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Empty Symbols (Selected Scriptures)
Empty Symbols
Selected Scriptures
January 31, 2023
We come today obviously to the close of the year.
It is also that unique period of time between Christmas and the New Year.
• Some are still traveling.
• Kids are out of school.
I decided to wait a week before jumping back into our study of Isaiah,
And of course we are having a service of testimonies tonight.
So this morning I just wanted to share a little
Regarding a thought that has been on my heart
Throughout this year’s Christmas season.
And I want to discuss this morning what we might call “Empty Symbols”.
That may conjure up images of Isaiah’s preaching in your mind.
Isaiah 1:11-12 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?”
In view of that, one might be tempted to think
We are going to discuss hypocritical acts of worship.
That certainly is a worth-while topic of discussion
• As more than one has fallen prey to placing their hope in empty acts of
worship.
• It is certainly a sin to worship the shadow instead of the substance.
• It is a sin to put the focus on the symbol instead of on Christ.
But that is NOT what I mean by “Empty Symbols” this morning.
Rather, this morning I want us to consider that
The main earthly symbols of Christianity have one thing in common, and that is that they are all of them…EMPTY.
And furthermore I want us to CONTEMPLATE
What that means for us as believers in this world.
We’re going to look at the 3 most recognizable symbols of Christianity
(and actually in reverse order.)
I want to start the conversation with the one you are most familiar with.
#1 THE EMPTY TOMB
Luke 24:1-6 “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,”
It is without doubt the most popular “empty symbol” of all Christianity.
And certainly the church today should understand
The significance the tomb being empty.
It is very simply the reality that although Christ died on the cross,
He did not stay dead, but rather God raised Him from the dead.
Understanding this significance is foundational to Christianity.
A good reference verse to consider is:
Romans 4:25 “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”
Often times we sing the hymn:
“Living He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried my sins far away. Rising He justified freely forever, One day He’s coming, Oh glorious day.”
And certainly we love and sing that hymn.
But the phrase “Rising He justified” can be A LITTLE MISLEADING.
Christ DID NOT justify us by rising from the dead.
Christ justified us through His death on the cross.
It was on the cross that Christ bore the sin of the elect.
It was on the cross that Christ justified them through His death.
The resurrection validates the cross.
One could almost sing that verse, “Rising He was justified”
He wasn’t raised to produce our justification, but rather as Paul states in Romans 4, He “was raised because of our justification.”
The resurrection proved that Christ was in fact sinless.
The resurrection proved that Christ was in fact pleasing to God.
Peter preached in:
Acts 2:24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
Why was it impossible for Christ to be held in the power of death?
Because the “wages of sin is death” and Christ had no sin.
We may witness the death of Christ on Friday
And have incredible hope that He is there atoning for us,
But if He stays dead we will never know.
HIS RESURRECTION PROVES
He is sinless, perfect, and truly unblemished as God requires.
He is acceptable to the Father as substitute for sinners.
Because He has no sin of His own to atone for,
He is free to atone for others.
Without an empty tomb Christianity falls apart.
TURN TO: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-19
• There are 6 negative realities listed there by Paul that are true if Christ has not been raised. It is certainly worth noting them here quickly.
1) The Christian Mission is Pointless (14)
“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain…”
• What do you hope to accomplish in your Christian mission if Christ is not the savior that you say He is?
2) Believing in Christ is Pointless (14)
“your faith also is vain.”
• If Christ has not been raised and His cross did not succeed, then what exactly are you believing?
• If He didn’t atone for your sin then what are you trusting in?
3) The Bible Isn’t True (15)
“Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.”
The apostles testified of the resurrection.
• If it didn’t happen, they are liars.
• If they are liars then the New Testament they wrote is also a lie since in it they testify that Christ was raised.
• Toss this book if Christ is still dead.
4) Forgiveness Isn’t Possible (17)
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”
THE ENTIRE CHRISTIAN HOPE IS THAT
Christ has freed us from our sin by paying the debt against us.
Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Paul said that Christ “canceled out” our debt.
• He nailed His righteous body to the cross in exchange for our sin debt.
• He was the payment offered to God on that cross.
• But if Christ is dead, how do we know God accepted that payment?
• In fact, if Christ is dead we know He didn’t.
• There is no forgiveness if Christ was not raised.
5) Dead Christians are in Hell (18)
“Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”
Everyone who placed their trust in Christ and then died in that belief is now in hell.
• There was no atonement.
• There was no forgiveness.
• They forsook their works in order to put all their hope in Christ’s righteousness.
• If He wasn’t raised then it wasn’t true and they weren’t saved.
6) Christians are Fools (19)
“If we hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”
In other words, if we cling to Christ knowing that all He has to offer are the benefits of following Him in this life, then we are fools.
Following Christ had bought Paul nothing but persecution and hardship.
He had been treated terrible for following Christ.
And if that is the only benefit, with no eternal reward,
Then following Christ is stupid.
THE EMPTY TOMB CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Because Christ was raised
We now know that the ultimate consequence of sin (death) has been defeated.
Believers will no longer be consigned to death
Because Christ has saved them.
Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
Revelation 1:17-18 “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
There is no fear of death now for believers.
• We are not filled with anxiety for what awaits us there.
• We know that because Christ lived, we will live also.
• We know that He is the first fruits and we will be raised in like manner.
A Christian may die but they can’t stay dead.
They are clothed in the righteousness of Christ
And that is “A DEATH NULLIFYING RIGHTEOUSNESS”.
We fear no eternal judgment in hell because Jesus conquered the grave.
Now, as followers of Jesus, because the tomb is empty
We have hope in the midst of our suffering.
THAT IS TO SAY, That even though this life is hard,
We have hope that passes beyond this life.
1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
Martin Luther wrote:
“The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”
Paul said:
Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
• Paul saw death as a promotion.
• He knew that the glory that awaits made the present suffering totally worth it.
THE EMPTY TOMB CHANGES EVERYTHING.
And because the tomb is empty,
We know Jesus is alive to perform a continuing ministry on our behalf.
Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
John Owen wrote:
“the main foundation of all the confidence and assurance whereof in this life we may be made partakers (which amounts to “joy unspeakable, and full of glory”) ariseth from this strict connection of the oblation and intercession of Jesus Christ; – that by the one he hath procured all good things for us, and by the other he will procure them to be actually bestowed, whereby he doth never leave our sins, but follows them into every court, until they be fully pardoned and clearly expiated, Heb. ix. 26. He will never leave us until he hath saved to the uttermost them that come unto God by him…in this connection it is a sure bottom for a soul to build, Heb. vii. 25. “What good will it do me to be persuaded that Christ died for my sins, if, not withstanding that, my sins may appear against me for my condemnation, where and when Christ will not appear for my justification?…Our sins dare not appear, nor any of our accusers against us, where he appeareth for us.”
(Owen, John [The Death of Death In The Death of Christ; The Banner of Truth Trust; Carlisle, PA 2020] pg.74-75)
What Owen says there is this:
If the Christian wants true assurance,
• It comes from the fact that not only did Christ die for us,
• But also that He now lives and appears for us before the Father.
• Through Christ’s death He obtains all good things for us
• And by His intercession He causes those good things to be actually given to us.
• He says that Christ never forsakes His atoning work.
• He follows our accusers into every court until we are cleared of all charges.
Owen says that this is the foundation we rest on.
What good would it do us to know that Christ died for my sins if my sins might still show up in court without Christ there to defend me?
No! says Owen. “Our sins dare not appear, nor any accusers against us, where he appeareth for us.”
Since Christ lives to intercede, our sins stand no chance!
And this is possible only because He lives.
The Empty Tomb changes everything.
And that symbol I am certain you are aware of.
• There is another empty symbol that you are certainly aware of, and I hope you understand why it must be empty.
#2 THE EMPTY CROSS
Again, just by matter of formality, we read:
John 19:38 “After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.”
• We read how the body of Jesus was removed from the cross after His death.
• He was buried in Joseph’s tomb, and 3 days later He was raised
But the reason that we must insist still upon an empty cross
Is because the Catholic church
Insisted on putting Him back up there.
I CANNOT STATE THIS CLEARLY ENOUGH but one of the most BLASPHEMOUS and IRREVERENT symbols of our culture is the crucifix.
The crucifix is the Catholic depiction of Christ still on the cross.
• It hangs on as a pendant as countless necklaces in our world.
• It is hung as a sculpture in countless cathedrals in the world.
• It is depicted in countless tattoos and other religious art.
It is the occupied cross with Christ still upon it.
Why is this such a blasphemous picture or symbol?
