Let us turn to God's Word. Turning
back to Isaiah 53, we were considering in this chapter on Thursday at
the prayer meeting, Isaiah 53. I'll read again verse 9 and also
verse 10. Isaiah 53 verses 9 and 10. And he made his grave with the
wicked and with the rich in his death, because he had done no
violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet he pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When
they shall 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. and on Thursday we were considering
in particular the words that we have here at verse 9 and I remarked then on the significance
of the word because which links of course each part of the text
he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death
Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his
mouth. And with regards to that word,
I say now that Calvin, as he's preaching through Isaiah 53,
observes that it really has the force of though. Though he had
done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. And now it links each part. the
associations that we have concerning his death, his grave with the
wicked and with the rich and we remarked then of how he was
so much identified with the wicked, with a man like Barabbas and
also of course crucified with two thieves one on each side
and the Lord Jesus there in the midst and yet in his grave also
associated with a rich man Joseph of Arimathea he's associated
then with mere men, men of all sorts and yet he himself was
the innocent one because he had done no violence neither was
any deceit in his mouth and Calvin speaks of the perfection of his
innocence he was altogether the innocent one and yet when we see the consequence
of what is being spoken of in that ninth verse and coming to
the tenth verse we see that in this way he has secured salvation he pleased the Lord to bruise
him he has put him to grief when they shall 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 and I want
us to really concentrate tonight on what he said here in this
tenth verse the salvation that the Lord has procured. The pleasure of the Lord prospers,
he tells us, in his hand. The sureness and the certainty
of salvation. The very Gospel, of course, that
the Apostle Paul delighted to preach in that portion that we
read in Romans. I am not ashamed of the Gospel
of Christ. He says it's the power of God
unto salvation. to everyone the believer, to
the Jew first, but also to the Greek. It's the power. And the
word that we have there suggests great power, dynamic power. The same word as we have previously
earlier in the chapter of verse 4, how He is declared to be the
Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness by
the resurrection from the dead. all the great and mighty salvation
that has been accomplished in by this one who was altogether
innocent and yet so willingly comes to identify himself with
sinners. Now, before we come to consider
the 10th verse and let me just say a little as I did on Thursday
concerning the outline of this remarkable portion of Holy Scripture. It is one of the most remarkable
prophecies that we find anywhere in the Old Testament. This description
of the suffering servant of the Lord and how so much of the detail is descriptive of what we witness
when we come to read the the Gospels and each of those accounts
that we have of all that he had to endure in his sufferings there
upon the cross and I said on Thursday that really this section
begins at the end of chapter 52 and verse 13 and there in
those three verses 13, 14 and 15 we have the Lord God as it
were speaking And what does the Lord God say?
Behold, My servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted
and extolled and be very high. And He speaks on there through
verses 14 and 15. And so the section is introduced
and then it is the Lord God again that speaks directly right at
the end of the chapter in verses 11 and 12 and again he makes
mention of his servants we have the servants spoken of there
at the beginning behold my servants and so again here in verse 11
concerning the servant he shall see of the travail of his soul
and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous
servants justify many for he shall bear their iniquities and
so forth. The Lord God again speaks clearly
and directly there in the closing words of the section. And then
we have the mind body of course in between from verse 1 through
to verse 10. And this mind section begins
with the words of the preacher as it were. The one who proclaims
his message. the prophets here in the Old
Testament but all God's servants through the Old Testament the
New Testament and down through the ages who have believed our
report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed this report
these remarkable words the preacher is astonished who is believing
this well Men only come to faith in this when the Lord God acts
and makes bare His arm. For anyone to believe, that's
what must take place. To whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed? It requires a mighty work of
God. It requires something more than
the word of the preacher. There must be that efficacious
work of the Holy Spirit, that effectual call of grace. Who
hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed says the preacher and then really from the second
verse through to verse 10 it's not so much the preacher it's
those who have believed those who have been brought to this
saving faith that speak he shall grow up before him as a tender
plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness
and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire
him. Oh, he's a man of sorrows, he's
acquainted with grief, stricken, smitten of God, afflicted. Oh,
what beauty is there in this one, and so believers speak of
him throughout the chapter. And then we come to verse 10,
the words that I want us to consider tonight, which is really the
last words spoken by the believer and this acknowledgment yet he
pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin when God makes 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 and so coming to the words of the text and I want to divide
the subject matter into these two parts Firstly, to consider
Christ's readiness to suffer and to die. And then, secondly,
the results of Christ's sufferings and death. First of all, His
readiness. His readiness. And as we come
to consider that for a while, two things that we have to observe. We observe here the will of God
and the willingness of Christ in his readiness to suffer and
die. First the will of God, in other
words the divine sovereignty. Isn't that what we have in the
opening clause? Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. It pleased the Lord. It's God's
good pleasure. And what is God's good pleasure?
