Let us turn to God's Word, and
turning to that portion we read in the Old Testament, Isaiah
chapter 52. And I'll read again these final
three verses, 13, 14, and 15, which of course are really an
introduction to what follows in chapter 53. Reading then for
our text this evening, here in Isaiah 52, 13 through 15. Behold,
my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high, as many were astoned at thee. His visage was
so mild more than any man, and his form more than the sons of
men. So shall he sprinkle many nations,
The king shall shove 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. But in particular that thirteenth
verse, it is God who speaks and what does the Lord God say? Behold,
My servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. I want to say something with
regards then to the servant of the Lord, the servants of the
Lord. It's interesting, the passage is quite
a remarkable passage as we have this introduction to what follows
in chapter 53 and I'm sure You've read that 53rd chapter many times. What a remarkable portion of
God's Word, what a prophecy it is, written some 700 years before
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet such a remarkable
graphic description of all that He accomplished when He came
as a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is that suffering
servant of the Lord. and the passage which I would
say really begins here in verse 13 of chapter 52 is one in which
different characters are seen to be speaking in a sense we
might say that the opening words of chapter 53 record what the
preacher would say what the prophet himself would say, or any preacher
of the gospel, because this is of course pure gospel in the
Old Testament. And the preacher says, Who hath
believed our reports? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? And remember, when we come to
the New Testament in Romans chapter 10, we find Paul describing something
of what real preaching is. And there in chapter 10 of Romans
and verses 15 and 16, he actually refers and quotes the opening
words of Isaiah 53, speaking of preaching, and what does he
say? "...who have believed our report, and to whom is the arm
of the Lord revealed." And those are such remarkable parallel
statements because it reminds us that the report can only ever
be believed when the Lord God makes bear His arm. Oh, it is God's mighty power,
the efficacious grace of God that is so necessary in order
for anyone to believe the Gospel. None can believe except God. makes bear his arm and demonstrates
something of his great power and authority. The preacher then
is there at the beginning of chapter 53, but then from verse
2 right through 10 we have, we might say, those who have come
to believe the message. Believers are the ones who are
there speaking. The greater part of chapter 53
then is the words of those who have embraced that truth of the
gospel and are believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Luther
says quite well that all believers should be well acquainted with
those words. If those are the words of a believer
how we must know them and believe them and feel them if we are
those who are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. But
then it is God who speaks again at the end. It's God who is speaking
here in these three verses at the end of chapter 52, speaking
directly. He speaks of my servant, behold
my servant, And then when we come to the end, again we find
God speaking. What does He say at verse 11?
Verses 11 and 12, it's the Word of God direct. By His knowledge
shall My righteous servant justify many, for He shall bear their
iniquity. And so the whole passage opens
and closes with God speaking directly and God speaks to us
tonight what does he say to us he says behold behold my servant
what I want to do really in trying to expound what we have here
in this thirteenth verse is to do with two very simple points.
To say something with regards to the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ, to say something with regards to him who is the Lord's
servant, who he is, and then in the second place to try to
say something with regards to his work, his doings, as we have
these things spoken of here in this particular verse. My servant
shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. But first of all, let us consider
the servant of the Lord. What a name is this, the servant
of the Lord. Now, there's a sense in which
all people, all persons, all events, are serving God and His
purpose. Everything serves God. How remarkable are those words
that we have in the book of Proverbs chapter 16 and verse 4. The Lord
made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of evil. Even wicked men are the Lord's
servants. Even Satan serves the purpose
of the Lord and yet God is not the author of sin. God's Sovereignty
is an absolute sovereignty otherwise it wouldn't be God's. Remember that haughty monarch
Nebuchadnezzar, the great emperor of the Babylonians and how the
Lord God so humbles him as we're told there in the fourth chapter
of Daniel and he's brought eventually having lost his senses it seems
for a period he is restored and he has to acknowledge that the
God of Israel is the only true God all the inhabitants of the
earth are as grasshoppers in his sight and he doeth according
to his will among all the armies of heaven and all the inhabitants
of the earth and none can stay his hand none can say to him
what doest thou he was a great man the creator of one of the
seven wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon. And yet he has to confess, Joseph,
that he is really a servant of this God, all the inhabitants
of the earth. Every person, every event serves
God. There might be many thoughts
that go through the minds of men, there are many devices in
their heart, but what does the wise man tell us in the book
of Proverbs? There are many devices in a man's
heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand. So we need to mark at the beginning
that all things are God's servant in a certain sense, but of course
when we come to this book we do read of several of those who
are spoken of quite specifically as the Lord's servants. I've
just spoken of Nebuchadnezzar. Well, Isaiah makes mention of
another one of the great men of the ancient worlds. Remember
how that empire of the Babylonians was overthrown by the Medes and
Persians. Now this is history. These are
events that are referred to in Holy Scripture, but this is historic. It's true. they might despise
the word of God but it's the truth and it speaks true history
and we read of a man like Cyrus who was the king of the Persians
and the Lord God actually speaks of him by name. Here in this
book at the end of chapter 44, here are the children of Israel,
they're going to be taken into captivity. Isaiah has prophesied
that that will come to pass about a hundred years after him exercising
his ministry. They'll languish there in Babylon
for 70 years, but deliverance will come. How will it come?
