pharisee “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” He went to the high priest requesting letters of introduction to the Damascus synagogues that he roots out those found in the way of Christ, to “bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” After his conversion Paul testified to his desire to harm the Christians, especially in Jerusalem: “and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them” (Acts 26:10-11).
As Saul came near the city of Damascus a light shown suddenly from heaven. He heard a voice speak to him, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Is not the church of our Lord Jesus Christ His body? You cannot reject the body without doing harm to the Head. Saul must also learn that to persecute Jesus is to reject Him as the Messiah sent from the Father. Jesus said, “He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him” (John 12:48). Also: “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matt. 12:30).
Sovereignly God reaches down from His throne of grace and lays hold upon His chosen servant. He will not only save Saul but use him for His glory. Saul would become Paul with much thanksgiving and rejoicing. The heart of Saul is being humbled. No longer being able to direct his wrath against Jesus, he quietly asks, “Who art thou, Lord.” Paul is convicted of his sin and then moved to repent: “And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” The word of the Lord will not return to Him empty, it will accomplish what He wishes to accomplish. The Lord seeks to save.
Saul confesses his new found faith in Christ as his Savior and Master, saying, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" To which the Lord answers, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." As with every newly born again Christian, Saul must wait to hear what his discipleship will include. For we not only grow in the Word of God but we also serve in that Word. As Saul was used with the gifts given him of the Lord, so must we wait on Him and see what gifts will be ours in the service of the King.
Discussion: How do the wicked persecute Christ today?
Lord's Disciple –Acts 9:8-12
Saul rose from the earth he opened his eyes and was unable to see anyone; those who were with him “led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.” There he stayed for three days “without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.”
Meanwhile, in the city of Damascus, there was a disciple whose name was Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, “Ananias.” He replied, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” Again, a servant of the Lord Jesus finds peace when called upon in a vision. The heart of the disciple is prepared to hear from the Lord. Ananias hears his Lord, saying, “And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.”
When the Spirit of God gives us a new birth, by which we know the Love of the Father, and saving work of Christ in behalf us, we become disciples of His Word, we know who is speaking to us. We become obedient disciples, as Ananias did in obeying the Lord as where to meet Saul. The Lord is, at the same time, working in the heart of Saul, for He is telling Saul about Ananias. As we become faithful witnesses to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is already working in the hearts of those we may speak to. Ananias is told that he is to be an instrument of healing, Saul would receive his sight. The Lord sovereignly acts in the lives of His saints. What a glory these saints beheld as they were bought face to face with their Savior.
Discussion: What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?
Sight Received –Acts 9:13-20
Ananias speaks his heart, for he has heard of the evil this man Saul had accomplished among the saints at Jerusalem, and the authority he carried from the chief priests in order to “bind all that call on thy name.” The assurance that the Lord gives to Ananias is grounded in this one particular fact, that the Lord has chosen Saul to be an instrument of obedience in His hand. The Lord says to Ananias: “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake."
Paul was to be a chosen vessel or instrument in the hand of the King of kings. So Ananias, another chosen disciple of Christ, went to Saul, and putting his hand on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately he received his sight, and was baptized. Saul was united with Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, now made a saint, set apart as the servant of the Lord.
Saul, soon to be called Paul, later defended his commission as an apostle of Christ, saying that it was through Ananias that he received the command of the Lord: “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:14-15). It was Jehovah, the Triune God who chose Paul to see Jesus and hear his voice and to testify to all men of what he had seen and heard. And so Paul preached Christ.
We must also see our calling as having a divine source as well as having a divine nature. It is not that we have chosen to serve, but that our Savior has chosen us to serve Him. We are not volunteers, as if we can claim the time and place of our service. Neither are we observers, looking for others to do what ought to be done. The Lord has placed us in His body, the church. We are not all ears or hands, but, with the talents and gifts and time, etc., that the Lord has given us, he places us in His body to do what He wants to be done. We are to exercise our calling with the strength and obedience that He has gracious given us.
Discussion: What does it mean to receive a calling from God?
Paul Preached Christ –Acts 9:20-22
Saul had breathed out “threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” The Lord would meet Saul on the road to Damascus and would breathe into him the breath of life. As Saul, soon to be called Paul, would write, “that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). On that road the voice of the risen Lord spoke, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” The risen Lord had chosen him to be His apostle. The risen Lord spoke to His disciple, Ananias, “Go thy way; for (Saul) is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” Ananias put hands on Saul, to let him know that he has been set apart by the Lord for the preaching of the Gospel, saying, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Saul now preached Christ “that he is the Son of God.” In persecuting the Christians, Saul was denying the death and resurrection of Jesus; thus repudiating the truth that He was God’s Messiah. He had met the risen Lord. He now heralded, proclaimed vociferously that Jesus was the Messiah, the anointed Savior. He also clearly affirmed in his preaching that Christ Jesus was a partaker of the divine nature of God. Saul, who once went to the chief priests for letters of approval to bind the Christians for destruction, now preached Christ. Saul increased in strength, confounding “the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the very Christ.” Trained well in the Scriptures, and by the Spirit of God, Saul brought forth arguments and proofs from God’s prophecies, fulfilled in Christ Jesus. He spoke the “wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 2:7), a revealed mystery of heaven. He summed up his wisdom in these words, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
Discussion: What does it mean to preach Christ?
