May 24, 2015
Isaiah 53 is one of the most famous passages in the bible often known as "The suffering servant passage" and this is a prophecy of the lord Jesus Christ, and really, when you read this, it's just mind boggling how many prophecies about the lord Jesus Christ are crammed into this one short chapter and there's so many profound things that are taught in this chapter, and there are other chapters throughout the old testament that would point clearly and directly to the lord Jesus Christ, but this one is truly amazing how many things are. Now, I want to back up just a little bit to chapter 52 because that's where this subject actually starts, in chapter 52 verse 13 where the bible reads "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high."
He starts out in verse 13 talking about him being exalted and lifted up and glorified, but in the next few verses, we're going to read about the exact opposite happening. Him being despised, rejected, afflicted, but in the beginning, he starts out by talking about how the servant would be exalted. It says in verse 14 "As many were astonied at thee." This would be our modern word astonished, they're shocked, they're blown away. It says "Many were astonied at thee; his visage," visage means face, "Was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men," so this is talking about the fact that his face was disfigured and this is obviously referring to the beating that the lord Jesus Christ received. If you remember when Jesus was arrested and they were questioning him and when they're putting him on trial, they were smiting him in the face.
The bible talks about them covering his face and punching Jesus in the face, and then saying "Prophecy unto us, who is it that hit you? Tell us which one of us hit you," and they're mocking him and beating him and he silently endured and took all that, but they were smiting him in the face. Also, if you remember, they pleaded or braided a crown of thorns and they put that crown of thorns upon Jesus's head, and then they took a rod and hit him in the head with it to drive those thorns into his brow, so the bible says here that his face or "His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men" meaning that he was not even recognizable anymore as a human being, just completely bloody and beaten and disfigured through beating. This isn't like the pictures that you'll see, many catholic pictures of Jesus, they'll just show a little trickle of blood or something.
The bible talks about him being beaten so badly that he's unrecognizable more than any man. It says on verse 15 "So shall he sprinkle many nations. The kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider." Now let's talk about this thing of "He shall sprinkle many nations." Go to Hebrews chapter number 9 in the new testament. Hebrews is a great book for tying in the old testament with the new testament because that's why it's called the book of Hebrews. It's written to an audience that has a knowledge of the old testament that knows the Mosaic Law, that knows the prophets and Isaiah, so it quotes the old testament a lot and it explains and expounds it, so there's a lot in Hebrews that would tie in with Isaiah 53 of course, but look at Hebrews chapter number 9.
The bible says "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead. Otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying this is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you," so in the old testament, the bible talks about the fact that animals would be sacrificed and the blood will be sprinkled, and in fact, when the old testament was first instituted with Moses, the bible says the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, they sprinkled the people with blood of the animals and they also sprinkled the book with blood, and look what the bible says in verse number 21. "Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
Go to Hebrews chapter 10. He's explaining on the old testament the shedding of blood was there for the remission of sins and it was through animals, and he said if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" He's explaining how the flesh was sanctified by the blood being sprinkled. That provided just a carnal cleansing, but when it comes to the spiritual cleansing of the soul, that's through the blood of Jesus Christ, and the bible says "Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission." Now of course, the Jews today, they don't do these animal sacrifices anymore at all. That's been discontinued. Instead, they just do prayers, and is that what God said?
"Oh, just pray this prayer instead of the blood." No, it's the blood that cleanses all things in the old testament and new testament, and in the new testament, "Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, and that blood of sprinkling today is the blood of Jesus Christ and it is sprinkled in our hearts," the bible says. Now look at chapter 10 verse 22. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith," faith is what saves us. It says "Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Go to Hebrews chapter 12, so it's our hearts that are sprinkled with the blood of the lord Jesus Christ. This has to be with salvation. Salvation is through, the bible says, "Faith in his blood." That's the exact phrase that the bible uses.
It says in Hebrews chapter 12:22 "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant," the new covenant is another word for the new testament, "And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel," so if you come to Jesus, "You've come to the blood of sprinkling," the bible says. It's that sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ in our hearts. Flip over to first Peter chapter 1, just a few pages to the right in your bible. There have been false prophets in our modern day that have tried to downplay the importance of the blood of Jesus Christ, and in fact, new bible versions have removed the blood and tried to downplay the significance of the blood.
Probably the most famous false teacher who has attacked the blood of Christ is John McArthur, and he said "It's not the blood that saves, it's the death of Jesus saves," and he said "Whenever the bible use the word blood about ... It's really just a euphemism for his death." Now here's the thing. If blood just always means death, then why does this say sprinkling? You don't sprinkle death. Blood is a liquid that is sprinkled and that's what the bible was saying, and so that's why the bible version that John McArthur pushes, the ESV, that's why it removes a lot of these verses about the blood, and scriptures that talk about being washed in the blood, because how do you wash in the death? "Are you washed in the death?" It doesn't make any sense, but John McArthur just put that as ESV study bible that just removes references to washing in the blood and also just removes the word blood in many places, and I can't understand how anybody still listens to that guy.
