Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted (Isaiah 53:4)

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See him dying on the tree!
'Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, 'tis he, 'tis he.
'Tis the long-expected Prophet,
David's Son, yet David's Lord;
By his Son God now has spoken:
'Tis the true and faithful Word.

Tell me, you who hear him groaning,
Was there ever grief like his?
Friends through fear his cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress;
Many hands were raised to wound him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

You who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load;
'Tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost;
Christ's the Rock of our salvation,
His the name of which we boast.
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on him their hope have built.

Thomas Kelly, 1804.

E.J Young Comments on Isaiah 53:3

“He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

As the verse began so it concludes; hence Isaiah again employs the word despised, and adds to it the tragic statement, and we esteemed him not. Perhaps the purpose is to make even sharper the strong contrast in the following verse.

The unbelief that Isaiah here depicts is the same unbelief found all about us today. Men say pleasant and complimentary things about the Lord of Glory. They will praise His ethics, His teaching, declare that He was a good man and a great prophet, the only one who has answers to the social problems that today confront the world. They will not, however, acknowledge that they are sinners, deserving of everlasting punishment, and that the death of Christ was a vicarious sacrifice, designed to satisfy the justice of God and to reconcile an offended God to the sinner. Men will not receive what God says concerning His Son. Today also, the Servant is despised and rejected of men, and men do not esteem Him.

Isaiah Commentary, p. 344

Inclusivism and Universalism - Two Words You Should Know

Al Mohler wrote a great peice today explaining some recent statements by a former US President. You should read the whole article as it is an excellent example of identifying inclusivism in the contradictory statements this President makes concerning the Gospel.

Mohher goes on to explain universalism, the closely related (although one step further) position of so many in our day.

In doing so, he is modeling how you can reply to some of water-cooler theology that passes itself off as "all about love."

"In recent decades, some have attempted to argue that faith in Christ is indeed necessary for salvation, but this faith need not be explicit faith in Christ. This position, known as inclusivism, suggests that persons may know nothing of the Gospel, and yet be saved. This argument is often used to claim that adherents of other faiths and belief systems will be saved through the work of Christ, even though they may not hear of Him in this life. Many Roman Catholic theologians have adopted this argument. The late Karl Rahner put an interesting twist on the theme by suggesting that some persons are "anonymous Christians." These would be persons who now think themselves devotees of other belief systems but who are actually Christians who have no explicit faith in Christ. This argument cannot be squared with the biblical witness.

Universalists take the argument even further, with most arguing that all persons will be saved, completely without regard to faith in Christ...

The Apostle Paul refuted both inclusivism and universalism in Romans 10, where he insisted that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Paul explained that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ -- which means explicit knowledge of the Gospel. He explained that salvation comes to all those who confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead. Then, just in case we missed the obvious, Paul explains the missionary mandate -- a mandate completely undercut and contradicted by inclusivism and universalism...:

For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. [Romans 10:13-17]

The logic of Paul is clear. If they hear they may believe, but if they never hear they will never believe. And, if they never hear and believe, they will not be saved."

These are things we must think about carefully! To be washed away with worldly logic will ruin our hearts and the hearts of our hearers...

The Paradox of the Manger: That Baby is the World's Sustainer (Part III - final)

You can read part one here and part two here.

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Jesus is the Sustainer of the World

Now, the whole point we have building toward is this: That baby in the manger is the world’s sustainer. How could this be so, if He was a real and genuine infant? We can only explain this by referring to his divine nature.

For in his divine nature, which has never been altered or diminished in any way, Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists.

Hebrews 1: 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...

The word “uphold” means to carry along – to actively bear. It is the idea of continually (verb tense) carrying along all things in the universe. In the words of Paul to the Colossians, “in him all things hold together” – which means the Son of God is the direct agent of creation’s ongoing life and maintenance. As Paul said to the Aereopagites: “In Him we have our being!” Which means that all that exists continues to exist because Christ keeps it existing. And if Christ were to stop sustaining everything, “everything except the Triune God would cease to exist.”

So, here is where mystery intensifies – as does our adoration for the eternal Son of God.

^· He became a real human... but He never stopped being God.

^· He took upon Himself real flesh and blood... yet He never ceased to be the radiance of the glory of God.

^· He needed milk, sleep and protection to live... yet He provided all that was needed for life and breath.

^· He became a babe who had to be taught how to talk... yet He never stopped upholding the universe by the word of his power.

^· He laid there as a real and helpless infant... yet He never ceased to hold together the molecules of the wood from which his manger bed was made.

What does all this mean?

It means the person of the Son of God, in His divine nature, is sovereign over all that exists... including you. Not sovereign like the Queen of England is sovereign over England – with the power to command and power to kill... but no ability to know, let alone direct your daily thoughts and actions.

“he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

He is sovereign in this sense:

^· You have your very being, your life and nature from Him.

^· By His power you continue.

^· Without the exercise of His will you would immediately cease to exist.

^· Your next breath is a gift from Him.

^· You are constantly dependent on Him.

^· And the fact you are here today is the result of Him (and His grace).

^· His own power is what grants you life and health and choice....

And you, if you are not a Christian, are willfully using what He graciously gives you in order to oppose and act against Him. This is what sin is – Total Madness.

And the pinnacle of mankind’s insanity is the cross.

We (by our representatives) cheered as we killed our God.

And He died...

But not without purpose....

As centuries of Jewish animal sacrifice had pointed toward, Jesus was dying as the one final and sufficient sacrifice. What our works or offerings could never do, He did for us, becoming our substitute and dying in our place.

Only a God-Man could be our substitute.

He had to be a man – to be on of us.

He had to be God – to satisfy in three hours an eternity of deserved hell against us.

Marvel at the wisdom and the power of God, then repent of your sin and put your sole confidence in Jesus alone for salvation from your sin.

Our text says, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...”

When He next rises from that throne, you had best be ready. He came ONCE for salvation. He comes ONCE MORE (and ONLY once more) and that for JUDGMENT.

Christian, rejoice! For you are IN CHRIST. One with He who is God... and Man. You are fully saved. Forever blessed. Amen.