Isaiah: Lesson 13

Overview

Nothing but Christ: Isaiah 49–52

With chapter 49, Isaiah turns a corner. Luther captured it well: "From this chapter on to the end there is nothing but Christ." Throughout the book, Isaiah portrays the coming Savior in three complementary categories—the ideal Davidic King Isaiah 11:1–2, God in person, Immanuel Isaiah 7:14, and the Servant. In chapters 49–52 the Servant takes center stage. The interpretive key is this: the Servant is Israel condensed into one person—the obedient Israel who saves through the cross—Jesus Christ.

The Servant's mission is global from the very first verse. "Listen to me, O coastlands… peoples from far away" Isaiah 49:1–2 echoes God's promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him, a promise Paul calls the gospel preached beforehand Galatians 3:8. The Servant is named in the womb (fulfilled in the angelic announcements to Mary and Joseph), and his mouth is made "like a sharp sword"—the living and active word of God Hebrews 4:12 that cuts with both law and gospel. And his work is "too light a thing" if it only restores Israel; he is given "as a light to the nations," that salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

The level of detail in chapter 50 is faith-strengthening. Seven hundred years before Calvary, Isaiah writes, "I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting." The Gospels record the precise fulfillment in Jesus' flogging Matthew 27:26 and in his resolute setting of his face toward Jerusalem Luke 9:51. Chapter 51 then introduces the image of "the cup of wrath" drunk by Jerusalem under Babylon's hand Isaiah 51:17—an image Jesus takes upon himself in Gethsemane: "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" Matthew 26:39. The spotless Lamb drinks God's wrath for our sin to the last drop. The cohesiveness of Scripture across centuries displays God's fingerprint and grounds our confidence in his inerrant Word—sola Scriptura indeed.

Chapter 52 announces release: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news." The exiles' return from Babylon prefigures a far greater deliverance—our redemption from sin through the cross and empty tomb. Paul applies the very image to gospel proclamation: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" Romans 10:15. This is the pastoral application: the Savior who was struck, spat upon, and who drank the cup of wrath has set us free. Our feet, too, are beautiful as we carry his news into the week ahead. Luther was right—from Isaiah 49 onward, there is nothing but Christ. Go forth this week with beautiful feet.

Transcript

Holy and gracious God, we give you thanks for this day unique in all of history. 4s

We give you thanks, O Lord, for the faithfulness of your promises that carry us through each 9s

and every day that surrounds us with your graciousness. 15s

Bless now, we pray, this study to your glory and to your honor in Jesus' name. 20s

Amen. 26s

Well, last week we took a look at the prophetic word in which Isaiah was pointing ahead to Cyrus. 28s

Cyrus was the king that God had raised up, kingdom of Persia, which at the time, you recall, 37s

the time of the prophecy, Persia didn't even exist yet historically. 45s

And God had plans to raise up this king, and Cyrus would release the people, 50s

and they would head back to Jerusalem and to rebuild Jerusalem. 55s

The ultimate purpose of that, of course, that we saw is, remember through this people 61s

that God had formed in fashion would come to the Messiah, the ultimate purpose of all of God's 68s

action was for the realization of the promise of the Messiah. 74s

We took a look at the one purpose that we have in our lives, and that is to glorify him. 79s

We took a look at the understanding of the hidden God and how God speaks to us through 84s

his word. 92s

We took a look at the helplessness of idols and that God has redeemed us through for a 93s

much greater joy than the redemption that he had had with the people, releasing them 99s

from Babylonian exile, a much greater joy that we can shout for joy about. 104s

Well, today we continue on in this section chapters 40 to 66 of Isaiah, which is called 112s

the Book of Comfort, and we just finished the first part of that book. 120s

You can divide the book of Comfort into three different sections, and we just completed 128s

the first part, chapters 40 to 48. 134s

Aluther said, from this chapter on, and that's chapter 49, he says, from this chapter on to 138s

the end there's nothing but Christ. I think that sounds like Luther, and we will see that so 145s

very, very clearly. And we're going to study today, chapters 49 to 52. We're going to see the 153s

fulfillment of Isaiah's words here, the fulfillment of them in the Savior, the Lord Jesus, and that 160s

is faith strengthening. When you look at the cohesiveness of Scripture, of which we'll see, 169s

and you look at the fulfillment of prophecy is indeed faith strengthening. In Isaiah, you see the 175s

Messiah portrayed in three different categories. One is the ideal, Davidic came. The second is God 186s

in person, and third is the servant. So the ideal Davidic king, God in person, and the third is 208s

the servant. There are three different categories that you can place how the coming Savior is talked 223s

about. We're going to talk about, as we move into 49, this category here with regard to the servant. 232s

