Heb.9:10; Mk.10:33-34
7 Sufferings of Christ Isa.53:4-7
A. STRICKEN - Gethsemane Mk. 14:32-34 - EMOTIONAL grief stricken
B. SMITTEN - Judas and mob Mk. 14:43-52 - SHOCK Zec.13:7
C. AFFLICTED - Peter & High Priest - HUMILIATION Heb. "brought low"
D. WOUNDED - Sanhedrin & false witness - PERSONAL Zec.13:6; Pr.25:18
E. BRUISED - Sleepless night before Roman officials Lk.23:1-25;Dan.2:40 - CIRCUMSTANCES "Weary" lit."Bruised" Lk. 18:5
F. CHASTISEMENT - Scourging, bearing cross, crucifixion Lk.23:16;22-46 - INJUSTICE punished as a criminal
G. OPPRESSED - Soul bore unimaginalbe anguised in hell Mat.12:40;Ps.16:10;Ps.18; Ps.88 - SUPERNATURAL bothe God's wrath and satan's
7 Covenant Benefits
JUSTIFICATION Ps.103:3a; Acts 13:39;Rom.5:1;8:32SANCTIFICATION Ps.103:3a; Heb.10:10
DIVINE HEALING Ps.103b; Mk.8:17
DIVINE HEALTH Ps.103:4a; 3 John 2
PEACE and REST Ps.103:4b; Zec. 9:11; Lk. 8:24
RESURRECTION LIFE Ps.103:5; Heb.13:20; 2Cor.1:9
GLORY of GOD Ps.103:6; 1 Pet.4:14
Calvary's Seven Covenants
God's redeemed saints who have gone on to glory, fill heaven with their happy redemption songs. One is record in Revelation 5:9, "And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, by the blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation."
The source of this redemption, Calvary, has cast its prophetic shadow back into the lives of the early patriarchs. Holding their new born sons, they prophesied showing the life their son would live, and they named him accordingly. In all of their name, a letter from Jehovah's name, identified the bearer as a child of God. Jehovah gave to Himself seven compound names to denote the full sevenfold redemptive work of His Offering at Calvary. The following names set forth each a covenant work of Calvary.Jehovah-Jireh
Jehovah-Rapha
Jehovah-Nissi
Jehovah-Shalom
Jehovah-Raah
Jehovah-Tsidkenu
Jehovah-Shamah
The Psalmist David, understanding this great salvation, wrote in Psalm 103:1-2, "Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits; Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and who healeth all thy diseases." Later the Prophet Isaiah 53, sets forth the seven sufferings of death (the word death is plural in Heb.53:9) as Jehovah- "laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him....
Stricken
Smitten of God
Afflicted
Wounded
Bruised
Chastened
Oppressed. "(Isa.53:4-9)
At Calvary the Jewish Messianic Yeshuah, dying, cried, "It is Finished."
The Apostle Paul, seeing many Christians neglecting the full benefits of Christ Jesus' redemption, wrote to warn us in Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" God's entire creations of heaven and earth and life upon the earth, are prophetic.
Memorials of His Sacrifice. The sixty constellations of stars that form the lunar, retell each year this wonderful story. All nature each Spring rehearses this greatest of all stories. Even in national Israel's history all their national commandments, laws, Ordinance, and Feasts were but figures of better things to come, in redemption.
One sees the very present shadows of Calvary's sevenfold redemption, all back through the Adam race. Even the earliest patriarchs had to perform seven acts, in worship, as God met them only at the sacrifice. Their offering would have been in vain, if they had failed to obey God and lay their hands upon the head of their lamb sacrifice. As they had to look forward to the cross so far as we now look back to it, their acts of obedience were also acts of faith. In laying on their hands on the substitutionary sacrifice, they knew it was but a substitute for God's Lamb, that Abraham prophesied in Gen.22:8, even as God's Messianic Son-Lamb was a substitute for each of us. As a sinner laid hands upon the little lamb about to die in his place, he first had to Confess his sin and need, identifying himself with the sacrifice, then Profess his faith, giving finality to God's Word.