Well, that's the same really as God's eternal purpose. It's the same as that sovereign
decree of God. When the apostle writes in Ephesians
1, he speaks, doesn't he, of the mystery of his will. He's
speaking of God, he's speaking there in that opening chapter
of and God's purpose in the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's a tremendous chapter. You're
familiar with Ephesians chapter 1. And there in verse 9, Paul
speaks of the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure,
which he hath purposed in himself. The mystery of his will, his
good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself. There is reference to nothing
outside of himself with regards to what God has planned and what
God has decreed as he concerns the Lord Jesus Christ. God is
sovereign in all his works. The psalmist says, Our God is
in the heavens, He hath done whatsoever He pleased. How does a psalmist make such
statements? Many a time. Again, there in
the language of the 136th Psalm. In Psalm 136, Psalm 135 and verse
6, I should say, whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all the
places. Anywhere, everywhere, in the
heavens, in the earth, in the depths, God is that one who is
sovereign. He doeth whatsoever pleaseth
him, says the preacher, in the book of Ecclesiastes. And the
same truth, of course, runs throughout the writings of all the servants
of God, in every part of the Word of God. Here, in the prophecy
of Isaiah, what do we read? Chapter 46, verse 9, remember
the former things of old. For I am God. God speaking through
His servant, the Prophet. I am God. There is none else.
I am God. There is none like me, declaring
the end from the beginning and from ancient times of things
that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand and I
will do all my pleasure. Oh, it's the will of God, and
that's what we have here in the text. He pleased the Lord to
bruise him. There was no chance, accidental
thing that befell the Lord's servant. He was the Lord's servant
and he had come to do the service of his Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ
is that one who comes of course to do the will of him that sent
him and to finish his work. And how does that work finish? It finishes in the cross. he must be obedient unto death
even the death of the cross and how Peter preaches it there on
the day of Pentecost him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God that's what he says addressing those Jews what had
happened there at Golgotha was the good pleasure of God's will
in being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain
the fact that God is sovereign doesn't mean that they're not
culpable they did the deed they're guilty of the death of the Lord
Jesus Christ This is the message that the Apostle preaches. And
there is the Holy Spirit and how these hearers are pricked
in their hearts, how their consciences are troubled. O men and brethren,
what must we do? What must we do to be saved? Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. It's all then the will
of God. It's God's eternal purpose. This
one who is the Lord's suffering servant is also that Lamb of
God slain from the foundation of the world and so God's purpose
is continually being unfolded as we know here in the Old Testament
Scriptures. The Lord says himself to the
Jews, search the Scriptures In them you think that you have
eternal life. These are they that testify of me. It's all
foretold, it's all prophesied. All that comes to pass in his
life, in his deaths, according to the Scriptures. And, as you
know, Paul makes that so clear, doesn't he, in the opening part
of 1 Corinthians 15 when he sets before them. He declares unto
them the Gospel. I declare unto you the Gospel,
He says. It's that that He preached. They
received it. Or they stand in this if they
are saved. I preached unto you, He says. And what was it that He preached
and delivered? First of all, that that He received. How Christ
died for our sins, he said, according to the Scriptures, and that he
was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the
Scriptures. Twice he has that expression,
it's according to the Scriptures, his death, his burial, his resurrection,
and then he goes on to mention those great cloud of witnesses
to the truth of his resurrection. He was seen of above 500 brethren
at once, he says. And then, of course, he names
many of those people who were the witnesses. But it's all according
to the Scriptures. And as I said, what we were considering
on Thursday was all according to the Scriptures. He made his
grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. Why? because
that was in accordance with the Scriptures it's what's written
here in Isaiah and it must have its fulfillment in the experience
of this servant of the Lord and so as we said Christ is identified
with one like Barabbas at 3.14 The apostles say to those
Jews, you denied the Holy One and the just and desired a murderer
to be granted unto you. At that Feast of the Passover,
the governor Pilate would release one to them. Do they want Jesus
