Suffering Servant Song V-Part 5-Rewarding Results

"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he was put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offering; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:10-12, ESV) [Read Isaiah 52:13- 53:12]

Today we conclude the Suffering Servant Songs from the prophecy of Isaiah. Why did I begin this series? Say it was from my intense interest in studying the Word of God and seeing how one portion explains another, how the whole is tied together in one great and marvelous story of redemtpion of mankind. Recently, my pastor has been preaching through The Revelation in his Sunday morning sermons. As hard as that book of the Bible is to interpret and understand, his deligence in preaching-teaching has made clear that Scripture (even the visions of John on the Island of Patmos) is relevant today and exceedingly important. Any my pastor's plea that we be serious in our own personal Bible study led not only to my examination of these important Suffering Servant Songs in Isaiah, but also to all the studies that have gone into these devotionals back to January 1, 2010 when I began them. Pardon this personal testimony about the importance and benefits of studying the Word of God. As I study, rich avenues open up, and the Spirit reveals truths of which I have been hitherto unaware. I pray that something I have written will make you want to study more deeply the riches of God's Word and find and apply its relevance to your lfie.

In the verses for today, we see how the Messiah's life was a sin offering for our guilt. As a result, we are His spiritual offspring. Let us never forget that truth! We learn here that God was pleased that the Savior's death paid the price; it was not some happenstance but was predetermined with much purpose and forethought. This sacrifice, God's love for us, and His plans to establish a worldwide kingdom began with the removal of guilt and proceeded with the restitution. Many will be justified-that is, will choose to belive that the Messiah came and became the propitiation for guilt and the ent4ance way to the Kingdom of God.

"His days will be prolonged." This result, as I interpret it, means the resurrection from the dead of the Suffering Servant Himself and of His followers. The Suffering Servant is satisfied about His suffering and himiliation. "It is finished!" He said on the cross (John 19:30). After three days He rose from the dead. At His ascension, He gave us a commission which is still intact until His second return: "Go, tell, baptize, teach.." (Matthew 28:18-20). And for all the faithful, and those who "confess with thy mouth...and believe in thine heart" (Romans 110:9-10) that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, we will have a portion with Him, not only in work and sometimes suffering here, but in results and rewards of faithfulness. The John, in giving us his visions of Heaven, gave a foretaste of what is yet to come for the redeemed. Here is one of his glimpses: "And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:5, ESV) Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Day of Rest and Waiting

“That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:54-56, NKJV).

On the Jewish day of Preparation for the Sabbath, Jesus was buried. Joseph of Arimathea, “who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23:51) had asked Pilate for permission to bury Jesus “in the garden (in) a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid” (John 19:41). Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who had come to Jesus by night (John 3) also came to bring a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes for preparing Jesus’ body for burial (John 19:39). But sundown soon came, and the Sabbath began. Strict observances of the Sabbath were a part of Jewish law. So strict were the laws that hardly anything could be done on the day set aside for worship and rest.

And so the men and women closest to Jesus had to observe the Jewish laws. They could not complete the embalming of Jesus’ body. They prepared spices and fragrant oils while still within the day of Preparation. But when the Sabbath came, they could only rest and wait. In this period of rest and waiting—the Sabbath—did anyone remember that Jesus had told them He was the Resurrection and the Life? (John 11:24-26). Did they forget that Jesus said: “A little while and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me”? (John 16:16) Evidently this prophetic statement of Jesus did not implant itself in the minds of the disciples. They went from the tomb to enter the period of Sabbath rest and waiting without hope, downcast and defeated.

While God was preparing for the first day of the week, Jesus’ followers withdrew to try to rest on the Sabbath. Surely sadness bowed them down. There is no indication in scripture that they kept vigil anticipating resurrection. Even Lazarus, whom Jesus had miraculously raised from the dead, seems to be no where near that garden tomb awaiting Jesus’ resurrection. With all due respect to the disciples, their major reason for living was in the tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea. They really needed the time to wait and rest. It would take a miracle to propel them from their depression. And it was about to happen on the first day of the week. Rest and waiting were about to be over. “Wait, I say, upon the Lord, and rest in the power of His might!”