He's so popular and so well known but that's because the world loves a false prophet, and he has all kinds of followers but he denies the blood of Christ and people say "Oh, he explained that." He never apologized for it, he never took it back, he just explained why he denied the blood. "Here's why I deny the blood." No, it's wrong. You're wrong. It's heresy. It's lies, and not only that, recently he said "Hey, you can take the mark of the beast in the tribulation and still be saved." What is it going to take for people to realize that this guy's a false prophet? He pushes all the modern perversions of the bible, the ESV, the NIV, the HIV, the SUV, and then also, he denies the blood of Christ, but if that's not enough, he says "Hey, you can take the mark of the beast and still be saved." There's no limit to the heresy coming out of this man's mouth. No, my friend. It's the blood that saves.
Had you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Look at first Peter 2:24. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness." Notice it doesn't say we have to live unto righteousness to get saved, it's saying that we should live unto righteousness. What must we do to be saved? Believe on Jesus Christ. What should we do? Live unto righteousness? What should we do? Go to church? What should we do? Read the bible. What should we do? Pray. What should we do? Obey the commandments, but what must we do to be saved? Belief on the lord Jesus Christ.
There's a big difference between what you must do to be saved and what you should do, so it says "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins," this is talking about after salvation, we should live unto righteousness, but watch this, here's a quote from Isaiah 53. "By whose stripes, ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." Now go back if you would to Isaiah chapter 53. In first Peter there, we have a quote from Isaiah 53. There's an importance of the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus and then it talks about the fact that by his stripes were healed. What does it mean when it says "By his stripe," it's saying that we're healed by the blood because what were the stripes? The stripes were when Jesus was scourged or whipped.
Every time that whip hit him, it left a bloody stripe, so when the bible says "By his stripes, we're healed," it's saying that it's the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sin. That's where salvation is found, in the precious blood of the lord Jesus Christ. A lot of people will say that Jesus was beaten with a cat of 9 tails. Who's ever heard that taught in church? I heard that my whole life, but you have to take everything with a grain of salt if it's not coming from scripture because in the bible, they would beat people with stripes and they would beat them with 40 stripes save 1, that's because God had put a limit in the bible on 40 stripes. Somebody needs to tell that to these Muslims who beat people like 100 times, but the bible says that a person should only beaten with 40 stripes maximum, and if they went over that, then they would be beaten, so just to be safe, in case they lost count, they would do 39.
That's why over and over again, the bible talks about people being beaten with 40 stripes save 1 because that's just kind of a buffer there so that they don't accidentally go overboard and break that limit. Here's the thing. If you're using a cat of 9 tails, it's not going to leave a stripe like that and you're not going to be able to count to 39 or 40. Are you, if you have a whip with 9 tails? That just appeared in some flannelgraph somewhere and now it's just gospel for the rest of our lives, but what does the bible say? "By his stripes, we're healed, we're saved by the blood," but let's keep reading here in Isaiah 52. It says in verse number 12 "So shall he sprinkle many nations, the kings shall shut their mouths at him." Now I love how it says there "He shall sprinkle many nations." What did Jesus say when he ascended up to the father in heaven?
He said "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you, and lo I'm with you all way even unto the end of the world." Christianity. Salvation through the lord Jesus Christ is not limited to a certain nation, it's for all nations. He said he's going to sprinkle many nations, and remember, this prophecy is given unto Israel in the old testament and he's telling them he's going to sprinkle many nations. They had a hard time accepting this when the new testament came around because they had this view that "We're the special chosen ones and not just to everyone else," and even those who got saved out of the Jews often had this attitude that they were somehow better than the gentiles. You remember this?
Even in the book of Acts, even those that are saved, they're really shocked and blown away when they see the gentiles filled with the spirit and when they see the holy spirit manifested amongst the gentiles, they just "Oh wow, you mean God gave the gift of the holy spirit under the gentiles too and not just under the Jews? God also granted unto the gentiles repentance unto life?" They're shocked by this. They're surprised by this. If they would have known their own old testament, they would have known the prophecies about his house being a house of prayer for all nations and about the fact that this righteous servant that would die on the cross for our sins, he would justify many and then he would sprinkle many nations with his blood, and that's why I believe that the new testament was written in Greek, and look, I'm saying that's why I believe it was written in Greek as in that's why I believe it was, not saying that there's any doubt that it was written in Greek.