Out of Every Nation
January 23, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 49:1-7
Key Verse: Isaiah 49:6
Introduction
The theme of the Book of Isaiah is “Salvation is of The Lord!” The sin of the nation is recorded in Isaiah 4:1, “Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.” Their hope is seen in these words, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation” (Isa. 12:2). God’s salvation is an everlasting salvation: “But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end” (Isa. 45:17).
We would see Jesus Christ, the Deliverer and Savior of Israel, of the spiritual Israel, the Church, of whom Christ is the Head. We pray that the Spirit will set Christ before our eyes; as “it is customary with the prophets, when they discourse concerning the restoration of the Church, to bring Christ into view, not only because he would be the minister of the Church, but because on him was founded the adoption of the people” (John Calvin).
The Father’s Servant –Isaiah 49:1-4
God-Breathed words cascade from the heart and mouth of God’s prophet, Isaiah. God’s Messiah, the Son of God, speaks to His people, and to those beyond the seas, saying, “Listen, O Isles, unto me, and hearken, ye people, from afar.” It is the Father’s Christ who speaks, revealing the origin of His coming as God’s Messiah & Deliverer: “The Lord hath called me from the womb!” From the womb of God’s people, Israel, God the Father raises up His Son, the Messiah. We read in Revelation 12:5 that Israel “brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne.” The incarnate Son of God, our Savior, was name “Joshua” (Jesus) for He would save His people from their sins. “Christ was clothed with our flesh by the appointment of the Father, in order that he might fulfill the office of Redeemer, to which he had been appointed” (Calvin).
We come to Christ, today, “as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1 Peter 2:4). Our redemption is in Christ who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, and revealed to us in His incarnation; “as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver or gold, …But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).
Christ reveals His nature as God’s Messiah as one whose mouth has been made “like a sharp sword.” The authority and strength of our Savior are revealed in His teachings, which alone can be found in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit …and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Christ is The Truth; His doctrine (teaching) is efficacious, all powerful, carrying out the will and intention of God, that which is pleasing in His sight. Christ and His Word are faithfully protected by God the Father: “In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me.”
This also true of God’s Congregation, the Body of Christ, that His Words be faithfully proclaimed and taught, in the power and protection of Almighty God. Isaiah recognizes that he receives the Word of the Lord as a servant. In the Lord he will be glorified. As he labors, he understands that he would not have spent his “strength for nothing and in vain.” For his reward is with the Lord, as well as his work. Thus our service and labor in the Lord are not in vain, as we faithfully proclaim the Word of God, which He Himself will bring to fruition.
Discussion: What are some of the characteristics of the Messiah?
The Lord Redeems –Isaiah 49:5-7
The Father has given Christ from the womb of Mary “to be His Servant.” The Lord’s Servant, His Messiah, is to “bring Jacob again to him.” The true Israel will again know fellowship with their Father in heaven. In this work as Redeemer of the people whom the Father has chosen to be His own, the Son will be glorious in His eyes. The Father declares, “Thou art my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In Christ’s work of the cross, in His resurrection and eternal rule as King of kings, the Lord will continually be His strength. Though Israel or men would despise Him, He will testify, “ye shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.” This is also true of His church and especially His ministers, as they faithfully proclaim the His Gospel.
This is not a “light thing” or a small matter. For the Father’s Redeemer-Servant will not only “raise up the tribes of Jacob,” restoring Israel, the Church, to the Father through His precious blood, but He has also been given “as a light to the Gentiles, that (Christ) should be (the Father’s) salvation unto the end of the earth.” Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, speaks of Himself to His disciples, saying, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). We, bearing the image of Christ, being redeemed by the Light of the world, rejoice in this new nature. Christ has said of us, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. …Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
Let us not forget that Christ is despised by the world. At times of our own transgression we turn against our Lord by words and acts of disobedience. The “Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and (the Father’s) Holy One,” “man despiseth.” Because of whom He is, and what He does, excites others to abhor Him. This abhorrence is seen in the words of those who stood before the cross despising the Lord, while wagging their heads, saying, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” And the chief priests also mocked him, saying, “He saved others; himself he cannot save.” (Matt. 27:40-42; see also Psalm 22:7-8). Christ Jesus, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. …Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:23-24).
This same Lord whom man despises will be honored and worshiped by kings and princes, “because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel.” He who has chosen His Son to be the Savior of His people, has promised, “He shall choose thee!” Thus, is our election; by grace we have been saved. For “God, who is rich in mercy,” has loved us, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ” (Eph. 2:4-5).
Discussion: What is the work of Christ as God’s “Holy One?”
In Christ we are healed
January 30, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 53:1-12
Key Verse: Isaiah 53: 5, 11
Introduction
We are familiar with the phrase, “Suffering Servant.” God reveals His Son as the Servant who was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). The suffering was for the purpose of satisfying the law of God, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin” (Isa. 53:10). We must not think of this Servant as an example for men, as if in suffering there is a way out of our dilemma. For the difficulty that we find ourselves in is not redeemable by what we can do. The Lord tells us that we have all sinned, and that wage of this sin is death.
The Heidelberg Catechism (Q. 12) asks this question, “Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favor?” That is, the favor of God. The reply given is, “God will have His justice satisfied: and therefore we must make this full satisfaction either by ourselves, or by another.” The implication is that the law of God has been broken by all people and satisfaction must be made in full for that transgression.