of Nazareth or Barabbas? And they demand Barabbas. And they want Jesus of Nazareth
to be crucified. Crucify him. Crucify him. He
denied the Holy One and the just and desired a murderer. All he made his grave with the
wicked. And then as we said not only Barabbas but there he hangs
between two thieves upon the cross. But also with the rich. I said again on Thursday that
Golgotha, the place of a skull. Why was it so called? Well, it
wasn't just a fact that it was a little hillock in the shape
of a skull, it's more than that. The place of execution would
be the place of interment. It was there that they would
bury the bodies of those who were crucified. But we're told,
aren't we, that there was one who comes and desires the body
of the Lord this disciple of the Lord Jesus
but a secret disciple for fear of the Jews but he comes forward
and begs of Pontius Pilate that he might take the body from the
cross and give Christ a proper burial in Matthew 27 Verse 57, When the evening was
come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who
also himself was Jesus' disciple. He went to Pilate and begged
the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body
to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the
body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his
own new tomb which he had hewn out in the rock and he rolled
a great stone to the door of the sepulchre and departed and
we know from what John says in his account that this sepulchre
was near to the place where they crucified the Lord and it was a tomb in which never
man lay there in John 19.20 the place
where he was crucified in the place where he was crucified
there was a garden and in the garden a new sepulchre wherein
was never man yet laid he was preserved in that place from
all corruption thou wilt not suffer thine holy
one to see corruption the words of Psalm 16 But all of these things, you
see, they happen because it's the will of God, the sovereign
will of God. It's that that is revealed and
spoken of and prophesied throughout the scriptures of the Old Testament.
And all must have its accomplishment, because God will do His goodwill
and pleasure. But as we have here that sovereign
will of God, We also see something of the willingness of the Lord
Jesus. Because we see in the margin,
there's an alternative reading in the middle of the verse. When thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin. The margin reads, when his soul
shall make an offering for sin. When his soul, the Lord Jesus
is the one who is making the offering. The Lord Jesus is that
one who is willingly giving himself over unto death. What do we have there in verse
12? Because he has poured out his soul unto death. He gives himself to death. he
is one who willingly dies and he comes to fulfill all those
things that are written in the Old Testament all the all the
ceremonial law is fulfilled in him there in the book of Leviticus
we have the types in the Lord Jesus Christ we have the great
anti-types because the blood of lambs, of bulls, of goats
will never take away sins. No, it's Christ who comes to
make the sin atoning sacrifice. As Paul writes there in Hebrews
10 verse 40, it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of
goats, should take away sins. Wherefore, when He cometh into
the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not,
but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure then, said I, lo, I come in the
volume of the book. It is written of me to do thy
will, O God, above when He said, Sacrifice and offering, and burnt
offering, and offering for sin, and thou wouldst not neither
have pleasure therein which are offered by the law, then said
he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, he taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second. Oh, he comes, you see, to do
the will of God. And when he says it there in
verse 7, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of
me, What is the volume of the book? It's the book of God's
decree. It's the eternal purpose of God. It's all that He had
entered into covenant with the Father to accomplish. Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it
is written of me to do Thy will, O God. And again in verse 9,
then said He, Lo, I come to do Thy will. And now that Human
will of the Lord Jesus acquiesces in the sovereign will of God.
It's a mystery, isn't it? The person of the Lord Jesus,
he is God, and he is man. Now, as God, his will is sovereign. Of course it is. He's equal to
the Father, equal to the Spirit. But as a man, he also has a will.
And there in the Garden of Gethsemane we see him wrestling in prayers
as he contemplates all the sufferings that have been spoken of here
in Isaiah 53 and other parts of the Old Testament. If it be
possible let this cup pass from me is his prayer. Nevertheless
not as I will but as thou wilt. His will is submissive to the
will of His Father. He will do all that work that
the Father has given Him to do. He says it so many times, I came
down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of Him
that sent me. Always doing the Father's will.