At Calvary, Jesus our Lord, fulfilled every ceremonial ordinance of Israel. He not only gave His physical life in the shedding of His Blood, but His soul that didn't die on the cross, became God's Scapegoat, bearing all of our sins down in to the lowest hell. In Psalm 88 one sees the Soul of Christ in terrible torment, dying in the place of the body and soul of every believer. In Psalm 139:15-16 one sees heaven , in the heart of lucifier (Ezekl 28:12-19) and Isa.14:9-17, we see hell was conceived. Paul saw this scene of Christ going down, in Eph.4:8-10 and David in Psalm 68.
Jesus came in His earthly ministry, to live the Pattern Life for His church, and He reached forward by faith, even as Abram, to claim and possess the sevenfold ministry of deliverance of Calvary, even before He went to the cross. By the same faith every Christian has reached back to Calvary and laid hands on God's Lamb through confession, imparting eternal life to us.
Then came the Apostle Paul preaching The Gospel, based on the finished work of Calvary, and composed of the Seven Bible doctrines that flow from Calvary. They are found in Hebrews 6:1-2 and are:
* Christ
* Repentance from dead works
* Faith toward God
* Baptisms (a) of regeneration in the spiritual Body of Christ, (b) of the Holy Spirit and fire and (c) of the believer in water.)
* Laying on of Hands
* Resurrection of the dead
* Eternal judgment
The seven covenants of Calvary that composed the Apostle's Doctrine, the assembly ground of the early apostolic Church are Justification, Sanctification, Divine Healing, Divine Health, Rest of Faith, the Resurrection Life and Christ's Glorification. As we examine these seven convenants of Calvary that give the believer full Dominion over all things that now holds him or her in dominion, the first is that of Justification, and the second is Sanctification.
1. Justification- The first gives deliverance to the human spirit (Pneuma) from the built of sin, while the second gives our soul (psuche) or mental life, deliverance from the power of sinful habits over us. Justification bring repentance and indwelling of the Spirits of Christ, who recreates our human spirit into a new sinless creation, 1John3:9, "Whosoever is born of God (our spirit) doth not commit sin, because he is born of God." Also it shows security to the believer's spirit in 1 John 5:18 together with thirty unconditional promises, as, "And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish" John 10:28-29.) This gives the born again believer in Christ a Work of Grace from Calvary that assures an Eternal Standing in the family of God, just as you have eternal Standing as a member of your household because of your Birth and Blood. Paul refers to our perfect standing as our being "In Christ". Martin Luther, the Catholic Priest, waling on his bleeding knees, even as is commonly seen in Mexico today, was striving to suffer in penance and thus stay saved or redeemed. Then God spoke to him, "The justified (those already redeemed) shall live by faith" Heb.10:38. The New Birth in Christ is once and for all, but the second work of Calvary Sanctification, is progressive.
2. Sanctification- As we examine the second ministry of deliverance, Sanctification wrought by Christ Jesus for us at Calvary, we see it is a setting apart to God. This is the work done through our soul or mental life, and with the Law of the Mind. Romans 7:23, having its sovereign will of choice, we find a need of deeper consecration to continue our walk in the spirit and not in the flesh, so awakening to our need of deeper spiritual life to overcome the Adamic Nature of sin within, we reached back to Calvary by faith and claimed our earnest of inheritance, the clothing of our lives by the Holy Ghost, which was our Lord's last promise and prophecy Acts1:8. This work of Calvary is imperfect in us until we reach maturity in Christ, for we begin in the babyhood state, and as we obey the 1050 commands (see "Commands" link) in the New Testament, and enter into the power of the many promises, we grow spiritually as the Christ-Life is fully formed within. So our Standing (spirit) is eternal, but our State of growth (soul) varies as we obey and disobey the Word of the Lord. As we climb this invisible Mountain of Calvary to claim our inheritance in Christ, and drink from the fountains of Life, we find many stones of unbelief, that must be cast out. After Pentecost the Holy Spirit desires to set some of the nine spiritual gifts of 1 Cor. 12:8-10 in our Spirit-filled lives, and some of the men are set into the five ministry offices of Eph.4:11, as Christ builds His New Testament Church in His Divine Order. After Pentecost, we wash our minds constantly with God's Word.