To understand Christ as Servant or Suffering Servant we must first acknowledge that we have sinned against God. The Larger Catechism (Q. 24) defines sin as “any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature.” (See 1 John 3:4.) This transgression of God’s law brought upon all the “displeasure and curse” of God, “so as we are by nature children of wrath, bond slaves to Satan, and justly liable to all punishments in this world, and that which is to come” (W.L.C. # 27).
We are back to the previous question, who can satisfy the law or justice of God, ourselves or another? Both the punishments of this life and the next cannot satisfy God unless it is eternal. Therefore, we cannot save ourselves. Only the Suffering Servant can save us. His ‘Suffering’ here on earth; especially that which He suffered on His cross, is the only satisfaction which God the Father can and will accept. “Christ made penal satisfaction, by suffering the very penalty demanded by the law of sinners” (Robert Dabney). Christ, being Divine, could take upon Himself our sins, being punished in our place, and so satisfying the justice of God. The penalty for our sins was poured out upon Him. He paid the ransom price. This is Christ’s work of suffering, to satisfy the justice of God, reconciling us to the Father. Trusting then in His work we know that our sins have been forgiven and we have been given eternal life.
Wounded Servant –Isaiah 53:1-5
The prophet has declared that the Christ would be exalted and proclaimed (Isa. 52:13). The Christ will also “sprinkle many nations” (52:15). His Word would go out to the nations and the mouths of kings will be shut. Both kings and nations will be astonished at the preaching of the Gospel. The King of kings is Sovereign over nations today. Let them be astonished or rebellious. However, let us not be weak-kneed when it comes to proclaiming His Word.
The prophet’s heart is heavy as he asks, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” Isaiah represents all those who preach the gospel and wish to see men turn to God in repentance and faith. Calvin calls us to “groan and complain along with the Prophet, and let us be distressed with grief when we see that our labour is unprofitable, and let us complain before God.” We do not rejoice in man’s rejection of the gospel. We must cry over Jerusalem as did Christ. Should we not shed tears for the seed that falls by the wayside or among the thorns, when we know how beautiful is the soul redeemed by the precious blood of Christ? Paul relates himself and all ministers of the Word to Isaiah, saying, “Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed” (Rom. 12:37-38).
Christ has grown from “a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” The human eye will see only the desert. But the eye of faith will see the beauty of the King and His kingdom. Truly Christ is “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him.” Men continue to reject Christ as Lord and Savior. Ingratitude is written on their hearts and in their actions. They don’t believe they have sinned. They deny the Savior who can save them. Christ is “despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Yet, this is the Christ who has “borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” The wicked look at the suffering Christ as wounded by God for some sin of His own. They judge Christ by their own standards. The truth is that Christ “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.” The reason for our Lord’s suffering is that the justice of God be satisfied. On the cross of Calvary our Savior took upon Himself our filthy sin and washed us clean with His precious blood. He ransomed us with His life from our bondage to sin and all its consequences.
We are healed, redeemed, cleansed from all unrighteousness by the saving work of Christ. Our peace was upon Him. There is no peace between us and our heavenly Father except in Christ. Paul wrote, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ …For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly …being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:1-9).
Discussion: Why was Christ “wounded?”
Obedient Servant –Isaiah 53:6-9
The following word of Isaiah brings us to the cross of Calvary by first revealing to us the need for such a cross. To know the depth and height of the love of God in Christ, we must first know the darkness that has been our daily habitat. “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.” The quilt is ours to bear as transgressors of the law of God. And so is the punishment. We have determined to follow our own self-made road. But this is the road that leads to death. Contrast this life with that which Christ gives us. He is the Shepherd who has not only laid down His life for the sheep, but He has reached out and gathered His sheep in His everlasting arms. The Good Shepherd, who knew no sin, has accepted what the Father has laid upon Him, “the iniquity of us all.”
That which was laid upon our Savior, He received without any complaint, “he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers.” He was punished by the Father on His cross for our sins. He “humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). He was taken from prison to be put to death, a sentence we deserved. Christ died. He was “cut off from the land of the living.” He took the wrath of God which means that He took our eternal punishment. He took our cry, “Why hast thou forsaken me.” Forsaken for our transgressions, He made His grave “with the wicked.” This grave would have been ours for eternity.
Discussion: How should we view our sin as we look at Christ and His cross?
Glorious Servant –Isaiah 53:10-12
Isaiah writes that “it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” It was the Father’s delight to put His Son to grief. How could our heavenly Father find such pleasure in bringing such sorrow to His Son? For the love of His chosen ones! When the Father made the soul of Christ an “offering of sin”, the Son would “see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”
The Bible reveals this pleasure in the Son of God, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Christ saw the “travail of his soul.” The Father testifies that by the Son’s “knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” There is no chance of failure on the part of God. His Word does not return void. For those whom Christ died, they will be saved.
Our Lord reigns today as the victorious King and Savior. That which was promised is kept. The Lord spoke clearly to Isaiah, declaring the work of His Servant to be accomplished years before the coming of Jesus. The Father promised that He would “divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Christ did die for the sins of His chosen people. He came to redeem. He found His lost sheep and drew them to Himself. He continues to draw His sheep to His caring arms. His days are prolonged for He has risen from the dead. His victory is assured. The ministry of Christ continues as the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed. He has poured out His soul on His cross for many. He has born our iniquities. He conquered death and the devil. He once suffered. He now reigns as our King. He is our Mediator. Let us give thanks as we continue to look to Him with faith and wonder.
Discussion: How did Christ our Savior justify us as righteous?
January 2, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 40:1-11
Key Verse: Isaiah 40:8
Introduction
As there is no other Name (Jehovah God) under heaven whereby we are saved, there is no other written Word whereby we are comforted. This Word, written, is not of men but of God. We have been given His Word. It is the grass that withers, “but the word of our God shall stand forever.” The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God. The Westminster Confession of Faith teaches us that is by the inward work of the Holy Spirit we are fully persuaded and assured “of the infallible truth and divine authority” of Scripture. And that “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture.”
The Gospel is nothing more or less that Isaiah’s statement that “the word of our God shall stand forever. Paul testifies that his preaching was not “with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4). It was the Spirit and His authority, or word that made the preaching of the Gospel of Christ efficacious. It was the wisdom of God, not of man, that must be preached. Paul said that he spoke “the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (2:7). It is that which was hidden and now revealed by God that we preach Christ. For “it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (2:9).
Comfort My People –Isaiah 40:1-2
Who are those who need comfort? They are the people of God! How can we be a comfort to those around us when we do not know our Lord’s comfort? When we look at the world and condemn its sins, forgetting that log wedged into our own eye, then we do not know the comfort of our Lord. The Lord speaks to Isaiah that he may proclaim clearly, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.”
It is in a sense of unworthiness that we find our best comfort in Christ. It is then we feel the breath of the Lord upon us. The compassion of the Lord breathes heavily upon those who come to Him, knowing that He alone can and will deliver us from our transgressions and despair. This comfort is found in Christ our Good Shepherd, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4).
Isaiah is to speak to the people “comfortably,” or from a heart of deep concern and understanding. The one who gives such comfort knows that “Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it… The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Prov. 16:22-24). The message from the Lord that Isaiah is to preach, is that His people’s “warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.” The reason for God’s forgiveness is that “she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” The Lord’s justice has been accomplished. He has given to Israel what justice demands, no more, no less. In Christ, by the grace of our Father, we have received justice. Christ took upon Himself our sins, guilt, and deserved punishment. In Him we are comforted, having our iniquity pardoned.
Discussion: What is Isaiah’s message to God’s people?
The Glory of the Lord –Isaiah 40:3-5
That pardon, given to His people, Israel, is justified in Him who will come. For the “voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Receiving “double” or true justice for their sins, the people of God hear the promise of redemption. In the desert there will be a straight way. The valleys and mountains will be made as one land, that all may see, having no crooked paths or rough places to walk. The highway will be for God’s walk, not ours. It will be His way of salvation. His Son will be sent, and no one will be able to hinder His coming.
The Gospel writers are moved to see this verse as fulfilled in John the Baptist, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matt. 3:3). The One who walks this straight path is confirmed by John, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). In Him who is the only Way, Truth, and Life, will we see the glory of God. In that straight path, that provision and promise kept, will the glory of God be seen. ‘Glory’ meaning all that is revealed of our God and His Messiah; as He is revealed in His Word. He and His marvelous work of grace will be revealed, “and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”
Discussion: How is the glory of the Lord revealed?
The Enduring Word –Isaiah 40:6-8
What the “mouth of the Lord” has spoken, will endure forever. For “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Every gift comes by the Word of the Lord. He spoke, and the earth was formed. The Lord spoke, and creation was his from the minutest cell to the mighty sun. The grass soon turns brown, the flower loses its beauty, but “the word of our God shall stand forever!” It is the flesh of man that is like grass. So is their goodness. For the good they may do comes from the lust of their flesh. Both will pass away. Only the Word of God will stand firm. Only His goodness that He manifests in His people will stand.
It is the Lord who “breathes” upon the flesh of man and the flower of the field. In His breath there is life. It is He who gives life, and who takes it away. It is the Lord who sends forth His Spirit, and they “are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of the Lord shall endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in his works” (Ps. 104:30-31).
Discussion: What does it mean that the Word of the Lord stands forever?
The Lord’s Herald –Isaiah 40:9-11
Who is the Lord’s Herald? The Teaching Elder or Pastor is set apart to teach, admonish, and comfort; they are Ministers of the Word. However, who is to do the work of the Herald? Are we not all to be Heralds or Evangelists? It is the Family led by the father; it is the Congregation lead by the under-shepherds; the people of God getting that High Mountain, and not hiding the Word under a basket. The Lord says, “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain.” That we might get the full meaning of this, the Lord repeats the same thought in other words, “O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength.” This command to be God’s Herald is not to say that we have to add something to our list of certain gifts. It is saying that one of the basic characteristics of the Church of our Savior is that of a Herald. This is what Zion, Jerusalem, His Congregation, is a Herald. This is part of the nature of the Church. Therefore, get into that position where the voice of the Gospel will be heard. We do this with the strength and authority of our King and Savior. Therefore we are not to be timid or afraid, but proclaim to the people of God, “Behold your God!” It is the Lord who will come with a strong and authoritative hand. He will rule with majesty. His reward is with Him, for what He will say and do will be accomplished to the glory of the Father. His word is efficacious as the Gospel is heralded. It will be seen in the reward that all that comes to Him will not be lost. Scripture teaches this of Christ: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
It is the Church that needs to hear this message. We cannot preach Christ unless first Christ is preached to us. We cannot give glory to God in our daily lives unless we have seen the glory of God in our fellowship as sheep of our Good Shepherd. O Zion, proclaim the Word of God, the full counsel of our Lord, clearly and strongly. In Christ, then, we will see the glory of the Triune Godhead.
