Isaiah 53 — The Eighth Verse

    Hewastakenfromprisonandfromjudgment;andwhoshalldeclarehisgeneration?forhe wascutoffoutofthelandoftheliving;forthetransgressionofmypeoplewashestricken.

    WE now come to the third defence to take off the scandal of Christ’s meanness and sufferings; and that is taken from the glorious issue and end of these sufferings. It was an ignominious death, but there followed a glorious resurrection: he was not detained and holden of death, he got clear of it, and then lived for ever. The text saith, ‘He was taken from prison, and from judgment,’ &c.

    There is scarce a verse in the scripture that hath been so variously expounded as this hath been, not only by others, but by the same men. Scarce a man hath agreed with himself positively to determine of the sense of it, the phrases looking so many several ways. However, difficulty provoketh endeavours. According as I apprehend them, you may divide them into two parts:—

    1.      The scandal itself, laid down in the most aggravating terms ‘prison,’ ‘judgment,’ ‘cutting off from the land of the living,’ and a ‘stroke upon him for transgression;’ as if the prophet had said, Grant all that you will charge upon him, prison, judgment, strokes, cutting off, express it the worst way you can, all this will not impeach the glory of his excellency.

    2.      We have the defence in other terms: ‘He was taken’ from those things, and ‘who shall declare his generation?’ If you think it is not enough to say that he died for others, and that he was stricken for the transgression of my people, yet he did not as every man that dieth for others; he perished not in this expression of his love, as others do: he was taken from prison, and from judgment, and now liveth gloriously. There are two things in the defence:—

    [1.] His resurrection: ‘He was taken from prison and from judgment;’ he got out from under it.

    [2.] His life and duration in that state: ‘Who shall declare his generation?’ These are the parts, which will be the better made out to you by going over the phrases, as they lie in the order of the words, clearing this scripture from a wrong sense.

    1.      Hewastakenfromprisonandfromjudgment. These words have been variously translated and variously expounded. Some read ‘by prison and judgment he was taken away;’ but that doth not suit with the scope: others, ‘after distress and judgment he was taken into glory;’ that differeth not from the proper sense: others, ‘without prison and judgment he was taken away in a violent, wrongful, extrajudicial manner;’ but the Hebrew words do not so easily signify that. Now the main thing is to reconcile scripture and scripture, though it is impossible to reconcile interpreters. Therefore to dance after their pipe would perplex a man with much uncertainty, seeing they knew not which sense to take themselves. The Seventy translate it otherwise than it is read here, and the words are quoted in Acts viii. 32, ἐν τῇ, &c., ‘In his humiliation his judgment was taken away;’ for that place hath the sense, though not the same words; for in or after his humiliation his judgment was taken away, when he was taken from it: in the middle of death he was a conqueror. Others now follow our reading, and give the sense thus: ‘He was taken from prison and judgment to the cross;’ as soon as bound and condemned, presently crucified. But that mistaketh the sense, and the following words show it is wrong, for they declare the glory of his resurrection, as these do his resurrection.

    Thus for the different opinions. The true sense briefly is, that Christ was taken and assumed into glory from the prison of the grave. Prison is taken metaphorically for any distress, or it may be taken properly for the prison of the grave, and that judgment and condemnation that was passed upon him by God and men: by God, as our surety, condemning him in our stead; by men, in an unjust and violent way. Thus, after much traversing the variety of senses, I find this to be best and most approved.