It is blasphemous because of the theology behind it.
A Catholic Priest named John O’Brian wrote a book entitled: “The Faith of Millions: The Credentials of the Catholic Religion.”
“When the priest announces the tremendous words of consecration, he reaches up into the heavens, brings Christ down from His throne and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the victim for the sins of man. It is a power exercised by the priest greater than that of saints and angels, greater than that of seraphim and cherubim. Indeed, it is a power greater even than the power of the Virgin Mary. While the Blessed Virgin was the human agency by which Christ became incarnate a single time, the priest brings Christ down from heaven, and renders Him present on our altar as the eternal victim. The priest brings Christ down from heaven and renders Him present on our altar as the eternal victim for the sins of man, not once but a thousand times.”
(quoted by John MacArthur in his sermon: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-318/explaining-the-heresy-of-the-catholic-mass-part-1)
Did you catch that?
You might have thought that the Catholic Mass was just their version of our Lord’s Supper, ABSOLUTELY NOT!
The Catholic church believes that during the Mass,
• The priest in effect orders Christ to come down from heaven and get back on
the cross.
• He must pay for your sins again and again and again.
This is why it is essential to them to believe that
The sacraments actually becomes the body and the blood of Jesus.
IT GETS WORSE.
O’Brian goes on:
“The priest, speaks, and lo, Christ the eternal and omnipotent God bows His head in humble obedience to the priest’s command…Of what sublime dignity is the office of the Christian priest who is thus privileged to act as the ambassador and the vice-regent of Christ on earth? He continues the essential ministry of Christ. He teaches the faithful with the authority of Christ. He pardons the penitent sinner with the power of Christ. He offers up again the same sacrifice of adoration and atonement which Christ offered on Calvary. No wonder that the name which spiritual writers are especially fond of applying to the priest is that of Alter Christus, for the priest is, and should be, another Christ.”
(ibid)
They actually consider the priest to be “another Christ” because of the atoning work he is said to be doing for you when you take the Mass.
That is blasphemous heresy!
It is a total mockery of the work of Jesus Christ upon the cross.
WHY? Because on the cross Jesus said what?
John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Jesus said “It is finished!”
He did it all there.
TURN TO: Hebrews 10:10-14
You see it 3 times there in that passage.
• (10) “once for all”
• (12) “having offered once sacrifice for sins for all time”
• (14) “for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
THE CROSS IS EMPTY.
What Jesus did on that cross was so sufficient
That He never has to do it again.
We vehemently oppose any teaching that puts Christ back on that cross
As though His death was somehow insufficient.
If you are listening to that podcast “Men Who Rocked The World” by Steve Lawson then you may have heard about John Rogers.
• John Rogers was the man who finished Tyndale’s translation of English Bible
after Tyndale was martyred by Henry VIII.
• John Rogers was the first of what are called “The Marian Martyrs” (those put to
death by Bloody Mary).
• He was burned at the stake.
Do you want to know what doctrine it was that cost him his life?
He refused to consent that the sacraments
Actually become the blood and body of Christ.
That is, he refused to consent that Jesus ever needed to suffer again.
“I was asked whether I believed in the sacrament to be the very body and blood of our Savior who was born of the virgin Mary and hanged on the cross. I think it to be false. I cannot understand really and substantially to signify otherwise than corporally, but corporally (in body) Christ is only in heaven.”
(cited by Steve Lawson at the 37:19 mark: https://men-who-rocked-the-world.simplecast.com/episodes/the-life-and-work-of-john-rodgers-KNnZ2vFx)
In other words Rogers said, “Christ can’t be physically present in the Mass for Christ is physically in heaven at the Father’s side.”
And for that, he was burned at the stake as the first of the Marian Martyrs.
IF THE CROSS IS NOT EMPTY CHRISTIANITY FALLS APART.
If Christ has to be sacrificed over and over and over again
That would only stand to reason that His sacrifice is impotent and weak,
For that is all the Old Testament sacrifices ever accomplished.
Hebrews 10:1-3 “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.”
Those sacrifices did nothing for us
And we know that because we had to keep bringing them.
Could not the same be said of Christ if the Catholic heresy were true?
I would tell you that if we had more time here
I would also call into question the ARMENIAN VIEW of the cross
Which says that Christ died for all men potentially and no man actually.
They say (as though they are so magnanimous and reverent) that “Christ died for everybody!”
And yet at the same time, (because they refuse the heresy of universalism,)
They also say that not everyone for whom Christ died goes to heaven.
They say that sinners, (because they fail to aid Christ’s work or activate Christ’s work or finish Christ’s work by their own belief); actually nullify Christ’s work and thus go to hell even though He died for them.
What manner of weak and impotent atonement claims that
Christ died for people and paid in full the sin-debt of people
Who still go to hell and pay for their sin?
If that is your view of the atonement then it is a very weak view indeed,
For in that view, by saying that He died for all,
In reality you are saying He died for no one in particular.
WE SAY HOWEVER, Christ died for the elect, and on the cross He totally and sufficiently redeemed them.
His death was so effective
That not one of their sins will ever arise against them again.
He paid in full and He purchased our redemption.
Actually – Totally – Finally – Eternally
And we praise God that He will never need to do it again.
THE EMPTY CROSS CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah 53:11 “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.”
• Christ did it.
• He completed it.
• He finished it.
J.I. Packer writes:
“Christ is a Redeemer who really does redeem.”
(Owen, John [The Death of Death In The Death of Christ; The Banner of Truth Trust; Carlisle, PA 2020] pg.5)
• Not temporarily
• Not potentially
• BUT ACTUALLY
That cross is empty and it never needs to hold Him again.
And perhaps you are familiar with both of those Christian symbols
And why they must be empty if we are to have any hope from them.
But there is a third, which may not be quite as obvious to you, but in our day and time it is quite important that you know this one too.
#3 THE EMPTY MANGER
This is certainly obvious to us as well, as we know that the baby grew up and certainly did not sleep every night in that feed trough where He was first laid.
But by an empty manger, even more than that we mean that
He is no longer in the position of His humiliation.
That manger is the ultimate symbol of His humiliation
As we have often said in recent weeks.
Philippians 2:5-8 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
• We read about there being no room for Him in the inn.
• We know about Him being born in a stable and laid in a manger.
It was just insult to injury.
• That not only was He humiliated to become human at all.
• But He came as a baby.
• He was a baby who would be a servant.
• He was a servant who would die as a criminal.
• It is utter humiliation.
BUT THAT MANGER IS EMPTY.
That is to say that HIS HUMILIATION IS OVER!
TURN TO: ACTS 2:29-36
This was Peter’s sermon at Pentecost
• The climax of the sermon came as Peter announced that this Jesus who was mistreated and mocked and held under contempt by man is no longer in such a lowly position.
Peter says that Jesus was “exalted to the right hand of God”
• (36) “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Paul taught us that too:
Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
IF THE MANGER IS NOT EMPTY CHRISTIANITY FALLS APART
To leave Christ in the manger
• Is to forever consign to Him shame and dishonor.
• It is to deny that He is the sovereign reigning King
• It is to ignore His promise to return to reign on the earth.
And this is precisely what our world has sought to do.
The world continues to look upon Christ
As though He is nothing more than
A humiliated, impotent suffering beggar.
He is seen as weak and helpless and consigned only to beg and plead with sinners to please just accept Him.
He is portrayed as some wearied traveler who is desperately knocking on the doors of hearts just hoping someone will open it up and let Him in.
He is still clothed in Herod’s robe of mockery and still crowned with Pilate’s humiliating thorns.
He is totally susceptible to whatever men want to do with Him and far too kind and meek to ever offend anyone.
AND THAT IS NOT WHO HE IS AT ALL!
He is Lord of Heaven and Earth!
He is seated at the right hand of the Father!
He isn’t some weak and helpless beggar
Mildly knocking on hearts just hoping someone will let Him in.
Jesus, in His sovereign prerogative,
Blows the doors of sinful hearts right off of their hinges.
He came to this earth and He died on the cross to purchase His bride
And by His sovereign power He calls Her to Himself
And she does not resist.
“All that the Father has given Me will come to Me!” He says.
I love John Owen’s picture of Christ as the intercessor.
He says that when Christ goes before the Father, It “is not a humble, dejected supplication, which beseems not that glorious state of advancement which he is possessed of that sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high, but an authoritative presenting himself before the throne of his Father, sprinkled with his own blood, for the making out to his people all spiritual things that are procured by his oblation, saying, ‘Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am,’ John xvii. 24.”
(Owen, John [The Death of Death In The Death of Christ; The Banner of Truth Trust; Carlisle, PA 2020] pg. 65)
Owen says that “Regarding those for whom Christ died He does not tip-toe before the Father as He asks for them.”
Christ goes boldly before the Father,
Clothed in a robe covered in His own blood where-by He purchased His bride and He declares to the Father, “I will that those whom thou has given me be with me where I am” (John 17:24)
If He does with such boldness before the Father DO WE ASSUME that He goes cowardly before those whom He has chosen to save?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
He boldly calls men to Himself.
TURN TO: PSALMS 110
(This, by the way, is the New Testament’s favorite Psalm)
It inspired the entire book of Hebrews.
Do you see that first verse?
“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”
It speaks of Christ’s exalted position
And the subduing of His enemies.
1 Corinthians 15:25 “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”
Who are these enemies we are talking about?
Well look around the room.
Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Colossians 1:13-14 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Titus 3:3-7 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
And when Christ came to save you, how did He approach your heart?
• Was He some meek and mild impotent Savior just wringing His hands hoping
you would want Him?
Of course not!
He kicks in the door of the carnal heart and convicts its sin
And draws that sinner to Himself.
“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.”
Christ broke into our dungeon, subdued our hearts, and set us free!
AND NOW HE REIGNS THERE!
Look at the rest of the 110th Psalm.
• Do you see the sovereignty He has been given?
• Do you see what God will do to those who refuse to bow to Him?
He is no longer enduring the judgments of men
As though He will ever answer to a single one of them.
But every man will answer to Him.
God has made Him Lord and Christ and given Him the name above every name; and every knee will bow to Him.
He is no longer that weak and broken servant in a manger.
He is the glorified and exalted King!
Revelation 1:14-17a “His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.”
Revelation 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Do you remember when He confronted the church’s chief persecutor?
Acts 9:3-5 “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,”
This lowly infant…
This meek and mild disciple…
This suffering servant…
THAT WAS FOR A SEASON.
THE EMPTY MANGER CHANGES EVERYTHING!
It is not an option whether or not you bow to Him.
It is not an option whether or not you would serve Him.
It is demanded.
Furthermore, it will happen!
Acts 10:42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.”
Acts 17:31 “because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
One final passage:
TURN TO: PSALM 2
• You should be aware by now that Verses 1-3 represent His humiliation and suffering on earth.
• We see the evil men there who determined to crucify Him and cast His authority off of them.
But, God exalted Him!
(READ 4-9)
Christ is not on some ballot lifted up for you to vote for Him or not.
It is not as though man has the choice.
God has already exalted Him!
He is seated at the right hand of the Father!
The manger is empty, the throne is occupied.
And He is returning to judge those who refuse to submit to Him.
And with that we have ONE FINAL PIECE OF ADVICE to this world.
(READ 10-12)
That is the message.
We go to this world with an empty cross and tell them that Jesus is an actual savior who died to actually redeem sinners.
We go to this world with an empty tomb and tell them that Jesus was vindicated by the Father and His sacrifice is true.
We go to this world with an empty manger and tell them that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He is Lord and Christ and they must repent of their sin and trust in Him.
Those are the empty symbols of Christianity.
And we as the church praise Him for all three!
Isaiah’s Incarnate One (Isaiah 50:4-9) Christmas 2023
Isaiah’s Incarnate One
Isaiah 50:4-9
December 25, 2023
When I finally sat down this past week to start putting the sermon for this Christmas service down on paper, I was immediately drawn to Isaiah 50.
• I started reading it over and over and thinking on it,
• And really just trying to soak it all in.
• It is one of my favorite chapters.
• The gospel just gushes out of it like a soaked wash rag.
But then I thought, wait, I hope I didn’t preach this chapter last year at Christmas.
My records tell me Isaiah 50 was our passage on Christmas day in 2020
Since that was only 3 years ago
I know that it is still perfectly etched in your minds.
3 years ago we looked at THE ENTIRE CHAPTER
As sort of an OVERVIEW of all that Isaiah reveals here.
We talked about: THE REJECTION (1-3)
Where you see that Christ ask the question, “Why was there no man when I came?”
• And we see again how Jesus was the true light which came into the world,
• But how He was not recognized or received by His own.
• They rejected Him.
We talked about: THE REDEEMER (4-9)
We talked about how you can clearly see the major elements of the gospel in these verses.
• His Incarnation (4-5)
• His Suffering (6)
• His Resurrection (7-9)
We talked about: THE REQUIREMENT (10-11)
Which very simply is that you should “trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
And our point was that Jesus is the true light.
Isaiah saw Him in chapter 9 and again here.
He is the Light of the world that enlightens every man.
But we hit the whole chapter in an abbreviated Christmas Day sermon
What I want to do this morning is go back
And look a little closer at verses 4-9 and examine it a little more.
I WANT TO LOOK AT THIS REDEEMER A LITTLE CLOSER.
Isaiah 50:4-9 is the Old Testament equivalent of Philippians 2:5-11
Philippians 2:5-11 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
That’s the passage our kids did such a wonderful job illustrating for us two weeks ago.
In many ways, the things we learned there from the apostle Paul
Are things that Isaiah told us about years earlier.
The difference would be:
• Where Philippians 2:5-11 focuses on the DEGREE of His humiliation.
• Isaiah 50:4-9 focuses on the BENEFIT of His humiliation.
IN PHILIPPIANS WE SEE:
• No one ever started higher and then came lower than Jesus.
• The degree of humiliation He endured
• To one moment be regarded as God in heaven
• And in the next moment to be a crucified slave on earth.
Paul shows us that great humiliation
Because he has A SPIRITUAL APPLICATION for us.
Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”
Paul shows us the humility of Jesus
Because he wants us to show the same.
Remember how that chapter started.
Philippians 2:1-4 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
The entire point was for you to understand that
The calling is for you to lay down your life for your brother.
We are to do nothing out of selfishness but do all things out of love.
We are to regard one another as more important than ourselves.
And the ultimate example of such humility is Jesus
Who humbled Himself to a degree that we will never get close to equaling.
None of us will ever start so high. None of us will ever sink so low.
So that passage focuses on the degree of Christ’s humiliation.
Isaiah’s passage also focuses on His humiliation
But more so the BENEFITS we receive from it.
And when Isaiah applies the humiliation of Christ
It is NOT MERELY as an example to follow
(though that is implied).
ISAIAH SHOWS US THE BENEFITS OF HIS HUMILIATION
SO THAT WE WILL TRUST IN HIM.
(10) “Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
In this chapter Isaiah addresses two distinct groups.
ONE is found in verse 11
• They are those who are filled with self-confidence
• They don’t need someone to be their light
• They have accumulated their own light.
• Isaiah will tell them that they are headed for destruction.
But THE OTHER group, (the one we are interested in) is the one in verse 10
• Who “fears the LORD”
• Who “walks in darkness and has no light”.
That is to say, they know they have no light on their own.
• They know they have no righteousness of any value.
• They know they have no wisdom to save themselves.
• They are poor in spirit.
• They are mourning spiritual beggars.
Isaiah wants them to know about this Suffering Servant.
And he tells them to “trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
The One Isaiah is going to tell you about is One you can trust in.
The One Isaiah is going to tell you about is One you can rely on.
It is all about the benefits of this Incarnate Savior.
So let’s look at the benefits Isaiah lays out for us this morning.
There are 5
#1 SYMPATHETIC SUPPORTER
Isaiah 50:4a
Perhaps you would prefer the term advocate or mediator or even priest.
By reason of His incarnation
Jesus has become to us a sympathetic advocate,
A sympathetic priest, a sympathetic supporter.
“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.”
Back up in verse 2
• Isaiah first broke the news that God had become flesh and dwelled among us.
Isaiah 50:2 “Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water And die of thirst.”
• Isaiah revealed that He came to earth to dwell among us.
• Isaiah addressed why no one was enthused about it.
Through Isaiah God asked, “Was it because you thought I couldn’t save?”
Do you not know whom I am?
• The Red Sea Splitter
• The Jordan River Divider
BUT THE REALITY IS Israel rejected Christ in part because:
The thought that God would become man
Was TOO FAR-FETCHED for them to concede.
• Surely the God whose glory drove priests out of the temple…
• Surely the God who made Sinai quake at His presence…
• Surely the God who struck Uzza for disrespect…
• Surely the God who devoured Aaron’s sons for blasphemy…
THERE IS NO WAY that God would become human
And subject Himself to ridicule and shame.
That was too much for them to handle
And part of the reason why they rejected Him.
In verse 4 Isaiah is revealing
WHY He would subject Himself to such treatment.