Discussion: Who is to be the Herald of the Good News of Christ?
Redeemed in Christ!
January 9, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 44:21-23
Key Verse: Isaiah 44:22
Introduction
The Gospel of our Lord and Savior is being preached in every nation, Congregations belonging to Christ being discipled in the glorious Word of God. The hearing of the people of God has to be first tuned to the Word of God. Though the Word before us was first written to God’s Israel in the time of Isaiah, it is a Word to His people today. In the first few verses of Isaiah 44 we are told that God’s servant, Jacob must hear, “and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee … For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, …I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessings upon thine offspring” (44:1-4).
Though the sins of His people are bringing affliction to their lives, “God is never so angry with His Church as not to leave some room for mercy …The consequence is, that the prophets, whenever they threaten, always add some consolation as an abatement” (John Calvin). We have God’s prophetic, infallible Word with us, and we should heed His warnings and know His grace. Grace, however, comes to those whom God has chosen to be His servants; “for we do not serve God, because we are entitled to it, or deserve it, but because he renders us fit by a free election. …election comes first in order, and therefore David says that he was God’s ‘servant’ before he was born, because even from his mother’s womb he had been received into God’s family” (Calvin).
We have united into a Congregation saved by the grace of God, meeting together to express our love for God in our service and worship. We have been chosen to be His Congregation, the Body of Christ that we may know His love and mercy, and thereby moved to obedience and love. Therefore, it is the Lord Jehovah who alone is our salvation, who calls His people to repentance, even the nations who must hear the Word of their King.
Thou Art! –Isaiah 44:21
We must remember that it is not God but the world around us that deceive us in following another savior, to preach another gospel. Whether it is the babbling of psychology or the political correctness of the false prophets, man carves his own god to worship and ask, “Deliver me; for thou art my god” (Isa, 44:17). Is there an Authority beside Jehovah? Shall we too, fall down before the stock of a tree (44:19)? Shall we feed upon the ashes of the promises of government or courts that set their own standards of morality?
We must remember that men are fashioning their gods after images that are “profitable for nothing” (44:10). Remember what God is teaching us, how to discern good from evil. Remember this, “O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me” (44:21).
Jacob God has loved, unconditionally; He has shown mercy out of His good pleasure. God has chosen Israel; He has kept His covenant to be their God, and they His people. Abraham was accepted as righteousness because of his faith, for by grace are we saved through faith, a gift of God. In Adam we have all sinned, transgressed the law of God; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. In Christ we have received forgiveness of our sins, for He took upon Himself our guilt and paid the penalty. In Christ we have an abundant life for we are clothed with His righteousness.
Therefore, we see the Church as God has formed her, to be His servant. He will redeem His Israel, His Congregation of His Redeemed, for He has chosen for Himself a people, and they will not be forgotten by Him. Do not forget God for He has not forgotten you.
Discussion: What is our position or relationship to God?
I Have! –Isaiah 44:22
Where is our boasting? Shall the clay say to the potter, I have no need of you? Has our independent spirit said, we have chosen Thee, and therefore Thou shall bless us? Why does God continue to forgive us as we continually deny Him through our disobedience? The Lord says, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
Why do we return, day after day, in repentance, expecting that He who is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins? Is it not because He has redeemed us? Has He not redeemed us “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19)? Our Father has placed a thick cloud between us and our sins, that they may not claim us, but that He may claim us in Christ. Therefore, there is no reason for us not to return to God, who is the salvation of our souls. God has done this, will you not return to Him at this very moment?
Discussion: Who is it that calls us to repentance and faith?
Sing! –Isaiah 44:23
We come across the names of Jacob and Israel. Jacob reminds us of the words of God, “Jacob I have loved” (Rom. 9:13). In the same manner has God loved His chosen people, the Body of His Son, the Church (His blessed Congregation). He loves us personally (Gal. 2:20), and corporately (Eph. 5:25-27). Israel should remind us that God has kept His covenant to His chosen people, that we should show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Surely we have a reason to sing; “for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.” We can only sing, along with the heavens, when Christ, our King and Savior, is glorified in His Church. We can only break forth in singing, along with His creation, when we know that He is our Creator and Lord. Much worship today is a celebration to lift us up, rather than a celebration to lift up the person, and therefore, the glory of God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For He is our salvation!
Discussion: How does Psalm 126 help us sing of what has spoken to us in Isaiah?
Chosen to Serve
January 16, 2011
Lesson: Acts 9:1-22
Key Verse: Acts 9:15
Introduction
The book of Acts is a revelation of the Holy Spirit's work with people, with the souls of those who have transgressed, repented, and believed. There are also the souls of those who rebel and forever know the wrath of God. The preaching of the gospel and the growth of the God’s Congregations should be as visible today as it was then. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, today, as it was when the darkest of hearts came to know Jesus then.
And one of these souls was Saul, whose name was changed to Paul. His threats would be changed to witness. His persecution would turn to the love of the brethren. And what a love it was. Paul expressed his darkness, saying, "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it" (Gal. 1:13). He declared the light which pierced the darkness as that of the grace of God: "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace" (Gal. 1:15). This divine transformation of the soul resulted in God's glory: "And they glorified God in me" (Gal. 1:24).
Who Art Thou? –Acts 9:1-7
Saul was a Pharisee “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” He went to the high priest requesting letters of introduction to the Damascus synagogues that he roots out those found in the way of Christ, to “bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” After his conversion Paul testified to his desire to harm the Christians, especially in Jerusalem: “and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them” (Acts 26:10-11).
As Saul came near the city of Damascus a light shown suddenly from heaven. He heard a voice speak to him, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Is not the church of our Lord Jesus Christ His body? You cannot reject the body without doing harm to the Head. Saul must also learn that to persecute Jesus is to reject Him as the Messiah sent from the Father. Jesus said, “He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him” (John 12:48). Also: “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matt. 12:30).
Sovereignly God reaches down from His throne of grace and lays hold upon His chosen servant. He will not only save Saul but use him for His glory. Saul would become Paul with much thanksgiving and rejoicing. The heart of Saul is being humbled. No longer being able to direct his wrath against Jesus, he quietly asks, “Who art thou, Lord.” Paul is convicted of his sin and then moved to repent: “And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” The word of the Lord will not return to Him empty, it will accomplish what He wishes to accomplish. The Lord seeks to save.
Saul confesses his new found faith in Christ as his Savior and Master, saying, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" To which the Lord answers, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." As with every newly born again Christian, Saul must wait to hear what his discipleship will include. For we not only grow in the Word of God but we also serve in that Word. As Saul was used with the gifts given him of the Lord, so must we wait on Him and see what gifts will be ours in the service of the King.
Discussion: How do the wicked persecute Christ today?
Lord's Disciple –Acts 9:8-12
Saul rose from the earth he opened his eyes and was unable to see anyone; those who were with him “led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.” There he stayed for three days “without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.”
Meanwhile, in the city of Damascus, there was a disciple whose name was Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, “Ananias.” He replied, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” Again, a servant of the Lord Jesus finds peace when called upon in a vision. The heart of the disciple is prepared to hear from the Lord. Ananias hears his Lord, saying, “And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.”
When the Spirit of God gives us a new birth, by which we know the Love of the Father, and saving work of Christ in behalf us, we become disciples of His Word, we know who is speaking to us. We become obedient disciples, as Ananias did in obeying the Lord as where to meet Saul. The Lord is, at the same time, working in the heart of Saul, for He is telling Saul about Ananias. As we become faithful witnesses to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is already working in the hearts of those we may speak to. Ananias is told that he is to be an instrument of healing, Saul would receive his sight. The Lord sovereignly acts in the lives of His saints. What a glory these saints beheld as they were bought face to face with their Savior.
Discussion: What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?
Sight Received –Acts 9:13-20
Ananias speaks his heart, for he has heard of the evil this man Saul had accomplished among the saints at Jerusalem, and the authority he carried from the chief priests in order to “bind all that call on thy name.” The assurance that the Lord gives to Ananias is grounded in this one particular fact, that the Lord has chosen Saul to be an instrument of obedience in His hand. The Lord says to Ananias: “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake."
Paul was to be a chosen vessel or instrument in the hand of the King of kings. So Ananias, another chosen disciple of Christ, went to Saul, and putting his hand on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately he received his sight, and was baptized. Saul was united with Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, now made a saint, set apart as the servant of the Lord.
Saul, soon to be called Paul, later defended his commission as an apostle of Christ, saying that it was through Ananias that he received the command of the Lord: “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:14-15). It was Jehovah, the Triune God who chose Paul to see Jesus and hear his voice and to testify to all men of what he had seen and heard. And so Paul preached Christ.
We must also see our calling as having a divine source as well as having a divine nature. It is not that we have chosen to serve, but that our Savior has chosen us to serve Him. We are not volunteers, as if we can claim the time and place of our service. Neither are we observers, looking for others to do what ought to be done. The Lord has placed us in His body, the church. We are not all ears or hands, but, with the talents and gifts and time, etc., that the Lord has given us, he places us in His body to do what He wants to be done. We are to exercise our calling with the strength and obedience that He has gracious given us.
Discussion: What does it mean to receive a calling from God?
Paul Preached Christ –Acts 9:20-22
Saul had breathed out “threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” The Lord would meet Saul on the road to Damascus and would breathe into him the breath of life. As Saul, soon to be called Paul, would write, “that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). On that road the voice of the risen Lord spoke, saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” The risen Lord had chosen him to be His apostle. The risen Lord spoke to His disciple, Ananias, “Go thy way; for (Saul) is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” Ananias put hands on Saul, to let him know that he has been set apart by the Lord for the preaching of the Gospel, saying, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Saul now preached Christ “that he is the Son of God.” In persecuting the Christians, Saul was denying the death and resurrection of Jesus; thus repudiating the truth that He was God’s Messiah. He had met the risen Lord. He now heralded, proclaimed vociferously that Jesus was the Messiah, the anointed Savior. He also clearly affirmed in his preaching that Christ Jesus was a partaker of the divine nature of God. Saul, who once went to the chief priests for letters of approval to bind the Christians for destruction, now preached Christ. Saul increased in strength, confounding “the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the very Christ.” Trained well in the Scriptures, and by the Spirit of God, Saul brought forth arguments and proofs from God’s prophecies, fulfilled in Christ Jesus. He spoke the “wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 2:7), a revealed mystery of heaven. He summed up his wisdom in these words, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
Discussion: What does it mean to preach Christ?
