Category Archives: Gospel

ISAIAH 61:1-11

Gospel, ,

This is the chapter Jesus applied to Himself in Luke 4 when He was invited to read God’s Word in the synagogue at Nazareth.  His obedience to God in His suffering and death qualified Him to be clothed with the Holy Spirit to change the lives of His people.  He came to them as the great liberator, bringing in God’s eternal jubilee of deliverance from every form of bondage and the restoration of all that they had lost through their enslavement to sin.

ISAIAH 61:1-11

I have tidings for my people —

Those in darkness and defeat;

God has clothed me with His Spirit —

Saving work is now complete.

I bring good news to the suff’ring,

To the prisoner and the poor;

Days of poverty are over;

Captives you shall be no more.

Prison doors have swung wide open;

Blinded eyes will see again.

Healing for the lame and broken —

There’s an end to all their pain.

God has sent me to the grieving:

Now ‘tis time to dance and sing.

Jubilee has burst upon them;

Enemies are scattering.

Take this message to my people,

Those who mourn in Israel,

Beauty He will give for ashes,

Sorrow turned to joy as well.

Heaviness has gone forever;

Praise will well up in its place,

For my people have been pardoned;

Gone their shame and their disgrace.

Planted once more in His garden,

Rooted in His love secure,

They will show the world His splendour

For His promises are sure.

They will rebuild ancient ruins —

Cities long ago destroyed

Once again will ring with laughter;

Joy shall fill the empty void.

Foreigners will be your servants,

Feeding flock and ploughing field;

They’ll no longer be your masters;

Now to you they’ll have to yield.

Priests of God will be your title,

Ministers who worship Him.

You’ll receive the nations’ treasures,

Wealth and riches giv’n by them.

Shame, dishonour now forgotten,

No more grinding poverty,

God will give the double portion —

Every year is Jubilee!

I, the Lord, delight in justice;

Robbery and wrong I hate;

Suffering will be rewarded,

Joy and peace to those who wait.

Once again I’ll call my people

To a lasting covenant;

Their descendants will be honoured;

They will always be content.

Let me share my gladness with you,

God has given happiness;

He has clothed me with salvation,

Robed me with His righteous dress.

Like a bridegroom dressed and ready

In his splendid wedding suit,

Like a bride with gems resplendent,

I am clothed from head to foot.

God will show His awesome justice

To the nations of the earth.

Praise will rise and swell around Him —

Every man will sing His worth.

Like a garden in the springtime,

Young plants growing everywhere,

So God’s righteousness will blossom,

Wrapping all in loving care.

ISAIAH 55:1-13

Gospel, ,

And so, after the suffering and death of His righteous Servant for all people everywhere, God is able to issue the invitation to come to Him for forgiveness, cleansing and a new life in Him.

ISAIAH 55:1-13

Listen!  All you hungry people,

Filled with longing to be fed,

Why buy food that does not nourish?

Why buy bread that is not bread?

Food that fills your empty stomach

Will not satisfy your soul;

You need strength that comes from heaven,

That will make your spirit whole.

Listen with your ears wide open —

I my covenant renew;

Just as I was good to David,

So will I be good to you.

You will call the nations to you;

They will come from far away

To behold the Father’s glory —

They’ll desire to obey.

Do you really want to know Him?

Seek Him while he may be found.

Turn from sin and call upon Him,

Call on Him while He’s around.

God has mercy for the sinner,

Pardon for those doing wrong;

Turn, then, from your life of evil;

Let Him fill your heart with song.

“I have plans about your future

Flowing from my heart of love,

For my thoughts and ways are greater

Higher than the skies above.

As the rain and snow from heaven

Wet the earth and make plants grow,

So my Word will never falter

In my purposes for you.

I will do what I have promised

By the power of my Word;

All I say will be accomplished;

Trust in me, I am the Lord.

You will live in peace and plenty;

Hills and mountains will rejoice;

Trees will clap their hands together;

Living things will hear my voice.

In the place of thorns and thistles

Fir and myrtle tree will grow;

Miracles reveal my greatness

Causing all the world to know —

I am God, there is no other;

I will everything restore:

I will fill your heart with gladness,

Sin and sorrow be no more.

