I'm going to preach tonight just from the
last three verses, Isaiah 53, 10, 11, and 12. I don't know
when I've engaged in a study of three verses of scripture
which have been a greater blessing to me personally than these three.
And his brother Jim read this chapter again. We've read it
so many, many, many times. But who can tell the value and
the power and the glory of these verses? Every word and every sentence
is about the Savior, about Christ himself. Forty-three times I've
told you, forty-three times, Isaiah uses the words he, him,
or his. This is about Christ. And the
report in these 12 verses is so awesome and so supernatural
and so wonderful that no one can understand it or believe
it except as it's revealed. As he said in verse 1, who hath
believed our report? Who believes this? Don't turn to it, but let me
read Habakkuk chapter 1, verse 5. Behold, ye among the heathen,
and regard and wonder marvelously. For I work a work in your days
which you will not believe. though it be told you. And that's
what Isaiah is saying here. Who believes this? It's awesome. It's beyond human comprehension.
This is God's eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. But it is revealed
to some. Look at the next line, verse
1. And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? The arm of
the Lord, the power of the Lord, the gospel of the Lord can only
be understood as he reveals it. To whom is it revealed? Over
in chapter 51 of Isaiah, I want you to look at this. Isaiah 51,
verse 7. The arm of the Lord. To whom
is the arm? He said, My arms, not short,
it cannot save. I'm not sure that it cannot say. Isaiah 51.7, Hearken to me, ye
that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law.
Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their
revilings. For the moth shall eat them up
like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But
my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation
to generation. Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord. Awake, as in the ancient days,
in the generations of old. Thou arm of the Lord, art thou
not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon? Art thou
not it which hath dried the sea? the waters of the great deep,
and hath made the depths of the sea away for the ransom to pass
over. Therefore the redeemed of the
Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting
joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and
joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I am
he that comforteth you. Who art thou that thou shouldest
be afraid of a man that shall die? The Son of man which shall
be made as grass, and forgetteth the Lord thy Maker. His arm is
not sharp that it cannot save." All right, awesome words. We
can go on with this, but go to verse 10. Verse 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He was bruised. The Father said
in Genesis 3.15, the seed of woman will bruise the head of
the serpent, but the serpent will bruise his heel. He was
bruised. Over there in verse 5, it says
he was wounded and he was bruised. Wounded by transgressions and
bruised for iniquities. He was bruised in his body. No
man can tell his sufferings, but the greater sufferings he
was bruised in his soul. He cried, My soul is exceeding
sorry for, even unto death. Our sins were laid on him. The
wrath of the Father fell upon him. It pleased the Father to
bruise him. That's what it says in verse
4. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God." Smitten of God and afflicted. That's what it says in verse
10. Please the Lord to bruise him. Please the Father to bruise
him. The Father permitted it. The Father permitted it. Nobody
did a thing to him the Father couldn't have prevented. But
he permitted it. He turned him into the hands
of men to do with as they would. But the Father not only permitted
it, he predestinated it. Let me show you that in Acts
chapter 2. The Father not only permitted
the bruising of his son and the bruising of his soul, but the
Father predestinated it. Acts chapter 2, verse 23. into the hands of wicked men,
him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, God's predestinating foreordained purpose, that he should suffer. You have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain. Turn to Acts 4, Acts chapter 4. Verse 26, the
kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, against his Christ. For of a truth against
thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, Herod, Pontius
Pilate, the Gentiles, the people of Israel, were gathered together. He stood alone, even his disciples
forsook him. To do whatsoever the Father's
hand and counsel determined before it could be done. Now here, listen. He was smitten of God, stricken,
afflicted of God. God permitted his sufferings,
predestinated his suffering. But it says in verse 10, it pleased
God. His sufferings pleased the Father. Our Lord said in Hebrews chapter
10, he said the father was never pleased with the sacrifices of
Israel. All of the blood of bulls and
goats and heifers and sacrifices, he was never, he had no pleasure
in those sacrifices. But when his well beloved only
begotten son was bruised and beaten and lacerated with a cat
of nine tails, and nails a cross as a sin offering, it pleased
the Lord. What does that mean? Well, this
is what it means. The Father certainly did not
take any pleasure in his sufferings as such. Not in his suffering as such.
