Original URL Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Transcript
I just had a couple of comments brother brother Jim boyko suggested that I just give a brief outline of who I am because there's a lot of folks in stone probably don't have never heard of me and don't know who I am but I met brother Jim a few years ago at the Lakefield Bible school and recently we reconnected on a reading group that we hold in Ontario and Jim I think he suggested that I try the Stoughton class we were looking for something kind of like a refresh uh so it was through my wife Roberta that I became acquainted with the hope of the Gospel over 60 years ago we live in Burlington Ontario we're members of the Mountain Grove Ecclesia we have two children our daughter was friends with many years ago with brother Bob Eagles and our son and daughter-in-law are friends of Matt and Amy Swift and personally we spent many enjoyable occasions visiting the New England area over the years so it's one of our favorite parts of the the world to go to and Roberta and I we really enjoy the class and have received encouragement through participation and we plan to continue to to be attending to the class so that's just a little bit of a background uh I don't have a criminal record or anything like that so we're ready to go so this evening uh the topic is the branch and you can see on the screen the man whose name is the branch so we want to investigate is who who was this man or who is this man and a study of the name reveals God's plan and purpose with his creation uh God's purpose with the creation it's Understanding God's purpose builds our faith and gives us hope peace and comfort um there are three classes to this Jim asked me if I could do if I'd be willing to do some multiple classes so this was a series that I prepared a year or so ago so the first one is the branch and then uh the role of a branch and the third one will be the branch has the suffering servant and so we're first we're going to uh excuse me the and the third one is the body of the branch so the first one we're going to look at this evening is the branch there are two Hebrew words for the the word branch the first one is SEMA uh and it means a sprouter to spring forward or spring forth and niser a descendant or to Bud uh these words essentially convey the idea of of being a descendant of of so the branch uh I just got to move this if I can so just a bit of a background on the on on the branch the Hebrews and other Semitic peoples use the term the branch in order to show that a certain person belongs to or descends from a particular family line to give the same sense we might use the term Heir descended our seed like Hebrew English links to sentence and such phrases as a family tree of all the branched passages Isaiah 1 11 1 shows this usage the best as the context reveals the Messiah will descend from the line of Jesse look the the father of David so Isaiah 1 11 1 and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse in a branch shall grow out of his roots so the branch the word Branch here is uh nesser and it it is suggested of a descendant or a sprout and the NIV kind of gives a little bit different um understanding a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse and from his roots a branch will bear fruit so the the descriptive words in the IV relate to a branch and this fruit is to fill the Earth with God's glory through the work of the branch and I like the idea that it it brings out this idea that the branch will bear fruit because it more or less gives us an idea of the mission of the branch or the mission of the Messiah if you look at Isaiah 4 and 2. but in that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious the fruit of the land will be the Pride and Glory of all who survive in Israel and this is the word um Seema a sprout or a branch and we see it springing Fork from the from The Vedic tree and the branch is undoubtedly the Messiah so we move on to Psalm 132 and 1. there will there will I make the heart of David to Bud I have ordained a lamp for my anointed I will make the bud I will make and the butt are the same Hebrew word which is Kieran and are very close to meaning in the word branch and I will make means to Spring forth and the horn indicates strength the strength of a man is revealed in his in his children so the idea is to grow to to sprout or to Bud suggesting the branch as a future leader the anointed applies to the Messiah and the anointed excuse me they've already done that and the bud of David Wool but the branch of David will bud and grow in strength as king so I have some new testament examples of of all this bits together Zacharias prophesied saying blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David so you can see how there's the connection this idea of raising up a horn or indicating power the raising up is the springing forth and of course it brings in the eye the concept of the davidic family so to raise up cause to be born or to appear and sacrifices alluding to the birth of Jesus as a fulfillment of Psalm 132 that we looked at and then we have this indication in Revelation 5 and 5. weep not Behold The Lion the tribe of Judah the root of David has prevailed to open the book so we see that there's a in the New Testament there are connections leading us back to what was we we looked at in Isaiah the root is to sprout to sheet that brings forth from a root and the metaphor suggesting Offspring or progeny now there's a connection between the branch and the word uh Nazareth many scholars today think that the name Nazareth comes from the Hebrew word netzer the branch which we looked at in Isaiah 1 11 and 1. in Matthew 23 and he came and dwelled in the city called Nazareth that he might be but that it might be fulfilled which is spoken of by the prophets he shall be called a Nazarene this is the only reference to Jesus being a Nazarene not to be confused with a Nazarite um NASA was a was a town of no significance it is only mentioned in the New Testament and it is the place where Jesus lived why mention it it must be that Matthew wants to make a connection between the branch and Nazareth it is possible that Matthew was playing on the word Nazareth and the word Nisa or Nasser he is stating two conclusions that Jesus was from Nazareth and that Jesus is the nesser the promised Branch from the stock of Jesse and of the Senate of David the promised anointed king so we move on to John uh 1 45 and 46 . Philip from Nathanael and told him we have found the one Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph Nazareth can anything good come from there Nathaniel s come and see Philip so Nazareth is referred to as the town of the branch and Nazareth is inhabited a Nazarene is an inhabitant of Nazareth suggesting that Jesus is the branch there is another um suggestion or another example when Jesus encounters a blind man this is in Luke 18 3 5-39 Jesus was nigh unto Jericho and a certain blind man Sat by the wayside