3. Divine Healing - The Third of the springs of Calvary every believer in Christ can drink from, is that of Divine Healing for soul and body. There is so little preaching on Calvary in modern churches and the Laodicean churches have filled this well of life with many stones of unbelief. Our churches taught us what unbelief we have, namely that the days of miracles are over, and that it is not God's Will to heal sick bodies, and some teach it is unscriptural. We can cast these stones of unbelief out, by examining the Life ministry of our Patter Jesus, who healed the sick and sent His disciples forth, commanded to do the same, and the Apostle Paul was still practicing it in Acts 28:7-9. The Apostle Matthew interprets Isaiah 53:4-5 in Matthew 8:17, "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses," and Christ set it in the great commission to the New Testament Church in Mark 16:17-18. "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name ye shall cast out demons - they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." This is a command with Promise. Many thousands of us in the past fifty years have been swept up the mountain of God to the very seventh position of Calvary's glory, but being spiritually ignorant of the full benefits of Calvary's covenants, the devil drove us back down; but now we are climbing with determination to contend for our birthrights, and inheritance. If you can see your individual illness in Jesus on the cross, then you will soon be delivered, but if you testify the illness is on you instead of Him you suffer on.
4.Divine Health - Now let us examine the fourth deliverance of Calvary's seven covenants. It is Divine Health for soul and body even as you have for your recreated spirit, let us pull up our stakes and move our tents to higher ground. Here you will find the well of divine health filled with stones of doubt, fear, uncertainties and unbelief. The average church has failed to meet the need of the people and no assembly can go higher than its pastor. In the law of impartation when Old Covenant people laid hands on thier sacrifices, which were memorials of Calvary, and examine their Peace Offering. This sacrifice must always be by Fire (speaks of the anointing that breaks the yoke). It provided daily peace, a lull in the times of storms. Hands were laid on the sacrifice and all the chastisements of the people imparted by Faith upon the lamb. As Israel entered Canaan, they began a Daily Sacrifice, offering a lamb in the morning and one in the evening, and so a lamb was always burning, in a fire on the altar that never went out. The Prophet Isaiah knew this deliverance and wrote, in Isa. 53:5, "The chastisement of our peace was upon Him." Then again he wrote in Isa.26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind (consciousness) is stayed on Thee, for he trusteth in Thee." Today thousands of Christians are vexed and tormented with mental and physical disturbancess. You can impart by Faith all your Chastisements for peace back upon the dying Lamb of God at Calvary.
5. The Rest of Faith - The Fifth well of Calvary's living waters is that of the Rest of Faith which is the Rest of God. In the preceding "Peace" deliverance, it brought lulls in the storms of life, but this Rest of Faith keeps you at rest even through all storms and trials of life, much as the sparrow hiding in the cleft of the mountain rests as a storm breaks without. Paul found that rest and was calm even through the crucifixion death. Let us reckon by faith with Paul in Col. 3:3, "Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God". You must find rest in each of these seven positions of Calvary or you cannot climb and possess any higher one. It is so important that the Christian finds Rest in his or her justification or they can never contend for and hold very long any higher experiences of Calvary. But here one finds the Rest of God. And when you work in your worries, fears and uncertainties of life, God rests, and when you rest, He works. Every insect, fowl, and wild animal live continually in the presence of their enemies, yet have rest; so can you for Christ within, sealed until the day of redemption, (Eph.4:30) secures your rest, when you believe, your consciousness is your waking faith, and in Matt.12:37 your conscious reckoning, of where your disturbance is, in you, or in Christ, determines the result. "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be judged." Again the Lord offers you Rest in another Command with Promise. "Come unto Me ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matt.11:28.