Always doing the work of the Father. my meat is to do the
will of him that sent me he says and to finish his work and remember
what we have there at the beginning of John 9 I must work the work
of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when
no man can work oh he was so conscious of the days so conscious
of the time Why, when we think of His coming, His birth, it's
in the fullness of the time. That God sends forth His Son,
there's a time to be born. And we see it in Christ, there's
a time to die, we see it in Christ. When the time was come, when
the hour was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly
sets His face to go to Jerusalem, there in Luke chapter 9. He knew
the hour was come. Or there were many times previous
to that when the Jews would have killed him, they would have stoned
him, but his hour was not yet come. They couldn't lay a finger
against him. He could walk through the midst
of them. But when the hour was come, he sets his face. He will do the will of his father. In John 8, 29, I do always those
things that please Him. I do always those things that
please Him. And here at the end of our text,
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. Oh, what a life! What obedience
we see in the Lord Jesus Christ. His whole life was one of willing
obedience to all the will of God. And when he comes to the
end of his death, his sacrifice was a voluntary act. It's a voluntary act. He's obedient
in dying. Therefore does my father love
me, he says, because I lay down my life that I might receive
it again. No man taketh it from me. I lay
it down of myself. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. These commandments have I received
of my Father. All like a sheep, you see. He
goes to the slaughter. Here in verse 7, He is brought
as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before her shearers
is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth, silent, submissive, acquiescing
in all the holy will of God. And in him, what do we see? We
have the fulfilment of all those things written from
the very beginning the opening words, the first
clause here in the text it pleased the Lord to bruise him in his
commentary the Scottish commentator John Brown translates this the
Lord was pleased with his bruised one the Lord was pleased with
his bruised one, who is the bruised one? Well, we go right back to the
beginning in Genesis chapter 3 and the first promise of the
gospel. In that very chapter that speaks
of the entrance of sin and the fall of Adam and Eve, Genesis
chapter 3, that dreadful chapter of man's disobedience and the
curse that comes because of disobedience, and in the promise And God speaks
it, doesn't He, to the serpent, the tempter? I will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and his seed. He shall bruise, or it shall
bruise thy head, thou shalt bruise his heel. He is the bruised one. The Lord was pleased with his
bruised one. Oh, it's the sovereign will of
God. But in the midst of it all, Christ's willingness. Christ's
willingness, His submissiveness to all that will. And this is
not a pattern to us. Or we should be
those who would desire that we might live that life of simple
submission to the will of God. In all our prayers the Lord,
you see, He gives us that pattern prayer. And amongst the petitions
He tells us to pray thy will be done in earth as it is in
heaven but what a man is this what a minister is Christ what
he says he does and we see it there in the garden don't we
when he prays in all the agonies of his soul not my will but thy
will be done it's real submission and in that is the great pattern
to his people. The reason then why the Lord
must thus suffer and bleed and die. He pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He hath put him to grief. It's God's will. It's Christ's
willingness. But let's turn secondly to the
results, the result of all this suffering, the result of this
death. And there are two things here that I want to mention. Firstly, here is the promise, he shall see his seed. When thou
shalt make his soul an offering for sin, when his soul makes
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. All the reference here, surely,
is to the fruit of his sufferings. What does he say in the course
of his earthly ministry? Verily, verily, except a corn
of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit. Well, he's going to see his seed.
He's not going to die in vain. Again the language of the Psalmist. They that sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He that goeth forth weeping,
bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing
his sheaves with him. Isn't that Christ? There in the
126th Psalm. He sows in tears Oh, He sows in tears. What sufferings,
what agonies! There in the garden, when His
sweat is like drops of blood falling to the ground, He's sowing
in tears. But He reaps in joy, bringing
His sheaves with Him. He shall see His siege. The fruit, the fruit of His suffering
is so sure and so certain. Christ did not die in vain. Oh, He died for many, for a multitude. As we see there, at the end of the chapter, at
the end of verse 12, He bared the sin of many, it says, and
made intercession for the transgressors, a multitude. Many, so many. And why was it so? He bore our griefs, it says. Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God, and afflicted. He's dying for his people. And yet, not all are his people. if all are his people all must
be saved because he is satisfied with the travail of his soul
as we see here in verse 11 he shall save the travail of his
soul and shall be satisfied does he not follow if he has died
for all and sundry if he's going to be satisfied he must receive
the full fruit of his suffering. It's so evident as we read through
this chapter that it's a multitude, it's many, but it's a particular