begging and hearing the bullet had passed by he asked what it meant and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passes by notice the man's response and he cried saying Jesus the son of David have mercy on me and they rebuked him that he should hold his peace but he cried so much the more though son of David have mercy on me But Blind Man's determination shows his confidence in the power and compassion of Jesus that hit this heir to David's Throne would heal him was his faith based on the connection he made between the name Nazareth the branch town with the great Messianic prophecy above the branch out of the snap of Jesse and I guess we have the question I have but don't necessarily have an answer to was was this a commonly held understanding because it's interesting that they said as Jesus of Nazareth and he and he invoked the name the son of David so it shows that he has some understanding that that was somehow connected in any event his words were were a great confession of faith and show that he had some some understanding so in order to consider some prophetic references to both the branch and how they intersect with Israel some have a dual fulfillment Isaiah 7 14 therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel Emmanuel God With Us a promise of God's protection both physically and spiritually suggesting that the branch will have will fulfill the mercy promised to the fathers Isaiah 40 1 2 Comfort Comfort my people said your your God speak tenderly to Jerusalem tell her her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned Comfort e also means to repent and it is if you check it's translated 41 times as repent so comfort and consolation will only come after Israel's repentance and this of course is by God's compassion God Is providing an opportunity of restoration at the appearance of the branch one thing that is common in all the prophets is God's condemnation of Israel's failure followed by his offer of Hope and restoration you quite often see those two things uh coupled together and then Isaiah 1 18 to 20 come now and let us reason together saith the Lord through your sin though your sins be as scared of thee shall be as white as snow though they'd be rigged like Crimson they shall be as wool if he'd be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land but if you refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the sword for the wealth of the Lord has spoken it and so only through repentance can we have hope this applies to us of course but in in particular it applies to Israel Isaiah 4 and 2 in that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the land will be the Pride and Glory of the survivors of Israel in that day as a phrase of significance used 50 times just in Isaiah it is a day that foretells of an event that is beautiful and glorious in the eyes of God Isaiah 60 21 by people also shall be righteous and they shall inherit the land forever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified and that's the expectation of in that day this is what we hope to see and and God in his purpose and plan will make that happen so we asked the question how will the how will he be beautiful and glorious the fruit of the land it anticipates an unequal prop of prosperity in the Kingdom survivors of Israel are praised for telling the amazing rebuilding and deliverance of Israel the welfare of the nation of Israel is dependent on the work of the Messiah the branch until the coming of the Kingdom foreign quotation from Jeremiah 23 verses 1 and 2. the Lord says the leaders of my people are are sure to be judged they were supposed to watch over my people like Shepherds watch over their sheep but they are causing my people to be destroyed and Scattered so the Lord God of Israel has this to say about the leaders who are ruling the over his people you have caused my people to be dispersed and have driven them into Exile you have not taken care of them so I will punish you for the evil that you have done I the Lord affirm it so a judgment here is referring to the Captivity in Babylon and then later because there was no improvement in the behavior of those people the dispersion of the Jews in A.D 70. Isaiah presents a picture of a nation in crisis the Kings and Priests are frail mortal men and the subjects are rebellious Israel has failed to serve God in a righteous manner so Isaiah 104 all what a sinful Nation they are loaded down with a burden of guilt they are evil people corrupt children who are projected the Lord they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him this is the unfortunate history of the children of Israel although chosen Jews are no different than other people they suffer for the effects they suffer from the effects of a fleshly Nation and we know that nothing has really changed since 870 I'm sure there are some Jews that would be considered righteous but I think the mainstream is probably I've heard uh Tel Aviv uh described as being like in Las Vegas so it gives you an idea of what goes on uh but God is willing to re relieve this burden of guilt he says in Jeremiah 23 3 and 5 then I myself will gather those of my people who are still alive from all the countries where I have driven them and I'll bring them back to their Homeland I the Lord promised that a new time will will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous Branch a descendant of David and he will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land so we have this promise of restoration which we have witnessed in the re-establishment of the nation of Israel and now we await the full restoration and we await the king as Believers of the Gospel of the Kingdom we can rejoice in the sheer and certain hope of its restitution we have this assurance and the inspired words of Isaiah 26 one of the bar in that day you shall the song Be Sung in the land and Judah we have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks open you the gates that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in that will keep him in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on thee because he trusts in the trustee in the Lord forever for the Lord Jehovah is Everlasting strength and this is what God's expectation is for his people but it's a powerful exhortation for us as well that that we try to weave these principles into our lives as we wait the second coming of the branch and we see here that Jehovah is the enduring protector is what he promises he will fulfill without question this is the Hope for all who place their confidence in the branch who will be king and there is there had to be preparation for the davidic Covenant to be fulfilled the same uh probably Isaiah 43 a voice of one crime in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord make straight in the desert away for our God when a king of the East proposed to tour in his Dominion he sent a courier before them to tell the people to prepare the roads so John the Baptist is regarded as The