Well, the Babylonians will be overthrown by the means of the
Persians. And then we read of Cyrus, the
end of Isaiah 44, God says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, he
shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem thou
shalt be built, and to the temple thy foundation shall be laid.
Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus whose right hand I have
hold, and to subdued nations before him, and so forth. Cyrus is the Lord's servant. But of course when we think of
these servant passages we see quite clearly that the Lord's
true servant in the Old Testament should be the nation of Israel.
Were they not his chosen people? He had chosen them out of all
the nations of the earth to be a peculiar treasure to him and
to serve him. And, well, they're spoken of
even there in that portion we just referred to in chapter 45. Why is it that the Lord makes
use of this man Cyrus? Verse 4, it says, For Jacob,
my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called
thee by thy name. That's Cyrus, I have surnamed
him. though thou hast not known me. So, Israel really is very
much the Lord's servant there in the Old Testament. Again,
look at the words of chapter 44, 21, Remember these, O Jacob
and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have formed thee. Thou art
my servant, O Israel. Thou shalt not be forgotten of
me. But then, who is the one who
is the true servant? Who is Israel really directing
us to ultimately? Why the Lord Jesus Christ? The
Lord Jesus Christ, as God says here in the words of our text,
Behold My Servant. Oh, that's the Lord Jesus Christ,
surely. And how We see there in the New Testament,
in the portion that we read at the end of Acts chapter 8, and
Philip is reading this part of Holy Scripture, he's actually
reading chapter 53. And Philip is directing, is directed
to him. And he can't understand what
he's reading, this Ethiopian eunuch. It seems he was a proselyte,
he was at Jerusalem, to worship the true God and he is returning
now to his mistress Queen Candace in Ethiopia and he is reading
he is reading in the Old Testament he is a convert to the God of
Israel but he can't understand and he wants someone to explain
these things to interpret this prophecy to him of whom is this
man speaking? is it himself or is it some other
person? And what are we told? Then Philip
began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus. He preached
unto him Jesus. There is no disputing. We know
who it is. The servant of the Lord is the
Lord Jesus Christ. And of course previously we have
that great statement at the beginning of chapter 42. Behold, says God,
my servant. whom I uphold, mine elect, in
whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him,
and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not
cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised ridge shall he not break, and the smoking flack
shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged,
till he hath set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall
wait for his law." We remarked on those words, the isles waiting
for his law, that's the gospel law that we were considering
only last Lord's Day. That Lord of Liberty, that perfect
Lord of Liberty, the Lord Jesus Christ is that one, He is the
Lord's servant, mine elect. Mine elect, Christ is God's first
elect, He's God's elect in the covenant. The eternal covenant
of redemption, the covenant of grace we might call it. And He
gathers all the elect from among the Gentile nations, that's what
we're told there in those opening words. And you know, it's quite remarkable
how these things are emphasized in Scripture. Look again at the
language that we have previously in chapter 49. Speaking of the Lord, the Lord
Jesus as God's servant. 49 verse 5, Now saith the Lord
that form me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob
again to him, though Israel be not gathered, Yet shall I be
glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
And he said, It is a light thing, that thou shouldest be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved
of Israel. I will also give thee for a light
to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end
of the earth. How remarkable are those words!