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, April 3, 2010

Jesus Speaks from the Cross

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” –Luke 23:34.

In the darkest hours imaginable, in deep suffering and agony, Jesus spoke from the cross. We go to all four gospels to get the “Seven Sayings of Jesus from the Cross.”

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at the cross. Her heart breaking, she was there to the end. We remember it was written of her even when He was born, that she “kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart.” Now we see her at the cross, her son dying the cruelest death known to mankind. And there, near her, is John, who calls himself the “beloved disciple.” And Jesus says to her, referring to John: “Woman, behold your son” (John 19:26). And to John he says: “Behold your mother” (John 19:27). This parental caregiving act came amidst excruciating pain.

Jesus wanted to be assured someone would look after his aging mother. This concern, even while He was dying, shows the depths of His compassion.

“I thirst” (John 19:28). The order of Jesus’s words from the cross are hard to determine since we must go to all four gospels to gather them all. With the heat, the suffering and the effect of the crucifixion on His body, John alone has him saying, “I thirst.” His body in great pain and discomfort, He is offered vinegar on a sponge. Jesus could have just as well meant the mental agony of desertion, even by Holy Father God, who could not look upon Jesus, clothed in sin, dying for us. “I thirst.” This direct statement has such a multiplicity of meanings.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus knew what the people were doing; those who were crucifying Him, who had determined to trap and have His death, those who were railing and ridiculing Him, Jesus knew what they were doing. But how could all of those who brought about His death and who were gathered now to see him die know what His death meant? Or why it must come to pass? This statement of Jesus has all the pathos of His seeing those participating in the act of crucifixion and not having a clue to what they were doing. “Father, forgive them.” With what depth and understanding Jesus spoke those words! They include even me!

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). These words were said to the believing criminal on one of the crosses. He had recognized and accepted Jesus as the dying Son of God. His belief was sufficient. And his reward was to be instantaneous: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” How these words have brought comfort to countless believers through all time since the cross!

“ ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). For three hours, from the sixth to the ninth, darkness had covered the whole land. Even God seemed removed from the scene of suffering and shame. Is it any wonder Christ lamented? Some wise scholars have suggested that God had to look away since He cannot look upon and tolerate sin. And in that moment Jesus was fulfilling His purpose on earth, becoming sin and at the same time sacrificing Himself for sin. He was restoring fellowship with God.

During the final phase of this act of restoration, God Himself was temporarily out of physical sight of the Son of God. Darkness prevailed—but only for a time.

“Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit” (Luke 23:46). Here is a victory cry. God has not gone away, not permanently. Jesus can again commit Himself to the loving care of the Father.

“It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus was given “sour wine” mixed with hyssop. With this last wetting of his lips, He uttered these final words from the cross, “It is finished!” And he bowed His head and died. For all time, it was finished, the mission was accomplished, the sacrifice was worthy, sufficient and timeless. No other death would be required by God for payment of the sin offering. “It is finished.” Thanks be to Jesus Christ!

Today, called Maundy Thursday, we solemnly celebrate the Lord’s Supper in our churches. This commemorates Jesus’ institution of that memorial with His disciples in the Upper Room. It is a good time for us personally to think again of Jesus’ words from the cross. Spoken in agony and with a meaning deeper than one brief devotional can ever convey, these words resound through time and eternity to let us know that in death Jesus loved us. In His death we gain life.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, April 1, 2010

The Clothing of Jesus

“Then the soldiers when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.’ Therefore, the soldiers did these things.” –John 19:23-24 (NKJV)

Imagine the scene. The crowd is milling about, for, as gruesome as it seems, a crucifixion drew a crowd of curious people. Near the cross was Jesus’ own mother, suffering untold agony to see her Son crucified. The other women were a sister of Mary, and Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. And John, the beloved disciple, who had heard Jesus assign the care of His mother to him with these words from the cross: “Woman, behold your son!” and “Behold your mother!”