But the Father took pleasure in his suffering in that it was
the accomplishment of his eternal and his eternal purpose to redeem
a people, and the only way they could be redeemed, and God be
just and holy. And the Father took pleasure
in his suffering because it's the fulfillment of every promise
of God who cannot lie. I told you that I'd redeem you. There's nothing that gives a
man more satisfaction than to be able to fulfill his Isn't
that right? There's nothing that gives God
greater pleasure than to keep his word. He delights to show
mercy. And the Father was pleased in
the fulfillment of all the prophecies. His word he considers above his
name. I wish preachers today cherished
his word that much. And it pleased the Father in
the redemption of his people. I finished the work you gave
me to do. I've manifested thy name to the men you gave me.
I've given them your word and they have received it and believe
that I came from thee. Now Father, glorify me with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was. Open up your gates. and the King
of Glory will come in, and the victorious will please the Father. But look at that next line, "...he
hath put him to grief." Our Lord said over there in Lamentations,
chapter 1, "...Behold, is it nothing to you, is it nothing to you, all ye
that pass by? Behold and see, maybe he had
talking about those that walked around that cross and looked
up and mocked him. If you're the Son
of God, come down from the cross, we'll believe you. You trusted
God, let's see if God will help you now. Is it nothing to you,
O ye that pass by and behold, and see if there's any sorrow,
any sorrow like my sorrow, man of sorrows, Acquainted with grief
is any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith
the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger."
His anger was against the sins of his people, which our Lord
bore. The Father put him to grief. That's what it says. He had put
him to grief. He put him to grief all his life. He was a man of
sorrows. Jesus wept. Somebody came down
the other night where I was preaching, sat down beside me, and he said,
why did Jesus weep? I thought in my heart, why wouldn't
he weep? Why wouldn't he weep? All the
unbelief and sin and darkness and corruption around him and
upon him, why wouldn't he weep? Why wouldn't he weep? His life
was a life of weeping, a life of sorrows, a life of grief.
And the sword of justice came down upon him. Turn to Zechariah
chapter 13. Put into grief. Zechariah chapter
13. Listen to this. And the sword
of justice, not only during his life, but on that cross, Zechariah
13.7, it says, A wake old sword against my shepherd, against
the man that's my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts." All these
orders came from above. I know Pilate, Herod delivered
him into the hands of the high priest, delivered him into the
hands of Herod, and Herod delivered him into the hands of Pilate,
Pilate delivered him into the hands of his soldier, but God
delivered him into their hands. The orders came from headquarters.
Awake! Oh, sow it against my shepherd,
against the man that's my fellow, sayeth the Lord of hosts, smite
him!" Smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
Now turn my hand upon the little ones. Smite the shepherd. And then the Father put him to
grief when he turned his back on him. My God! Why? That's thou forsaken. Well, thy sins have separated
thee and thy God. They're not my sins. Yes, they
are. They're imputed to you in the
place of your people. They're your sins. And your sins
have separated you and your God. Talk about grief. And look at
this next line. And thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin. His soul is himself. The body
is only the prison in which the soul lives. His soul is himself, his whole
human nature. Sin is an offense of the soul.
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The soul that sinneth, it
shall die. And his body and soul were made
sin. He who knew no sin was made sin
for us. There's a sin offering, and Paul
calls it over here. I'll turn and read it to you.
In Ephesians 5, 2, Paul says, Christ hath given himself for
us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor, made his soul an offering for
sin. Think of it. His soul, an offering
for sin. that my soul might never be condemned
for sin." Look at this next line, he'll see his seed. He shall
see his seed. What does that mean? It means
the Lord knoweth them that are his, always has known them. He said, I know my sheep. Known
unto God are his works from the beginning. This is his spiritual
seed. These are his offsprings. This
is that great multitude which no man can number, which our
Lord came to redeem. And they shall be redeemed, and
they shall be born again, and they shall hear his voice, and
they shall believe, and they shall be one fold and one shepherd.