Let me just show you a little bit about the ideal Davidic king. Let's go back to Isaiah, chapter 11, Isaiah 11, 239s

verses 1 to 2. And this would be part of the Scripture that would fall under this description here, Isaiah 252s

chapter 11, verses 1 to 2. A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out at his roots. 262s

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, 273s

the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, is delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. You hear those words 282s

from our baptismal liturgy that are echoing there. But when it talks about a shoot shall come from the 289s

stump of Jesse, there's the Davidic line of the king. And so that's one of those verses where Isaiah is 296s

portraying the Savior as the ideal Davidic king. Let's go over or go back to chapter 7, verse 10, and following. 303s

And here you have the second category that Isaiah portrays the Savior, and that is God in person, God in person. 315s

So Isaiah chapter 7 will pick up in verse 10. Again, the Lord spoke to Ahaz saying, ask a sign of the Lord your God, 323s

let it be deep as she, O Lord, as high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 334s

Then Isaiah said, here then, O house of David, is it too little for you to weary mortals that you weary my God also? 342s

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call him Emmanuel. 351s

Well, there is God in person. Remember, Emmanuel means God with us. So you got the ideal Davidic king. You've got God in person. 362s

And now let's focus on the servant. Here's an interpretive key that's important to understand when you're talking about the section here that we're in, 372s

when you're talking about the understanding of the servant. And that is the servant is Israel condensed into one person. 383s

And that person is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. So it's Israel condensed into one person. It's the obedient Israel that comes to save through the cross. 394s

So with that in mind, let's go to 49 verse 1, chapter 49, verse 1. 412s

Listen to me, O coastlands. Pay attention, you peoples from far away. Okay, let's pause. 426s

In Genesis, chapter 12, you remember the promise here made to Abraham and Sarah. There's going to be the formation of this people and out of this people is going to come the Messiah. 438s

And the Messiah here is going to bless here the world. So God forms a specific people for a specific reason out of which comes the Messiah. And God's concern is for the entire world. 452s

Let's turn over, keep your finger here, if you would. Let's go to Galatians, the third chapter and the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans. 473s

First and second Corinthians, then Galatians. You've hit Ephesians, it's too far. Galatians, the third chapter, verse 8. 483s

Verse 8. And the scripture. For seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. Remember that we're justify or justification. Just break it down as a easy little memory device to be made just as if you never sin. 503s

So verse 8 and the scripture. For seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. Declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, all the Gentiles shall be blessed in you. 522s

So back now to Isaiah 49. So when the call starts out in chapter 49 and it says, listen to me, all coastlands pay attention. You peoples from far away. It's this message here that the good news of the gospel of the servant Israel condensed to one person, the Messiah. 538s

The good news here is for old Jew and non-Jew gentile, simply a non-Jew. Let's go on in verse 1 again. 559s

The Lord called me before I was born. Well, I was in my mother's womb. He named me. Now remember, this is about the servant. So this is the Lord Jesus here. 573s

Jesus was named while still in his mother's womb. Just a couple of verses just for the sake of time, we're not going to turn to it. But in Matthew 1 and in Luke 1, Matthew is 21 to 23. 587s

Luke 1, it's 30 to 35. There is Mary being told and Joseph being told, you're going to have a son and you're going to name him Jesus. 602s

So there's no debate here between Mary and Joseph here of what the child's going to be named. No, God says, and this is the name. 615s

His name is going to be Jesus. So second part of verse 1 there of 49, the Lord called me before I was born while was in my mother's womb. He named me verse 2. 623s

He made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand, he hid me. He made me a polished arrow in his quiver. 639s

He hid me away. Let's keep our finger here. Let's go to Hebrews the fourth chapter. Good way to find Hebrews is just start in the very last book revelation. Start working your way left. 651s

You're going to cross over the Johns. You're going to cross over the Peters. You're going to bump you're going to cross over James. Then you hit Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12. 667s

In the word of God is living in active. 689s

Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow, is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 694s

And before him, no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 706s

In Isaiah 49, 2, the servants' weapons come from his mouth and the servants' weapon is the word. It cuts. 718s

It reveals law. It reveals gospel. The word crackles with life. 731s

I always loved what my preaching professor said back in seminary. He would turn to us and he would say, in the end, just get out of the way of the word. 739s

Just get out of the way of it. And that's when that word just kind of crackles with that life. Okay. Back into 49 again of Isaiah. 751s

And he said to me, you are my servant Israel in whom I will be glorified. 769s

Israel cannot mean at this point the nation. It can't mean national Israel because when you jump over into verse 5, this servant has a mission to Israel. 778s