6. Resurrection Life - The sixth fountain of eteranal blessings to the children of God is that of the Resurrection Life. Most teaching has the believer look forward to the coming of the Lord, and of course our bodies will be quickened then in resurrection, but there is Resurrection Life for every believer Now. Jesus set forth this truth to live by, in John 12:24, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone." Here the resurrection life of Calvary set forth its order, in death, burial and resurrection . Even the lowly caterpillar must be willing to give up its life as a caterpillar, buried in its cocoon, before resurrection life performs the miracle and brings forth as the butterfly. At the time of our regeneration we gave up our old life, reckoned it crucified with Christ, and buried, that He might live His resurrection Life daily in us. When you find any worldly or sinful habits reappearing in your life, through revived Adamic nature, and unless you judge it with repentance, you will be chastened in corrective judgment. We find the Apostle Paul, in Phil. 3:10 pressing deeper into this resurrection power, "That I may know Him and the Power of His Resurrection."
7. Glory - Now we examine the Seventh and crowing ministry of Calvary, the Glory of our risen Lord. We read in Ez.8 and Ez. 9, of Israel's four profanations of God's Holy Temple, His Name, the Priesthood, and laity, that caused God's glory to be lifted from their national life.(National life because Israel did NOT believe in the separation of church and state.) Because of the same four profanations in the individual's life and their assemblies, the glory of the Lord has departed. Year after year through the centuries, the faithless masses of God's people, continue to compass the Mountains of Calvary, but never press up to it to contend for the seven wells of life and positions of inheritance. In 1Peter 5:4 God has set forth a reward of glory in which He crowns the life of the full overcomer in Christ. On Mt.Sinai Moses entered into the glory of God. On Mt.Carmel the Prophet Elijah saw the glory of God come down. Jesus took the three of His twelve disciples, who had a deep enough consecration, up the Mt.of Transfiguration to behold Him in His glory. As darkness covered the cross of Calvary and our dying Lord, God shook the earth, and Christ's crucifiers trembled in the presence of God's glory. The Apostle Paul pressed deeper into this crowing glory, through the sufferings of Christ, and in Phil. 3:10 cried, "That I may know Him in the fellowship of His sufferings."
Now we are entering the last watch of the Lord, as we cross the last and seventh frontier of this Church age. The Spirit calls us to come up higher, and contend with the enemy at the seven water holes of Calvary, that we might possess the heights of God. Let us contend for The Faith of The Apostles Creed of the Seven Covenants of Calvary, that alone can give us the full rest of the overcomer in Christ, remembering they are set in divine order for dominion, that we may have dominion victory over all that has taken dominion over us, and that God's first pre-race covenant of Gen.1:26-28 might be fulfilled in Christ's body. The seven covenants are Justification (for spirit), Sanctification (for soul), Divine Healing (for body); and the last four that Christ might be fully formed in our lives namely that of Divine Health, Rest of God Faith, Resurrection Life, and Christ's Glorification. "Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Joshua 3:5).
Calvary's Path of Life
When God desires to show us the fullness of one of His attributes or truths He, as is shown in Eph.3:18 four dimensions, gives us a comprehensive four-fold view of it. He shows us:
1. The over-all picture of its domain, or scope of it
2. The process or "path" that it takes in it progressive steps
3. The fruit that it produces, particularly deep within our souls
4. The eternal glory of God that results
You can sum it up as showing its 1. "principality," as it were, or scope, 2. its "process" 3. its "product" (its personal work), 4. "praise" that it will get from God at the Judgment seat of Christ, as we present it to God as having been worked out in our own lives.
Before we look at Isaiah 53, let us review what we mean by "The path of life." There are 7 steps in all.
One in a 3 month study of Psalms 119, God opened up one of the reasons why all those different words are used for seemingly the same truth. They shot it to us in a comprehensive way; for the "Law" (torah) gives us the VISION of truth, for "law" embraces the whole code of duty. "Testimonies" give us the experiencing, just as it says, or TESTIMONY of it. "Ways" ("dreakim" = "trodden paths") are designed to give us the WAY or principles of truth. "Precepts" (charges of truth) actually are designed to give us the right MESSAGE that we personally need. "Statues" (ordinances decreed with legislation sanction) serve to make these principles or these truths imparted to us, by parental charges, to be something habitual in us. In other words to make them to become truth's MINISTRY to us.