Courier of the branch who would be king to proclaim the king is coming repair not your your roads but your hearts and your faith and repent this was John's message Hearts full of faith and repentance and a reception receptiveness to the branch going a step further in the New Testament inquiry come to the birth of Christ and we will consider the following incident Matthew 3 1-2 in those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and say repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is of hand the kingdom in Greek means uh royal power or king shepherd not to be confused with an actual Kingdom but rather the authority to rule over a kingdom and I think this was the message that John was bringing to the people that they should prepare themselves for the for the the appearance of the branch who eventually would be king used in the New Testament to refer to the reign of the Messiah so John is heralding the coming of the branch the Future King John 8 12 a verse we're all familiar with when Jesus spoke again to the people he said I am the light of the world whosoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life Isaiah gives us a sample of the teachings of the branch the light that he would bring and Isaiah chapter 2 we read these verses beginning of verse two and it should come to pass in the last days of the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and All Nations shall flow onto it and many people shall go and say Come Ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the god of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his path for art of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem so we're just gonna briefly desect this uh this verse or these verses his pass would be moral instruction his law would be righteous Behavior his word from Jerusalem would be the coming of peace and this is what God desires for Israel and for all people and let's start again a strong exhortation for us to Endeavor to Aspire to these to these teachings of the branch in theory this is what should have inspired the Wayward Nation but it did not and Jesus was rejected by the people he came to save a little bit ahead of myself here so on John 1 and 11 this is his own received him not in Isaiah 53 says verse 2 for he grew up before him like a young plant like a root out of dry ground again you can see the illusion to the idea of the branch in the wording of that verse and he was despised and rejected a man a man of Sorrows so this verse sort of uh is fitting when we read in John that he would they received him not that it was a rejection of the branch and Jesus makes some unusual stays statements causing his followers to cause question his authenticity in John 6. he says uh Jesus said again I tell you the truth unless you eat the fleship of the son of man and drink his blood he cannot have eternal life I am the true bread that came down from heaven anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did many of his disciples said this is very hard to understand how can anybody accept them and verse 61 they say does this offend you and of course this resulted in rejection verse 66 at this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him this was the leading question Jesus knew those who were offended would leave him giving them the opportunity some went to the Pharisees betraying Jesus and told them what he had done John 11 [Music] verse 47 and so the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said what are we to do for this man performs many signs 48. if we let him go on like this everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation you know you notice the uricancy here that they they really were concerned with their position and the wealth that it brought them 50. it is better for you that one man should die for the people not the whole nation should perish and 53 so from that day on they made plans to put him to death and so I'm just going to now look at a a brief chronology uh showing what led up to Jesus being sacrificed Luke 30 23-32 and they began to accuse him saying we found this fellow perverting the nation and for beginning to give tribute to Caesar saying that he have solved this this Christ a king John 6 15. and when Jesus therefore received that he would come and take him by force to make him King he'd be part of the king into among himself alone in Matthew 27-1 and when the morning was come all the chief priests and Elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death and when they had come to the place which is called Calvary there are they crucified him and the male factors one on the right and in the other on the left then said Jesus father forgive them for they know not what they do and they parted his agreement and cast lots Zechariah 12 and 10. I wrote Pearl on the kingship of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of Grace and Suffocation so that they will look to me the one they have pierced they will lament for him as one laments for an only son and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn together uh in the authorized version you notice it's from The Net Bible it would it says they will look on me but I think it's more accurately portrayed here they will look to me the emphasis then is not on looking on or at but looking to the Messiah in faith when the branch will restore the kingdom and take his rightful place as King on the throne of David in Psalm 89 David meditated on God's covenant made with him reading of the psalm at your leisure is very profitable but we only can we can only look at a few verses um you know in verse 27 of Psalm 89 it says also I'll make him my first one higher than the kings of all the Earth my Mercy will I keep for him forever and my Covenant shall stand fast with him the verse 27 I believe refers to the branch and we see in verses 46 and 47 this citation oh Lord how long will this go on will you hide yourself forever remember now how short my life is and how empty and futile is this human existence existence he asked a question how long before this is fulfilled my life is short I will experience this coming well I experience is coming in my lifetime is a question we should all be concerned with but not discouraged by scripture assures us along a way that promise will be fulfilled enough I should have mentioned that I think this is David speaking here and he it's he is referencing making a reference to the branch and he asked the question how long will this go on and will you hide yourself forever and so he was longing for the Fulfillment of the davidic Covenant and that and that he would sometimes experience the the appearance of the branch and of course we know that that cannot happen until the resurrection so I'll mark 13 and 32 says however no one knows the day or they are when these things will happen not even the angels in heaven are the son himself only the father knows and I think when we think about this brothers and sisters this this is It's comforting to know