He knows who they are. He sees them. He sees them. There is so much he is that it
is said that they are already glorified. That's right. Whom he did foreknow, he did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. And
whom he predestinated, he called whom he called, he justified
whom he justified, he's already glorified. He'll see his seed. Where does he see them? Glorified. Every one of them. And listen, he shall prolong
his days. What does that mean? His days
know no end. His goings forth have been from
everlasting to everlasting." Let's turn to Psalm 89. Here
is the Lord God speaking about the kingdom of David, the Son
of David. Verse 19, Then thou spakest in
vision to thy Holy One, and said, I have laid help upon one that
is mighty. I have exalted one chosen out
of the people. And verse 28, listen, My mercy
will I keep for him for evermore. My covenant shall stand fast
with him. His seed also will I make to
endure forever. He shall prolong his days, his
throne as the days of heaven." Verse 36, "...his seed shall
endure forever, his throne as the sun before me. It shall be
established forever as the moon, as a faithful witness in heaven.
He shall prolong his days." He's alive forevermore. Though he
were dead, he lives forever. And listen, the last line of
verse 10, and the pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his
hands. God's put everything into his
hands. And I believe 1 Corinthians 15 gives us some light on this.
The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. That's
the whole kingdom, covenant, new heaven, new earth. all that
God has decreed for all things," in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 24.
Listen. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered
up the kingdom he came to redeem, he came to bring forth, he'll
deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, When he shall
have put down all rule, all authority, and all power, for he must reign,
he has, he does, he will, till he puts all enemies under his
feet. And the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For he, the Father, hath put all things under the Son's feet. But when he says everything is
put under him, everything that wiggles and writhes and moves
and exists, It's manifested that he's accepted, who put all things
under him. But when all things shall be
subdued unto him, God's purpose will prosper in his hands. Ever
jot and tittle. And when all things shall be
subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject
unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all
in all. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper. Look at verse 11. He shall see of the tribale of
his soul. Tribale of his soul. The tribale of his soul is the
toil and labor and pains and suffering of his soul that he
endured in working out our salvation. And the reference here is to
a woman who is in tribale. She's beginning to have pains.
A child is about to be delivered and she goes through suffering
and pain and all manner of discomfort over a period of time to bring
forth that child. And that's what this is saying.
And when she sees that child, all of its worthwhile, all of
its That sad experience becomes a happy experience. Hours of
suffering and labor become worth it all. He sees the travail of
his soul. He sees his seed, and he's satisfied. He's satisfied. He's satisfied
in three things. He's satisfied in the complete
redemption of all his people through his one offering. He's
perfected forever them that are sanctified. And that multitude
in heaven shall sing unto the Lamb who loved us and washed
us from our sins in his own blood. He sees the glory of his Father
accomplished. Glorify thy son that thy son
may glorify thee. The purpose of all of this. I
turn to Ephesians 1 a moment. I preached Sunday night at this
little church down in Virginia. from Ephesians 1. I tried to
show them that the end and purpose of all that the Father does to
redeem us, and the Son does to redeem us, and the Spirit performs
to redeem us, is for his glory. Watch this. In Ephesians 1, 3,
blessed be the God and Father. It talks about how he blessed
us, and he chose us, and he predestinated us, and he accepted us, verse
6, to the praise of the glory of his grace. That's why he made
us accepted, the beloved, that his grace might be praised. And
then when he talks about the Son redeeming us, enriching us,
enlightening us, and then verse 12, that we should be to the
praise of his glory. We first trusted in Christ. Then
he talks about the Holy Spirit quickening us and the Holy Spirit
enlightening us and And when we heard the gospel, we were
sealed, verse 14, which is the earnest of our inheritance unto
the redemption of the precious possession, why? To the praise
of his glory. When our Lord Jesus Christ shall
see the travail of his soul, his people, the redemption of
his people, satisfied. He's satisfied in the full redemption
of his people, in the accomplishment of the glory of his Father, and
his own glory. Now turn to Hebrews 12, his own
glory. Hebrews 12, verse 2, listen to
this. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross despising the
shame, all the shame of it, the pain, the shame, the suffering,
the sorrow, sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. That's
what he's talking about here. He'll see the travail of his
soul and be satisfied. Our Lord is not at the right
hand of God wondering what's going to happen. He didn't finish
his work on the cross of Calvary and ascend to heaven with an
incomplete bride, an incomplete kingdom. He sat down expecting
to his church be glorified and his enemies be made his footstool. That's right. I read on. He'd be satisfied. Now watch
this. Satisfied. And by his knowledge, which is,
now watch this, by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many. By his knowledge means by his
knowledge and commitment in the highest perfection of his Father's
will. I come not to do my will, but
the will of him that sent me. A body thou hast prepared me,
and I come to do thy will. And our Lord, by his knowledge
of the Father's will and commitment to the Father's will, to the
highest perfection The highest perfection, that's how he redeemed
us. Secondly, by his knowledge of us. In Jeremiah 31, verse
3, it says, I've loved you with an everlasting love. Verse 4,
with loving kindness I've drawn you. I know my sheep. I know
them. I know that I'm alive for the
sheep. Of the sheep I have, which are not of this foe, them I'll
bring. He said to the Pharisees, you would have believed, but
you're not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. And no one can
pluck them out of my Father's hand. My Father gave them to
me. I know my sheep. I know my Father's will. I came
to do it. I'm committed to the highest, highest perfection to
doing His will. I know my sheep. I came to redeem
them. I know why I came. And then it means this, by our
knowledge of Him, and they know me. I know my Father, I know my sheep,
and they know me. And by this knowledge, they are
justified." Justified, fully justified. Now watch this. By his knowledge,
commitment, shall my righteous servant, who's that talking about?