people. And it's limited to that particular
people, those who actually come to experience the salvation. Why? He says himself, all that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. the people have been given
to him he is to see a spoil, a great spoil as we have
it in verse 12 therefore will I divide him a portion with the
great he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath
poured out his soul unto death he sees he sees the results And
it's so satisfying. He's not disappointed. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. And he that cometh to me I shall
in no wise cast out. I like that verse because there
are some who are so troubled and tormented by the doctrine
of election, the doctrine of particular redemption or limited
atonement. How can I know? How can I know
that I have an interest? How can I know that I'm the company
of the elect? How can I know that Christ died
for me? Well, what does the Lord say
there in John 6.37? Here is the sovereignty of God, all that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. But then he also adds,
either cometh I shall in no wise cast out. How can we know? We
know when we come. It's those who come Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, I will give you
rest, says the Lord Jesus. He will never turn away anyone
who comes to him. How he has accomplished all the
will of God, and the fruit of his suffering is secure, the
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. For there is a seed,
he shall see his seed, And then the other thing we have really
with regards to the result of his sufferings is the prolonging
of his days. He shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days. What is this, this prolonging
of his days? Well this is surely the length
of his life. He now lives in the power of an endless life. When he appears to John there
on the Isle of Patmos, what does the Lord say? I am he that liveth
and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And of the caves of hell and
of death. Oh, he's a priest. He's not a
priest after the order of Aaron. He's not of the tribe of Levi. He's of the tribe of Judah. He's
a priest. He's a priest after the order
of Melchizedek, as we see there in Hebrews 7. He's a priest,
it says, after the power of an endless life. A priest after
the power of an endless. The word literally means an indestructible
life. An indestructible life is his. He shall prolong his days. He never lives. as a priest there
in heaven. And he ever lives to make intercession
for all that come unto God by him. We can only come by him
and our prayers are so poor. Well, my prayers are. They're
so pathetic. Poor prayers. One can hardly
call them prayers sometimes. They're just sighs, aren't they?
Groanings, cries. But how the Lord makes those
poor prayers to prevail, that's our comfort. That's our comfort. He's a priest forever, after
the power of an endless and indestructible life. He lives there, and His
presence there in heaven is a constant plea, a continual intercession
on behalf of His people. How the Father has owned this
One, declared to be the Son of God. We've said before the significance
of those words in Romans 1.4. He's marked out. He's distinguished
as the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead. He shall prolong His days. And you know, Psalm 89, another
great psalm that speaks to us of Christ. And twice there we
have this statement, verse 29 and verse 36, His seed also will
I make to endure forever. Christ is the seed. Christ is the seed of Abraham,
isn't it? And there, in Galatians 3.16,
it's so plain. It says, "...and to thy seed
which is Christ." Speaking of Isaac in the context. Isaac,
the promised son, the seed of Abraham. But Isaac, a type of
Christ. And Christ is the true seed.
Well, Christ also has a seed in that sense. And there in the
89th Psalm, is seed or so will I make to endure forever. Those who believe in Christ,
those who have come to Christ, they have eternal life and they
shall never perish. They pass through death in eternal
life. Oh yes, they know a physical
death, the body dies in the appointed time, the time to die. But with
the believer, he's absent from the body, he's present with the
Lord. And Christ's own resurrection is the guarantee. He is the firstfruits. He is the firstfruits. And what
does he say? Thy dead men shall live. Together with my dead body shall
they arise. Oh, there's a blessed union.
Because I live, he says, ye shall live also. And it's not just
at the end of time in the general resurrection of the body, but
isn't that the experience of the grace of God in the day of
grace? It's the exceeding greatness
of his power to ask for, to believe, which is according to the working
of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised
him from the dead and set him at his own right hand. or the
same that was there when Christ was raised and Christ ascended
is what comes into the soul the exceeding greatness of his power
to us who believe who has believed our report or to whom is the
arm of the Lord revealed there's the exceeding greatness of his
power when he puts forth his hand stretches out his hand makes
bear His arm, as it were, and comes and works in our heart. It's salvation. It's the result
of all Christ's obedient life. It's the result of all His willing
sacrifice, all that He endured, that voluntary
death, that he offered up. And what is the result? It's
not just his own resurrection. It's also the regeneration that
comes into the souls of those who are his seed. He pleads 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 hands. Oh, that we might know the wonder
then of this great salvation that the Lord Jesus Christ wrought
in all the humiliation of the death that is spoken of here,
the Lord's suffering servant, the Lord's righteous servant. Well, the Lord be pleased to
bless his word to us. Amen.