Looking For The Savior To Appear

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ISAIAH

(A study of Isaiah 53)

Series Introduction: “Don’t Miss The Messiah”

In the prologue of this study we asked and then answered the question “What Is The Gospel?”. Afterwards we considered the reality that we are to be “Witnesses Of The Gospel”. In both instances the central figure of the Gospel is the Messiah, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we covered in great depth, the Gospel is “the good news of Jesus Christ”.

The entirety of the Old Testament is saturated with references to Israel’s Messiah. As He had done throughout the ages, God sent a prophet with a message for His people. In this instance, that prophet was “Isaiah the son of Amoz”. Isaiah prophesied “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (1:1). The LORD called him into prophetic service “in the year that King Uzziah died”, (this occurred around 740 B.C.) In Isaiah 6:8 the prophet said, “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

God used Isaiah to proclaim His merciful and gracious plan for the rebellious Nation of Israel, and ultimately for the world. God had entered into a covenant with Abraham and assured him that the entire world would be blessed through his “Seed”. Genesis 12:1-3 says, “Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Centuries later, while writing to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul said, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16) Later in that same chapter, Paul mentions a great promise that applies to us; he said. “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

Though Israel was exceedingly rebellious throughout their history and especially in Isaiah’s day, God would not fail to keep His promises to Abraham and his decedents. With that being said, we cannot overlook what the LORD said about the fulfillment of His promise, He said in Isaiah 48:9-11, “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.”

There is no doubt that YAHWEH is an exceedingly loving, merciful, and gracious God. However, God’s love and compassion was not His primary motivation for extending mercy to Israel; God’s ultimate motive was His own glory. If the LORD had punished Israel as they deserved, this would have diminished the display of His glory. Through Isaiah He declared that He would not allow His holy name to be profaned, therefore He would fulfill His promise even though His people were undeserving.

Along with God’s covenant with Abraham, He also entered into a covenant with King David. The Davidic Covenant, (found in 2 Samuel 7:12-16) is God’s promise to David that his lineage would endure forever, and that one of his descendants would establish an eternal kingdom. The LORD said in 2 Samuel 7:16, “your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” We know that this prophecy and covenant was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Because of the Davidic Covenant, the people of Israel had long anticipated the arrival of a King who would deliver them from their enemies and put an end to all of their suffering. It was their belief that this King would fulfill all of the Old Testament prophecies, and lead them into a new era of peace, blessings, power, and prosperity.

From the time of Abraham until the birth of Christ, every generation of Jews had anticipated the arrival of the Messiah who had been spoken of by the prophets and promised by the LORD Himself. By the time of Jesus, the Jewish people had received an abundance of information concerning the Promised One.

There were prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah. Through Micah, God declared that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”) Earlier in Isaiah’s prophecy Israel had been told that the Messiah would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.)