The Mystery of suffering

Our natural instinct is to focus on our suffering. Let Isaiah point us to the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ.

       Isaiah 40 is the turning point of the book, and the build up of hope in God revealing Himself rises.  The joyful news bounces upon the mountains as the Gospel of peace.  Then chapter 52 and 53 present the servant of God as, by appearances – a failure!  It certainly is not natural to follow a failure. We cannot ignore Isaiah 53, because the Lord Jesus Himself applied it to Himself (Luke 22).  So the mystery of suffering in this chapter is unlocked by Jesus Himself.

      Up to this chapter, sin was generally rewarded with punishment. In chapter 53, the sins of the wandering sheep, the punishment of the transgressors, is placed upon the innocent, the holy Servant of God, the Messiah himself! Not only is He counted among the transgressors (53.12), but He is the substitute to bear their sins.

    ‘Why should Jesus suffer so on the cross of shame? ‘

    We must note the important factor in this chapter – “The Lord laid on Him”    “ the Lord made His soul an offering for sin”.  When we see the “Lord”  acting , we see the suffering of Jesus Christ as being for a distinct purpose.

Verse 7 has an interesting marginal rendering in the Newberry Bible – “  It was exacted and He became answerable”   Sounds like 2 Corinthians 5.21 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ “ NLT.

Isaiah 53 concludes with triumph, not only for the suffering Messiah, but triumph for those whose sins He has borne. He as the risen one intercedes in heaven for them.

This chapter has remarkable detail of the sorrows, rejection, pain, misjudgement, etc of Christ. Take time to search it out.

   Well might Phillip preach to the Ethiopian from this same chapter – Jesus  (Acts 8)

Going forward into Chapters 54 – 66, more precious truth is unfolded about the Messiah eg 61.  Chapter 55 proclaims the Gospel of free grace to all who turn to the Lord. The conclusion is full of hope as the King returns to establish His righteous rule. ‘Even so come Lord Jesus’

In review of Isaiah, we may not understand all its historical background and application, but we sure can rejoice in the unveilings of God’s Son, revealed for God’s will and our blessing.

In closing, please ponder chapter  66.1-2  --The almighty, so great and glorious is willing to dwell with the humble and contrite ones, who tremble at His word! ! !

John McKee

IDOLS

An apologetic (reasoned defence) passage in Isaiah

           Isaiah chapter 44: 6-20

This chapter begins with promises of God’s grace. Verses 6 to 20 describe the foolishness of idolatry. We know that the ten commandments forbid worshipping any graven image. Worship belongs to God alone. And yet even today, in this sophisticated educated world, millions of people pray to wood and stone images. The new Testament makes it clear that often behind the physical object is a sinister spiritual force. ( Corinthians 10.20 )

          Let Isaiah show the folly of an idol.  A man cuts down a tree, then uses some of the timber to make a fire for cooking ( and in Australia to make a house), and then he carves out an image – maybe of a human, an animal or something a bit out of this world. Then the creator of the image (and likely his family),   bows down to worship it. Logic says that something is distinctly  wrong.  Not only does he honour the idol, but also prays to it to help from it!

It was quite astounding to me when we lived in Hong Kong, a city of so many educated, intelligent and rich people, that at a certain  time of the year they were so engrossed in putting out images and idols. So much time and money spent trying to please the unseen world.

      How blessed it is to know a God who though invisible, yet is real and revealed in Jesus Christ.

I ask you to read through verses 6 to 20 and  having read it , to pray for the many, maybe not so far from you, who are captive to this lie. Verse 20  - “He trusts in something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask ‘is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?’   “  NLT

               Idolatry is non sense -  but I challenge my readers ...............what are we doing with the great liberty and knowledge we have ?

“ So we must listen carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it”  Hebrews 2.1  NLT

John McKee     

Gems from Isaiah

      Let us notice some of the gems in Isaiah.
Chapter 1.18 " Come now and let us reason together says the Lord"   - The Lord God, so offended by rebellion, is not unreasonable! ( try reading this in New Living Translation - it is beautiful)

Chapter 6  In a day when uncleanness was the mark of disobedience, God shines through as "Holy, holy, holy"  This brilliant ray of light brings hope to those willing to be purified by the perpetual value of the alter (Hebrews 1.3)

Chapter 9:6,7  "Unto us a child is born, a son is given......" This  messianic prophecy dispels the hopelessness of unbelief. The riches of these few verses has remained a source of hope for more than 2000 years. I encourage you to take time out to ponder, search the word meanings, consider the  culture and context, and see the prophecy gloriously fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord.  You will wonder, worship and praise !!

Chapter 11 is long distance foretelling in full swing. Things yet to be, only possible through the risen exalted Lord Jesus

Chapter 28.16 is a prophecy and a promise quoted in the New Testament (the compass points to Peter  - but I will let you find it)  The promise of safety for those who TRUST in the Lord is like Chapter 30.15 " in returning and rest you will be saved, in quietness and confidence will be your strength"
       These gems reveal the cause for the sad tale of woes  -  the underlying problem of unbelief, departure from God and rebellion against God. O that people today would learn the lesson of history and turn to the God who loves , who waits to cleanse, to comfort................

Chapter 32.1  "The King is coming"    He came once and was rejected, but He said "I will come again" For the believer this prospect is uplifting, but for the unbeliever how terrorizing to one day become the direct object of God's judgements at the hand of Jesus Christ the Lord.  1 Thessalonians 1

Chapter 42 is a delightful description of the servant of Jehovah. This is Jesus in the character of a servant. Let these verses be food for your soul as you meditate on one in whom there is no disappointment.

Chapter 53 stands uniquely significant in the Old Testament and the New  -  the mystery of a suffering Messiah. ( as we referred to in a previous article)

Chapter 61   and  many more places, cheer the heart and inspire faith.

Let us look up instead of around.

Maranatha


John McKee

Isaiah

       I have been reading the early chapters of Isaiah. How depressing to read of woes and judgements. The messages of destruction are overwhelming and one is inclined to jump to a different section. However it is wise to search the rubble ( I mean the rubble of human disobedience) for the precious gems, for they are there. Some have posed the question 'How could a God of love pronounce devastating judgements?'   --  sometimes the consequences described are the unavoidable outcomes of foolish choices eg to depend on other nations for military protection in the  varying wars.  Often times, and distinctly for Israel and Judah, God was disciplining and punishing His people in His jealous love. The worship of idols and the trust put in other nations instead of God must needs invoke the action of God to recover His wandering flock.
    Reading the woes of condemnation, we watch out for the underlying cause, and so often it is the hearts of the people have turned away from God to trust and follow others. In our western culture of individual independence,  insolence toward God is normal!  However when we consider the relationship of the creator and the creation, the relationships of parent and children, the bonds of the Redeemer and the redeemed, the insolence of rebellion can only invoke problems, discipline and punishment.
    Has the Lord changed today?  He may , in this day of grace, be very slow to anger, but His character is yet the same.  I listen carefully to the words of the Lord Jesus - " As many as I love I rebuke and chasten" (Revelation 3)


to be continued

Good night and God bless you with simple , real  trust in Himself

He Knew All Things

The foreknowledge of the Lord continued.

            From a human point of view,  Jesus could have done better for Himself. He could have appeased the leaders and remained a good teacher and healer among the nations. He could have negotiated with the Romans ( like Herod ) and established himself with political power. He could have quietly written his new philosophy on scrolls that might be distributed to the ends of the earth. But no, He goes ahead, knowing that ‘disaster’ awaited Him!

   This is where His foreknowledge is most significant – proclaiming eternally that His death was not an accident, not a martyrs death, not a foolish miscalculation of popular opinion etc.  On the road to Emmaus He told the puzzled walkers, ‘All that the prophets have spoken -  that Christ must suffer and rise again from the dead.’

Let us ponder the many foretellings in Luke 22,23

·                       *The Passover night He said “ I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover before I suffer” .    Suffer?   To illustrate what He meant, He took the bread  and broke it – symbolizing that His body would be broken. He  then took the cup – interpreting this Himself – His blood shed as a ransom, shed to seal the covenant of grace soon to be established, shed to bring forgiveness .             Just as He intelligently took the bread and the cup to signify His death as having special and eternal meaning, so should we  eat intelligently (1 Corinthians 11 ).

·                *  Next the Lord foretells the impending betrayal by one of the twelve.

·                 *  Luke 22.28-30 is an intriguing prophetic promise to the eleven disciples who had been faithful to Him. He promised to them in the Kingdom to come, thrones of authority to judge the twelve tribes of Israel ! What a promise when everything seemed to be crashing around them. Did He KNOW something more than the present ?? Indeed He did !!

·                 * He returns to the present burdens  and expresses in advance the anticipated grief of Peter’s denial “you will deny three times that you know  me”

·                 *  Now notice a most important foretelling – 22.37  “this scripture must be fulfilled in me – He was numbered with the transgressors” The Lord is claiming that Isaiah 53.12 would be distinctly fulfilled in His ‘suffering’. As it turned out, it was precisely so, but in no sense engineered by Jesus. He seemed to KNOW what Pilate would do!

·                   * In Gethsemane, He is burdened with grief and anxiety because He KNEW the cup of suffering He must drink.

·                 *  Verse 53 He describes this moment of assault as  “ you hour and the power of darkness” – deeper forces at work than appeared on the surface.

·                   *When the Lord stands before the Sanhedrin court, He makes a prophetic claim that is pivotal for all mankind. The High Priest asks Him “Are you the Son of God”  His answer this time is direct and clear “ I am “ (Mark 14.62). Those who accept this claim are truly His disciples, those who reject  this claim are lost forever. But more astounding is the added sentence. “ From now on the  Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” The Lord is alluding to Daniel 7, and claiming that He KNEW His place in the future as the designated Messiah and ruler of all   !!!

                We would do well to pause and worship HIM.

·                * Luke includes another interesting case of foretelling – Chapter 23.28 “The days are coming..................” How did He KNOW the future of the nation of Israel? – He knew that in rejecting Him, they would invoke the judgement of God.

·                 * Yet another look ahead. To the repentant thief He said “Today you will be with me in paradise” This was not hopeful wishing, but the right of the Redeemer to open the door of heaven to a found sheep.

We see so many varied expressions of His omniscience i.e. He who KNEW all things could so humbly declare Himself the Christ, the Son of God.

            I have not included the many foretellings from John 13-17. I encourage you to search them out. Please note the concluding word John16.30  “Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you. This is why we believe that you came from God”

May all my readers believe and be blessed.

John McKee

HE KNEW

The young lad of twelve, in the temple in Jerusalem, was interested in more than a ‘Bar Mitzvah’.  He knew God as His Father and knew that He was on a mission according to God’s will ( Luke 2.49 )

            After Jesus was  identified and anointed by the Holy Spirit at the river Jordan, He eventually went to Nazareth and in the synagogue He opened the scroll of the Old Testament  at Isaiah 61. After reading the prophecy of a Messiah who would bring mercy to the people, He turned and said,” Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing “. He knew His calling as Messiah, the Christ.

        Another day He said to a cripple man, “ Your sins are forgiven you “.  Correctly the religious leaders said  “who can forgive sins but God alone?"  Jesus knew their reasoning and reinforced the point  - He could forgive sins (as God) as well as reverse the sickness  flowing from sin. He knew their thoughts and He knew who He was.

        On various occasions ( as the feeding of 5000 ) , the people wanted to make Him their leader and king. To any ambitious Rabbi, this would have been the moment of opportunity, but for the Lord of glory, man’s approval and praise was a very small thing. He knew His path of service was determined by the Father’s will, which meant sacrifice not success.  (John 10)

        When it came to His teaching and parables, much indicated that He knew the future development of the Kingdom of God. e.g. the sowing of the seed, the growth as a mustard seed etc and the later parables include the king departing for a long time, later to return to reap the harvest and reward His faithful ones. All earthly kings establish themselves in power and glory, knowing it will not  last.  This king saw His future beyond the horizon and in God’s time. He knew tomorrow like today.

Some of His prophetic utterances have already been fulfilled. This gives credence to those yet to be fulfilled. A very obvious one is the prophecy  regarding the destruction of the temple – He said” the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another” (Luke 21.6).   This is precisely what happened in AD 70. Others could be quoted. He knew history forward as well as backward.

            As the days of service to the people passed, his face turned to Jerusalem.  Not  there to be crowned, but from His own lips He identified the greater purpose of His journey – to die as a ransom, to give His life for the sheep, to give His flesh for the life of the world, to be lifted up, reconciling the world unto Himself.  It was this burden that was slowly and  deliberately  revealed to the twelve Apostles. He knew He would be rejected by the leadership of the Jews. He knew He would be betrayed. He detailed to them that He would be handed over to the Gentiles for mockery, insults, and unjust execution. But interestingly, most of these foretelling concluded with Him announcing that He would rise again from the dead. ( Luke  9.22 , 44 etc ) To add to the significance of this foretelling, in Luke 24, the angel said “Remember how He spoke to you”.  He knew the tomorrow of suffering, but turned not away from it.

Many  more foretellings  are to be searched out e.g. as Jonah, as Moses lifted up the serpent..., a baptism to be baptised, the beloved son killed etc.

I come closer to His last visit to Jerusalem  - He weeps over the city because He knew they would make the  wretched choice to reject Him. As  He approached the city, He knew the correct prophetic way from the Old Testament, for the Messiah to present himself to the people. He mounts the donkey and this time accepts the praise and hosanna’s of the crowd. “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord”

This is no ordinary man - this is the Son of God who knew all things!

To be continued – Comments  and questions johnmckee@internode.on.net

A good man - a tribute to David

He was a Christian gentleman. He lived for God, for his family , for others. His consistent faith in God enabled him to live righteously, generously and with definite purpose - for the glory of God.
    Let us who feel the loss, treasure the memories of the past and look ahead with steadfast hope  as he did.

     I  present from his bible the inner spring that motivated him to live with purpose and to die with hope.
Titus 1:1    " remind them ......... to do good"  Many can testify that David did  'good'     -   good in character, good in words,  good in generosity, good in the family.    But what was it that made him good?  He had a good parentage, he had a good wife,  but the real secret is revealed in the verse following.
Titus 3:4-7

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

* Kindness - God chose to look our way

* Love  - God acted in our best interest

* Mercy  - God pushed back the judgement which we deserved

* Washing - God removing the stain and habits of sin

* Renewing  -  God changing the motive, purpose and direction of life

* Grace -  God giving good even when we don't deserve it 

         These are the things which David welcomed into his life.  This change of character is not through religion or reform, but through Jesus Christ.  The Lord Jesus was once crucified to pay the debt of our old life, and is now risen and ascended to give us new life - eternal life.

What is this 'eternal life'

      Some scoff at the idea of an afterlife, or the notion of rising from the dead.

Well, the sheaf of wheat very well illustrates resurrection. As a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies,  then it springs forth into life - one seed producing many seeds. So is the resurrection of the dead.
 Another voice is the voice of many who have been to the other side and back again - all testifying to consciousness beyond death. I have worked with such . But beyond the voice of man is the voice of the Lord Jesus.  David believed that Jesus told no lies. So let us listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd.
John 10.9 'I am the door, by me if any one enter in, he will be saved.'
   -- the invitation for all to enter into the Shepard's care.
John 10.11 ' I am the good Shepherd and I give my life for the sheep'
   --  the price He was willing to pay for the life of the sheep.
John 10;27 ' My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.  I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.'
   --- David listened often to the Shepherd's voice as he read this Bible. He knew the Lord and followed Him. He could claim this eternal life, as  a gift from God.
   Eternal life    --  being secure in the family of God
                     --  Inheriting the character of God (changed)
                     --  Enjoying the home of God (heaven)
                     --  To know God through Jesus Christ our Lord
All this because the God loved the people of this world so much that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
It was this eternal life that enabled David to live life with purpose and to face death without fear.

Another verse from Titus 2:13
  " Looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
   David enjoyed a little booklet ' Herald of Hope'. He had his eyes on a hope beyond the horizon. Beyond the struggles, disappointments and successes of life, he looked for the day when the Lord Jesus Christ would be victorious over all evil, and all believers would be gathered home.This is God's glorious tomorrow, when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

I stand today next to David and beseech all ' be ye reconciled to God'
 I close with a beautiful Hymn:
"What a day that will be