Anyone who says that the new testament was not written in Greek is a complete idiot. Let me say that again. Anyone who believes that the new testament was written in a language other than Greek is a complete idiot, and that's what people are teaching now. "Oh, it's written in Hebrew." Yeah, the epistle to the Thessalonians was written in Hebrew. Yeah, the epistle unto the Philippians was written in Hebrew. Yeah, the epistle unto the Colossians was written in Hebrew, right? Half of it is specifically addressed to cities in Greece. Hello. Philippi is in Macedonia. These places like Thessal and Aika ... Okay, hey the epistle unto the Romans, guess what it's written in? Greek, okay? The epistle unto ... What about the book of Luke? In fact, the book of Luke is written unto a Greek person, Theophilus. Doesn't sound very Jewish to me. It's written under Theophilus. What about the book of revelation? "Send it unto the 7 churches in Asia."
It's crystal clear that the new testament is written in Greek, and you know why it was written in Greek? Because God wanted everybody to know that it's for all nations. It's not just for Israel. That's why God said to Abraham "And thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed." This book is not a book that's just about God blessing one nation, and if you look at some of the religions of the world, they exalt as certain group of people, don't they? If you look at Islam, what do they say? "Oh, it has to be in Arabic. If you're reading the Quran in Arabic, you're not reading the real Quran. It's got to be Arabic," and they exalt the Arabs, the sons of Ishmael and the Arabic language, and then if you look at Judaism, of course it exalts the Hebrews and exalts Israel and "It has to be in the Hebrew language and this and that."
If you look at other religions, they're really geared toward a certain nationality. If you look at Hinduism, it's geared toward the Indian people. If you look at the Japanese religion, Shinto, it's for the Japanese, but the great thing about Christianity is that it's for all nations and that all nations are equal on the sight of God, and you say "Well how can all nations be equal in the sight of God?" Because it says he accounts all the nations of the earth less than nothing. He looks as them as less than nothing, so therefore they're all equally nothing to him, and the bible says that he's made all nations of the earth of one blood, so he doesn't look at one nation and say "Oh it's greater than other nations." Think of Mormonism that exalts white people and says "Hey, the sinful people got darker skin." That's what it says right in the book of Mormon, I've seen it myself.
The great thing about the bible is that it's for all nations and that's why God put it in Greek because Greek was the language that the world spoke back then, like English today is the world language. Wherever we go in the world, people speak English as a second language. It's called the "Lingua Franca," meaning that it's the universal second language, and that's how Greek was when the new testament was written, and God said "Hey, he came unto his own, his own received him not," and so even in the book of Acts, the apostle Paul shook the dust off his feet and said "From henceforth, we're going to the gentiles. They will receive it," and thank God they have received it, and so that's why the new testament is written in Greek because God wanted to bless many nations.
The gospel's for all nations and that's why it's so wonderful how the word of God has been translated into all languages of the world, it's in all corners, that's why when we get to heaven, the bible says there will be people there from every tongue, every nation, every tribe, every kindred will all be there because Jesus Christ has sprinkled many nations, and that's why this is significant in the book of Isaiah, a book that's being written to the Israelites 800 years before Jesus's time. He's saying "Look, I'm going to send somebody and he's going to sprinkle many nations," and in fact the majority of the people that are going to be saved are not going to be of the Jews, they're going to be of the gentiles, but people today are trying to come along and teach that "Well, Christianity is mainly a Jewish religion. I guess you guys can kind of come in to as a red-headed stepchild of the faith."
No. We are joint heirs and we are citizens of the commonwealth of spiritual Israel according Ephesians chapter 2. So much teaching in this great passage of Isaiah. He said he'll sprinkle many nations and it says "The kings shall shut their mouths at him." This is expounded upon in Psalm 2, when the bible says "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the lord, and against his Christ, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the lord hath said unto me, thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee," these are old testament scriptures, Psalm 2.
"Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings and be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Jesus is the king of kings and the lord of lord, and every king must stop their mouth at him and recognize that he is supreme." That's what the bible says here, when it says "The king shall shut their mouths at him, that every mouth maybe stopped," the bible says, "And all the world may become guilty before God." It says "For that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider."
Look at verse number 1 of chapter 53. "Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant," he's talking about Jesus, "And as a root out of a dry ground." What did Jesus call himself in Revelation? He said "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." It says "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him," so why are all these pictures making Jesus look like a pretty boy? What does the bible say? The bible says "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." Now this is why we need to stay away from images of the lord Jesus.
The bible never teaches us to make an image. It talks about the danger of making an image of God or of making an image of man, and many people will literally worship at an image of Jesus today, and they make it always a very beautiful Jesus, a very pretty Jesus. What does the bible say though? "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." The bible's saying that the sight of the lord Jesus dying on the cross was not a beautiful sight. It's not something to make a painting of and look at it and admire the beauty. You've perverted the truth when you do that because the bible says exactly the opposite. It says in verse 3, "He is despised and rejected of men." Now notice the present tense. "He is despised" because in verse 15, we have the future tense, of the last chapter that is, and then in chapter 53 verse 2, we have the future tense, "He shall grow up before him as a tender plant."