Christ is his servant. I read it, behold my servant,
starting the service. But he's my righteous servant.
He's the perfect servant, perfect redeemer. He'll justify many. The word many here is to show
that he doesn't justify everybody. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many. Not everybody, but all who believe.
And many, the word many also shows his redemption not confined
to Israel, but many. many nations, to a multitude which no man can
number, out of every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue unto heaven, my
righteous servant shall justify not everybody, but many, all
who believe. And the reason they are justified
is, he will bear their iniquities. This is the reason and the only
reason that justify. He undertook their sin debt and
paid it all. He took their sins, the whole
of them, of all his people. They were literally laid on him,
imputed unto him. And he made full satisfaction
to God's justice and to God's holy law himself for them. And he bore them away. He shall bear their iniquities.
He doesn't bear them now. We don't bear them. They're born
away. Listen to Leviticus 16, when
old Aaron came there to the scapegoat. Leviticus 16, verse 21. This is a picture of Christ.
This is a type of Christ. Christ is our sin offering and
our scapegoat. And Aaron, verse 21, Leviticus
16, shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat,
and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and
all their transgressions, and all their sins, putting them
upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand
of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon
him, bear upon him, he bear our sins in his body on the tree.
He shall bear all their iniquities unto a land of separation. And let him go into the wilderness,
and he never came back. Never was seen or heard from
again. I'll separate your sins from you as far as the east is
from the west, and remember them no more. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall," and you notice, All the
way through these verses, thou shalt make his soul an orphan.
He shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days. The
Lord's pleasure shall prosper in his hands. He shall see the
travail of his soul. He shall be satisfied. By his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify me. He shall
bear the iniquities. There's no ifs, ands, or buts
about it, or hopes so. He shall. So verse 12, verse 12, therefore,
this all being true, the Father's talking here, and you know when
the Father speaks, God's not a man that he should lie. Listen,
he says this, I've spoken it, I'll bring it to pass. My counsel shall stand. I've
purposed it, I'll do it. Therefore, because of this, Will
I divide him and inheritance, that word portion is inheritance,
with the great? Now who's the great there? We're
not talking about the great ones of this terrible earth. We're talking about the man Christ
Jesus. Listen, he's a tender plant,
no farm, no comeliness, no beauty. despised, rejected, man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief, separated from God, even men hid their
faces from him, despised, no esteem, and now I'm going to
divide him in inheritance with the great, with God himself. I'll exalt his name above everything. who thought it not robbery to
be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, took upon himself
the form of a servant who was made in the likeness of sinful
flesh, I'll exalt him above all exaltation with the great." I'll
provide him with a portion with the greatest. And listen, and he shall divide
the spoil with the strong. It's about three things said
here, all of which is true. Any of which could be meant,
but all of which is true. He shall divide the spoil with
the strong. Turn to Colossians 2 for a moment. Let's look at this a few minutes.