"Commandments" "judgments" and "ways" are all designed to show LIFE in us, to us, and through us. His commandments are to be written within us, not just from without. Incidentally, commandments are directions issued with paternal authority. "Judgments" are judicial sentences or verdicts directed to correct our lifestyle. "Ways" here in Hebrew is "orach" or "customary paths" (speaks of customs or traditions, which can be good, 2 Thes.2:15 in contrast to the previous word "ways" which is "derakim," meaning "prescribed lines of conduct." Life in us reflects our nature. Life to us develops our character, and life through us shows our influence.
There are four words which are translated "Word" (2 directly and 2 indirectly).
1. Davar - meaning expression of God's mind and will
2. Imrah - a word communicated orally
3. Bin - understanding
4. Emunah - faithfulness, truth, the constancy of God's law.
These four show us the WILL OF GOD. The Creative, Righteous (or moral), Specfic, and Ultimate Will of God.
Now Isaiah 53 actually begins with Ch.52:13. This verse shows such divine exaltation resulting from Calvary - divine height of Calvary's "praise." In verse 14 the lowest depth (especially in the original where it shows that He wasn't even reconizable in his appearance (body) or in his form (soul) shows the "product" of the humiliation of His person. Then in verse 15 we find the broad outreach of the divine "principality" of Calvary - divine breadth. Now let's see in Ch.53 the "process" of the divine "length" of Calvary.
1. The consciousness or VISION of Calvary is seen in verse 2, first part. "For he shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground:" He became conscious of His Father's twofold vision of Him at Calvary, reaching up (the plant) and down (the root). Now in the last part of this verse, it shows man's consciousness or vision of Him, for they saw no appearance of beauty in Him. What in the Father's eyes were "tender" and "deep," in the eyes of man was "ugly" and "unattractive."
2. The Crisis or TESTIMONY of Calvary is seen in His growing up before men, verse 3-4. "Depised" = "to hold in contempt, disdain" and "rejected" = "to cease following as a shepherd." He boldly passed this test, and came forth with a clean testimony (1 Peter 2:23).
3. The Care or WAYS (principles) of Calvary in verse 4. He "bore" our griefs and sorrows (can be translated sicknesses and pains). He had this principle of Calvary becoming part of Him. to suffer for others is God's way to reach people's hearts, this attitude makes them realize God's care for them.
4. The Crucible or MESSAGE of Calvary is seen in His 7 sufferings, verses 4-7. For when pinciples are born within us, then when obeyed, they teach us lessons of truth, in other words they give us a MESSAGE. Each suffering denotes a different pressure and has a different meaning in the original completely distrint from the other.
5. The Cure or MINISTRY of Calvary verse5-6. For whereas no.3 emphasizes the act of bearing the load, here the cargo, what is borne as result, is emphasized. His ministry consisted in taking away or "transgressions," our "iniquities," and whatever vexes our peace, including physical afflications. He remains in this ministry of deliverance.
Having seen previously that the principles, when obeyed, become the Good News Message in us, then it begins operating in and through us giving us the MINISTRY of Calvary, to deliver the oppressed ones into God liberty.
6. The Center of LIFE of Calvary verses 7-9. (Acts 8:33, in the old Septuagint version reads, "In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation for his life was taken from the earth"). He, knowing that life comes through giving up one's life for God, gave up, in a real sense (and in the substitutionary sense of the word), His spiritual life by being made sin for us. This is pictured in verse 7 by the lamb going to the slaughter and the sheep being sheared of its wool, picturing Christ's reighteousness, which He gave us that we may have it. Secondly, He gave us His natural or soulish rights as His humiliation even that was taken from Him. For althought Pilate admitted to finding no fault in Him, he punished Him as if He were worse than a cruel criminal because of popular pressure was against Him. Thirdly, Christ gave up His physcial life. "He was cut off from the land of the living."