Verse 3, we have the present tense "He is despite ..." Look at verse 5. "But he was wounded." Now we have the past tense. This is 800 years before Christ. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised." Why? Because the bible says that "God speaketh of the things which be not as though they were." Why? Because God knows the end from the beginning. Why? Because Jesus is the lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. Slain from the foundation of the world, and it's amazing how people say "Oh, in the old testament, they were saved by works because Jesus hadn't died from the cross yet." Who's ever heard that before? In the old testament, they're saved by work because he said that "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
Here's the thing about that that makes no sense. If they could be saved by works before Jesus died on the cross, why did he even die on the cross? Doesn't make any sense. "Oh, you could be saved by works back then but now you can't." That makes no sense. If our righteousness is our filthy rags now, then the righteousness is back then were filthy rags. If we've all sinned and come short to the glory of God in 2015, then they must have all sinned and come short to glory of God in the old testament. How can anybody be saved by works in the old testament or the new testament with the filthy rag? "Here's my filthy rags, God. Save me." "Oh yeah, come on in. I'm really impressed." No. Noah found grace in the eyes of the lord. Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. How can you say that people were saved by works in any era? How can salvation ever by by works? Man would post.
The bible says "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." I guess for 4,000 some years, all the old testament saints could all boast, and then the tribulation, they're going to be able to boast again according to these dispensationalist, Ruckmanites or followers or Sam Gipp or any of these other false prophets. It's just amazing to me how people can think "Well, yeah they're saved by works in the old testament because Jesus hadn't died." Well, why Jesus have to die and mess that up then? What kind of a warped doctrine is that? No. You know why Jesus died on the cross? Because Jesus is the only way to heaven, and he said "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Never less, not my will by thine be done." If there were any other way to be saved, Jesus wouldn't have even had to die on the cross.
The bible says "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." "Those are different-" Shut up. Take your dispensations and throw them in the garbage can where they belong. The bible teaches the Jesus and his blood is the only way to heaven. "Oh, but in the old testament, they had to do animal sacrifices to be saved." The bible says it's not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins. Did you hear that? It's not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins. It was all symbolic of the blood of Jesus, so how could you say "Well, in the old testament, the blood of bulls and goats took away sins." No, it sanctified the purifying of the flesh, but did it save the soul? You think killing an animal can save your soul ever? Back then, now, in the future, no. It's retarded because you have to believe on Jesus to be saved and in the old testament, the name of Jesus had not been revealed.
They didn't know the details about Jesus that we know but they called upon the name of the lord for salvation. All the way back in Genesis 4, it says right at the beginning of the bible, the first generation living on this earth said "Then began men to call upon the name of the lord." That name was God Almighty, and then later, that name was revealed as Jehovah, and today that name is revealed as Jesus, and today there's no salvation in any other for there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but the name of Jesus, so it's so clear when you understand that Jesus is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, to where God knows the end from the beginning and God can talk about the crucifixion of Christ in Isaiah 53 as if it's already happened because he dwells outside of time, he dwells in eternity, the bible says.
It says in verse 3 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised," despised means hated. "And we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." What's that saying there? He's saying that Jesus is being wounded for, he's being bruised for our neighbor, he's dying for our sins, but it says "We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted," meaning that people looked at Jesus and said "Well if he were a righteous man, this wouldn't be happening to him." God's punishing him. He's smitten of God and afflicted. He's being stricken by God, but the bible says "It please the lord to bruise him because his soul was an offering for sin." It's not that Jesus was being punished but that's what the people thought.
That's why they said "Hey, if you're the Christ, then come down from the cross and we'll believe on you," because they don't understand. If he's really of God, if he's really the anointed of the lord, then why is God not protecting him? They didn't know the scripture that it was needful that Christ must suffer and be rejected of this generation and that he would die and 3 days later, rise again. That's all taught in the old testament but they didn't understand the scriptures of the old testament that showed them those things. Look what the bible says in verse number 4. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
I think it's amazing that it says "With his stripes we are healed" 800 years before Christ died on the cross. That's just kind of supports what I said about 5 minutes ago when I was talking about how it's always been Christ that saved, past, present, and future. "With his stripes we are healed." What does it mean when it says "The chastisement of our peace was upon him"? Basically, before we are saved the right enmity with God, and when we get saved, we have peace with God. The bible says in Romans 5:1, you have to turn there, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, so he chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed." Verse 6. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
When Jesus died on the cross, every sin that you've ever done and every sin that I've ever done, it was as if Jesus had done it. All those sins were placed upon Jesus and he was being punished for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. It says "He was oppressed," verse 7, "And he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Another reference to him being the lamb of God. Verse 8. "He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken." What does this mean when it says he was taken from prison and from judgement? It's referring to the fact that he's arrested and he's basically imprisoned and then tried, that's the judgment there is the trial that Jesus goes through.