Out of Every Nation
January 23, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 49:1-7
Key Verse: Isaiah 49:6
Introduction
The theme of the Book of Isaiah is “Salvation is of The Lord!” The sin of the nation is recorded in Isaiah 4:1, “Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.” Their hope is seen in these words, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation” (Isa. 12:2). God’s salvation is an everlasting salvation: “But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end” (Isa. 45:17).
We would see Jesus Christ, the Deliverer and Savior of Israel, of the spiritual Israel, the Church, of whom Christ is the Head. We pray that the Spirit will set Christ before our eyes; as “it is customary with the prophets, when they discourse concerning the restoration of the Church, to bring Christ into view, not only because he would be the minister of the Church, but because on him was founded the adoption of the people” (John Calvin).
The Father’s Servant –Isaiah 49:1-4
God-Breathed words cascade from the heart and mouth of God’s prophet, Isaiah. God’s Messiah, the Son of God, speaks to His people, and to those beyond the seas, saying, “Listen, O Isles, unto me, and hearken, ye people, from afar.” It is the Father’s Christ who speaks, revealing the origin of His coming as God’s Messiah & Deliverer: “The Lord hath called me from the womb!” From the womb of God’s people, Israel, God the Father raises up His Son, the Messiah. We read in Revelation 12:5 that Israel “brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne.” The incarnate Son of God, our Savior, was name “Joshua” (Jesus) for He would save His people from their sins. “Christ was clothed with our flesh by the appointment of the Father, in order that he might fulfill the office of Redeemer, to which he had been appointed” (Calvin).
We come to Christ, today, “as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1 Peter 2:4). Our redemption is in Christ who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, and revealed to us in His incarnation; “as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver or gold, …But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).
Christ reveals His nature as God’s Messiah as one whose mouth has been made “like a sharp sword.” The authority and strength of our Savior are revealed in His teachings, which alone can be found in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit …and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Christ is The Truth; His doctrine (teaching) is efficacious, all powerful, carrying out the will and intention of God, that which is pleasing in His sight. Christ and His Word are faithfully protected by God the Father: “In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me.”
This also true of God’s Congregation, the Body of Christ, that His Words be faithfully proclaimed and taught, in the power and protection of Almighty God. Isaiah recognizes that he receives the Word of the Lord as a servant. In the Lord he will be glorified. As he labors, he understands that he would not have spent his “strength for nothing and in vain.” For his reward is with the Lord, as well as his work. Thus our service and labor in the Lord are not in vain, as we faithfully proclaim the Word of God, which He Himself will bring to fruition.
Discussion: What are some of the characteristics of the Messiah?
The Lord Redeems –Isaiah 49:5-7
The Father has given Christ from the womb of Mary “to be His Servant.” The Lord’s Servant, His Messiah, is to “bring Jacob again to him.” The true Israel will again know fellowship with their Father in heaven. In this work as Redeemer of the people whom the Father has chosen to be His own, the Son will be glorious in His eyes. The Father declares, “Thou art my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In Christ’s work of the cross, in His resurrection and eternal rule as King of kings, the Lord will continually be His strength. Though Israel or men would despise Him, He will testify, “ye shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.” This is also true of His church and especially His ministers, as they faithfully proclaim the His Gospel.
This is not a “light thing” or a small matter. For the Father’s Redeemer-Servant will not only “raise up the tribes of Jacob,” restoring Israel, the Church, to the Father through His precious blood, but He has also been given “as a light to the Gentiles, that (Christ) should be (the Father’s) salvation unto the end of the earth.” Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, speaks of Himself to His disciples, saying, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). We, bearing the image of Christ, being redeemed by the Light of the world, rejoice in this new nature. Christ has said of us, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. …Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
Let us not forget that Christ is despised by the world. At times of our own transgression we turn against our Lord by words and acts of disobedience. The “Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and (the Father’s) Holy One,” “man despiseth.” Because of whom He is, and what He does, excites others to abhor Him. This abhorrence is seen in the words of those who stood before the cross despising the Lord, while wagging their heads, saying, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” And the chief priests also mocked him, saying, “He saved others; himself he cannot save.” (Matt. 27:40-42; see also Psalm 22:7-8). Christ Jesus, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. …Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:23-24).
This same Lord whom man despises will be honored and worshiped by kings and princes, “because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel.” He who has chosen His Son to be the Savior of His people, has promised, “He shall choose thee!” Thus, is our election; by grace we have been saved. For “God, who is rich in mercy,” has loved us, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ” (Eph. 2:4-5).
Discussion: What is the work of Christ as God’s “Holy One?”
In Christ we are healed
January 30, 2011
Lesson: Isaiah 53:1-12
Key Verse: Isaiah 53: 5, 11
Introduction
We are familiar with the phrase, “Suffering Servant.” God reveals His Son as the Servant who was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). The suffering was for the purpose of satisfying the law of God, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin” (Isa. 53:10). We must not think of this Servant as an example for men, as if in suffering there is a way out of our dilemma. For the difficulty that we find ourselves in is not redeemable by what we can do. The Lord tells us that we have all sinned, and that wage of this sin is death.
The Heidelberg Catechism (Q. 12) asks this question, “Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favor?” That is, the favor of God. The reply given is, “God will have His justice satisfied: and therefore we must make this full satisfaction either by ourselves, or by another.” The implication is that the law of God has been broken by all people and satisfaction must be made in full for that transgression.
