THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ISAIAH
Introduction: “Witnesses Of The Gospel”
(Antioch Baptist Church - Wednesday, March 12th, 2025)
Serving in vocational ministry is a tremendous privilege and it brings me great joy. However, one of the disadvantages of my position is the constant barrage of bad news. Almost daily I am confronted with the burden of seeing people that I love endure times of trouble, heartache, and tragedy. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are dealing with extreme financial struggles, fractured relationships, strained marriages, rebellious children, health issues, and even terminal illnesses.
With all of the bad news that I encounter, it is refreshing and exciting to hear some good news. Recently a close friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. I spoke with her husband earlier this week and learned that her pathology reports came back and the spot that was believed to be malignant is actually benign. Obviously I was thrilled to hear this news and I couldn’t wait to share it with several of our mutual friends. In fact, I was so excited that I found myself telling people that do not even know her that she is cancer free!
Sadly, there are times when we treat evangelism as if it is a burden. There is no question that we have a responsibility to be witnesses of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. But this responsibility is not a burden, it is a great privilege. We possess the greatest news in the history of the world and it is not that we “have” to share it, we “get” to share it.
In the prologue of this study we focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We learned that in the original Greek the word “Gospel” is “euaggelion”. It is from this word that we get the English words evangelist, evangelize, and evangelical.
If the simple definition of Gospel is “good news”, then the simple definition of evangelism is “sharing the good news”. The good news that we get to share is the glorious reality that Jesus came to make a way for us to receive forgiveness of sins and to possess eternal life.
You may be surprised to learn that evangelism is not just a New Testament concept. In fact, God’s plan to use His people to reach the nations is seen as far back as Genesis and all throughout the Old Testament. The LORD intended for Israel to serve as His witnesses to the world. I would like to unpack this truth and consider the subject “Witnesses Of The Gospel”.
WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL
As we examine the Old Testament scriptures concerning Israel, it is apparent that they were tasked with being God’s witnesses. It is also abundantly clear that they failed to carry out their responsibility. Let’s consider:
ISRAEL’S RESPONSIBILITY AND FAILURE AS WITNESSES
The Nation of Israel had been chosen by God to be His servant. There are several references in Isaiah’s prophecy where Israel is described as God’s servant. One such reference is found in Isaiah 41:8-9; there the LORD says, “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away.” Another reference to Israel as being God’s servant is found in Isaiah 44:1-2; there the LORD says, “Yet hear me now, O Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.”
The Bible leaves no doubt that Israel is God’s chosen people. The LORD said in Deuteronomy 7:6, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” Some people may be confused, astonished, or even offended that God would choose one nation (Israel) out of all the others to be His “treasured possession”. However, God’s ultimate plan was not to exclude the other nations from His divine & eternal plan for mankind. Rather, God intended for Israel to serve as “a light for the Gentiles”; they were to be His witnesses to all the nations of the world.
The LORD said in Isaiah 43:10-12, “You are My witnesses…, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses...”.The LORD reiterates this truth in Isaiah 44:8, there He says to Israel, “Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
Israel knew and had a familial relationship with the one true God and their purpose was to make Him known among all nations, tribes, and peoples. It was through Israel that the Promised Messiah would come and it was through Him that the nations would be blessed. This was God’s covenant with Abraham. 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.” The phrase “all the families of the earth” shows us that God had a plan for the Gentiles from the very beginning.
In the midst of a world filled with sin, God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and established a great nation. This nation (Israel) was to be a spiritual light to all the world. If they would be faithful and obedient to the LORD, the surrounding nations would take notice and perhaps be drawn to Him. Moses communicated this truth to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 4:5-8: He said, “Look, I have taught you statutes and ordinances as the Lord my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to possess. Carefully follow them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, ‘This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation has righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:5-8 CSB)
God provided Israel with everything they necessary for them to be His witnesses to the world. Through Moses He gave them the Law. He provided them a strategic location where they could shine as a light to the Gentiles. He gave them prophets, priests, & kings. God often manifested Himself to His people and He blessed them abundantly. It was the LORD’s desire for Israel to represent Him as His servant, to exhibit His character and ways, and evangelize the nations around them.
Tragically, rather than being grateful for the amazing privilege of being God’s people and sharing His greatness with others, Israel went their own way. (Isaiah 42:18 “Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? Seeing many things, but you do not observe; opening the ears, but he does not hear.”)
The Hebrew scriptures chronicle Israel’s disobedience. Time and time again God’s chosen people, His treasured possession, are seen turning away from Him and worshipping false idols. Rather than being representatives of the LORD, they brought shame and reproach on His name. One of the natural results of their rebellion is that they consistently failed to “shine as a light among the Gentiles”.