WHY? “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples” (made human)
And there are many reasons,
BUT THE ONE ISAIAH FOCUSES ON HERE IS SO THAT:
“That I may know how to sustain the weary on with a word.”
IN OTHER WORDS, “So that I will know how to answer you.”
• So that I will know how to encourage you.
• So that I can sympathize with your weaknesses.
• So that I can understand your temptations.
Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
Hebrews 5:7-8 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”
THAT IS TO SAY, He learned the difficulty of obedience in His suffering.
Isaiah speaks of a God who is NOT distant and aloof.
• He speaks of a God who came near,
• Who entered your race,
• Who tasted this bitter life,
• Who embraced your pain and suffering.
In reality, this is ALWAYS WHO HE WAS.
• We saw Him in the lions den with Daniel.
• We saw Him in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego
• We saw Him in the pillar of fire and the cloud.
He has always been a “God In Our Midst” kind of God.
But the INCARNATION took it to A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
He became like the ultimate support group.
No matter your temptation…
No matter your suffering…
No matter your toil…
You can cry to Him and He can say, “I know exactly what you mean.”
This is one of the benefits of His incarnation.
He is a Sympathetic Supporter – SO CALL ON HIM
I watched a video this week of a man who put salon wax on his cheeks and nose and two bunches of wax covered Q-tips up his nose so he would know what his wife goes through at the salon.
The screaming and tears in his eyes indicate he is now a sympathizer.
Jesus did far more than that. CALL ON HIM
A Sympathetic Supporter
#2 SUBMISSIVE STANDARD
Isaiah 53:4b-5
That is to say He came and gave us an example.
• He certainly came to enter our hardships,
• But He also came to guide us how to walk through them correctly.
(4b-5) “He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back.”
We see true obedience when we look at the life of Jesus.
John 5:19 “Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
John 8:28-29 “So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
We have one in Jesus Christ
Who perfectly did the Father’s will in every situation.
Such obedience inspired the fad several years ago entitled: WWJD
(What Would Jesus Do) recognizing Him as the perfect example of obedience.
“And I was not disobedient” – He never REBELLED
“Nor did I turn back” – He never RETREATED
He always perfectly obeyed the Father in every possible way.
And certainly this is a TREMENDOUS EXAMPLE for us.
He said:
John 13:15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”
Peter said:
1 Peter 2:21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”
He is an example: FOLLOW HIM
And not only so that you can do what He did, though that is the goal.
Follow Him because in His perfect obedience
He fulfilled God’s righteous requirement
And will impute that righteousness to all His followers.
He is A Sympathetic Supporter – Call on Him
He is A Submissive Standard – Follow Him
#3 SEASONED SUFFERER
Isaiah 50:6
What tremendous examples of suffering does Isaiah lay out for us.
(6) “I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.”
• We think certainly of His beatings before the Roman soldiers.
• We think of His trials before the Sanhedrin.
• We think of the mocking and scorn heaped upon Him on the cross.
HE SUFFERED.
Not just physically; but emotionally and more than that spiritually.
He bore the full humiliation of humanity and the full wrath of God.
This suffering is given by Isaiah in MORE DETAIL and with MORE PURPOSE 3 chapters later in Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:1-6 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
That was the passage the Ethiopian Eunuch was reading
• When Philip approached him
• He was mesmerized at one who would willingly suffer so greatly for someone
else.
That passage led the Ethiopian Eunuch to yield his life to Jesus Christ.
Isaiah reveals that suffering to you too.
• He wasn’t held and arrested against His will.
• He gave Himself to those soldiers.
• He gave Himself to their scorn.
• He gave His body to their brutality.
Why?
FOR YOU!
He bore the scorn and humiliation and shame
That you deserve; that I deserve.
COULD YOU IMAGINE how humiliated you would be:
• If all at once every sinful thing you did was POSTED on the internet?
• If your thought light was PUBLISHED for all to read?
• If videos of your behavior were PLAYED on the nightly news?
WOULD YOU BE HUMILIATED?
Of course you would – sin brings humiliation.
He was humiliated in your stead!
And He volunteered: LOVE HIM
• Love Him for what He has done for you.
• Love Him for taking on flesh and dwelling among us.
• Love Him for taking off His outer garment and for girding Himself with a towel and for washing your feet.
Love Him for identifying with you at your worst!
1 John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.”
A Sympathetic Supporter – Call on Him
A Submissive Standard – Follow Him
A Seasoned Sufferer – Love Him
#4 STEADFAST SOLDIER
Isaiah 50:7-9
Do you see Him in those passages
• Squaring off with those who rejected Him?
• Standing strong against Chief Priests and Pharisees.
This was not to defend His integrity,
We already saw that He embraced humiliation.
This was to defend His gospel!
And He wouldn’t yield on it for a second!
• (7) “Therefore, I have set My face like flint”
• (8) “Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other;”
• (8) “Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me;”
He would not back down.
John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
Go listen to Him
• Humiliate the Pharisees in Matthew 23 calling them hypocrites repeatedly.
• While eating at the Pharisees house when that woman washes His feat with her tears and how He calls out the Pharisee for not understanding mercy.
• Listen to Him ask, “Let He who is without sin cast the first stone”.
He won’t yield for a second on the gospel He came to preach.
Or how about when He stood trial to face death?
John 19:8-11 “Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
He is a steadfast soldier – ADMIRE HIM
In our world of people to look up to, where is a better one than Jesus?
• The perfect example of justice and mercy.
• The perfect example of holiness and compassion.
• The perfect example of meekness and strength.
• He never gets it wrong.
• He never says the wrong thing.
• He never compromises or yields to heresy.
He is the ultimate One to study and examine and be inspired by.
• Study Him
• Gaze upon Him
• Listen to Him
• Watch Him
• And be totally captivated in awe of Him.
A Sympathetic Supporter – Call on Him
A Submissive Standard – Follow Him
A Seasoned Sufferer – Love Him
A Steadfast Soldier – Admire Him
#5 SUCCESSFUL SAVIOR
Isaiah 50:7-9
Here we read those same verses but we focus on the fact that
Though man was against Him GOD WAS EVER ON HIS SIDE.
(7) “For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore I am not disgraced;”
(8) “Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me;”
We hear Isaiah speak of the vindication of the LORD for Him.
• We’ve heard the Father speak about Him from heaven.
• We know the ultimate vindication came in His resurrection from the dead.
Psalms 16:10 “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”
Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Man may have attacked Him, but God vindicated Him.
WHAT IS THAT TO US?
Namely that He is THE SAVIOR WHOM GOD ACCEPTS.
• What good is it to have a sympathetic priest if God won’t listen to Him?
• What good is it to have a submissive standard if God wasn’t pleased?
• What good is it to have a seasoned sufferer if God wasn’t impressed?
• What good is it to have a steadfast soldier if God is His enemy?
It matters that God chose a side.
It matters that God vindicated Him!
He is the Savior whom God accepts.
• He is a sympathizer with direct access to the Father.
• He is a standard which earned the Father’s approval.
• He is a sufferer who bore all the wrath the Father required.
• He is the soldier who won the battle the Father commissioned Him for.
And now God has exalted Him.
God has made Him both Lord and Christ.
He succeeded in His saving incarnation – TRUST HIM
Don’t rest on your own abilities.
Don’t rest on your own wisdom.
Don’t rest on your own goodness.
TRUST HIM
(10) “Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
These are the benefits of the incarnation.
WHAT DID YOU GET FOR CHRISTMAS?
• You got a PRIEST to call upon.
• You got an EXAMPLE to follow.
• You got a SUFFERER to love.
• You got a SOLDIER to admire.
• You got a SAVIOR to trust.
Merry Christmas!
Amen, Come Lord Jesus! (Isaiah 35)
Amen, Come Lord Jesus!
Isaiah 35
December 24, 2023
It is lost on no one this morning that today is “Christmas Eve”.
Every time of think of Christmas Eve there is always
One main word that comes to my mind: ANTICIPATION.
Certainly kids get it.
• Most can hardly sleep on Christmas Even night thinking about waking in the morning to go and open presents and such. There is excitement!
More than that,
• We obviously think back to the first Christmas and wonder about the anticipation that was building in the hearts of Mary and Joseph.
Any husband and wife who are about to have a child
Certainly have great anticipation about the event;
How much more if you were to deliver the Savior into the world?
Mary responding:
Luke 1:46-49 “And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.”
I think of the parents of John the Baptist,
• Who had seen their son born,
• But knew he was but a precursor to the great Savior who would soon arrive.
Zacharias saying:
Luke 1:67-75 “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.”