Colossians chapter 2. We can read this, he shall divide
the spoil with the strong, he shall divide the spoil of the
strong, he shall divide the strong as a spoil. But now look at Colossians
2 verse 13. You, being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses? blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that were against us, which was
contrary to us, took it out of the way, nailed it to the cross,
and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them in it. Our Lord spoiled
the principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness and
Satan and his angels and all enemies that oppose him. He conquered
them, he smoked them and he destroyed them, all the spoils of destruction. That's what he did. He spoiled
principalities and made a show of them openly in a glorious
triumph over them. He took away from Satan all his
goods. Turn to Luke. Let's look at Luke
here a minute. Get a little more light on this
from Luke chapter 11. I was talking about this Sunday
morning, I think, not long ago. about people who are afraid of
Satan and talk about Satan and preach about it. A man said on
television last night, he said, the afflictions and infirmities
you have in your life, God doesn't have anything to do with those.
All those are because of sin and because of Satan. Look at Luke 11, verse 21. When a strong man's arm keeps
his palace, Satan is indeed a strong man. And he has a palace, he
has some principalities and places where his goods are in peace.
But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him,
he'll take away from him all his armor in which he trusted,
his deceit, his lies, his subtlety, his craftiness, his wiles, all
these things. Take them away from him and divide
his spoils. Therefore will I divide him in
inheritance with the greatest, for he will divide the spoil."
But I'll tell you something else he did. He took a people out of the hands
of the law and justice, and out of the control of Satan. That's
what it says about us in Ephesians 2. We were dead in sins, following
the the path of evil, children of
wrath, even as others, under the influence of Satan. But he
led captivity. We were captivity. He led us
captive. He captured us. We're his. He defeated Satan. He destroyed
his spoils and spoiled principalities and powers and robbed him of
his subtlety and power and craftiness and deceit and took us out of
his hands completely. led captivity captive. And I'll tell you how he did
all that. Look at this next line. Four things, and I'll quit. Because
he poured out his soul unto death. That was the only way. The soul
is contained in the body, and in death it's poured out. But
he said, no man takes mine from me. I lay it down. love me because I lay down my
life for my sheep. And no man takes it from me."
He poured out his soul, he willingly, as a sheep before her shearers
is done, not as man. Then he was numbered with the
transgressors. He wasn't a transgressor, but
he was willing to be made in the likeness of a transgressor.
He was willing to be one with the transgressors. He was willing
to be treated before the law and justice as a transgressor,
as a criminal. He was willing to suffer as such.
He let himself be regarded as a sinner and a criminal, even
dying between two transgressors, despising the shame, even the
death of the cross. Don't you think he deserves to
be exalted above all? Don't you think he deserves our
praise? Don't you think he deserves? I saw for long ago a young man
brought up in this church, sent me a letter about how difficult
it was for him to believe, and how difficult it was for him
to come to faith, how difficult it was for him to commit himself
to Christ. What are you talking about, difficult? Shouldn't I believe such a one?
Shouldn't I be grateful for such a one? Shouldn't I bow and worship
such a one? Is it not right? Is it not common
sense? Is it not what everybody ought
to do? People don't believe what you
praise. They ought to. It's the truth. Christ is worthy of our praise.
What do you mean, I have to go to church, have to worship, have
to sing, have to praise him? My, my, he was numbered with
the transgressors, gracious, and he bared the sin of many.
He was legally charged with our sins and legally executed. He was executed by the justice
and judgment of God because he bore my sins. He was literally,
literally, legally charged with my sins and executed in my place. He bare my sins, the sin of many. I'm sure grateful. And he's worthy
of all exaltation because, fourthly, he made intercession for these
transgressors. What is intercession? What is
it to intercede? It's to entreat for someone. It's to get on your knees and
entreat for someone. It's to confer and deal with
someone on behalf of another and seek their reconciliation.
He made intercession for this transgressor. Think about it.
While he was here on this earth, he made intercession. He interposed
himself between an angry God and me. between an angry God
and you, between an angry God and his people. And he received
every blow that we should have received and every sword and
all the pain and wrath that we should have. He took it as our
intercessor. And now at the right hand of
God, it says he ever lives to make intercession, to entreat,
to confer on our behavior. But this time, it's a little
different. He says, Father, I pray for them,
I pray not for the world. That was here. But there, he
actually in heaven makes intercession based on his crown rights, listen,
and the legal demand for those goods which he purchased. There
he is. He bought them. And God, who
spared not his own son, Will he not freely give us what he
purchased? And that's what his intercession
consists of now, the presence of him with his scars. They're
mine. I legally own them. And I intercede
for what's mine. I ask you to give me what's rightfully
mine. All right.