Israel failed in their responsibility to be a servant in whom God’s delights. However, God would send another Servant who would faithfully complete the task that had been assigned to Him. In Isaiah 52:13 the LORD says, “Behold my Servant”; this Servant is none other than the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. As we move further, let’s examine:
JESUS’ IDENTITY AS THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS
Jesus is described as "The faithful and true witness" in Revelation 1:5 and 3:14. Our Lord & Savior is the ultimate witness of God's character and will.
As God’s Servant, Jesus did what Israel failed to do; He always did the will of the Father, He proclaimed in John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Jesus never sought His own will. He said in John 5:30, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” It was Jesus’ purpose and desire to glorify the Father and this desire was accomplished. (John 13: 31 Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.) Jesus finished all of the work that the Father sent Him to do. Near the end of His ministry, in His “High Priestly Prayer”, Jesus said to the Father, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4). Jesus is the Servant of God, but He is much more than that! Among His many marvelous attributes, Jesus is God’s faithful and true witness to humanity.
From the outset of His earthly ministry Jesus went “into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15). The good news of God’s Kingdom was the central theme of Jesus’ preaching. He declared to all who would hear that God’s Kingdom was at hand and people should repent and believe in this message.
In Isaiah 49:6, it is declared that the Messiah will redeem the Gentiles. The LORD says, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. Through Jesus, God’s salvation is brought to ALL people. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” Our Savior is without question the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies.
However, it is well documented in Scripture that Jesus “came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11). This is a reference to Christ’s rejection by the overwhelming majority of the Jewish people. Even though He was “despised and rejected” by many, Jesus was received by others and to “all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)
Some 700 years after the prophecy that God gave through Isaiah, Jesus came and did what Israel failed to do. He became a witness to the nations and a light to the Gentiles,. Furthermore, Jesus did something that Israel never could have done; He provided redemption for mankind.
Though we were not born Jewish, most of us have never even visited Israel, and our genealogy cannot be traced back to Abraham, we have heard and received the gospel of God’s Kingdom. Contrary to what you may hear, this was no accident. God did not devise a plan for the Gentiles only after Israel rebelled against Him. God had a plan for us from the beginning and as always, His plan has come to fruition.
The book of Acts records how Jesus entrusted His Apostles with the responsibility of reaching the world with the Gospel. This process began with a primarily Jewish population on the Day of Pentecost and then spread from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and then all over the world. One of the highlights of Acts is the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s plan of redemption. Those of us who have been redeemed have been tasked with the responsibility of being witnesses of the Gospel.
We have seen Israel’s Responsibility & Failure As Witnesses; we have considered Jesus’ Identity As The Faithful & True Witness, now let us examine:
OUR PRIVILEGE & OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITNESSES
As Christians who study the Bible we know some really bad news. We know that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. We also know that “the wages of sin is death”. The Bible informs us that the deserved consequences of our sin is physical and spiritual death. Spiritual death speaks of separation from God, the very source of life.
We were unable to pay our sin debt, therefore our only hope of deliverance from the consequences of sin was for an acceptable payment to be made on our behalf. The good news is that this acceptable payment was made through the sufficient substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we who were once dead are now alive. Paul said, “you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross”. (Colossians 2:13-14 ESV). It should be our desire to share this new life with the world around us!
Theologian Carl F. H. Henry is quoted as saying, “The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time”. We have been assigned the responsibility of informing those within our sphere of influence of the bad news that “the wages of sin is death”. We also get to share the glorious reality that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. However, we must comprehend the reality that our time on earth is short; therefore we must ensure that we spend our time wisely and reach people with the Gospel while there is time.
It is not enough for us to simply tell people about Jesus, we must show Him to them by how we live our lives. Israel was not just guilty of neglecting their responsibility to share God with the surrounding nations, they were guilty of abandoning Him, serving and worshipping idols, and living lives of wickedness and rebellion.
God intended for Israel to be a light to the Gentiles and they failed concerning their assigned task. Jesus came as “the Light of the World”; He did what was necessary to draw people to the Father. Now, He has entrusted us with the responsibility of pointing people to Him. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said unto His followers, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16). It is important for us to remember that we are not the source of light, rather, we are to live in such a way that reflects the light of the True Light, our Lord Jesus Christ.
There's a call comes ringing o'er the restless wave,
"Send the light! Send the light"
There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save,
Send the light! Send the light!
Send the light, the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!
I pray that you have seen the Light that is Jesus Christ. If you have then I pray that you will be committed to being a Witness Of The Gospel.
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