And there, doing the duty assigned to them by the Roman government, were the soldiers, attending to the crucifixion of one Jesus of Nazareth and two common thieves. And there, while the act of redemption was taking place, they divided the clothing of Jesus into four portions, one for each. But they gambled for the tunic Jesus wore, for it was in one piece, woven from the top to the bottom, seamless.

We learn that in the dress of that day, a tunic was a garment worn next to the skin, loose-fitting and about knee length. Outer garments were worn over the tunic. The tunic belonging to Jesus was special. It was seamless. Such a garment was given to a Jewish young lad before he left his parents’ home to go out into the world. Some have suggested that Mary, Jesus’ mother, may have woven this seamless garment, but we don’t know that fact for sure.

The casting of lots for Jesus’ clothing was predicted in Psalm 23:18: “They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.” Max Lucado in his book, He Chose the Nails (Nashville: Word, 2000, p. 73) suggests that the seamlessness of the robe suggests the seamless, unblemished, whole character of Jesus Christ. Instead of the seamless robe, Jesus was crucified in shame and nakedness.

Rev. Lucado also likens the nakedness of Jesus as the indignities he suffered as He bore our sins. He was viewed by the crowd as a failure, else He would not have been on the cross. He wore the shame of sin: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (I Peter 2:24, NIV). Paul wrote in Galatians 3:13 that Jesus “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’) “

The Roman soldiers could not have known that long-ago day how valuable, indeed, were the garments Jesus wore which they divided among themselves. Nor could they have known the deeper symbolism of Jesus’ nakedness and indignity. Much has been written about these garments. The novel, The Robe (c1942), by Lloyd C. Douglas was the best-selling novel of the 1940’s. A movie was based upon the novel and widely viewed following its production and even now.

But far more valuable than the seamless tunic for which they gambled are his garments which we are invited to wear in our own person: “For you are all Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). From the scarlet of sin to the white of purity is the transformation we receive when we “take on” Christ, wear His garments of righteousness. In wearing His garments, we come before the Father forgiven, and our fellowship with Him is restored. For this purpose Jesus wore the garments of sin and indignity on the cross.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, March 31, 2010

A Crown of Thorns, a Purple Robe

“So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, ‘Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.’ “ –John 19:1-4

It was the Preparation Day for the Passover, a significant day in Jewish history. The Passover was the most significant religious celebration for devout Jews, the time of remembering blood smeared on the doorposts when the firstborn of the Israelites were saved when the death angel passed over, smiting the Egyptians’ firstborn children. The feast and festival held in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egyptian bondage was a solemn time. Jesus had instituted what Christians call the Lord’s Supper on the Passover. He Himself was to be the Passover Lamb whose blood would become the saving element when on the heart of each believer.

And Pilate was dressing the Passover Lamb—Jesus who was to be crucified—for the Festival. On his head a crown of thorns. Imagine the pain and humiliation as the thorns pierced His brow and the blood ran down in great droplets from His head. Imagine the mocking, “King of the Jews!” Look at Him now? What crown bespeaks His authority as Golgotha looms in the distance? No golden crown, no scepter, but a crown from the thorn bush, and mocking, cruel words.

And the purple robe: Purple, the sign of sovereignty, of rulership, the garment of Kings, rich in elements of meaning as well as color. And with Jesus, the pure Lamb of God, as He faced the cross, even the robe, the dress of a king, was a point of mockery.

As we come close to Easter, let us think somberly on the event, happening on the fourteenth day of the first month of the Jewish year—Passover. Jesus, crowned with thorns and clothed in a purple robe signifying royalty, was the Passover Lamb. As Paul so gloriously wrote: “For even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7). My sins made the prick marks in the Savior’s brow; my dishonor was in the mocking that ridiculed the purple robe of the King of Kings. At the right time Christ had come into the Kingdom. And it was as God and He planned from the foundation of the world. Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, March 30, 2010