We think of angels
• And the heavenlies and their anticipation of the coming Savior.
Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
I think of Simeon
• In the temple who had been promised that before he died he would see the Lord’s Christ.
Luke 2:27-32 “And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
The anticipation was real!
INDEED IT IS REAL!
And the anticipation was no less present in ISAIAH’S DAY.
Have we not read?
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
Isaiah has told us of His reign
Isaiah 11:1-5 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”
Isaiah 32:1-2 “Behold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly. Each will be like a refuge from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.”
Isaiah 32:16-20 “Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field. And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places; And it will hail when the forest comes down, And the city will be utterly laid low. How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.”
Even in our study of Isaiah there has been plenty of reason
To anticipate the coming of the Messianic King!
HOWEVER:
Isaiah has also given plenty of reasons to dread His coming too!
• Isaiah has pulled no punches in telling us what He thinks about empty religion or tradition learned by rote.
• God’s displeasure was all but spelled out as God raised up the Assyrian and then sent him into the land of Israel to trample them down in the streets.
And now, we’ve seen just what this righteous one is capable of.
• He crushed 185,000 Assyrians in the night like it was nothing.
• This is the One who treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God.
• This is the One who is so holy Isaiah feared for his life.
• This is the One that no one can stand before.
So, while we read those passages about the glory of His coming,
Are we really able to get all that excited about it?
• Aren’t I guilty of hypocritical religion?
• Aren’t I guilty of honoring tradition learned by rote?
• Aren’t I guilty of worldliness and wickedness?
• Haven’t I often times earned the discipline of God in my life?
So is the coming of the King something I should anticipate or dread?
I don’t know if you ever ponder such realities,
But I would imagine those in Isaiah’s day did.
To them the warnings of God weren’t empty.
• They had seen the northern kingdom annihilated.
• They had seen the villages of Judah decimated.
• They had seen Assyria encircle Jerusalem.
• They had seen God crush them like a bug.
• They knew what He is capable of.
Certainly there must have been A TOUCH OF ANXIETY
Regarding whether or not they were ready
For this King to appear in their land.
THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
Chapter 35 addresses the anxiety of the remnant
Regarding the coming of their King.
The heart of the chapter is absolutely beautiful!
(3-4) “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”
• You can hear the beatitudes there.
• You can hear comfort extended to the poor in spirit and to those who mourn.
• You can hear Jesus’ offer to those who are weary and heavy-laden.
THIS IS A GOSPEL ENCOURAGEMENT.
• It is offered to the “exhausted” the “feeble” the “anxious” and those who “fear”.
• It is given to “strengthen” and “encourage” and calm their hearts.
And the entire encouragement comes in ONE 5-WORD PHRASE.
“But He will save you.”
Not:
• “You have been good enough”
• “Your sin isn’t that bad”
• “Your hypocrisy has gone undetected”
But only that
IN GOD’S DAY OF RECKONING, HE HAS DECIDED TO SAVE YOU
• He did it by His own sovereign prerogative.
• He did it according to His own free will.
• He did it with full knowledge of who and what you are.
• He has chosen not to crush you, but to save you.
YOU ARE THE REMNANT.
• To you He granted faith that you might believe in Him.
• To you He granted faith that you might trust Him.
• To you He granted faith that you might call upon Him.
And though you are no more worthy than the Assyrian
Who received the full fury of His wrath, He has chosen to save you.
You have been “redeemed” (vs. 9)
You have been “ransomed” (vs. 10)
“The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”
That is the heart of the message of Isaiah 35.
It is certainly a message loved and reiterated by New Testament writers.
One church in particular, rested upon such words of encouragement.
TURN TO: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-11
You see the same message there from Paul to the Thessalonian believers.
• They had heard the message of the Second Coming.
• They knew of its terrible effect on sinners.
• They knew it to be a day to be dreaded.
And yet Paul says, that’s true, BUT NOT FOR YOU!
“God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
On that great day of wrath and destruction, we will not find terror,
We will find salvation!
And you see Paul’s admonition to “encourage one another”.
The message of Christ’s coming
Is not supposed to be a terror to the church,
It is supposed to be an encouragement.
TURN TO: 2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-10
It’s that same message.
• The day that Christ is revealed from heaven will be a horrible day for sinners.
• He will deal out retribution.
• There will be eternal destruction for them.
But not for you!
He comes “to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed – for our testimony to you was believed.”
For them it is a day of destruction, but for you a day of salvation.
TURN TO: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-15
You recall that someone had lied to the Thessalonians and sought to convince them that they were now under God’s judgment.
They fear they are now experiencing the very judgments
Paul told them they would escape.
Again Paul encourages them.
• FIRST with a practical timeline so that they may know that this is not the day of the Lord.
• AND THEN with a reminder that “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation”
They will receive destruction but you will
“gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You see that Paul is seeking to encourage believers
• That though the coming of the Lord will be a terrible day of judgment for the world,
• It will not be so for believers.
• For those whom He has chosen to save, it will be a day of deliverance, vindication, and glory.
BE ENCOURAGED!
And that is precisely the sermon of Isaiah in chapter 35.
After having taken an alarming look at the coming day of destruction
Isaiah now sets out to encourage the remnant.
• You are those He has chosen.
• You are those to whom He has granted faith.
• You are the redeemed.
• You are the ransomed.
“The recompense of God will come, but He will save you.”
So let’s look at this wonderful truth from the prophet that is meant to cause you to anticipate the coming of the Lord, not to dread it!
3 main points
#1 THE REVELATION
Isaiah 35:1-2
What a drastic turnaround from the previous chapter!
• In chapter 34 we just read about the desolation of all things.
• We read how God was returning the world to TOHU and BOHU
Isaiah 34:11 “But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness.”
We read about how God was returning the world
To a position of desolation and emptiness.
But when we get to chapter 35 we see a complete reversal of fortunes for His people.
We read of a wilderness becoming a garden.
(1-2) “The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, The majesty of our God.”
This is not God making all things desolate,
This is God making all things beautiful.
And one cannot but help pick up on the mood.
“glad” – “rejoice” – “blossom” – “rejoice” – “rejoicing” – “joy” – “glory” – “majesty” – “glory” – “majesty”
There is nothing negative there mentioned.
What God is doing here is a glorious thing.
What God is doing here doesn’t cause gloom, it causes joy!
Psalms 96:10-13 “Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.” Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.”
Paul said that ever since the fall in the garden, creation has been eagerly awaiting this day!
Romans 8:18-22 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”
And the simple point to be understood here is that
Though the wicked will be destroyed when the Lord comes,
That is not the fate for His people.
For those who are His, this is a glorious day.
For the wicked, He will turn their garden into desolation.
For the redeemed, He will turn their desolation into a garden.
After all, as we saw last week, what He is doing He does FOR them!
Isaiah 34:8 “For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”
And Isaiah here looks at the remnant and says
The point is NOT that you FEAR the coming of the Lord,
But rather that you PREPARE for it.
• It is only a terrible day if you are His enemy.
• It is only a terrible day if you have chosen to remain in rebellion.
• It is only a terrible day if you live in defiance of His reign.
But for those who have trusted in Him and submitted to Him,
What a joyful and glorious day it will be when He returns.
It will be paradise itself!
That is the revelation.
#2 THE REASSURANCE
Isaiah 35:3-4
Isaiah is aware of the effect that recent events and recent preaching may have had upon the remnant.
• They had witnessed the Assyrian invasion.
• They had been told it was part of the disciplinary hand of God.
• They had seen God’s power and rage first hand in the wake of 185,000 dead Assyrians.
Isaiah had told them of their empty religion and worldly idolatry.
One could hardly be surprised if they were a little fragile.
But Isaiah’s message is NOT, “Run and hide”.
Isaiah’s message is that “You have nothing to fear”.
(3-4) “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”
Let’s take a look at the condition of this remnant.
Isaiah calls them “the exhausted” – It is two words in the Hebrew and it literally means “slack hands”
Job 4:3 “Behold you have admonished many, And you have strengthened weak hands.”
It speaks of one who no longer has any strength to lift their arms
And thus it is translated “exhausted”.
They have come to their end.
They are exactly the people Jesus was speaking to when He said:
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
They are certainly typified in that first beatitude:
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
They are Hezekiah, who had done all that he knew to do to save the city and came up empty.
• He had given up on human effort.
• He had given up on human plans.
• He was broken and finished.
All he could do was take Sennacherib’s letter and show it to God.
In utter exhaustion, He turned to the LORD in the temple.
That was this remnant.
• They had nothing.
• They could not fight.
• They could not run.
Isaiah also calls them “feeble”
This Hebrew word means “to totter or waiver through weak knees or ankles”
In Psalms 31 it is translated “strength has failed”
Psalms 31:10 “For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And my body has wasted away.”
Many times it is translated as “stumble”.
Isaiah 40:30-31 “Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”
And you get more of the picture here about our remnant.
• Not only have they done all that they can do and no longer have strength.
• They are now broken and terrified and ready to fall.
• There is no strength left in them.
• To think of saving themselves at this point is a pointless empty hope.
And thus the final adjective makes perfect sense.
Isaiah calls them “those with anxious heart”
Again, two Hebrew words which mean “to be hurried in the inner man”
In other words, their heart is racing! They are terrified.
And why wouldn’t they be?
• They have no strength.
• They have no ability.
• They have come to the end of themselves in every possible way.
And to the world this looks like a terrible place to be.
But if you read the invitations of Jesus again:
THESE ARE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE JESUS SAVES!
WHY?
Because these are the type of people who know they need saving.
• Pride is the enemy of salvation.
• Self-righteousness won’t save anyone.
• Human effort and ingenuity only condemn men.
It is only when a man comes totally to the end of himself
And falls helplessly on Jesus that he can be saved.
AND THAT IS WHERE THIS REMNANT IS!
It took an Assyrian invasion to get them to this point, but they are there.
AND LOOK AT THE MESSAGE OF ISAIAH TO THEM.
To the “exhausted” (weak handed), Isaiah says “encourage” them.
“Encourage” is the Hebrew word that means “to tie fast, to bind, or to make strong”
In other words, Put strength back into those weak handed people.
Let them know that salvation is not beyond them just yet.
To the “feeble” (weak kneed) Isaiah says to “strengthen” them.
“strengthen” is (AW-MATS) “to make strong in the feet”
It is often translated “courageous”
Psalms 31:24 “Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.”
And to those with “anxious heart” (hurried in the inner man) Isaiah says “fear not”
It is a beautiful picture of
• A man who is totally broken and helpless and who has given up.
• He is waiting to die,
• ISAIAH’S COMMAND IS TO pick that man up, encourage him and tell him not to be afraid.
WHY?
What possible reason would this man have for eliminating his fear?
He can’t stand.
He can’t fight.
He can’t run.
What fact in the world could possible encourage a person in such a helpless condition?
JUST ONE.
“Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”
God has chosen to save you.
• He is not here to help you save yourself.
• He is not asking you to help Him save you.
• “He will save you.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Church, that is the hope we have as well!
We know that Christ is coming to this world to judge it with eternal fire.
• He will come and trample the wine press of the wrath of God.
• He will crush sinners.
Our hope of salvation IS NOT that we are so much better than the world.
• Our hope IS NOT that while they did wrong we did right.
• Our hope IS NOT that while they were unworthy we are somehow worthy.
NO!
Our hope is that in spite of our sinful weakness,
He, by His own sovereign prerogative has determined to save us.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Or as Jesus said.
Luke 21:25-28 “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Listen to the apostle John.
1 John 2:28 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”
1 John 4:17 “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
DO YOU SEE THE POINT?
Isaiah began his ministry in chapter 1
With a group of people who were certain that they were pleasing to God because of all that they did.
THEY WERE WRONG
God told them that He hated their festivals and appointed feasts.
And He told them to stop bringing it because it was useful.
And yet, even then, in the VERY FIRST SERMON
He outlined the plan of salvation.
Isaiah 1:18-20 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. “If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; “But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
But remember, they weren’t interested.
So Isaiah went on to tell them about their pointless idolatry and their hopeless alliances with the world.
Nothing could save them from the wrath that was on its way.
EXCEPT FOR ONE THING!
Isaiah 30:15-18 “For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,” Therefore you shall flee! “And we will ride on swift horses,” Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. One thousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until you are left as a flag on a mountain top And as a signal on a hill. Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.”
God had repeatedly called them to come to the end of themselves
And trust in Him and day after day they refused.
UNTIL THE DAY that all their human strength failed and all their human ingenuity collapsed.
ON THAT DAY, with weak hands and feeble knees and terrified hearts they cried out to God – AND HE SAVED!
And Isaiah says that is exactly the point about the coming of the King.
He saves the lowly!
He saves the broken!
He saves the weak!
He doesn’t save the “good” or “religious”, He saves the humble.
Those who humble themselves and trust Him:
• Even though they are weak – they will be saved.
• Even though they have no strength – they will be saved.
• Even though they bring nothing to the table – they will be saved.
Isaiah 40:28-31 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.”
SO LISTEN CHURCH.
• If you have come to the end of yourself…
• If you have given up on any works of yours being acceptable…
• If you have seen your weakness and spiritual bankruptcy…
• If you have cried out to Jesus to save you without any help from you…
Then even though His coming will be a terrible day of judgment
It will not be so for you. On that day you will be saved.
GUARANTEED!
You have nothing to fear and nothing to dread.
• YOU CAN ANTICIPATE the second coming the way a child anticipates Christmas morning.
• YOU CAN ANTICIPATE the second coming the way Zacarias and Simeon and Joseph and Mary anticipated the first.
DO NOT FEAR!
The Revelation, The Reassurance
#3 THE REALITY
Isaiah 35:5-10
These are just 6 verses to give you but a glimpse of the glory and goodness
That awaits for you on the day He returns.
LET’S START WITH THE REMOVAL OF SICKNESS.
(5-6) “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah.”
We saw a glimpse of that while Jesus walked the earth.
• After reading the gospels is there any doubt that Jesus can open blind eyes or give strength to the lame?
Imagine if you knew you were getting new eyes in the morning or a new hip or a new body? Would you be excited to open presents?
IT IS COMING WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AGAIN.
LET’S TALK ABOUT PARADISE
(7) “The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes.”
Drought and famine were two of the most visible consequences of sin and the fall throughout the Old Testament.
But here we find an end to the curse.
The desert becomes again the garden of Eden.
LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT WON’T BE IN HIS NEW WORLD
(8-9) “A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there,”
• Nothing “unclean”
• No “fools”
• No “lion”
• No “vicious beast”
Mostly because there will be no sin.
It is a “Highway of Holiness”
A land without sin.
A land without corruption.
A land without compromise and wickedness.
And again notice who gets to dwell there.
“But the redeemed will walk there”
• It’s NOT FOR people who did good works.
• It’s NOT FOR people who were good enough to earn it.
• It is ONLY FOR people who ran to Jesus Christ and were redeemed (bought back) from their sinfulness.
IT IS FOR YOU!
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ATTITUDE OF THE DAY
(10) “And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Any word stand out to you there?
• “joyful”
• “joy”
• “gladness”
• “joy”
Twice in the past couple of weeks
Carrie and I embarked into Lubbock for shopping.
Once for Christmas gifts. Once for groceries.
And they may call this the “most wonderful time of the year”
They may call this a time of “joy to the world”
But how much joy did you get when you took on the city?
It is rushing and anger and greed and frustration.
It’s because we have a world anticipating the wrong thing.
They have no idea what they are celebrating.
WE CELEBRATE THE FACT
• That God became man and dwelled among us.
• That He fulfilled the Law that was too much of a burden for us.
• That He bore the wrath of God for sin we committed.
• That He rose from the dead and conquered our greatest enemy.
• That He ascended to the right hand of the Father where He secures our salvation.
• That He will come again to completely finish what He started.
And on the day when Christ returns and Christmas is completed,
That will be joy to the world!
But really we could sing, “Joy to the Redeemed”
For we will be the only ones left standing to enjoy it.
Psalms 30:4-5 “Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.”
Church, on Christmas Eve be filled with anticipation.
Not for pancakes or presents.
Be filled with anticipation that Jesus Christ is coming back to save you.
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
185,000 Dead Assyrians (Isaiah 34:1-17)
185,000 Dead Assyrians
Isaiah 34:1-17
December 17, 2023
The book of Isaiah is broken into two halves.
• The first half is chapters 1-35
• The second half is chapters 40-66
• With only the historical background serving as an interlude in chapters 36-39.
Starting in chapter 33 we have begun wrapping up
The point of the first half of the book.
We talked about what should be learned from the Assyrian invasion.
• What the people in Isaiah’s day should have learned
• What we should have learned.
WE SAW 4 GROUPS ADDRESSED.
• The Destroyer – who should have learned that God does not abandon His people.
• Jerusalem – who should have learned that faith and the fear of the LORD are their greatest treasure.
• The Nations – who should have learned that God does not spare sinners. If He doesn’t spare sinners in Zion then sinners in the world haven’t got a chance.