    2.      It followeth, Whoshalldeclarehisgeneration? The Seventy, and Luke out of them, have it, τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ‘Who shall declare his generation?’ Some apply this to his eternal generation, as the fathers generally do,—as if the scandal of his misery were excused by that: others to his incarnation, who can declare it how he was begotten of the Virgin? But these are wide of the scope, and the word will not bear it. Others refer it to the wickedness of that age,—Who can tell it? Oh, the wickedness of such a generation, who would put to death such an innocent person as the Messiah! Who can declare the wickedness of the people of this generation? But that is but arresting the place, and a harsh sense. Others more properly interpret it thus: Who shall declare his generation? that is, the numerousness of those converts that shall be gained to him, the race or issue that shall come of the gospel? But this is the matter of another verse, and such a thing is never expressed by dor or γενέα properly, but by other words. The sense is, then, who shall declare his generation? that is, his age or duration: dor is often for that, and γενέα too: Acts xiii. 36, ‘David, after he had served (γενέα) his age, or his generation, he fell asleep.’ The like in other places. So that the meaning is, though he were a short time under distress and judgment, some two or three days; yet, when he was taken from it, who shall declare his generation? who shall be able to count the number of his age, or the date of that time? You may easily count the number of a man’s age and the date of his generation: Ps. xc. 10, ‘The days of our years are threescore years and ten.’ But who can tell those many thousands of thousands of years, those endless ages that for ever Christ shall live? You can tell David’s or Jacob’s generation, but can you tell his? Theirs is soon reckoned, but who can find out a sum that can reach eternity? Thus for this phrase.

    3.      It followeth, Forhewascutoffoutofthelandoftheliving: for, or though he were cut off; that is, though he were by a violent death cut off, yet he shall be taken thence and translated into glory, where he shall have a long and lasting age. Or you may take the particle causally, as we render it, for: here is a double reason, he was but cut off as a slip, and it was not for his own sins; and therefore there is reason why he should not miscarry under it: this will appear in the exposition. ‘He was cut off’ is a metaphor taken from plants or trees, that do not fall down of their own accord, but are slipped and plucked off. The same metaphor is used, Dan. ix. 25, ‘The Messiah is cut off, but not for himself.’ To which metaphor Christ himself seemeth to allude, Luke xxiii. 31, ‘For if they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in a dry?’ The meaning is, if Christ himself be taken off, who was cut off as a green tree, and not planted again,—was taken from the land of the living; that is, from living and conversing here upon earth: and it is so called, both by way of opposition to the land of the dead, or the grave; and by a condescension of the Spirit of God to our weakness, because we count that none live but those that are before us. This phrase is often used: Ps. xxvii. 13, ‘I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ So Isa. xxxviii. 11, ‘I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living.’

    4.      And for the transgression of my people was he stricken; or by the transgression, by the wickedness of Israel. He bringeth in God speaking it, as taking notice of their sin: Acts ii. 23, ‘Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel of God, have ye taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.’ You may take both; it is like this may be the scripture Paul meaneth when he saith, I Cor. xv. 3, ‘Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;’ either sense is good. The sum of all is this, that though Jesus Christ was so cruelly and despitefully handled for our sins, yet at length he was taken from all this suffering, and reigneth for ever with God in glory.

    Many points may be raised from these words; but having promised only to hint at the main things in these following verses, I shall take notice but of these few.

    Doct. 1. That by the divine appointment there was a formal process against Christ. He was made guilty, he was cast into prison, he was condemned. Sin was translated upon him in the former verses. Here God had him to prison, and let all his distresses come upon him; and so the grave especially he was condemned to; there was judgment passed upon him. And therefore, the next time you see your surety without sin; here you see him as under your sin in misery and distress: Heb. ix. 28, ‘Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation.’

    What comfort is there for believers in this, to support and strengthen their faith?

    1.      In that whatsoever should be done to them, is done to Christ in their stead. It is comfort that Christ hath made full satisfaction, that he hath been in prison and under judgment for our sakes. God will not exact twice, of Christ and you too.

    2.      It yieldeth them instruction as well as comfort, not to think it much if they be imprisoned, and be under judgment for Christ’s sake. Christ hath been so for theirs, and you may be glad you are conformed to your head: Luke xxi. 12, Christ told the apostles, ‘They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.’ So it may be with you; but remember he was taken from prison and from judgment.

    3.      Christ had a long reign for a short death. Christ’s glory was in the midst of his sufferings, in his humiliation, that is, when most humbled. Christ did not recover glory till in the prison of the grave. We can easily count the time of his suffering, but his generation who can declare? 2 Cor. iv. 17, ‘This light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’ An hyperbole, which is an expression greater than the truth, will not declare the glory. Hyperboles of hyperboles are not high enough; who can declare his generation?