that we don't know everything we only know what we know and we have to be patient and we have to be faithful as we await the appearing of the branch so delays are not defeats but there are opportunities there are opportunities for us to to serve in a in a in a faithful manner uh supporting one another and encouraging one another to maintain a steady path to the kingdom foreign discouragement is alleviated by our personal faith Paul cites the resurrection of Jesus as proof that the covenant made with David is valid and will be fulfilled and this is this is the the building up of our personal faith when we understand and appreciate this acts 13 verses 32 to 35. and we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers he is for he has fulfilled To Us by reason raising Jesus as also it is written in the second Psalm you are my son today I have begotten you and as for the fact that he raised him from the dead no more to return to corruption he is spoken in this way I will give you thee that I will give you the holy and sure blessing of David therefore he said also in another Psalm he will not let your Holy One see corruption it's a powerful statement and one that validates our faith in God in his son and in the coming of the Kingdom that he has promised when Jeremiah 23 5-6 behold the day comes saith the Lord that I will raise unto David A righteous branch and a king shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and Justice in the earth in this in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is my name and this is his name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness uh it's a powerful witness that all the things that Israel has been through God still promises to save them and that Jerusalem will draw safely this is obviously a Latter-Day prophecy and we just move forward and Jeremiah chapter 33 verse 17. this is what the Lord says David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever uh like the two The Logical Fork from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem this is what we all hope for this is you know we just have to uh bring this to mind when we listen to the news each evening you know this is a wonderful promise that there will be righteousness and peace emanating from Jerusalem our righteous rule will be enforced under the direction of the branch God's promises will be fulfilled in Jeremiah 33 20 21 thus saith the Lord if you can break my Covenant with a day and my Covenant with the night so that day and night will not come into their appointed time then also my Covenant with David my servant may be broken so that that he shall not have a son to Reign on his throne and we know that this is impossible that you know we we go to bed each night and we wake up to the sunshine in the morning and so we know that the the davidic Covenant is sure and fast and hopefully will eventually soon to be fulfilled although there is no King on the throne of David for excuse me although there has been no King on the throne of David for approximately 2500 years the promise to David has never changed the coming of the branch will fulfill the requirement of the Covenant and this is assured in these verses that we just read in Jeremiah 33 20. and 21. in second Peter 1-19 it says so we have the prophetic word confirmed which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day Dawns and the morning star rise in your heart Jesus is the light that shines in this in in this darkened World The Morning Star which prophecy has concerned now is the time to prepare ourselves for his appearing and just to close off Isaiah 12 and 2 behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord God is my strength and song and he has become my salvationThe Servant Branch
Original URL Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Transcript
um tonight we're going to talk about the servant branch and in the previous class we established that Jesus the son of God The Offspring of David is the branch and in Zachariah we had this promise or prophecy whatever you wish soon I'm going to bring my servant the branch and the Messiah as the servant is the suffering servant and we have this promise that Zechariah has given us and it was the promise was actually fulfilled at the first appearance of of the Lord Jesus and the branch was which established the source of Our Hope and we will see in as we go on that the completion of our hope is at the second appearing of the branch uh in this class we will be considering Messiah the servant and we have a little bit more detail here in Zechariah 3 8. listen high priest Joshua you and your associate seated before you who are some who are men symbolic of things to come soon I'm going to bring my servant the branch and it's not my intention to to dwell on the historical background of Zechariah but I'll just share a few comments to with you to sort of set the the background of the stage uh it is in the period which deals with the return from Exile under Ezra and Nehemiah and the Miracle of deliverance from Exile shows that by the grace of God Joshua and his priests are absolved from their farmer behavior and are accepted Again by God he mentions that these are men symbolic of things to come this points beyond the deliverance from exile to a greater Act of Grace by God which is still in the future and in verse 10 of this chapter it says in that day says the Lord everyone will invite his friend to Fellowship under his Vine and under his fig tree this has an echo uh to Micah far and I believe it's in the Kingdom age that Michael 4 1 and 4 in the last days it shall come to pass they shall set every man under his Vine and under his fig tree and None Shall make him afraid this will be accomplished by the servant branch in the age to come in chapter 3 Zechariah experienced Visions it is a vision of Joshua the high priest and his companions as typical men Joshua Joshua's name means Jehovah is salvation which suggests a parallel between Joshua and Jesus in the vision Joshua represents Jesus and Joshua's companions represent Jesus's companions those who have responded to his calling this is seen in the words you and your associate see it before you who are men and symbolic of things to come soon I'm going to bring my servant the branch and when we see all of those factors put together it's given the picture of the coming of Jesus the work that he will do and the work that he will uh eventually accomplish completely at his coming uh soon and we just take a look here at Isaiah 429 and I think it kind of gives us a picture similar to what zachariah's promise behold the former things have come to pass and new things I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them that's from Isaiah 42 9. Messiah the server Branch came into the world to do his father's will to redeem and to restore Israel to God's intended purpose and to be a light to the Gentiles so the former things I think are referring to the exile and and the return and the springing forth is the