So in verse 5 of Isaiah 49, it says, and now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him. 794s

And that Israel might be gathered to him, for I'm honored in the sight of the Lord and my God has become my strength. 804s

You see, this is 49. It's focused on the understanding of the Messiah as the servant here. And the servant is Israel condensed to one person. And who is that? That is the Lord Jesus. 814s

And he's going to glorify God through the redemption on the cross. 832s

Get back into 5 again. And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him. 840s

And that Israel might be gathered to him. For I'm honored in the sight of the Lord and my God has become my strength. 848s

He says, it's too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel. 856s

I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach. Here comes a theme again to the end of the earth. 864s

The mission of the servant is not only to bring Israel back to the Lord, but it is to bring the Gentiles back to the Lord. 874s

The cohesive nature of Scripture. 889s

Would you go from Genesis to Revelation? Scripture made up of 66 books and it all flowed. It's all tied together. 894s

Read over centuries here. And the cohesive nature of Scripture is indeed faith strengthening. 908s

When you see here in Isaiah just examples here of what's the reason for the Messiah and the reason for the Messiah is for the salvation. 918s

Not just of the Jew, but for the Gentile, for the whole world. 928s

As we continue on now and as we move into 50, the validation of the in the gospels of the details here that is revealed 700 years earlier than the Messiah. 935s

When you look at the details here now that are revealed, this also is a faith strengthening. 954s

Let's go to chapter 50 now, verses 6 to 8. 963s

I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard. 973s

I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. 984s

The Lord God helps me therefore I have not been disgraced. 992s

Therefore I have set my face like a flint. And I know that I shall not be put to shame. 997s

He who vindicates me is near who will contend with me. Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. 1005s

Let's just break this down here a little bit and how it points ahead to Jesus and how Luther said from this point on, 1017s

there's just nothing but Christ, nothing but Christ. 1027s

Look at verse 1, the first part of verse 6, chapter 50, please. 1032s

I gave my back to those who struck me. 1037s

Okay, let's keep our finger here. Let's go to Matthew chapter 27, verse 26, 1043s

Matthew 27, verse 26, 1058s

Scripture says so, he released Barabbas for them and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. 1069s

Many people, they didn't survive the flogging to even get to the crucifixion. 1082s

And so when it says back in Isaiah, I gave my back to those who struck me, you fast forward to Matthew. 1089s

And there's the fulfillment here of this detail. 1099s

In the second part of verse 6, back in Isaiah of chapter 50, there's also reveals then what must have happened to our Lord when it says, 1107s

Now, it's not only as he flogged, but then they must have pulled out his beard. 1125s

I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. 1133s

And we hear from Scripture the insults that were hurled at our Lord. 1139s

This is 700 years before the cross. 1144s

God isn't powering Isaiah here to write this down about who, about the servant, the Messiah, who's come to win salvation for the world, Jew and Gentile. 1148s

And we get to this level of detail of what's going to happen to the Messiah. 1162s

And then we get the same accounts here of this is what happened to the Messiah. 1167s

The pulling of the beard, by the way, was a sign of contempt and disrespect that was given. 1175s

Okay, back in verse 7 of chapter 50, 1182s

The Lord God helps me therefore I have not been disgraced. 1189s

Therefore I have set my face like flint. 1193s

And I know that I shall not be put to shame he who vindicates me is near. 1198s

Okay, let's keep our finger here, please. 1206s

And let's go to Luke 9, verse 51, Matthew Mark and then Luke. 1209s

Luke 9, verse 51. 1214s

So Isaiah tells us here, 1230s

And Luke 9, verse 51 says, 1237s

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 1240s

She got the detail then 700 years before all of this happens here, even down to the detail, not only of what's going to happen to the back and the beard of our Lord 1247s

and the suffering he's going to have to endure. 1261s

Now you've got even the detail of what Scripture echoes in Luke 9 of the setting of the face of Jesus. 1263s

For this reason he had come to go to the cross. 1271s

He sets his face to go to the cross. 1273s

The validation of the details in Holy Scripture, 1280s

cohesiveness of Scripture, and we see once again how God giving Isaiah not only the prophecy about the Babylonian captivity and the return of the people, 1285s

naming of the king of a kingdom that didn't even exist. 1300s

Now you're talking about the third category of description of the Messiah, and you're talking about the level of detail here of what's going to happen at the cross. 1302s

While it's difficult here to read these level of details here and to have that image in our mind, it is faith strengthening with regard to the authority of the word upon which we stand. 1315s

That's why one of the solas upon which we stand, grace alone, faith alone, word alone, alone. 1330s