• The Remnant – who should have learned that the God who delivered them from Assyria will never fail to deliver them in the future.
In many ways we are still on that type of theme.
Chapters 34 & 35 serve to WRAP UP THE MESSAGES of Isaiah
Regarding the Assyrian invasion.
More than anything they’re meant to remind the surviving remnant
That God is for them, He cares for them, He will defend them,
And that despite hardships, salvation is their ultimate fate.
We are about to look at a chapter
• That is as descriptive of God’s furious judgment as any chapter in the Bible,
• And yet the redeemed should read this chapter with gratitude,
• For what God does here in judgment, HE IS DOING FOR YOU.
All you have to do to grasp this is look down at verse 8:
(8) “For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”
This is what chapter 34 is all about.
It is about the day when God rises up to vindicate His people
Whom the enemy has persecuted and attacked and killed.
• This is a husband who is rising up to vindicate his bride.
• This is a father who is rising up to vindicate his children.
• This is God who is rising up to vindicate His redeemed.
In some ways it reads as a warning to the nations,
But mostly it is a message of encouragement to the people of God
Who are ill-treated in this sin infested world.
It begins with a call to the nations.
• “Draw near, O nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples!”
• “the LORD’S indignation is against all the nations,”
In short, God announces to the world that He is angry with them.
THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE TITLE OF THE SERMON:
As Isaiah preaches this message he does so with the background of 185,000 dead Assyrians.
• Perhaps their bodies are still scattered throughout their camp.
• Perhaps the residents of Jerusalem have already started piling and burning the
bodies.
Isaiah is preaching a message to the world with the fiery backdrop
Of God having judged those who attacked his people.
And as we read this chapter WE ASK OURSELVES:
Was it a small thing the Assyrians did to the people of God?
• As Assyria annihilated the northern kingdom and hauled her off into exile…
• As Assyria invaded Judah and sacked village after village…
• As Assyria robbed the treasuries of Jerusalem and then broke the covenant…
• As Assyria blasphemed God and threatened Jerusalem’s annihilation…
WAS THAT A SMALL THING?
185,000 dead Assyrians would seem to suggest that it was not.
It was God who said:
Psalms 105:15 “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”
Do you remember the story of Abraham?
He was chosen of God even though he was a pagan.
• Abram lacked faith early on and fled to Egypt
• Where he passed his wife off as his sister,
• Pharaoh took Sarai for his own wife.
• It would certainly appear that the fault was all Abram’s.
But do you remember how it played out?
Genesis 12:17 “But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.”
Later when Abraham sojourned in the land of Abimelech,
• Abraham feared because Abimelech had no fear of God
• Again, in order to save his life, proclaimed that Sarah was his sister.
• Again, many have placed the blame at the feet of Abraham.
But read it too:
Genesis 20:3-7 “But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? “Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. “Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
It is no small thing to attack the people of God.
It is no small thing to persecute the people of God.
AND YET, we live in a world that does that very thing.
Like the Assyrian’s in Isaiah’s day
The church maintains enemies who would long for her eradication.
Psalms 44:22-23 “But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever.”
Paul echoed that Psalm in:
Romans 8:35-36 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
He said the same in:
1 Corinthians 4:11-13 “To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”
And we know Paul was not exaggerating:
2 Corinthians 11:24-27 “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”
And it certainly wasn’t just Paul.
• Each of the apostles suffered martyr’s deaths.
Several of us have been listening lately to a podcast called
“Men Who Rocked The World” by Steve Lawson (high recommended!)
• Learn about William Tyndale who was strangled, burned at the stake and blown up with gun powder all because he put the Bible in the English language.
• Read about all those protestants like John Rogers who finished Tyndale’s work and who was massacred by bloody Mary. (the rest of the Marian Martyrs)
• Learn about John Bunyan, John Owen, Matthew Henry, Isaac Watts, and many other puritans who were kicked out of their pulpits and forbidden to come within 5 miles of any town. How they were persecuted, imprisoned, martyred and buried in Bunhill fields outside the city.
The world has never stopped hating the church.
As long as Satan roams there has always been an Assyria
And there always will be an Assyria.
It was Jesus Himself who promised:
Matthew 10:22-23 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.”
John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”
John 16:2 “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.”
We see over and over that God’s people
Will be under constant attack from the evil one.
And all the while we are ALSO TOLD that
We must NEVER TAKE OUR OWN REVENGE.
Romans 12:19 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”
Instead of getting even, we are commanded to entrust our justice to God.
Just as Jesus did:
1 Peter 2:22-23 “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”
This is the message of Scripture to God’s persecuted people.
And as such, WE SEE OFTEN throughout the pages of Scripture
The cry of God’s people for deliverance and vindication against such evil.
Perhaps none more famous than that cry found in the book of the Revelation:
Revelation 6:9-10 “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Isaiah 34 & 35 addresses this issue.
IT IS A BEACON OF HOPE TO A PERSECUTED REMNANT.
Here we read of 2 very different fates.
• Chapter 34 shows us the fate of sinners.
• Chapter 35 shows us the fate of the redeemed.
AND WE LEARN THAT
God does not take lightly the affliction of His people.
(8) “For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”
Or as Paul states in the New Testament.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
During Christmas season we celebrate that FIRST ADVENT when Jesus Christ came to save sinners.
This morning we look at the SECOND ADVENT when He will return to vindicate those whom He saved.
Isaiah longs to reassure the remnant
THAT GOD WILL VINDICATE THEM FROM THEIR ENEMIES
And as a backdrop to the sermon there are 185,000 dead Assyrians.
Let’s break this chapter down into 3 parts to see God’s fury on those who afflict His people.
#1 GOD’S GLOBAL INDIGNATION
Isaiah 34:1-2
The simple message is clear.
GOD IS ANGRY.
This seems to be an oft-forgotten attribute of God.
I’ve heard plenty of contemporary Christian songs whose lyrics were written to assure sinners that God is not angry in the least.
Not only is that not true,
But it is actually DETRIMENTAL to the message of the GOSPEL.
• Why repent if God is not angry?
• Why cry out to Jesus if God is not angry?
• Why surrender your body to the Lordship of Christ and face the hostility of this world if God is not angry and willing to judge your sin?
It is a NONSENSICAL message, and because it is categorically wrong
It is also a BLASPHEMOUS one.
Psalms 7:11 “God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.”
Just read again these 2 verses.
(1-2) “Draw near, O nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples! Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it. For the LORD’S indignation is against all the nations, And His wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter.”
• We read of “the LORD’S indignation”
• We read of “His wrath”
Those words are really synonyms, perhaps the only distinction is that one speaks of wrath and the other of burning anger. Take your pick.
And Isaiah assures the nations that God has it toward them.
Afterall,
• Have we forgotten the flood?
• Have we forgotten Sodom and Gomorrah?
• Have we forgotten that Jesus said it would be better for those towns than for the towns where He ministered in the day of judgment?
Did Paul not tell us that the wrath of God IS NOW REVEALED?
Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
Did he not remind us that His wrath will SOON BE POURED OUT?
Romans 2:5-11 “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.”
To say that God is not angry is terribly wrong.
• Of course He is angry.
• He is angry at sin
• He is angry at sinners.
• And He is angry at those who persecuted the ones He is saving.
And an interesting phrase at the end of verse 2
“He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter.”
Certainly that was true of the Assyrian army.
But Isaiah isn’t looking backward here, he is looking forward.
He is not talking about those whom God has just destroyed,
Isaiah is talking about those God is going to.
It echoes through our mind what Jesus said:
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
• Namely that Jesus did not come to the world to judge the world.
• He didn’t have to.
• The world is already under judgment.
The reason the world needs a Savior is because God is angry.
In fact, Isaiah says that God “has given them over to slaughter.”
The Hebrew word there is (KHAY-REM)
Isaiah will use it again down in verse 5
(5) “For My sword is satiated in heaven, Behold it shall descend for judgment upon Edom And upon the people whom I have devoted to destruction.”
There it is again, “devoted to destruction” (KHAY-REM)
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
• Well it can be translated as destruction or curse.
• The simplest translation of the word is “net” as in a fishing net.
It is that object which entraps its prey
And therefore ensures their coming judgment.
Everything in that net is going to die.
Same word here.
Deuteronomy 13:17 “Nothing from that which is put under the ban shall cling to your hand, in order that the LORD may turn from His burning anger and show mercy to you, and have compassion on you and make you increase, just as He has sworn to your fathers,”
• There it is translated “under the ban”
Joshua 6:17-18 “The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. “But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it.”