root word for the branch and we and we did look at that in the last class uh new things is the springing forth of the branch and his accomplishments and then in Zechariah 3 and 8 we said try to bring it back together all you are a symbol of that I am about to introduce my servant the branch all of these things that transpire are leading up to the appearing of the branch and the all here is referring to Joshua and his companions and this is um zechariah's vision is symbolic of the branch in the future now and these this these are ideas of of Jesus um coming and with his associates is confirmed by scripture if you look at we look at revelation um verse 5 we've not Behold The Lion of the tribe of Judah the root or the branch of of David has prevailed and in verse 10 it says that and they have let's see if I can move that sorry and they have made us a kingdom of priests to our God and we shall reign on the Earth what the heck I think a bit of difficulty here it doesn't want to advance I think I'm froze can anybody hear me yeah why don't you why don't you stop the program and restart it see see if that works okay it's okay okay now find your slide that you yeah I'll just um yeah I just started from there and just click through now I just have to uh open the presentation sounds good okay well okay now we're okay so just to kind of recap we're dealing here with the the promise in in the Revelation and it says that Jesus has prevailed and that uh there is a kingdom of priests and these are pretty are the symbolic of the of the things to come I'm trying to relate this back to what Zechariah promised and the King James version uh has that made him a kingdom or made us King God no excuse me has made us unto God Kings and Priests but I think the the um quotation that I have on in verse 10 a kingdom of priests is a better rendering than uh Kings and Priests and the reason for that there is only one king and that is the branch and the branch will unite the office of King and Priests with his colleagues when the kingdom age is established now this is just as Zachariah had predicted to Prevail and bring about this new order the branch must complete his work as the suffering servant this is the focus of this class so now we want to look at the the concept of the branch as the suffering servant and we're just going to um sort of do a paraphrase through Philippians 7 to 11. and for chapter two they um took upon him the form of a servant which is established that he's a servant and became obedient unto death and illustrating his suffering and God also had highly exalted him and the name of Jesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the father so we see from looking at these uh various quotations it it establishes that Jesus is the branch that he is the servant branch and that there are in his future uh um suffering that he'll have to endure them Jesus in his role as a suffering servant had to have an unyielding disposition to endure onto the end of his ministry this dedication and flint-like determination is evident in the words first recorded about Jesus from Luke 2 49 and 52 and he said to them why is it that you have sought me did ye not know that I ought to be occupied in my father's business and Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature and favor with God and with man so this determination that we see here even at a young age is uh prophesied by his eye Isaiah and um 42 and 3. yes sorry I had a bar that I can't read what's on the screen so verse three and four we want to look at in fullness he will in faithfulness he will bring forth Justice he will not father father falter or be discouraged till he establishes Justice on Earth in his teaching the aisles will put their hope in him again we'll just I'll just read verse 3 again and faithfulness he will bring forth Justice he will not follow her or be discouraged he will until he established Justice on the earth in his teaching to the Isles put their hope in him and then Isaiah 50 verse 7 and the Lord had helps me therefore I have been I have not been disgraced I have set my face like Flint or determination and I know that I shall not be put to shame or to failure but again we see this quotation here I've set my face like Flint suggesting Supreme hardness even in the face of death he did not falter he was Victorious to the end and this quotation from Luke 9 and 51 and it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem and so to be received up suggests that he said his his course toward Jerusalem knowing that in the end he faced the cross and so you can see from from the this outline that right from an early age Jesus had the determination could do his father's will and to not fail even in the face of death so sort of having established I would take a look now at the background on on a few quotations on on the servant in Isaiah and we're going to be looking at Israel as a servant and then the branch as a servant the prophecies relating to God's servant found in Isaiah chapters 41-53 in this section the national servant Israel is compared with the individual servant the Messiah branch much to this to this credit of the farmer God called Israel as the national servant to an honorable position of service but they despise the privilege and failed miserably much to their shame for this they are sharply rebuked and see this in Isaiah 42 17-20 those who trust in Idols will turn back and be utterly humiliated and those who say to metal images you are Gods listen you deaf ones take notice you blind ones my servant is truly blind My Messenger is truly deaf my Covenant partner the servant of the Lord is truly blind you see many things but you don't comprehend their ears are open but they do not hear so it's a it's a description of the failure of Israel to take the role of a servant and be a witness to God Israel is described as totally blind and deaf to the Commandments of God in this regard there is a comparison drawn between the national servant Israel and the Israel and the individual servant the Messiah it was have a look at Isaiah 50 verse 5. the Lord God has opened my ear and I was not rebellious nor did I turn away and again again is an excellent example or description of the of the Messiah or the the branch servant this is the obedient response of Messiah and compared to what we just read about Israel in Psalm 46 and 8. sacrifice and offering though did is not desire my ears has thou opened burnt offering and sin offering has thou not required I Delight to do thy will o God day thy law is within my heart so the opening of the year is a symbol of the dedicated slave servant who Delights to do the will of his master the national servant Israel was to be God's obedient witness to the Nations and unfortunately they failed God's individual servant the branch would accomplish with Israel could not the work of the suffering servant would usher in the Redemption of mankind and prepare the Earth for the coming Kingdom thus fulfilling the desire of