To understand Christ as Servant or Suffering Servant we must first acknowledge that we have sinned against God. The Larger Catechism (Q. 24) defines sin as “any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature.” (See 1 John 3:4.) This transgression of God’s law brought upon all the “displeasure and curse” of God, “so as we are by nature children of wrath, bond slaves to Satan, and justly liable to all punishments in this world, and that which is to come” (W.L.C. # 27).
We are back to the previous question, who can satisfy the law or justice of God, ourselves or another? Both the punishments of this life and the next cannot satisfy God unless it is eternal. Therefore, we cannot save ourselves. Only the Suffering Servant can save us. His ‘Suffering’ here on earth; especially that which He suffered on His cross, is the only satisfaction which God the Father can and will accept. “Christ made penal satisfaction, by suffering the very penalty demanded by the law of sinners” (Robert Dabney). Christ, being Divine, could take upon Himself our sins, being punished in our place, and so satisfying the justice of God. The penalty for our sins was poured out upon Him. He paid the ransom price. This is Christ’s work of suffering, to satisfy the justice of God, reconciling us to the Father. Trusting then in His work we know that our sins have been forgiven and we have been given eternal life.
Wounded Servant –Isaiah 53:1-5
The prophet has declared that the Christ would be exalted and proclaimed (Isa. 52:13). The Christ will also “sprinkle many nations” (52:15). His Word would go out to the nations and the mouths of kings will be shut. Both kings and nations will be astonished at the preaching of the Gospel. The King of kings is Sovereign over nations today. Let them be astonished or rebellious. However, let us not be weak-kneed when it comes to proclaiming His Word.
The prophet’s heart is heavy as he asks, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” Isaiah represents all those who preach the gospel and wish to see men turn to God in repentance and faith. Calvin calls us to “groan and complain along with the Prophet, and let us be distressed with grief when we see that our labour is unprofitable, and let us complain before God.” We do not rejoice in man’s rejection of the gospel. We must cry over Jerusalem as did Christ. Should we not shed tears for the seed that falls by the wayside or among the thorns, when we know how beautiful is the soul redeemed by the precious blood of Christ? Paul relates himself and all ministers of the Word to Isaiah, saying, “Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed” (Rom. 12:37-38).
Christ has grown from “a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” The human eye will see only the desert. But the eye of faith will see the beauty of the King and His kingdom. Truly Christ is “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him.” Men continue to reject Christ as Lord and Savior. Ingratitude is written on their hearts and in their actions. They don’t believe they have sinned. They deny the Savior who can save them. Christ is “despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Yet, this is the Christ who has “borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” The wicked look at the suffering Christ as wounded by God for some sin of His own. They judge Christ by their own standards. The truth is that Christ “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.” The reason for our Lord’s suffering is that the justice of God be satisfied. On the cross of Calvary our Savior took upon Himself our filthy sin and washed us clean with His precious blood. He ransomed us with His life from our bondage to sin and all its consequences.
We are healed, redeemed, cleansed from all unrighteousness by the saving work of Christ. Our peace was upon Him. There is no peace between us and our heavenly Father except in Christ. Paul wrote, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ …For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly …being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:1-9).
Discussion: Why was Christ “wounded?”
Obedient Servant –Isaiah 53:6-9
The following word of Isaiah brings us to the cross of Calvary by first revealing to us the need for such a cross. To know the depth and height of the love of God in Christ, we must first know the darkness that has been our daily habitat. “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.” The quilt is ours to bear as transgressors of the law of God. And so is the punishment. We have determined to follow our own self-made road. But this is the road that leads to death. Contrast this life with that which Christ gives us. He is the Shepherd who has not only laid down His life for the sheep, but He has reached out and gathered His sheep in His everlasting arms. The Good Shepherd, who knew no sin, has accepted what the Father has laid upon Him, “the iniquity of us all.”
That which was laid upon our Savior, He received without any complaint, “he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers.” He was punished by the Father on His cross for our sins. He “humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). He was taken from prison to be put to death, a sentence we deserved. Christ died. He was “cut off from the land of the living.” He took the wrath of God which means that He took our eternal punishment. He took our cry, “Why hast thou forsaken me.” Forsaken for our transgressions, He made His grave “with the wicked.” This grave would have been ours for eternity.
Discussion: How should we view our sin as we look at Christ and His cross?
Glorious Servant –Isaiah 53:10-12
Isaiah writes that “it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” It was the Father’s delight to put His Son to grief. How could our heavenly Father find such pleasure in bringing such sorrow to His Son? For the love of His chosen ones! When the Father made the soul of Christ an “offering of sin”, the Son would “see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”
The Bible reveals this pleasure in the Son of God, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Christ saw the “travail of his soul.” The Father testifies that by the Son’s “knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” There is no chance of failure on the part of God. His Word does not return void. For those whom Christ died, they will be saved.
Our Lord reigns today as the victorious King and Savior. That which was promised is kept. The Lord spoke clearly to Isaiah, declaring the work of His Servant to be accomplished years before the coming of Jesus. The Father promised that He would “divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Christ did die for the sins of His chosen people. He came to redeem. He found His lost sheep and drew them to Himself. He continues to draw His sheep to His caring arms. His days are prolonged for He has risen from the dead. His victory is assured. The ministry of Christ continues as the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed. He has poured out His soul on His cross for many. He has born our iniquities. He conquered death and the devil. He once suffered. He now reigns as our King. He is our Mediator. Let us give thanks as we continue to look to Him with faith and wonder.
Discussion: How did Christ our Savior justify us as righteous?