    4.      Those that are cut off from the land of the living may live again to glory. So the church, when buried as it were under its ruins, there will be a resurrection; and therefore the glory of the churches is called ‘the first resurrection,’ Rev. xx. Death is but a transplanting to glory to the godly; they are but a slip taken off from an earthly root, that God may set them in the field of glory. Alas! this life is nothing to the age and generation that we shall have with Christ in heaven; a man may die, and yet be saved from death.

    5.      All Christ’s sufferings were from men or by men. If there be anything shameful in the cross, blame the Jews for it, and yourselves for it. Many blame the Jews, and are ready to fly in their faces; but do you blame yourselves? It is hard to know which is meant by ‘the transgression of my people,’ or ‘for,’ or ‘of my people.’ God would have us reflect upon both. Christ, that died for the sins of men, was taken away by the sins of men, that so he might at the same time discover his personal innocency and assumed guilt.

    6.      Oppressed innocency will get clear again: ‘Who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people.’ It was not a just debt in regard of men, and therefore not a lasting death; and it was not for any fault of his own. It plainly hinteth the unexpected restitution of glory to the people of God in their greatest humiliation; their judgment is taken away: God can never come with help too late, but men can. In his humiliation, in his judgment, Christ showeth the meaning of that riddle, ‘Though he kill me, yet I will trust in him.’ There may be victory in death; the matter is never past help with God: Jonas in the whale’s belly was recovered. We can never sink below hope and prayer. Our interest thrives best many times when the case is dead and desperate as to all appearance.

    These things having been observed, I now come to the main things intended in the text, and that is the glory of the resurrection, and the duration and continuance of that glory.

    The points are two:—

    1.      That the Lord Jesus was taken from prison and from judgment, i.e., he rose again out of the pit of distress, to which he was condemned for our sakes.

    2.      That Christ being risen, liveth a numberless date of years, even for ever with God in glory.

    These two points, then, the resurrection of Christ, and the life of Christ: the first is from that clause, ‘He was taken from prison and from judgment;’ the other from that, ‘Who can declare his generation?’

    I begin with the first point, that the Lord Jesus was taken from prison and from judgment, and rose out of the pit of distress, to which he was condemned for our sakes. He was taken from prison and from judgment; he did rise as Mediator, and could not choose but rise; he was not suffered to miscarry in it. The scriptures testify abundantly that he rose again: I Cor. xv. 3, 4, ‘That he died for our sins, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures.’ And in other places, that he ought to rise again: Luke xxiv. 46, ‘And thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.’ This Christ proveth out of the scriptures.

    Therefore I shall show you—(1.) Why he rose, by reasons reflecting upon the efficient cause; (2.) Why he ought to rise, reflecting upon the final causes and ends of God in Christ in it for our good.

    First, I shall show you why he rose, giving you the reasons for it; as—

    1.      His own prayer. Christ’s prayers were all granted, but especially those that were put forth with such vehemency and strong pouring out of his soul to his Father. He prayed for it with a great deal of holy fear, that he might not miscarry in the work. Therefore he was taken from prison and from judgment The apostle saith, Heb. v. 7, ‘He was heard in that he feared; he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death.’ He did not so much pray that he might not die, as that he might be saved from death; that having taken so much guilt upon him, he might not sink under it.

    2.      God’s power was put forth upon his prayer to support him. He had a Father to look after him, whose tenderness would not let him leave Christ in the grave, nor suffer his Holy One to see corruption. And therefore the resurrection of Christ is applied to God the Father; as here in the text, ‘He was taken from prison and from judgment.’ And Acts ii. 24, ‘Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible he should be holden of it.’ He helped the grave to disburden herself, easing it of its pangs and throes: Rom. viii. 11, ‘But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,’ &c. The apostle speaketh of a mighty power of God, that is, of God the Father, which wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, Eph. i. 20. God the Father put forth his power to take off the pains of death and the chains of the grave.