his father so God says to Israel behold my servant an indication of a change of emphasis or a change in in the style of of service and so now when we enter in here in verse 41. he's now talking about the servant branch behold my servant whom I uphold my elect in whom I sold Delights I have put my spirit upon him and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles the word behold suggests Wonder ah and importance behold to contemplate a person especially remarkable or an impressive one you pay attention to that person or to observe that person in this case a servant which would be God's servant it is not a coincidence that in chapter 41 behold occurs six times drawing attention to Israel's failure and the seventh occurrence is in chapter 42 1. this is the number of completion indicating Divine Perfection has been achieved with with greatness to follow in the work of the branch just look at Isaiah 42 1 and a different uh in the NIV behold my servant whom I uphold my elect and whom I sold the lights I have put my spirit upon him and he will bring forth judgment to the Gentiles and just sort of uh break this verse down my elect is the chosen of God a special ideal servant one who accomplishes God's purpose by bringing Justice to the Gentiles and eventually to Israel in whom I sold the lights this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him these are the words that are out of that the Transfiguration and this requires our righteous servant and God could not Delight in one who was unrighteous and we we've seen from the brief description that we've we've talked about that the unrighteousness of Israel would be unacceptable to God Isaiah continues his description of the servant's work in Isaiah 42 and 6. by the Lord have called you to demonstrate my righteousness I will take you by the hand and guard you and I will give you to My People Israel as a symbol of my faithful Covenant with them and you will be a light to guide the Gentiles and and you can see the two aspects of the Gospel there that uh the the branch is going to be a symbol to the of the faithful Covenant that was made with Israel and that he will be a light to guide the Gentiles Isaiah 49 5 and 6. though Israel did not gather yet shall I shall I Emmanuel be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength for you have for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the the preservative Israel and I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the Earth and again we see this idea of foreshadowing of the Gospel the preaching of the gospel and the in the gospel being fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ and all men and women who talk to him in in truth will be incorporated into that glorious time so this was the primary work of the sermon Branch to fulfill the covenants God had made with Israel and to bring the light of salvation to the Gentiles Israel continued in Disobedience to God and but God continues to offer Grace to them that they have this reassurance in the in these verses that we're going to look at now Isaiah 51 1-2 and then verse 11. listen to me you who pursue righteousness who seek the Lord look to the Rock which is Christ look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave you birth when I called him he was only one man and I blessed him and made him many therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto zion an everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads and they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away so the suffering servant is the focus of Israel's hope he is the assurance that God has not forsaken him the rock the servant of the Lord will restore Israel from their waywardness through instruction and correction and I was reminded of this verse that the Lord is not slack concerning his promises and I think it's an interesting thing when you look at most of the prophetic writings when when Israel is being chastised those chapters always end with God reassuring Israel that not always is lost if they repent he will remember his Covenant to them and I think that's a very reassuring thing for us that that even though we at times falter and fail in the way we have the Assurance through God's grace that we can be forgiven and that not all is lost God's grace is extended to all who associate themselves with his Covenant of John 4 and 34 Jesus said to him onto them my meat or my energy is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work to fulfill the will of the father and accomplish the father's work would not be without pain and suffering leading to the sacrificial death of this obedient servant and we will discover this in Isaiah 53. but before we do here's a sample of the hardships in his role as the suffering servant verse uh put in Isaiah 50 verse 6. I offered my back to those who attacked my jaws to those who tore out my bread I did not hide my face from insults and from spitting Mark 10 and 34 and they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and severely kill him Jesus would endure the these hardships because he finds his strength in his father's promise he was able to go through this and he was able to do the father's will because he knew that eventually the father would fulfill the promises that he had made yet after three days he will rise again and of course this was the greatest promise that was offered to him his strength and resilience was rooted in the resurrection from the dead and we see this in Psalm 16 verses 8 to 11. I have set the lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices my body also shall rest secure because you will not abandon me to the to the realm of death nor will you let your faithful one see Decay you will show me the path of life and in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore what a marvelous promise that Jesus had to sustain him as he hung on the cross and sure he thought about the psalm and took great comfort in it and it's something that we we can take comfort in because we know that we are in line for the same promises that was made made to Jesus the same are made to those that are faithful to to the heavenly father so now take a a look at Isaiah 53 we're just going to make a few brief comments in each verse it is illustrative of the Suffering The servant Branch endures on behalf of us hopefully it will give us a better understanding of his suffering and a greater appreciation of what he accomplished for us it was a life devoted to compassion and mercy culminating in a voluntary death by his father's Grace the branch Rose to everlasting life so the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 and 1. who has believed our message into whom has the arm of the Lord being revealed column quoting in Romans 10 16 said they have not all obeyed the gospel and so in some respects it must have been a letdown for Jesus to realize that not everybody accepted his words it would be but it would be the filth faithful those who respond to the message