2008-06-20
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I am led once again to continue discussing cross-references to MT 7, the portion of the Sermon on the Mount which deals with judgments. Today, we look at IS 61: 1-2, "The Sovereign Lord has filled me with His Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to announce release to captives, and freedom to those in prison. He has sent me to proclaim that the time has come when the Lord will save His people and defeat their enemies. He has sent me to comfort all who mourn…" In Isaiah's time, he was delivering a message few wanted to hear, in response to the Lord having commissioned him as a prophet. We have believe that such a difficult task was being given to one who would be honored in heaven for having done it in accordance with God's will. Isaiah was the right person, the person who in his heart heard the words of Christ, and had the courage to deliver them. Thus, the words of IS 61: 1-2 are Christ's words, even through Isaiah and his contemporaries had never heard the name, Jesus Christ. How do we know this assertion is true? We need only look at the words in LK 4: 16-21, as Jesus is reading the same words on the Sabbath in the synagogue prior to being rejected by the people of His own village of Nazareth. When Jesus had finished, He rolled up the scroll of Isaiah and said, "This passage of Scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read (21)." [In synagogues even today, the same portion of Scripture is read on the same day of the year].
Right up to the words in IS 61: 2a, "when the Lord will save His people," Christ was dealing with the past. He knows the time of the Tribulation will come, but is not authorized by the Father to reveal that, so He stops before doing so. The phrase "time has come" means the Day of the Lord. This break in verse 2 comes because the Lord knew that the church age [the time from His crucifixion until the onset of the Tribulation which includes the time we are living in] would stop God's time line for awhile. Once again, Christ was not authorized by the Father to reveal that. Beginning with the words of IS 61: 2b, "and defeat their enemies," Christ, through Isaiah, is talking about the future.
IS 61: 2b, in the NIV, reads, "to proclaim the year of Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn." Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism [JN 1: 32], and His earthly ministry was concerned with bringing the good tidings of salvation to the poor, binding up of the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty to sin's captives, and opening the prisons of those who were bound by lies, deception, and other forms of sin. It is logical that Christ would have included MT 5: 4 in His Sermon on the Mount. "Blessed are those who mourn; God will comfort them." Christ's authorization to judge is seen in DN 7: 13-14. It will actually happen once His second Advent has occurred. Isaiah ends the quotation with "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" because of what follows, "the day of vengeance of our God," will not be fulfilled until that time.
We can see a careful control at the Father's will of exactly what and how much about the end times is revealed at any given time. The purpose behind this is to maximize the potential for people having faith in the Lord. God is doing that huge task of gradually civilizing mankind and presenting opportunities to not only come to faith in Christ, but also to live according to that faith. We mustn't forget God's [and Christ's] mission statements, in EPH 1: 4-5 and JN 6: 39-40, to bring back as many people to the Father in heaven as will listen to the truth of Jesus Christ and will believe it. Of course, this also involves repentance of sins and a willingness to live righteously. In my own life, I can testify to the truth of Christ's Lordship, if by no other evidence than the happiness I now have in my life, in comparison to the misery of my past before I came to faith in Him. I lived in terror of death and suffering, a kind of barren hopelessness, before I came to Christ. Nothing made sense to me, especially those nagging questions, "why am I here? Where am I going when I die?" None of it made any sense at all. Then came along the Holy Spirit to crack open the stubbornness of my heart and to let the truth seep in. Today, my life has purpose. I'm here to serve the Lord. We have gratitude to Him, because He blesses us in a myriad of ways-brings sweet friendships into our lives, shows us we can do things never dreamed of because of Christ's empowerment, and most of all, gives us the knowledge that even though we are sinners, we can be deemed "innocent." How can we not praise Him, knowing that He gave up His life on the cross, so that we can be saved? [JN 3; 16; RO 3: 24-25]. As for the fear of death, true believers need never worry about that, because Christ has conquered it. HE 2: 14-15, "Since the children, as He calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus Himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through His death He might destroy the devil, who has power over death, and in this way set free those who were salves all their lives because of their fear of death." IS 61: 1-2 is on it's way to becoming a reality! Praise be to Christ!
PRAYER: O Lord, Your power to bring good to this earth is nothing short of amazing. You are to be thanked and praised by a growing number of true believers in Your Son, Jesus Christ, for this and so much more. We stand with heads bowed in reverence to let You know that we are eager to live without the hopelessness, despair, and misery that having no faith in Him brings. Some of us are at an age where we have lost our parents, other loved ones, and friends to physical death. How amazing it is to attend a service that is not sad, but is a celebration of life and a joyous "send off" for the newly departed to heaven! You promised those people who could have been feeling fruitless loss that You will eliminate pain and sorrow. REV 7: 16-17, "Never again will they hunger nor thirst; neither sun nor scorching heat will burn them, because the Lamb Who is in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Dearest Father, we know from past history that You are a Promise-keeper. Such knowledge gives those of us who know Your word the knowledge that You will eventually establish Your Kingdom in heaven, that same Kingdom of which Christ spoke so often. You have even described the New Jerusalem in REV 21-22. We are sinners, ones who don't deserve these blessings, and yet, You give us Your own Spirit [JN 15; 16-18] to guide us to righteousness in Christ. With a life lived this way, we can claim these blessings promised, knowing You are bringing out our best. PS 63: 7, "Because Thou hast been my Help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice." What joy it is to know that our sins can be forgiven and we can hope to be judged "innocent!" You are a loving, wise, and compassionate God, and we love You with all our hearts. In the mighty name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Next week, I am led to continue examining cross-references to MT 7, the Sermon on the Mount chapter on judgment. We will look at JN 8: 34-36. Each of us needs to examine our own lives as they were in the past, as they are in the present, and what they can be in the future. That our amazing God is omnipresent is a fact, as is His omniscient [all knowing] and omnipotent [all powerful] nature. There is nothing that God wants to miss about our lives. God is patient, and He is eager to see us learn to live holy lives, just as He does [1 PET 1: 16]. The gift of the Holy Spirit given to us is designed to help us live righteously. Our task is to believe in Christ, to learn to listen for the Lord's direction through the Holy Spirit, and to have the courage to follow it. Study of His word and prayer are key to this process. The Lord listens to every prayer we send up and extends Himself in making this promise in JN 15: 7. "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish and you shall have it." Of course, He answers our prayers in His perfect time and way. Christ is our "rooting section" to be successfully perfected and glorified in His time. We must cooperate, by understanding that our earthly lives are meant to serve Him well, being faithfully obedient to Him. He equips us well. PHIL 4: 13, "I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me." And in the end, if we do this, we will be judged "innocent" and brought back to heaven to live in sweet eternal fellowship with God. For what more can we ask?
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn