From His conception to ascension there is powerful godly living in Christ. Let us look at an ancient prophecy that crystallizes this truth.

By the Holy Spirit Peter wrote in regard to the Holy Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21), “. . . no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” One man so moved by the Holy Spirit to speak this way was Isaiah. By the Holy Spirit he pleaded with God’s people to turn from their sins, revealed judgments by God to come, and more. Along with all of those things were the prophecies of the Messiah that would come centuries later.

One such prophecy is located in some of the verses of Isaiah 50.

Verses 4 to 7 really condense the earthly ministry of Christ. They are as follows:
4 “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples,
That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear;
And I was not disobedient
Nor did I turn back.
6 I gave My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.
7 For the Lord GOD helps Me,
Therefore, I am not disgraced;
Therefore, I have set My face like flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.”

As you see, verse 6 makes it very clear that it is Jesus Christ spoken of in this passage though the events it records were more than a half millennial away. We also know the events in that verse preceded His death on the cross. We rightfully think of His work on the cross as a sacrifice but, in a way, when we think of it, His entire earthly ministry was a sacrifice, among other things.

However, it is His death and resurrection that changes anyone from darkness into His Kingdom (Colossians 1:13). The moment one sincerely responds to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and surrenders to God through Jesus Christ making Him Master of their life they actually unite with Him crucified (Galatians 2:20). It is then just and proper to transfer the righteousness of Christ to an unrighteous person who has been crucified with Him.

Much more than that is transferred. A portion of Galatians 2:20 points out that Christ lives within each true disciple: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”. That means the very life of Christ is in each disciple, enabling them to live righteously. The grace of God places each imperfect disciple (and all are imperfect in themselves) as righteous as they learn to walk in Him. As each learns and grows their character is molded and shaped by Him. Isaiah 50:4-7 shows dynamics that are implanted in each person when they truly trust His sacrificial work.

I. Discipleship  4

Our text for this message starts with “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples". One who is taught (a disciple) might not have the ability to follow through with what they are taught. For example, someone paralyzed might like to learn martial arts but, unless they are healed, no matter how much they want to do martial arts they cannot do it. So, in order to enable us to follow the Father, the Son became just like us. He had to learn. The Son became the disciple we ought to be. In Luke 2:40 we see the grace of God worked in His life: “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

Once we truly come to Christ we must learn not to speak like the world, and not to speak on our own initiative. We learn this from Christ, but not just as head knowledge. We learn to do so by His life within us because He did so, as it is recorded in John 14:10, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works."

Jesus Christ dwells within a real disciple of His, enabling that person to speak what Jesus would speak and how He would say it. This is what our text in Isaiah brings out when we read, “That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word." Many times, though, the weary do not want to hear it, as we see in John 6 when numerous Jews forsook Jesus. Jesus asked His original disciples if they wanted to leave too. Peter properly responded and said (John 6:68), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." The Greek word for life in that verse is my favorite, zoe, which I would concisely describe as vibrant purposeful life. This world can wear anyone down in many ways, but when we surrender to God through Christ we will find His purposeful life within us with vibrancy, and a spiritual strength that translates into physical strength.

A true disciple will eventually learn to sustain others by His Word. Some might think using the quaint little phrases and the seemingly logical thoughts of the world to help others is fine. No. Given the whole counsel of the Word of God this is to sustain in the sense of spiritual betterment, encouraging them to live with Eternal Life if they are redeemed, or beckon them to it if they have not surrendered to God through Christ.

“He awakens Me morning by morning, . . .".  Jesus had daily communication with the Father -- so should we! How blessed is to personally know that God, the Holy God Who dwells in unapproachable light, does deal with us -- we who were born sinners -- through His Son {1}. Oh the depth of the tender mercies of God! And, in reality, this communication ought to be constant.

“He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple." As the Son learned from the Father, He enables the sons He brings with Him to glory to learn from Him. Jesus is recorded as saying in Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." And, as hopefully you see, finding rest for our souls in Him matches quite well “That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word".

Before we move to verse 5 it must be said that during His earthly ministry Christ listened only to the Father, or what was said by others approved by the Father. As a result, we should only listen to Christ. Now, we might hear great advice from others at times, but if that advice does not truly match the Word of God then we should disregard that advice. All teaching we receive, even that teaching from other Christians, must measure up to the Word of God that is true and sure.

II. Holy Spirit Direction  5

Because we are born with a sin nature we have trouble hearing from God. However, Christ was born without a sin nature and I would say that was the foundation of opening His spiritual ear as a human. When we receive Him as our Lord and Savior He corrects our spiritual hearing {2} so we can hear from God. But we must permit Him to open our ears and keep them open (Matthew 11:15), “He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

“And I was not disobedient.” He listened in such a way that He obeyed, and so we are enabled to obey Him. The context of this clause certainly points to His obedience in taking our sin and dying in our place. Consider in your heart Philippians 2:8, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Compare “Nor did I turn back" with Christ despising the shame as recorded in Hebrews 12:2, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” If Christ truly dwells with someone they certainly have the ability to not turn back. Numerous Holy Scriptures encourage them not to turn back, such as Hebrews 4:14, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." If that is not good enough there is a warning in Hebrews 10:38, “But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

III. Meekness (Dependency Upon The Fathe) 6

“I gave My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.”

Raised as a carpenter, Jesus was physically a strong man. He knew Who He was (see Matthew 26:53) but also knew He had a mission to save us from the wrath of the Father, from sin, and especially from our own selves. So with meekness having dependency upon the Father, Christ gave Himself for our sake.

His death is not specifically mentioned here and that might be because while most true Christians might not be persecuted to physical death, all true disciples are called upon to take up their cross (Matthew 16:24). Notice that Christ purposely permitted His persecutors to strike His back, pluck His beard, and spit upon Him. He could have stopped it, but we have to be trained not to depend upon ourselves but to depend upon God Who is almighty, just, righteous and more. So His meek dependence upon the Father is placed within the true disciple.

These three aspects -- smiting His back, plucking His beard, and spitting on Him -- address the fact we are to meekly depend upon Him with our entire being -- body, soul, and spirit. It is obvious smiting His back points to one’s body. As we look at the few passages that address beards (like 2 Samuel 10:5) and hair we see there are times they point to godly dignity and glory. So, our soul is alluded to here. Spitting upon Christ made Him ceremonial unclean, so that addresses our spirit.

All this and much more culminated in Christ crucified on the cross. And it is the sincere acceptance of the crucified Christ by a sinner into their life that establishes a complete spiritual turn about that each disciple must remain in and grow in.

In growing, we in some way take up our cross each day, following Him into His victorious resurrection. But each of us must receive Him. We are crucified with Him when we surrender to the Father through the Son. His crucifixion is where we die to self and depend upon Jesus, permitting Jesus to live through us. Just as He meekly went from Gethsemane to the grave, We are to trust God even when the times belongs to the powers of darkness.

IV. Godly Determination  7

When we die to self and let Jesus live through us we then can have His godly perseverance to remain in Him and do whatever He desires us to do. One can then know “the Lord GOD helps Me". In Him alone is the victory, “Therefore, I am not disgraced." Do not misunderstand though. That is, to be spiritually disgraced before God. As recorded in Luke 9:26, “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

“Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.” Once Christ dwells within, the New Testament match for this clause and the whole verse is Romans 8:37-39, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And, there is much more to the sacrificial life and death of Christ. There are many blessings therein for His disciple. But, for all that read this, it is a pleasure to let everyone know that His sacrifice is available for everyone. 1 John 2:1 says, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” Please receive, or make sure you have received, the only salvation there is by making a full surrender to God through Christ, making Him King of your life.

Notes:

{1} Please read “Does It Have To Be Jesus?” at http://newsandsociety.expertscolumn.com/does-it-have-to-be-jesus .

{2} Please also see “To Hear The Voice Of God” at http://holybibletreasures.expertscolumn.com/article/hear-voice-god .

This article was written in the form of a sermon (message) outline with comments. God willing by April 25, 2018 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M493 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates and adding “(The Existing One)” to readily express the meaning of His Name without making repeated explanations in articles. * = For other versions the spelling of some words is updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHVH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

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