His life, as it is ministered in, to and through us, produces abundant LIFE, the true life of Calvary, making us one of His true disciplined ones or servants.
7. The Crown or WILL of GOD in Calvary expressed, verses 10-12. Remember that God's glory is 4-fold (as seen in His 4 theocracies; The Patriarchs, the Law, the New Testament Church, and the Millennium), this necesssitates that God's will also is 4-fold, for these is a close bond between the two. When God's will is fulfilled God's Glory is manifested. His 4-fold glory has been defined as the Glory of His Name, Word, Life and Presence.
His Will consists of His Creative, His Righteous (moral), His Specific (that is, "Shall I do this or shall I do that?") and His Ultimate will.
a. His Creative Will - involving Resurrection, is seen in verse 10 ("pleasure" = "will"). He gave His life as an offering for sin, then he resurrected with an everlasting life to see His seed.
b. His Righteous Will is seen in verse 11 - God's righteousness was satisfied by the travail of Jesus' soul. Through the knowledge of it we have justification.
c. His Specific Will is seen in verse 12 - where Jesus Christ gets His specific portion allotted Him.
d. His Ultimate Will is seen in verse 12b - where Jesus Christ divides His portion to the "strong."
We've followed the path of life, Calvary life here, through chapter 53, life following a river. This last one has 4 forks in it, as it were that ushers this great river into the vast ocean of Eternity. For while we saw that "Life" was the last bend in it, here we see that life finally becomes God's inward law within our hearts and it becomes the most natural thing to do God's Will, Phil.2:13. "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:4.)
1. The over-all picture of its domain, or scope of it
2. The process or "path" that it takes in it progressive steps
3. The fruit that it produces, particularly deep within our souls
4. The eternal glory of God that results
You can sum it up as showing its 1. "principality," as it were, or scope, 2. its "process" 3. its "product" (its personal work), 4. "praise" that it will get from God at the Judgment seat of Christ, as we present it to God as having been worked out in our own lives.
Before we look at Isaiah 53, let us review what we mean by "The path of life." There are 7 steps in all.
One in a 3 month study of Psalms 119, God opened up one of the reasons why all those different words are used for seemingly the same truth. They shot it to us in a comprehensive way; for the "Law" (torah) gives us the VISION of truth, for "law" embraces the whole code of duty. "Testimonies" give us the experiencing, just as it says, or TESTIMONY of it. "Ways" ("dreakim" = "trodden paths") are designed to give us the WAY or principles of truth. "Precepts" (charges of truth) actually are designed to give us the right MESSAGE that we personally need. "Statues" (ordinances decreed with legislation sanction) serve to make these principles or these truths imparted to us, by parental charges, to be something habitual in us. In other words to make them to become truth's MINISTRY to us.
"Commandments" "judgments" and "ways" are all designed to show LIFE in us, to us, and through us. His commandments are to be written within us, not just from without. Incidentally, commandments are directions issued with paternal authority. "Judgments" are judicial sentences or verdicts directed to correct our lifestyle. "Ways" here in Hebrew is "orach" or "customary paths" (speaks of customs or traditions, which can be good, 2 Thes.2:15 in contrast to the previous word "ways" which is "derakim," meaning "prescribed lines of conduct." Life in us reflects our nature. Life to us develops our character, and life through us shows our influence.
There are four words which are translated "Word" (2 directly and 2 indirectly).
1. Davar - meaning expression of God's mind and will
2. Imrah - a word communicated orally
3. Bin - understanding
4. Emunah - faithfulness, truth, the constancy of God's law.
These four show us the WILL OF GOD. The Creative, Righteous (or moral), Specfic, and Ultimate Will of God.
Now Isaiah 53 actually begins with Ch.52:13. This verse shows such divine exaltation resulting from Calvary - divine height of Calvary's "praise." In verse 14 the lowest depth (especially in the original where it shows that He wasn't even reconizable in his appearance (body) or in his form (soul) shows the "product" of the humiliation of His person. Then in verse 15 we find the broad outreach of the divine "principality" of Calvary - divine breadth. Now let's see in Ch.53 the "process" of the divine "length" of Calvary.