He's taken from prison and from judgment, and then it says "Who shall declare his generation?" His generation has to do with his offspring, his children, his progeny, and the bible says "Who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living." What it's saying there is that he do not have physical children. He do not reproduce while he was on this earth. "Oh, ancient documents reveal that Jesus was married and had kids." That's the kind of junk that's coming out today, but we got 4 gospels that are reliable, that are powerful, that are God's word, word for word, and they make no mention of Jesus Christ being married or having kids, and in fact, this scripture, 800 years previous, says that he doesn't have a physical offspring. "Who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living," because the bible often use that term "These are the generations of" whoever and then it gives all their descendants and their offspring.
Generation means to create something in a sense. To generate power, for example, and generation in the bible has to do with reproducing a human being. Being regenerated is being reborn, born again. The bible says "He was cut off out of the land of the living," but the bible ties this in just a few verses later, because it says in verse 10 "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed," so first it said "Who shall declare his generation? He's cut off from the land of the living" meaning that he's killed without having reproduced. He's killed without having begotten any children, but then later it says "He shall see his seed," so how can that be? Because it's the spiritual seed. It's the spiritual sons and daughters because the bible says that "Christ hath begotten us again unto a lively hope."
We've been born again, and the bible says we've been "Begotten again unto a lively hope." We are the sons and daughters of the lord Jesus Christ. We are his seed. We are his offspring. Even though he didn't have physical children, we are his children if we believe on the lord Jesus Christ spiritually. It says in verse number 8 at the end there, "For the transgression of my people was he stricken." Again, another reference about his dying for our sins. This is real clear in the old testament, that Jesus is going to come and die for their sins, and he's going to open it up to all nations. It says in verse 9 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." You say "Why bring up the rich? He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death?" All rich people are not wicked, are they? Most of them are. It's true. Not all of them are, of course there are some that are rich people that are godly people, but most of them.
God has chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he had promised to them to love them, and do not rich men oppress you and drag you before the judgment seats, right? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called? In general, the bible generalizes in James chapter 2 and says "Rich men oppress you," and they get you arrested and they blaspheme the name of Jesus in most ... There are very rich, wealthy people doing a lot of evil things in the world that we live today, and the world lifts them up. We ought to lift up the poor who are rich in faith. That's who we ought to exalt and that's who we ought to look to as being great men and women. The poor of this world rich in faith is what really matters, but it says "He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." Where was Jesus buried? What grave was he buried in?
He was buried in a burrowed tomb, right? You remember? Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man had tomb and Jesus was buried in that wealthy man's tomb. He didn't need his own tomb because he wasn't going to be there for very long. He might as well as borrow one because he just borrowed it for a few days and then he rose again. People are out "Searching for the tomb of Jesus" and they found that, you know what, it's empty. Nuts to it. You say "Wow, we found the tomb Jesus and there's a dead body in it." Yeah, it's Joseph of Arimathea. I'm sure he reused that too. I don't know, maybe he did. I would think he would reuse it, not let it go to waste. It's so weird how people get so in to just physical ... What do they call it? Relics? Specially the Catholics, but the Orthodox do the same thing, the East Orthodox.
Somebody sent me a picture of a bunch of East Orthodox people bowing down to dead bodies of saints, kissing them, bowing down to them, worshiping, it was creepy. Just worshiping a dead body, like a Buddhist where they ... All the little pieces of Buddha, the supahstupah and all that, but the thing is, all this is a splinter. In the middle ages, people went around selling splinters from the cross of Jesus. Literally. They would make great pilgrimages to Jerusalem and get a piece of the holy cross and they'd sell it and barter with it and shrine, put it in the church, kiss it, bow down to it, a piece of splinter. Is that really what it's about, the wood of the cross itself? "This is dirt from the tomb of Jesus. Here's a little scraping from the actual stone that was rolled in front of the door." To be carnally minded is death. Why are you so carnally minded? Why are you so focused on the physical things of this world?
That which is seen is temporal. That which is not seen is eternal, and instead of just enshrining, "Hey, this ..." What's that robe going for these days that Jesus was wearing, the one that they cast lots for? I'm sure somebody's selling it somewhere. "Here's the garment of Jesus. Here's the splinter from the cross." No, why don't you cherish the word of God? Hide it in your heart. Love it and not worry about pieces of dirt and wood and grains of sand and so forth, "But the made his grave with the rich in his death." He was buried in a rich man's tomb. That's what he borrowed, and this prophesied 800 year ... That's what I'm saying. It's almost every phrase in this chapter was fulfilled in the life of Christ. How could anyone look at this and say "This is something else." That's what people who are blinded will say. "This prophecy has nothing to do with Jesus, this is something else."