what was the message now Isaiah 50 to seven and ten how beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news who proclaims peace who brings Glad Tidings of good things who Proclaim salvation who's his design your god reigns the Lord has made bear his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the Earth shall see the salvation of God to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed the arm of the Lord is a metaphor of a military power the large Warrior servant must fight a different battle the battle the enemy of sin and of human nature this was the role of the servant branch that he would battle the enemy of sin and overcome his nature but briefly consider some of the daily obstacles Jesus experiencing in Isaiah 53 and 2 for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as I wrote out of dry ground he has no farm farm or comeliness but we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him we see the some examples so if one in Luke 52 and 52 and Jesus increased in wisdom and in favor with God and we we already looked at that but I just want to add the thought that it was in the real world you know um Jesus lived in a world that we live in the we're the things that we are subjected to every day the trials the challenges and in in his strength and determination was able to overcome them in his growing up as the servant Branch um he will be like a plant growing out of a dry land wispy struggling fighting for life not growing in the surroundings of wealth and opulence but in surroundings where life is hard everything must be worked for therefore he will be struggling to survive physically and spiritually um Isaiah 11 and 1 and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots being despised Jesus was and he was rejected he had no kingly bearingly David who had a healthy handsome appearance no one would admire his outward appearance there will be nothing of beauty to attract them to him in fact he was the son of a carpenter complete with bristers and Harden hands surely this cannot be the Messiah and they had this sort of a derogatory remark others said this is the Christ but some said shall Christ come out of Galilean echoing nathanael's words can anything good come from Nazareth Galilee a place of law esteem Jesus was a man who through Labor and persecution at age prematurely John 8 57 they said then then said the Jews unto him Thou Art not yet 50 years old and has thou seen Abraham an indication of how worn and weathered he was from the work that he had performed and so he like every man and woman struggling in this world to do the best that he could Isaiah 53-3 he is despised and rejected of man A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with greed and we had as it were our face from him and he was despised and we esteemed him not it was a transient existence but he had no not a place to lay his head he was opposed and Mel and menaced Psalm 4 Luke 4 29 they thrust him out of the city and led him onto the brow at the hill that anyway cast him down headlong he suffered the indifference of his family or even his brothers believed him not he often worked himself into exhaustion suddenly a pure storm struck the lake with waves breaking into the boat but Jesus was sleeping and he he will grieve at the hardness of men's hearts and he sight deeply in his spirit and said wiped out this generation seek after a sign apparently I say unto you there shall be no sign given unto this generation so the word here acquainted means to know by experience and we can see from these these quotations that we've just gone through that he experienced all of these things the you know translating existence being menaced in the uh the indifference of his family exhaustion and the hardness of men's hearts but he learned obedience by the things which he suffered and it's a wonderful example for us you know sometimes we bellyache about things that we have to put up with but we have to endure nothing like the Lord Jesus Christ endured on our behalf from his personal experience he developed compassion for my own kind and Isaiah 53 and 4 he is born our griefs um thank you when Jesus saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever he touched her hand and the fever left her one evening came many who were demon-possessed were brought to him and he drove out the spirits of the word and healed the sick you know it's a wonderful illustration of his compassion for his for his men for mankind and when you look at that you can see why he was exhausted half the time because he was just besieged by by crowds and masses of people looking for his help he had to deal with the pressure of the crowds who followed him this was to fulfill what was spoken to the prophet Isaiah he took up our infirmities and bar our diseases diseases he died for the sins of man because this was the greatest disease that mankind suffered from foreign we did esteem of stricken smitten of God and afflicted to remove the effect of sin and to save others he had to endure sorrow unto death the servant of God suffers for the sins of others and it's mentioned 12 times in the in this the third chapter and I'm not going to over the verses but you'll find them there 12 of them mentioning this Johnny and 40 but now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God Afflicted a state of humiliation and mental anguish at the hands of evil men who believe Jesus should suffer because he was especially sinful you know they they considered him to be the greatest sinner on Earth and they were willing to put him to death for the Isaiah 53 and 5 but he was wounded for our transgressions and he was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed notice the the the verbs that are used here wounded bruised chastised and encouraged as we read these words it becomes clear that Jesus excuse me clear that God's servant would bear the sins of the world through suffering both physically and mentally it is the ultimate in punishment and he was very much a Living Sacrifice Romans 8 1-2 there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus for the law of sin and death in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death we are the direct beneficiaries of his suffering of this ultimate punishment and this Living Sacrifice that he be had he performed on our behalf and as we meditate on these words it should truly fill us with awe and with appreciation he healed many from the sickness of sin Isaiah 53 6 we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Prophet Zechariah said in 13-7 Smite the shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered you think about the the masses of people that followed Jesus but on the end they all evaporated they all left him and followed him no more and on the night of Jesus's arrest he warned the disciples that that they would flee as well when threatened and we see this in Matthew 26 31 and 56. then Jesus told them this very night it will all fall away on account of me bird is