    3.      There was the power of his own Godhead; he had in himself a divine virtue to quicken his body. I distinguish this from the former, because God did not only raise Christ, but he raised himself, so as his resurrection might be a discovery of his Godhead. And therefore you shall find in scripture, that he is not only said to be raised by the power of God, but by himself, by his own person: Acts ii. 24, ‘He loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible he should be holden of it.’ The grave was to give up this hot morsel, as a man that hath swallowed down a hot bit was not able to hold it. The scriptures do not only ascribe the resurrection to God the Father, but to the Godhead of the Son too: John x. 17, ‘I lay down my life, that I may take it again.’ The words speak of Christ’s taking up his life by his own power. He so laid down his life, that he might re-assume it again by his own power. It is said, 2 Cor. xiii. 4, that ‘though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God; for we are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.’ And it is very like that expression of St Peter, I Peter iii. 18, ‘Put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.’ The apostle’s scope in that place of the Corinthians is to prove that Christ and Christians are both alike in some respects: there is visible weakness, and inward power; he died through visible weakness. That which you could see in him was man’s form, and so he was crucified; that which was not seen was his divinity, through the power of which he liveth. His resurrection was a glorious instance and manifestation of his own Godhead.

    Secondly, For what end Christ was raised. And here, that I may show believers the fountain of their comfort, why it ought to be that Christ should be raised from the dead, since all the comfort of the soul dependeth upon his getting above the grave, and shaking the powers of death, I will here a little refresh your spirits with the water of this well-spring of salvation; I will draw it up and pour it forth in three considerations. In regard of a moral necessity which I call conveniency, the good that we attain by Christ’s getting the upper hand of the grave, and the confirmation of our souls in all the benefits of his purchase; for without his resurrection they had been nothing to us.

    1.      Generally the resurrection is made to be the chiefest ground of comfort to Christians in the scripture; and therefore you shall find in scripture that this is made the great article: Rom. x. 9. ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’ Mark, that is put as the main thing of Christianity, that God hath raised him from the dead: 2 Tim. ii. 8, ‘Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel.’ Above all truths we must clearly preach that, and press that as if it were the life of all religion. Remember Christ is raised from the dead; and therefore it was a usual salutation among the Christians, The Lord is risen. The apostle maketh the triumph of faith chiefly to arise from this, Christ’s resurrection: Rom. viii. 34, ‘Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again.’ If Christ had not risen, there would be but poor comfort to believers: I Cor. xv. 14, ‘If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.’ All would be to no purpose without this great seal and confirmation. It is a point of so great importance, that it is generally made the corner-stone in religion, the main hinge upon which gospel comfort hangs.

    2.      More particularly to show you the benefits of it.

    [1.] All your spiritual enemies are subdued: Eph. iv. 8, ‘When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive;’ that is, those things that usually captivate the spirits of Christians, they were forced to set off the triumph of Christ’s ascension; he seized upon the spoils at his resurrection, and rode in triumph at his ascension to glory. Death is unstinged; death shall be served as Haman, when it thinketh to hurt believers, and shall honour them as he did Mordecai. You may die, but you are saved from death: 1 Cor. xv. 55, ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ It followeth, ‘Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ You can no more be held of the grave than Christ could be holden thereby. Hell is unarmed and subdued, and the powers of darkness triumphed over. Though the devil mustereth temptations against you, you can see all conquered by faith in Christ’s resurrection: ‘Your life is hid with Christ.’ Then for sin, that is subdued: Christ gave it its death-wound upon the cross, and at his resurrection got above it. Then for the world, remember what Christ says, John xvi. 33, ‘Fear not, little flock.’ ‘I have overcome the world;’ that is, so conquered and triumphed over the world that it shall not hurt them. As for the devil, he trode him underfoot, and so shall Christians shortly: Rom. xvi. 20, ‘The God of peace shall tread Satan under our feet shortly.’

    [2.] All spiritual blessings are procured for us. The blessedness of a Christian lieth in these three things: in pardon, grace, and glory; in justification, sanctification, and glorification. And all these are confirmed by Christ’s being risen, and taken from prison and from judgment.

    (1.) For pardon or justification. If any one sin had remained unsatisfied for, Christ could riot have risen; every sin must be expiated with death: Rom. vi. 23, ‘The wages of [every] sin is death;’ and Christ would fulfil every tittle of the law, Mat. v. 18. But seeing he is got free, you may be sure he hath paid the wages of every sin: 1 Cor. xv. 17, ‘If Christ be not risen, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins.’ While the surety is in prison, it is a sign the debt is not satisfied; but your surety is taken from prison and from judgment. Be of good comfort, all is paid: Rom. iv. 25, ‘Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’ God had him to prison for the debt of the creatures, and took him from prison and from judgment for their comfort, and that they might be persuaded of his satisfaction.

    (2.) For the grace of sanctification; he rose that he might purchase the Spirit to raise us from the death of sin to the life of grace: Rom. vi. 4, ‘That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.’ By the same glory of the Father both is done, that is, by the same glorious power that raised Jesus from the dead: Phil. iii. 10, the apostle speaketh of the power of Christ’s resurrection, that is, the virtue that goeth out from it unto believers.

    (3.) Glorification. Christ rose before us to open the way; and therefore he is called ‘the first-fruits of them that slept,’ 1 Cor. xv. 20. Others rise as a single ear of corn, but Christ as the first-fruits. The first-fruits were consecrated in lieu of all the rest; so is Christ in your stead: Col. i. 18, Christ is called ‘the first-born from the dead;’ that is, the chiefest, and one that rose for us all,—the first that entered into heaven as a common person. There was a resurrection of some before the glorification of Christ’s body, but he was the first-born that stood for all: Heb. vi. 20, ‘Whither the forerunner is for us entered.’ Jesus Christ is our forerunner, his resurrection doth make way for us to rise after him; he is our harbinger that is gone before.

    [3.] Consider what special thing there is in the resurrection of Christ above the other acts of the mediatorship, since the scripture layeth so much weight upon it. What is it that it contributes to the comfort of Christians above his death? It will be necessary to inquire after that, because the scripture speaketh so much of this circumstance, the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

    I answer—First, By way of confirmation: it confirmeth the heart in the expectation of salvation by Christ. By this it appeareth that the whole contrivance of salvation was a true thing; you have God’s seal for it. It therefore confirmeth the heart in two things:—(1.) The person of Christ; and (2.) The office of Christ, upon which all hangeth.

    1.      The person of Christ. There can be no greater proof of his divinity than the resurrection: 1 Peter i. 21, ‘Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.’ And, indeed, there our faith beginneth upon Christ’s being God; as Peter saith, ‘Your faith is built on God.’ Well, then, here is God’s seal to the heart, about the person of the Messiah: Rom. i. 4, ‘Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.’ There the case was plainly and mightily decided that he was so, so as no man could contradict it: ‘Truly this was the Son of God,’ as the centurion cried. All were forced to say so by this instance. So Acts xiii. 33, he is said to be ‘begotten of the Father.’ He proveth it there to be at his resurrection, that is, declarativè; then it was evidently shown that he was begotten of the Father. Well, then, though the mercies of pardon, grace, and glory were merited by other acts of the mediatorship, yet they are confirmed and sealed by this, because this establisheth the soul in the ground of it—in the truth of the person of Christ.

    2.      It sealeth to us the truth of his office, that this was he that was sealed to be Mediator. When the Jews taxed Christ for usurpation, he would confirm his office to them by no other sign but the resurrection: Mat. xii. 39, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas;’ that is, that which answereth to the type of Jonas; and what was that but his lying three days and three nights in the grave and rising again? As if Christ had said, If you will have a miracle and a seal from heaven, that is all that I will give you. So you shall see upon another occasion, in John ii., when the Jews saw him authoritatively purging the temple, and acting as an extraordinary person, ver. 18, ‘What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?’ What confirmation hast thou from heaven to be the Messiah, that thou takest upon thee to reform the temple? Ver. 19, ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up;’ meaning ‘the temple of his body,’ ver. 21. There was all the sign he would give them, viz., his resurrection; this was the most proper confirmation of his office.