It says here "Yet it please the lord." First of all, it says in verse 9, "Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." Verse 10, "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." Now notice it says "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin." It's not just the body. Jesus did die on the cross physically, he very clearly died and that body was buried and that body rose again. It's very important to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. That's why God even includes the burial because he wants to make sure that you know that he's not just talking about a soul or a spirit, he wants you to know that's a literal resurrection. That's why he says the death burial on the ... Because his spirit wasn't buried. The body was buried and body rose.
The body died, the body was buried, and the body rose again. That's why Jesus said "Destroy this temple and in 3 days, I'll raise it up." He spake of the temple of his body. John chapter 2 verses 19 to 21. That's why he said "Come. Put your fingers in the holes in my hand. Thrust your hand into my side and be not faithless but believing." Why did God over and over again in the gospels show Jesus eating and drinking after he is risen from the dead? He says "I'm not a spirit. I have flesh and bone. Come handle me." That's why John, in first John chapter 1 said "Our hands have handled of the word of life. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you." He said "We've handled them." They literally felt the holes in his hand and they literally felt the hole in his side.
That's a physical bodily resurrection, but also, not only did Jesus physically die and his body was physically buried and has physically rose again, Jesus said "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death," but the bible also says that he descended into the lower parts of the earth. That's not talking about his body, that's talking about his soul. It says his soul descended into lower parts of the earth and that's why the bible says in Acts chapter 2 verse 31 "This spake he of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption." Jesus's soul was in hell for 3 days and 3 nights, and I've heard people say "How dare you say that." I didn't say that, that's what the bible said in Acts 2:31.
The bible says in Acts 2:31, "This spake he of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell," meaning that his soul was in hell but it wasn't left in hell, "Neither did his flesh see corruption." Jesus prophesied this in Matthew 12:40 when he said "As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Modern bible versions will change this scripture in Acts 2:31 as they change anything that they don't believe in "Because the Talmud says that hell isn't really hell, so therefore we got to change all these modern bible versions because the Jews explained us what [sheil 42:39] really means, and the old testament really means, so therefore, we got to change all these modern bibles, that's why even the new King James, I believe. Do somebody have a new King James? If so, what do you with that new King James? Get a King James.
I think I have a new King James here, let me check it out. I've got a lot of false bibles down here but I don't think I have the new King James. Anyway, I'll check it out later. I think the new King James even changes this, but for sure the NIV, the ESV, all these scriptures, they change, they take out hell there and they'll change it with the grave or death. Now here's what's funny about that. Supposedly, their just faithfully translating the Greek new testament, but here's the thing. That word, the Greek word that's used there, it talks about hell every time it's used in the new testament. It's talking about hell every single time. Every single time it's used, it's talking about a place of fire. For example, when it says in Luke 16, "In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments," and "Cool my tongue, I'm in this flame," and basically, it's the same word there. Same Greek word, same English word, same hell.
Here's what they say "Well, it's the good side of hell." Hell doesn't have a good side, okay? There's Hell, Michigan. I know there's a town in Michigan called Hell, Michigan, but listen, in the bible, who here believes that the King James bible is the word of God? Who thinks that this is the final authority for what we should believe right here? Well here's what it says. "Hell," and guess what? It used the word hell 54 times. Show me which one of those 54 is a nice place. There's 54 ... Look, friend, quit listening to Jews, quit listening to the false prophets and false teachers and the scholars and the theologians and the academics and the professor, blah, blah, blah. Quit listening to these people, you got the holy spirit living inside you, you've got a bible, why don't you just look it up on your own, and why don't you look up all 54 times that the word hell is used in your King James bible, and why don't you show me which one is a good place, which one's paradise, which one's a happy place.
I want you to show me that which of the 54 is a place you want to go, and even the part word says that his soul was not left in hell. He says he's rejoicing. He said that's the only reason he has hope is that his soul is not left in hell. Well if it's such a great place, why is he trying to get out of there? Why is he saying "Well my only hope is that I'm leaving"? Because it's a bad place. Because hell is a place of fiery punishment and it's a bad place. It's a place that you don't want to be, and so to sit there and say "Well hell doesn't always mean hell," I looked it up 54 times and it always meant hell. I encourage you to look it up on your own and study it yourself if you have any doubt about that, but it's real. You say "Well, the King James is wrong." Okay. I guess every bible was wrong back then, because you know what it says in previous English versions of the bible? "Hell."
It's just this modernistic changing of the bible that we see and it's not legitimate, so that's why it says that "His soul was made an offering for sin." Guess what? Every offering in the bible was a burnt sacrifice, it's a burnt offering, and that was a picture of and symbolic of the fact that Jesus would die and buried and rise again, and that his soul would descend into the lower parts of the earth and that he was in hell for 3 days and 3 nights, in the heart of the earth, the core of the earth. The core means heart. Core is French for heart, that's where our English word core comes from, through French, so he was in the core of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights and it's hot down there. Jesus went down there to pay for our sins. That's what the bible ... People try to say "Oh he said it's finished when he died on the cross. That means he had already done everything for you to be saved." Really? Had he risen again?
That's the main thing that saves us is the resurrection of Jesus, right? You know that's the gospel right, the resurrection? People are misinterpreting that statement "It is finished". "He said it is finish, that means he'd already done everything to get us saved." Really? Well he had to rise from the dead 3 days later, so apparently, he hadn't done ... You say "Well what was finished?" His work was finished because the bible says over and over again in the book of John, Jesus said "I'm going to finish the work of the lord," and right before he dies in the cross, "I finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 3 times he used the word finished in John and it's always talking about finishing his works because he lived a good life. He went about doing good. He lived a good life that none of us could live. He lived a perfect sinless life.
He was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin, and when he had accomplished that goal of living that sinless, perfect, righteous, godly life and finishing the works that the father had given him and always doing those things would please him, then when he died on the cross, he said "It is finished," but everything, he still had to descend unto to the earth for 3 days and 3 nights, he still had to rise again from the dead, and then he head to take his blood up to heaven, John McArthur, and he had to sprinkle it on the mercy seed in heaven 7 times as our high priest, and did you know that he ever liveth to make intercession for us? You can't just say "Oh, it is finished. Everything," no. What was he specifically talking when he said it is finished? Get the context, but look what it says here in Isaiah. "His soul was an offering for sin," and every offering, show me the old testament offering, the burnt offering.
We're in Isaiah 53 verse 10 "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin," see the soul is an offering for sin. "He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days," referring to his eternal life. Even though he died physically, he has eternal life and he gives eternal life unto all who believe on him, "He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." What does it mean to be justified? I heard it explained this way. Just as if I'd never sinned. Justified. Justfied means that you are declared righteous in the sight of God.
The first 4 letters there are just, and the bible used the word righteous and just interchangeably. They both mean the same thing, and so it says he's going to justify us, it means that he declares us to be righteousness. The righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed unto us and it's just as if we'd never sinned. That's why the bible says "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man," watch this, "unto whom the lord imputeth righteousness without works, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered," watch this, "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin," so what does it mean to be justified according to Romans 4? He says "It's just as if I'd never sinned," because he says that our sins are not imputed unto us. "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."
Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. That's justification, and then the other flip side of that coin is that our sins are not imputed unto us, so justification means that the righteousness of Jesus is put on our account. That's what imputed means. The righteousness of Jesus is put on our account and then our sins are not imputed. That's justified, and it says "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify everybody," is that what it said? No. "That he will justify many." Many will believe on him. It says "He will justify many for he shall bare their iniquities." He's going to pay the punishment for their sin. He's going to pay the price himself. Then it says "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death." That reminds me of Philippians 2 when it says that Jesus was "Obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
It says "He shall divide the spoil with the strong because he had poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors," now that scripture was fulfilled, the bible says, when Jesus was crucified between 2 thieves. It says he was crucified between 2 thieves that the scripture might be fulfilled, he was numbered among the transgressors. He's lumped in with just common criminals, basically. Why they were crucifying thieves is beyond me since the bible teaches that thieves are supposed to pay back double or fourfold or fivefold, it doesn't say that they should be killed. Why are they executing thieves? He was numbered with the transgressors, it had to be fulfilled and "He bare the sins of many," watch this, "And made intercession for the transgressors."
Last place we're going to turn, Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter number 7. Toward the very end of the new testament, Hebrews chapter 7. "He poured out his soul unto death, he was numbered," count the prophecies. I didn't count, but there were a lot, weren't there? Just in one chapter, so many prophecies. Think about the fact that its visage was going to be marred, that he was going to be beaten. The fact that eventually, he would be exalted and lifted up and that he would divide the spoil with the strong and be exalted, but at first, he'd be killed, that he would suffer. The fact that he would die without having children, but yet would be the father of spiritual sons and daughters, the fact that he would sprinkle many nations, that by his stripes we would be healed, that blood of Jesus would save us.
The fact that he would be the root, the fact that he would be despised and rejected of men, the fact that he would bare our sins and die on the cross for our sins, the fact that he would be the lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world, the fact that he would remain silent. Remember when Herod tried to get him to talk and Pilate kept getting frustrated saying "Why don't you answer me? Don't you know that I have the power to destroy you or the power to free you?" He said to Pilate "Thou couldest have no power against me at all, except it were given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." Pilate was blown away by the words that came out of Jesus's mouth to the point where Pilate tried hard to get him released, and the Jews privately forced him to crucify him, and he washed his hands. "I don't want anything to do with this."