written I will strike the shepherd and the Sheep how the flock will be scattered in verse 56. than all the disciples forsook him and fled that must have been a heartbreaking moment even though he knew it was coming first Peter 2 25. for you were like sheep going the street but now you have returned to the shepherd and and the overseer of your souls even the apostles were weak and fearful as strange sheep and in the time of their testing but now at this point in history where Peter's writing that they had now returned to their master we need Jesus in our lives for consoling and strengthening and we need to return him to him when we need him let us take heart in times of trial and failures and return to the shepherd of our sheep for healing for strength and for encouragement a fuller expectation is now given on how the servant would suffer Messiah faced depression from the authorities and was treated cruelly by them yet he was not humiliate himself before them neither did he complain by speaking or asking for mercy Isaiah 57 53-7 he was oppressed and treated Percy yet he never said a word he was led like a lamb to the slaughter but a sheep is silent before the shears he did not open his mouth before the Sanhedrin and when he was accused of the chief priests and the elders he answered nothing before Herod Herod asked Jesus question after question but Jesus refused to answer before Pilate pilate entered his headquarters and again said to Jesus where are you from but Jesus gave him no answer Jesus was on trial being silent was a most amazing Act of resistance he was beset by evil men intent on doing him harm and Jesus was not powerless he could have shouted down their false accusations he could have used his power to hurt them and Destroy them and Escape he was right and they were wrong and Jesus was silent how do we react do we remain silent when we are rebuffed or face hostility or do we lash out defensively when we are attempted to react in such a way let us think about the reaction of Jesus foreign led to a Slaughter and Hebrews 10 and 7. then I said here am I it is written about me in the scroll I have come to do your will oh my God Isaiah 53 and 8 and he was taken from prison and from judgment and who shall declare this his generation for he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he strickened he was led away after an unjust trial the purpose of his pressures oppressors was that he might be cut off out of the land of the living no more Vivid description of death could be given in Daniel 9 and 20 26 it's predicted that the Messiah shall be cut off predicting a violent death cut off means to divide literally to cut and two this is taken from an ancient custom of sailing the Covenant and you know and we won't we won't read this we're getting running out of time but you look at Genesis 15 it gives a description there of God ratifying his Covenant with Abram suggest so this idea of being cut off is suggesting that Jesus was a covenant victim Isaiah 53 and 8 and he was taken from prison and judgment and who shall declare this his generation where he was caught up out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the word means wounded making the cutting off of Messiah as a covenant victim necessary uh in verse 9 in his death messiah's death was intended to be cruel and punitive but he had nothing to fear Isaiah 49 and 8 I will protect you and give you the to the people as my Covenant with them Psalm 16 9-10 my body also will rest secure because you will not abandon me to the Realms of to the Dead nor will you let your faithful one see decay and so we can see that Jesus had even though he died of violent death he had nothing to fear he knew that it was a temporary thing in the grave and that he would be raised by his Heavenly Father Isaiah 53-9 and he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death it states in verse 9 he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich it is not possible to be to bury someone in two different tombs how then is this phrase explained I think the translation in the net version is a little clearer than the intended to bury him with criminals but he ended up in a tomb in a rich man's tomb because he had committed no violent Deeds nor had he spoken to see flee what was intended here is Jesus will be numbered among the sinful the wicked and and the rich and with no one we could claim his body Jesus and death would have experienced the same fate of the two criminals if not for the intervention of Joseph of armathea who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus and a rich man's tomb and you know we can see that in Matthew 27 verses 57 to 60. the final section of this property shows the death of Jesus to have been the will of God Jesus sacrifice was essential to fill the role of the branch and to produce the promise seed yet it pleased the Lord to make his soul an offering for sin uh and this was the the bruising process the Healer Messiah will crush sins the sin of the Serpent's head and when we know this from Genesis 3 and 15 and you're you're all familiar with that but the interesting thing here is is that God shall prolong his days again a promise of the resurrection and and to be raised up into Glory with the father because of this non-fatal blow Messiah will be resurrected and as days shall be prolonged and he shall see is seed so this this promise of being prolonging his days and and that he would see a seed it is found in Genesis 22 and 18 and I see each of all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou has obeyed my voice Paul speaks about it in Galatians 3 and 16 and you know we were familiar with that verse 29 that Galatians 3 of where Abraham seen there were heirs to the promises and Ephesians 9 2 19 and 20. consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household to build on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ himself as the Chief Cornerstone in Christ we become fellow citizens with all the rights and privileges citizenship provides without Jesus without Jesus's life death and Resurrection we would be in a condition to describing of Paul as aliens from the Commonwealth of God's people strangers from the covenants of promise when we see that this has been fulfilled in Isaiah 53 and 10. yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand how fortunate we are that God finds pleasure in in loving us by providing his son so we can be part of his Plan of Salvation and the renewal of the Earth Jesus has accomplished his perfect work by offering himself for the sins of many mankind can now reach out in faith and grasp The Hope offered to them and become a part of his promise seed in his work Jesus goes on building his house it is a continual process and as we will see in the next class the body of the branch we will explore what it means to be his seed and to be members of the house that he is building for the futureThe Body of the Branch
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