• And there again, “under the ban”.
• It means that you are to keep nothing there.
• God has devoted it to destruction.
You may remember that Achan tried to keep some of the spoils
And God judged him for it.
Later on God told Saul
• That the Amelikites were to be under the ban and devoted to destruction
• When Saul spared some of them God removed Saul from being king.
When the King of Israel spared Ben-Hadad of the Arameans God told him:
1 Kings 20:42 “He said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’”
I HOPE YOU GET THE POINT.
God has no longer any other purpose for them
But that they be destroyed.
• This chapter says nothing about repentance.
• This chapter says nothing about redemption.
• This chapter says nothing about salvation.
God only had one use for the Assyrians and that was destruction.
And there will come a day when that is true for unrepentant sinners too.
SOME DAY ALL THOSE WHO REJECT CHRIST
• Will be placed “under the ban”
• And will be cast into “the lake of fire”
• And will be “devoted to destruction.”
ALL OF THIS SPEAKS TO GOD’S ANGER.
He is furious with the nations who afflict His people.
CHURCH LISTEN:
• While God does allow sinners to continue in this world.
• While God does allow sinners to come to power and make sinful decision.
• While God does allow sinners to persecute and attack His people.
KNOW THAT GOD WILL VINDICATE YOU IN THEIR MIDST.
He uses them for His purposes.
• Sometimes to bring judgment on other sinners.
• Sometimes to sanctify His people and bring revival.
But do not be confused.
God is for you. God is angry at them.
WELL WHAT DOES THAT ANGER LOOK LIKE?
(3-4) “So their slain will be thrown out, And their corpses will give off their stench, And the mountains will be drenched with their blood. And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree.”
Ask Isaiah what the indignation of God looks like
And Isaiah will point to 185,000 dead Assyrians.
That is what it looks like, says Isaiah.
That is what it smells like, says Isaiah.
There is a day coming when “the host of heaven will wear away”
• The heavenly host are angels.
• In this case fallen angels or demons.
• And God will judge all the evil powers of the heavenlies who are the catalyst for such acts of oppression.
Isaiah sees the day recorded in Revelation 6 when “the sky will be rolled up like a scroll”
GOD IS ANGRY.
If you want to know what it looks like, IT LOOKS LIKE DEATH.
Romans 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death…”
This is not a joke.
Isaiah is warning the nations of the anger of God.
God’s Global Indignation
#2 GOD’S FURIOUS VINDICATION
Isaiah 34:5-8
Once again, the language there is intense.
• Isaiah speaks of a day of slaughter.
• He speaks of a day God’s sword is busy and active.
“For My sword is satiated in heaven”
“satiated” is (RRA-VA)
It means “to bathe, make drunk, fill, or soak”
This is a violent expression of God’s wrath.
And God says it descends upon “Edom”
That God has “a sacrifice in Bozrah”
Why Edom?
Edom is representative of the nations.
If God wants to name one nation that REPRESENTS A FALSE HOPE of His people it is almost always the same nation – EGYPT.
If God wants to name one nation that REPRESENTS WORLDLINESS AND SINFUL IMMORALITY it is almost always the same nation – BABYLON.
If God wants to name one nation that REPRESENTS PERSECUTION AND OPPRESSION of His people it is almost always the name nation – EDOM.
• It was the EDOMITES that first resisted the Israelites as they fled from Egypt and refused to allow them water.
• It was the EDOMITES who waited at the crossroads to execute those who fled from the Babylonian invasion.
Edom is the perpetual enemies of Israel
And illustrative of the world who hates God’s people.
Isaiah 63:1-6 “Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. “For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. “I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. “I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
It is the same scene seen here.
God has devoted His enemies to destruction
And has spared no effort in dipping His sword in their blood.
It is called “a great slaughter”
• God is annihilating sinners.
And we know this is well within the prerogative of God.
Just read the second coming of Christ.
Revelation 14:14-20 “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”
Revelation 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Jesus said that “where the bodies are, there the vultures would gather.”
I know this is NOT an often thought of reality.
I know the world certainly doesn’t want to hear it.
But church, this is real.
God is angry and He will do this.
But what is at the forefront of Isaiah’s mind is
WHY GOD WILL DO IT.
(8) “For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”
He is doing it to vindicate His people.
He is vindicating the faith of those who trusted Him.
• Those who were mocked and abused in the world.
• Those who were persecuted and slaughtered.
• Those who the world hated.
But they trusted in Christ and would not abandon Him.
And the Lord had not forgotten.
He has a day of vengeance for them.
This is NOT ON His people, this is FOR His people.
You’ll see it in the next chapter.
Isaiah 35:4 “Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”
Paul told the Thessalonians:
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3,9 “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape…For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Romans 12:19 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”
Now you may be saying, “What am I supposed to do with that?”
• I see what Isaiah is saying.
• I see that is echoed in the New Testament.
BUT WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH SUCH A TRUTH?
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO THAT?
WITH GRATITUDE! – Your God will vindicate you. He will not let your faith go unrewarded or undefended.
WITH FAITH! – You can trust God in this world of hostility because you know your God will vindicate you.
WITH CONVICTION! – Tell the world that in the end there is only one group left standing and it is God’s people.
God has global indignation God has furious vindication
#3 GOD’S THOROUGH DESOLATION
Isaiah 34:9-17
Again, it is not hard to understand the picture Isaiah paints.
• “streams…turned into pitch”
• “loose earth into brimstone”
• “land will become burning pitch”
It doesn’t take great skill to interpret what is happening.
God is burning the wicked with fire.
How long will He do it?
FOREVER
(10) “It will not be quenched night or day; Its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation it will be desolate; None will pass through it forever and ever.”
• God will never stop vindicating His people.
• God will never stop avenging them.
Do you see that HE IS FOR YOU?
Do you see what He will do to those who persecute you?
• There is no need for you to take your own revenge.
• There is no need for you to justify yourself.
• God has it covered.
In verses 11-15 He speaks of turning their land into utter desolation.
But it is more than just making it a barren wasteland.
There is a vocabulary link here.
(11b) “And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness.”
Interesting choice of words by Isaiah.
• “desolation” = TOHU
• “emptiness” = BOHU
God will take this world and make it TOHU & BOHU
Why is that interesting?
Genesis 1:1-2 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.”
We find in the beginning that “the earth was formless and void”
• “formless” = TOHU
• “void” = BOHU
God took an earth that was TOHU & BOHU and He redeemed it.
The next time He will take the world
And return it to a state of TOHU and BOHU.
He created it by His word.
He will uncreate it with fire.
He will make it into nothing.
It is total, furious, unrelenting, unending, annihilation.
And as a Bible preacher I love how Isaiah closes this segment.
(16-17) “Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them. He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they will dwell in it.”
Isaiah tells the nations, “Seek from the book of the LORD, and read”
What a message to the unredeemed nations!
You’d better get a copy of the Bible and read what God says about all this.
Our world lives in this fantasy realm
• Where “if God exists He most certainly would never judge sinners.”
• They rightly proclaim that “God is love” but they have no idea what that
means.
Do you want to know what “God is love” means?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
It means that even though God is angry at sinners,
He is merciful and gracious and willing to forgive sinners
Who repent and believe in His Son.
It DOES NOT MEAN that He has determined not to judge.
IN FACT, “God is love” is a promise that God will judge sinners.
Because God loves His own and has promised to vindicate them.
NOW CHURCH, LET ME DRAW THIS SCENE TO A CLOSE FOR YOU.
Close your eyes and see
185,000 dead Assyrians outside the wall of Jerusalem.
• Isaiah spoke of their blood.
• Isaiah spoke of their stench.
• Isaiah spoke of the burning of their carcasses.
And as he spoke of it, he asked the remnant:
Do you see that God is for you?
Church, there is no need to trust anyone or anything else.
There is no need to put your hope in anyone else but Jesus.
There are no other Saviors.
There are no other deliverers.
NONE OTHERS ARE NEEDED
God is for you.
• The Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed you.
• The Lord Jesus Christ has saved you.
• You are His and He will deliver.
This message was a reproach to Jerusalem
• Who took far too long to finally trust God.
• Oh that they would have called on Him much sooner than they did.
But this message was also a comfort to them as well,
• For now that they had called on Him
• They could see that there is no reason to ever call on another.
And now, with 185,000 dead Assyrians laid out before you.
• 185,000 dead Assyrians who threatened God’s people.
• 185,000 dead Assyrians who persecuted the bride of Christ.
With that in view, let me read this one final passage to you.
Romans 8:31-39 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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