And they're taken up, they're taken up there in Acts 13 where
we have the Apostle Paul preaching at Antioch in Pisidia and as
was his world he's in the synagogue but the Jews are rejecting and
then we're told that he turns from the Jews and he turns to
the Gentiles and those very words that we've just read in chapter
49 are quoted there in Acts 13 verses 46 and 47 we have the
authority you see of the New Testament Scriptures
identifying who the true servant of the Lord is, the primary servant
of the Lord, that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And He's God's
first elect. My servant whom I uphold, mine
elect. And all the elects are chosen
in Him. We're familiar with the language
of Ephesians 1, aren't we? according as He hath chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Himself according to the good
pleasure of His will. They are chosen, all the elect
are chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ He is God's first elect,
they are all in Him this is the person then that is being spoken
of here in our text this morning he is the Lord's servant and
yet we have to remember that he who is the Lord's servant
is also the Son of God he is that one who is spoken
of in the opening chapter of John as the Word of God in the
beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word
was God and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and
we beheld his glory the glory as the only begotten of the Father
how is it that the Son of God who himself is God is also the
servant of God Well, there's a sense in which we always need
to make a distinction when we think of the doctrine of God,
especially. What is the doctrine of God?
That's the doctrine of the Trinity. And when we speak of the doctrine
of the Trinity, we sometimes might speak of it as that essential
truth, the essential doctrine of the Trinity, which is expressed,
of course, in the ancient creeds and the Nicene Creed. 325 A.D. was when that council was held
and that creed was drawn up, that's 1,700 years ago. 1,700 years. This year we have
the Nicene Creed and that states very plainly and simply, if that
is possible, it's a profound truth of course, but they are
very judicious in the in the words that they use in making
that great doctrinal statement, which we call the Nicene Creed. And there we see that there is
one God, and that one God subsists in three persons. God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And they're all eternal,
they are eternal, and they're equal. There's no superiority
and inferiority. There's God the Father, God the
Son, God the Holy Ghost, not three gods, one God, and yet
God subsisting in these three distinct persons. That's the
mystery of the doctrine, the essential truth of the Trinity.
And how does it express the truth concerning God the Son? It says
he's God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten
not made, of one substance with the Father. Great statements
of faith. Well there is that essential
truth then of the doctrine of the trinity. But then also there's
what some refer to as the economic trinity. What they mean by that
is how God reveals himself in salvation. The whole economy
thinking of economy as the outworking of God's purpose of grace. And
in the outworking of that purpose, of course, we're thinking in
terms of the eternal covenant. There is a council eternal, council
in the Trinity, and in that council, God's purpose is salvation, and
God the Son, who is equal to the Father, is the one who will
become the servant of God. and so in the fullness of the
time God sends forth his son made of a woman, made under the
law and he comes, God manifests in the flesh and he is subject
to the father and the father's will is his business is to be
about the father's business that's what he says in John chapter
9 how the day is short and he has
work to attend to he must be about his father's business he
comes not to do his own will but the will of him who sent
him and to finish his work this is how he speaks in the economy
of grace the outworking of the purpose and he is serving the
father and then of course when he has completed the work The
Father vindicates him, raises him from the dead and he ascends
to heaven and he ascends to heaven as God-man and God exalts him
and he sheds abroad the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost
and the Spirit comes in to apply that blessed work that
the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished. In a sense the Spirit comes to
serve the Lord Christ He shall testify of me, says the Savior.
He's not going to speak of himself. His ministry is self-effacing
in that sense. He'll take of mine, he'll show
it to you. And we need to make that careful distinction all
the time with regards to the language that's used in Scripture.
The doctrine of the Trinity, the essential truth of the doctrine.
One God in three persons. Father, Son and Holy Ghost, co-equal,
co-eternal. But then as God accomplishes
great work, and what a work it is, and it's that work that's
being spoken of. How does the servant undertake that work?
He shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. And so it goes on. It's a description
in what follows of all that work, and of course we come ultimately
into the remarkable words of chapter 53. But having said something
with regards to who the servant, the true servant of God is, the
servant of the Lord, I want us now to look a little more closely
at the work, the thought of the person of the Lord Jesus. Let's
think a little of his work, the prudence of his dealings. What
does this mean? He shall deal prudently, it's
said. He shall deal circumspectly. He's wise. He wisely conducts to a glorious
issue the work that had been committed to him in the covenant. That's what it means. He is so
careful. in executing that work just as
the Father had appointed in the covenant. Remember how he is
spoken of in the book of Proverbs as the wisdom of God. We see
him there, the wisdom of God. Who of God is made unto us wisdom,
says Paul, at the end of 1 Corinthians chapter 1. He's the wisdom of
God, the wisdom from above, which is first pure and peaceable and
gentle. and easy to be entreated, and
full of mercy and good fruits, and without partiality, and without
hypocrisy, the wisdom from above, that's Christ. And we see Him
there in Proverbs chapter 8. And what does He say? I wisdom
dwell with prudence. And so we have it here in the
text, My servant shall deal prudently, circumspectly. He's going to
come to accomplish a great work. He's God's eternal Son, yes,
He's that. We have it there in Chapter 8
of Proverbs again, don't we? When there were no depths, He
says, I was brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was I brought forth. He's eternally brought forth,
He's eternally begotten. He's the only begotten of the
Father. full of grace and truth. But look at what he says also
there in Proverbs 8 at verse 30. He says this, Then I was
by him as one brought up with him. He's speaking of his relationship
to the Father. Then I was by him as one brought
up with him. I was daily his delight rejoicing,
always before him rejoicing in the habitable parts of His earth,
and my delights were with the sons of men." He delights in the sons of men.
Why? He's a man. He's a real man. He's God manifest in the flesh. Or when the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman made under
the law So he comes as a real man and he comes as one who's
under the law. This is the work, you see, that
he has undertaken in terms of the covenant. He's going to come
and be in the law place of his people. And what's he going to
do? He's going to answer for them
with regards to all the demands of the law of God. That's the
purpose of his coming. I come not to destroy the law,
he says, but to fulfill it and so he is obedient he comes
from heaven not to do his own will but the will of the one
who has sent him and he's going to finish that work and how does
he do that? why? he does it of course by the obedience
of his life He'll honor the Lord by obeying
every commandment. He's the sinless one, holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens.
He never sins. Oh, what a man is this. Never
a man like this. This wondrous man, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the perfect man, He does all the good will of
the Father in his life and then he's obedient, but he's obedient
unto death. Even the death of the cross,
how can this be? How can he die? There's no cause
of death in him. His human nature is a sinless
human nature. That holy thing says the angel
to the Virgin Mary that shall be born of thee that holy thing
shall be called the Son of God. It's a perfect, sinless human
nature, body and soul, that is eternally united to the person
of God the Son, and there's no cause of death in him, yet he
dies. And of course, that's the great theme, isn't it, that runs
right through chapter 53. How does he die? He dies as a
substitute. He dies in the room and place
of others. 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. Or we, like sheep,
have gone astray. This is the believer speaking.
Can we use this language? Or we, like sheep, have gone
astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. and the Lord
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Why is God's righteous
servant? He never sinned. But that was the work, you see,
and He undertakes this work and He undertakes it very prudently, very carefully. He will come and fulfill all
righteousness. And He comes as one who's going
to all together identify with those that He has come to save.
We read of God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and for sin. Well, there's a purpose of His
coming. Amen. How they despise him and
reject him. How they turn from him. Here
we see him spoken of in the verses that follow. His visage so marred
more than any man. His form more than the sons of
men. And the people are astonished.
Astonished at what they're witnessing. again when we turn over to the
53rd chapter he had no form nor comeliness when we shall see
him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised
and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief all the foolishness of men they
reject this one and yet is the only perfect sinless man that
ever lived a life upon the earth and how he executed the work
or how he executed that work that the father had given to
him in the eternal covenant but it's interesting isn't it because
if you have a marginal bible you might see there in the margin
that we have an alternative reading for the words shall deal prudently
we have the one word prosper You see, the particular Hebrew
word that's being used here, there's not really an English
equivalence that's adequate. Behold, my servant shall prosper. He shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. There's not only the prudence
that we see in the way he executes his work, there's also the prosperity
of his dealings. And look at the words that follow.
