BEHOLD THE STRENGTH OF GOD
Isaiah 52:13-15
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand. 1
If you were to do a bit of a survey and ask people “Who gets to go to heaven?” Often you will get answers, if the people even acknowledge the existence of God, that good people go to heaven. Bad people go to hell.
It’s a common belief.
And it is because many people like the Bible until it contradicts what they have predetermined they already believe.
Also because we often claim to believe the Scripture when it comes to life here and eternally, but live as if we’re all universalists, meaning we act and think like good people (if not all people) go to heaven because...well...if I were God that’s how I would do it.
But...I’m not God.
You’re not God.
And thanks be to God that we are not.
Most people default to the “good vs. bad” narrative because people are the image bearers of God, and he has given us an innate sense of right and wrong. I know there are some with mental issues who seemingly cannot differentiate that, but by and large most people throughout history, from differing cultures and times have an understanding of right and wrong.
Thus it just makes sense to people who have been created with a concept of eternity upon their souls that good, well-behaved people are gifted good things after this life on earth is over and bad people are not.
Makes sense.
Until you read the Bible.
You see however you define virtue or vice, good or bad, righteous and and unrighteous tends to be what you project upon your understanding of God. You form judgments about people and you expect God to do the same...in accordance with your judgments.
Yet the gospel...the good news of Scripture...God’s Word to us reveals a truth that is absolute. A truth that does not expire, does not change, is immutable. A truth that relates that God ... write this down ... JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY.
And oh, let that sink in. God justifies the ungodly and we best be thankful for that. Why? Because each and every one of us is ungodly and if we are honest...we know it.
Due to our nature, we are self-excusing, evasive, and self-justifying for everything we think, say, or do that we know...that we know deeply within our hearts is wrong.
We will lie...but it’s just a white lie.
We will imbibe things and images that are deadly and degrading...but it doesn’t hurt anyone else, right? That’s what we say.
We will justify our chosen sins and plan to do better next time...but there rarely is a better next time.
We will intend to be more positive, forgiving, loving...but well, you know...sometimes those people just don’t deserve that and seeing their flaws on display is so easy. THEY should know better, we think.
So, we excuse the sins of self but demand recompense from others. How dare they? They cannot get away with that! Those people!
This is the reality of the heart of humanity, and we all face this.
But we know. We know, don’t we? We know that if we just keep deflecting attention on the sins of others – you know politicians, other family members, ex-spouses, overly progressive leaders, bad neighbors, the bad friends of our kids, or someone else, we can get through. We can press on through life just working at being good...or at least appearing better than others.
Thanks be to God that he sees through our attempts at deflection and blame shifting. And loves us anyway.
God has a plan. He has had a plan for redemption of you and of me since before the first “In the Beginning” in scripture.
The plan is laid bare throughout the scripture. In the Old Testament there is a narrative played out where God’s people (doing exactly what people do) live faithfully, yet then walk away, repent, but go back to their old ways, worship well, but then get out of the habit of religion, live humbly, then live proudly, are blessed, and then disciplined. It is a roller coaster of a ride.
Isaiah’s words in chapter 52 include two prophecies. One in the first half and then one in the latter portions. The words describe the people, the nation of Israel on one hand.
The Hebrew Bible states it this way regarding the first verse in chapter 52...
“Awake, awake” – the opening words. This text includes two prophecies that begin with a twice-repeated imperative verb in the second-person feminine singular addressed to Zion. (the second repeated verb is translated as “Turn aside, turn aside.”) The repetition is to give force to the dictations of powerful exhortations to Zion – long sunk in the dust and plunged in captivity, urging her to forget her sorrows and bestir herself to embrace her triumphant restoration.
The Jews see the words as hyperbolic expression defining the collective Israel as a person. Personifying the people as a person who has faced exile in Egypt, attack by the Assyrians, and most recently captive by the Babylonians. And yes, there is a sense that God is speaking to his chosen people in this way and as I stated in earlier weeks, there are often multiple correct understandings of Old Testament prophetic words. Yes it is vital to understand the meaning of the immediate, but it is wise to see how God gives word to his prophets that point to the coming ultimate fulfillment of prophecies. Certainly there is a sense that the collective nation of Israel is hearing these words and they absolutely mean God is bringing them back and restoring them as a people...BUT...it would be wrong of us to ignore the reality that the one, the person, the servant spoken of in the latter part of this chapter is not an afterthought shoehorned into the story, but is the ultimate completion and fruition of the prophetic word given.
The one who is the ultimate answer, the one who lived to die, to pay the price, to fulfill the good news that makes the feet of the deliver of such good news beautiful (see verse 7) is the Christ, Jesus, the Son of God. The second person of the Godhead. The one who would face the pressure upon him of the sins of all humanity, past, present, and future, and would not escape the Garden of Gethsemane as the soldiers were coming to him with the betrayer Judas, but would wait and then willingly enter into the city of Jerusalem hundreds of years after Isaiah penned these words, to fulfill that which only he could do.
The cross – the death on the cross – the mutilated body – the blood – the pain – the grief of his mother and disciples – the embarrassingly public humiliation before the people – the loneliness (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) – the moment that all the Old Testament pointed toward was here.
Isaiah 52:13-15
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand. 2
Earlier in Isaiah’s writings he states that when he entered the temple of God he saw the Lord high and lifted up. That was at his calling.
Again, we see these words. But this time it is the servant – the actual person of Jesus Christ – the suffering servant who shall be high and lifted up. Exalted.
His appearance grotesque after the beatings.
But this was God’s plan. His sacrifice. His Son. For the redemption of his image-bearers.
In all our goodness, we could never measure up. We can never do enough. Good people go to heaven? Not so much. Why? Because there are no good people. Good compared to God’s holiness? Nope. We will never make it. There would be no chance.
But God in his mercy, overflowing with grace – giving a gift that is not deserved made a way who is the Way. “No one comes to the Father but by me,” Jesus said. Jesus is the Way.
And as God stated through the writer of Hebrews...
Hebrews 9:22
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 3
This is overwhelming. This is amazing. This puts everything in order and shines light on the truth.
We don’t deserve and cannot get to heaven apart from an advocate and a payment for our sins. There is no forgiveness of sins apart from the shedding of blood and that blood was shed once and for all as a payment for your sins, for my sins, for all our sins.
And to live like it is earned, deserved, or appropriated well because of our goodness is sinful on our part.
Perhaps we struggle most with understanding the depth of this forgiveness.
Think on that.
In a church era where pray the prayer and be a good church member has become the substitute for surrender your life to Christ and live as a disciple-making disciple, we have often minimized the reality of forgiveness.
Biblical forgiveness is a transaction. It is the prize received once repentance has occurred. It is not simple. It is not cheap.
And how can we recognize that we (the collective Christian community) often just does not understand nor experience the depths of this forgiveness?
We talked of this last Wednesday in our group.
Because we fail to love.
This verse has been resonating with me for a while now.
Luke 7:47
47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”4
The rate and expression of your love for others, your agape of others, your unconditional, permanent, selfless love for others is in direct correlation with your comprehension of how much you understand the forgiveness God has bestowed upon you.
Do you love well? Are you forgiven? Are you his?
Behold the sacrifice of God...made for his own glory and FOR YOUR GOOD.
Footnotes
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 52:13–15). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 52:13–15). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 9:22). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 7:47). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