It is the source and the basis of that which we believe and we proclaim the word alone and how reliable is the word. 1338s

When we go into Isaiah 52, what God reveals to Isaiah in the 52nd chapter is he shows here, excuse me, 51, what he reveals in 51 is Isaiah looks ahead into the future at the judgment that's going to come from the Babylonians. 1348s

So it's a fast forward. This is what's going to happen in this judgment that is going to come as God uses the Babylonians. 1378s

Let's go to 51, 17. 1390s

Rouse yourself, Rouse yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem. 1399s

You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath, who have drunk to the draggs the bowl of staggering. 1404s

There's no one to guide her among all the children, she's born. 1417s

There's no one to take her by the hand among all the children she's brought up. 1421s

These two things have been fallen you. 1427s

Who will grieve with you, devastation and destruction, famine and sword, who will comfort you? 1430s

Your children have fainted, they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net, their full of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God. 1438s

This is the prophetic word of the judgment God uses the Babylonians to exercise His judgment upon the unfaithful people. 1450s

Scripture will use that image of the cup. 1463s

Scripture uses it as an image of suffering, as a pointing to the wrath of God. 1468s

Here is the cup that they have to consume the king of Babylon was Nebuchadnezzar. 1477s

This is the cup here of God's wrath through the instrument of the Babylonians and upon the people. 1485s

With that picture in mind, let's go to Matthew 26, verse 39. 1497s

Matthew 26, verse 39. 1514s

And here's the picture in the Garden of Cassemony. 1520s

And verse 39 says, and going a little farther, he, Jesus, threw himself on the ground and pray, my father, if it is possible, let this notice the word cup. 1526s

Pass from me. The cup pass, what's the cup? 1537s

It sets suffering, it's the wrath. 1543s

So now Jesus then drinks the cup of wrath on the cross, where God's wrath for sin is laid upon the spotless Lamb of God and Jesus drinks the cup to the last draw. 1547s

Isaiah here, what he's talking about, the judgment that's going to be coming and the people that would drink the cup of God's wrath, the instrument being the Babylonians, it prefigures then the cup that Jesus drinks of suffering and wrath for our sin. 1565s

You look at Scripture and you say the level of detail and the cohesiveness throughout Scripture and you see God's print, it's God's infallible in errant word for us. 1587s

Okay, now to Isaiah 52, in the last couple of minutes we've got, Isaiah chapter 52. 1609s

This chapter shows that the exile will end, it's this word of prophecy that the people are going to come back, they're going to rebuild Jerusalem. 1619s

In chapter 52, awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion. 1631s

But on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city from the uncircumcised and the unclean, for the uncircumcised and the unclean, shall enter you no more. 1638s

Shake yourself from the dust rise up, O captive Jerusalem. 1649s

Lose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter, Zion, sold for nothing and you shall be redeemed without money. 1655s

It is this prophetic word that that exile would indeed end down at verse 7. 1668s

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says, Desire, your God reigns. 1679s

That's a reference there, historically, the messengers would run from the scene of the battle to bring the outcome to the king and the people. 1695s

So here is the news with regard to the prophetic word here that indeed there would be a return from the exile here and how beautiful are the feet of the messenger who announces this good news. 1705s

This is the deliverance that prefigures the deliverance that is ours from sin through Christ. 1723s

Let's go to Romans chapter 10, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and Romans, Romans 10 verse 15. 1731s

And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? 1753s

As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 1760s

How beautiful then are our feet, our feet as we bring the glorious news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1769s

And the image here from ancient day is applied then to us the prefiguring of the release of the exiles, the delivery from them and the propelling them to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild. 1780s

That image there of that good news and the messenger with the feet here, applied then scripturally to the New Testament to us here who have experienced a far greater deliverance, then to deliverance from the people out of Babylonian captivity to go back to Jerusalem. 1797s

We have experienced the deliverance through the cross and the empty tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ and our feet are beautiful, beautiful as we proclaim the glorious news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 1817s

The threefold depiction, the ideal divinity king, God and person, the servant of God, the cohesive nature of Scripture, the level of details that validates here are validated in the gospel. 1838s

The image of God with regard to the wrath that was expressed upon the people and as the people drink the cup and Jesus here drinking the cup of God's wrath for our sin. 1858s

The reliability and truthfulness of the Word and with beautiful feet we go forth and proclaim. 1875s

Luther was right, wasn't he? 1884s

There's just nothing here but Christ. 1887s

Let us go forth this week with beautiful feet. 1893s

We'll continue next week and we're going to take a look at chapters 50-52 to 54. 1899s