1. The consciousness or VISION of Calvary is seen in verse 2, first part. "For he shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground:" He became conscious of His Father's twofold vision of Him at Calvary, reaching up (the plant) and down (the root). Now in the last part of this verse, it shows man's consciousness or vision of Him, for they saw no appearance of beauty in Him. What in the Father's eyes were "tender" and "deep," in the eyes of man was "ugly" and "unattractive."
2. The Crisis or TESTIMONY of Calvary is seen in His growing up before men, verse 3-4. "Depised" = "to hold in contempt, disdain" and "rejected" = "to cease following as a shepherd." He boldly passed this test, and came forth with a clean testimony (1 Peter 2:23).
3. The Care or WAYS (principles) of Calvary in verse 4. He "bore" our griefs and sorrows (can be translated sicknesses and pains). He had this principle of Calvary becoming part of Him. to suffer for others is God's way to reach people's hearts, this attitude makes them realize God's care for them.
4. The Crucible or MESSAGE of Calvary is seen in His 7 sufferings, verses 4-7. For when pinciples are born within us, then when obeyed, they teach us lessons of truth, in other words they give us a MESSAGE. Each suffering denotes a different pressure and has a different meaning in the original completely distrint from the other.
5. The Cure or MINISTRY of Calvary verse5-6. For whereas no.3 emphasizes the act of bearing the load, here the cargo, what is borne as result, is emphasized. His ministry consisted in taking away or "transgressions," our "iniquities," and whatever vexes our peace, including physical afflications. He remains in this ministry of deliverance.
Having seen previously that the principles, when obeyed, become the Good News Message in us, then it begins operating in and through us giving us the MINISTRY of Calvary, to deliver the oppressed ones into God liberty.
6. The Center of LIFE of Calvary verses 7-9. (Acts 8:33, in the old Septuagint version reads, "In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation for his life was taken from the earth"). He, knowing that life comes through giving up one's life for God, gave up, in a real sense (and in the substitutionary sense of the word), His spiritual life by being made sin for us. This is pictured in verse 7 by the lamb going to the slaughter and the sheep being sheared of its wool, picturing Christ's reighteousness, which He gave us that we may have it. Secondly, He gave us His natural or soulish rights as His humiliation even that was taken from Him. For althought Pilate admitted to finding no fault in Him, he punished Him as if He were worse than a cruel criminal because of popular pressure was against Him. Thirdly, Christ gave up His physcial life. "He was cut off from the land of the living."
His life, as it is ministered in, to and through us, produces abundant LIFE, the true life of Calvary, making us one of His true disciplined ones or servants.
7. The Crown or WILL of GOD in Calvary expressed, verses 10-12. Remember that God's glory is 4-fold (as seen in His 4 theocracies; The Patriarchs, the Law, the New Testament Church, and the Millennium), this necesssitates that God's will also is 4-fold, for these is a close bond between the two. When God's will is fulfilled God's Glory is manifested. His 4-fold glory has been defined as the Glory of His Name, Word, Life and Presence.
His Will consists of His Creative, His Righteous (moral), His Specific (that is, "Shall I do this or shall I do that?") and His Ultimate will.
a. His Creative Will - involving Resurrection, is seen in verse 10 ("pleasure" = "will"). He gave His life as an offering for sin, then he resurrected with an everlasting life to see His seed.
b. His Righteous Will is seen in verse 11 - God's righteousness was satisfied by the travail of Jesus' soul. Through the knowledge of it we have justification.
c. His Specific Will is seen in verse 12 - where Jesus Christ gets His specific portion allotted Him.
d. His Ultimate Will is seen in verse 12b - where Jesus Christ divides His portion to the "strong."
We've followed the path of life, Calvary life here, through chapter 53, life following a river. This last one has 4 forks in it, as it were that ushers this great river into the vast ocean of Eternity. For while we saw that "Life" was the last bend in it, here we see that life finally becomes God's inward law within our hearts and it becomes the most natural thing to do God's Will, Phil.2:13. "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:4.)
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