Now these three words, he's going to be exalted, he's going to
be extolled, he's going to be high. But he doesn't just say
high, does he? He says he's going to be very
high. He's going to be highly exalted. is going to wonderfully accomplish
that work that the Father has given to him. Look at the words
of the Father at the end of chapter 53. He says of this servant,
The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. 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. Therefore will I divide him a
portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoiled with
the strong." He's going to see the spoils of all his work. He's
going to be glorious. He's going to triumph ultimately.
That's what it's saying. God's work will prosper in his
hands. There's no possibility that he
could fail. The Father, you see, has given
him promise. As he executes this work, we
have that great passage, don't we, in Philippians chapter 2
concerning the Lord's servant, how he made himself of no reputation,
took upon him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men,
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And then
what does it say? Wherefore God also has highly
exalted him given him a name which is above every name at
the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven
and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue shall confess
that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father. All will have
to confess either in the day of grace, or we confess that
name, now there's salvation in that name. But in another day,
the great day of judgment, how terrible, no unbelief there,
you know, that all confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God
and their eternal confusion. It's dreadful to imagine, dreadful
to imagine, but it's true. all must confess Him how glorious He is in the accomplishment
of His work He shall prosper, He shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. Are we those who believe that He is the Son of
God the only Saviour of sinners in this day of grace. Think of
that Ethiopian eunuch. I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God and He was baptized. It's simple. We believe He's
the Son of God, the Saviour. Philip baptized Him and He went
on His way rejoicing. The preaching of the cross What is it to the unbelieving? It's foolishness. But unto us
which are saved, it's the power of God. That's what it is. It's the power of God unto salvation. And we see it, we see it in his
prosperity. And I want to mention, before
we close, four things briefly, four aspects to His glorious
prosperity. First of all, of course, there
is the triumph of the cross. He's exalted on the cross, isn't
he? How Satan has overreached himself. What has the Lord done by His
dying upon the cross? He's vanquished sin, Satan, death,
the grave. O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. The
strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. What does he say
there in John 12? Now is the judgment of this world,
now is the prince of this world judged. And I, if I be lifted
up, will draw all men to me. This he spake, signifying what
death he should die. He's speaking there of the glory,
the triumph of the cross. If I be lifted up, not so much lifted up in preaching,
He is to be lifted up in preaching, of course He is. He must have
that preeminent place, but clearly it says this spake concerning
the death that He was going to die. There is the defeat of Satan,
the triumph of the cross, and then Secondly, we have the vindication
of the resurrection. The grave cannot hold him. There's
no real cause of death in this man. He's an immortal man. And I love the way Paul expresses
it there in the beginning of Romans, he's declared, and I
love that word, he's marked out. That's what it means, it's a
strong, very strong word. That verb, to declare, is declared
to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead. Now, that was a great theme
of apostolic preaching. They preached the resurrection
of Christ. It's his vindication. But it doesn't end there, does
it? Is he not also exalted in the ascension? We read of his
ascension at the end of Luke's Gospel. We read he's the guy
in the beginning of the Acts. How he had shown himself for
40 days after his resurrection. 40 days he showed himself to
his disciples. There were so many infallible
proofs of the reality of his resurrection. And then he ascends. And there are the disciples,
they witness his ascent into heaven. and there of course he is exalted
at the Father's right hand and when Peter comes to preach on
the day of Pentecost why the Lord has spoken of that blessed
day, that glorious day Acts chapter 120 disciples, the
Lord's ministry you know was such a sifting searching ministry,
how he winnowed the people at times multitudes following him
and yet when we come to the end there's 120 but then the day
of Pentecost is fully come the Spirit descends Peter is so emboldened
Peter who had denied the Lord three times with curses and now
so emboldened by the Spirit of God And what does he say concerning
Christ being by the right hand of the Father exalted, having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost? He has shed
forth this which ye now see and hear. He gives the Holy Spirit.
He gives repentance. Later in chapter 5 of the Acts,
in verse 31, him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince
and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel. and the forgiveness
of sins. We are to be looking on to Jesus
the author and finisher of our faith. He is the beginner and
the finisher of faith. All of salvation comes from Him. When we come to Him we have everything.
He is able to save to the uttermost. All that come to God by Him,
now He has been exalted. The only name on the heaven given
amongst men whereby we must be saved. Or the triumph of the cross,
the vindication of the resurrection, the exaltation of the ascension,
and then, or then, the promise that He's coming again. He's
coming again. And you remember, twice when
He's writing to the Thessalonians, both in the first epistle and
also In the second epistle Paul speaks of his glorious coming
again. Look at the language of the second
letter, the second epistle to the Thessalonians and there at
the end of the first chapter. Verse 7, chapter 1, verse 7. He says, To you, O troubles,
rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.
when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired
in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed
in that day." What a glorious day! He speaks of it also, you
can read it there in the first epistle, and at the end of chapter
4, speaks again of that glorious descending of the Lord Jesus
and he says, wherefore comfort one another with these words.
There's comfort, you see, in that prospect. What a day we're
living in. Oh, it's a day of small things. We're not to despise the day.
It's the day of grace, yes, but it's a day of small things. It's
a hard day. And we wonder, will there be
open persecution? There's subtle persecution, more
than subtle persecution already. but there's another day. We're
to look for that glorious appearing of our God and Saviour. Ultimately,
you see, He will be glorified when He returns. Every knee shall
bow. Every tongue shall confess that
He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. What is the great
purpose of salvation? It's the glory of God. We have
that economic view of the Trinity as it were, but all ultimately
is that God might be all, in all. It's all for the glory of
God. That's the blessed end. But what
does the Lord say to us in this day of grace? He says, Behold. Behold my servant. And you know the words, behold.
It's look, isn't it? It's gaze. Gaze. Fix the eye. Rivet the attention. Here's something
to be looked at. Something to be examined. He
says, look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth,
for I am God's and there is none else. Oh, to the sinner, what
does God say? Look and live. Look and live. There's life there. in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He's overcome all the powers
of darkness. What of the believer? Well, we're
to look. We're to do more than that. If she then be risen with
Christ, Paul says, seek those things that are above where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. Do we set our affection there?
Are we looking and watching and waiting for His appearing? Presently
we're going to come to the Lord's Supper. And remember what Calvin
says concerning that blessed supper. He says it's the gospel
in pictures. The gospel in pictures. Beholds
my servant. We have something to look at,
you see. I've said it before, there at the Lord's Table, all
our senses Surely all should be activity now. I know there's
an emphasis on hearing with regards to faith. Faith cometh by hearing,
hearing by the Word of God. It pleases God by the foolishness
of preaching, the significant place of the preaching of the
Word of God. That's God's ordinance. The Gospel
is to be preached to the ends of the earth. But we come to
the Lord's Supper, that's an ordinance. What a favoured ordinance
of God's people. Because our other senses are
here now. We see. We see the elements.
We see the bread broken. We see the wine poured into the
cup. There's something to be seen.
Not a place where we do our private devotions. We should prepare
ourselves. Let a man examine himself. And so I let him eat
of that bread and drink of that cup. We prepare ourselves. We should prepare ourselves.
We're going to partake of the Lord's Supper. But we don't do
our self-examination and our private devotions in the public
place. No. We should be all activity. There's
something to see. Something to behold. There's something to touch. We
handle these things. We take the bread, we take the
cup. There's something to taste. Well, what are we doing? We're
desiring, I trust, to discern the body and blood of the Lord. To discern the body and blood
of the Lord. We want to know that our union
with Christ is a real union. We want to commune with the Lord
Jesus. We want to know the reality that
our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son. And here God
comes and He says to us, Behold, Behold, My servant shall deal
prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. Or might that be true of us that
we we would put Him in that chief place. All our affection centering in
Him, our affection sets on things above where Christ is, at the
Father's right hand. Oh, the Lord be pleased then
to come and to bless us with His grace and to grant us that
grace whereby we do heed and obey His word. Behold, My servant,
says the Lord God. Amen.