Even Pilate's wife is telling him "I had a bad dream. Don't do anything to this guy," but he did it anyway, he was pressured. How many prophecies here about the fact that he's going to be buried with the rich in his death and that his soul would be an offering for sin, and on and on, just so much in this one little chapter about Jesus in Isaiah 53. It's a wonderful chapter, but look at Hebrews 7 because the last statement in Isaiah 53 was that Jesus made intercession for the transgressors. Look what the bible says in Hebrews 7:22. "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
There's a continual process here. Jesus died once. He rose again once, but he ever liveth to make intercession for us on a continual basis, he makes intercession for us. The bible talks about us when we pray that the holy spirit makes intercession for us, that Jesus Christ is making intercession for us, the bible says in verse 26, " For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." Harmless, the bible says he didn't know violence while he was on the earth, Isaiah 53. He says that he was "Made higher than heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore."
"He ever liveth," the bible says "To make intercession for us." Reminds me of the song "Wounded for me" which is based on Isaiah 53 where it says "He was wounded". "Wounded for me, wounded for me," but then one of the verses says this. "Daily he's pleading and praying for me, all because Jesus is living for me." Daily he's pleading and praying for me. He's not being sacrificed daily. We don't need to celebrate like the Catholics do, the continual mass of just Jesus dying over and over again. The bible says "Don't crucify the son of God afresh." He died once. He doesn't need to do it daily. By the way, you don't need to be saved daily. A lot of people think they have to be saved daily. I've asked people door to door, "How many times do you think you need to be saved?" "Daily." That's the word that come out, daily. No, he needed not daily to cleanse us from our sins.
He did it once. He died once, he rose once, you believe on him once, you're saved once for all, and then it says "He ever liveth to make intercession for us." The bible says "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." What is our advocate? An advocate's a lawyer. That's the word that we would use today. Basically, he's up there arguing our case, he's up there interceding for us, he's up there asking the father because what does it mean to intercede? If you look at intercessory prayer in the bible, it's when we ask God to be merciful to people when they do wrong, and this is a part of our prayer life or it's supposed to be part of our prayer life, pour in to first John chapter 5.
That basically "When we see someone sin a sin that's not unto death," there is a sin unto death, I do not say that you shall pray for it, but it says "If we see someone sin a sin that is unto death, we are supposed to pray for that person." What are supposed to pray? That God will be merciful to them, that God would go easy on them. It would be like with our kids. When you're going to give one of the kids a spanking, usually the other kids are like "Here, let me grab a paddle," and you're like "Go grab me the paddle." You asked for a paddle, they bring the belt. When it's for another sibling, they'll escalate the punishment, and they're more than happy to accommodate that request to bring, but you know what, it's very rare that one of the children would go get the paddle and bring it to dad and say "Listen. Go easy on him."
It's funny, I preached this a few years ago, and then a few days later, as the joke, one of my kids, I asked "Brink me the paddle," and they came and they said "Dad, take it easy on her." I don't think it's from the heart though. Here's the thing though, that's what we're supposed to do as Christians, right? When we see our brothers and sisters making mistakes, because we all sin and go through low points and ups and downs, we see if you make mistakes, one of the things that we should pray for that person is "God, please go easy on them. Please be merciful to them, lord." Intercession is all throughout the bible, it's a whole sermon of itself, but isn't it great to know that even if your brothers and sisters have forgot to pray that for you, your brothers and sisters in Christ, isn't it great to know that Jesus is praying that for you? That when you mess up, think about that.
When you mess up, when you sin, when you do wrong, and we all do wrong. Did you know that when you do wrong, the devils up there, "He's the accuser of the brother." The devils up there are like the prosecutor, and he's up there saying "Look what your son has done. Look what your servant has done, you need to punish," and basically, Jesus is saying "Wait a minute, hold on," and basically saying "Look, for my sake, go easy on him." Exactly. "I love him, I die for him," and basically, he's there to ever live and make intercession for us. "Daily he's pleading and praying for me," the song said. That's a great thing to know. It's just good to know that you got somebody in your corner. You wouldn't want to go into court without somebody who knows what they're doing. You wouldn't want to go into the hospital without somebody advocating for you and know what they're doing.
It's good to have an ally in the lord Jesus that you know "Hey, if I mess up, Jesus has my back in a sense, and he's going to be up there making intercession for me, even if no one on this earth is. Jesus himself, and that's powerful." Let's rise and have a word of prayer. Father, we thank you for this amazing scripture in Isaiah 53, lord. It really has so much to teach anyone who can read it. Anyone who can read it and not believe in Jesus is clearly blinded, and I pray that you would open their eyes, lord, that the Muslimized and the Jewish eyes that can read Isaiah 53 be blinded to who the lord Jesus really is and to what salvation really is lord, I pray to you to open their eyes. Dear lord, I just pray that you would help us to cherish and love your word, to study it, to learn from it, and to claim these exceeding precious promises about your intercession, about your salvation and about what we have in the lord Jesus Christ.
In Jesus's name, we pray these things, amen.