ISAIAH 52:13-15; ISAIAH 53:1-12

Gospel, ,

In these two chapters of Isaiah (52,53) we reach the climax of the descriptions of the suffering Servant.  The prophet sketches vivid word pictures of a majestic figure who submits to the worst that humankind can do to him and yet, after a bloody and gruesome death, he reappears in triumph to reclaim those whom iniquity and wickedness have tried to snatch from him.

We have the clearest picture of the purpose of the coming of God’s Servant in these two chapters and probably in the whole Bible.  It is amazing how clearly Isaiah understood and portrayed the suffering and death of God’s Servant not for Himself but as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of the world.

ISAIAH 52:13-15;

I call the nations now to come and see

My servant in triumphant victory!

Exalted, He shall sit at God’s right hand —

In majesty and splendour He will stand;

For kings and rulers who refused to bow,

Without a word will kneel before Him now.

They’ll understand what once they did not know —

My beaten, bloodied servant, brought so low,

Disfigured by His own creation’s hand,

They hardly recognised Him as a man:

Yet this same one they tried so hard to kill

Shall rise, exalted by the Father’s will,

To cleanse the nations of their guilt and shame,

To save them by the power of His name.

ISAIAH 53:1-12

“Who has believed our message, Lord:

To whom has come your saving word?”

From barren soil, a tender shoot;

From David’s line, of Jesse’s root.

Forsaken He, we did not care;

In Him we saw no beauty there.

Despised, we turned our backs on Him,

Our ears too deaf, our eyes too dim

To see His form, to hear His voice;

In folly we had made our choice.

And yet it was our grief He bore

Our sorrows weighed Him down, and tore

His heart for us, His body lashed.

Now we from sin and guilt are washed.

All we, like sheep, have gone astray,

Turned every one to his own way.

Our guilt, our shame, each stain of sin,

God’s spotless lamb, was laid on Him.

A silent lamb, to slaughter led,

No protest made, no word He said.

From trial they led Him up the hill.

None understood it was God’s will

That He should bleed and die that day

His blood would wash our sins away.

They buried Him, a rich man gave

His tomb to be the Saviour’s grave.

Although no wrong His hands had wrought,

No wicked words His lips had taught.

From ages past it was God’s plan

To treat Him as a guilty man.

His soul an offering for sin,

In victory to rise again;

The anguish of His soul to see,

His joy to rescue you and me!

Exalted now at God’s right hand,

Behold the Lamb!  Behold the Man!

Behold, my Servant prospers now:

Before him every knee shall bow.

Exalted Jesus, here we raise

Our hearts to you in thankful praise.

ISAIAH 50:4-9

Gospel, ,

This poem gives us glimpses into the intimate relationship between God and His Servant, Messiah, focussing particularly on His submission to the will of God, with aspects of His suffering which comes to a head in chapters 52 and 53.

ISAIAH 50:4-9

The Lord, Jehovah God has drawn me near

And whispers words of wisdom in my ear

That I may comfort every weary soul;

‘Tis his compassionate heart to make them whole.

Each morning, ere the rosy dawn-light breaks,

He tiptoes up to me and wakes

Me from my slumber, ‘tis His eager heart

The knowledge of His purpose to impart.

Attentively I listen as He speaks:

I give my back to whipping and my cheeks

To those who pluck my beard; ‘tis no disgrace

That they should spit and slap me in the face.

Because my God upholds me, I shall stand:

I’ll not shrink back from His controlling hand.

Submissively I bend to do His will,

For in my heart I know I’ll triumph still.

My vindication from my God is near —

Where are my enemies?  Let them appear.

My God is on my side and I shall stand;

He holds me up with His almighty hand.

Who shall declare my guilt before the Lord?

My enemies shall fall without a word

As silently as garments turn to dust —

Destroyed by clothing moth, mildew and rust.

Are there among you those who fear the Lord?

Who honour Him and tremble at His word?

When darkness comes to swallow up your light

Just trust the Lord, He understands your plight.

Rely upon the Lord, He’ll bring you through:

He’ll lead you in the dark, He’ll succour you.

Don’t be like those who know not of God’s grace,

Who never take the time to seek His face.

The fire they try to light will only lead

To utter darkness and to ruin indeed.

He calls you now to put your trust in Him;

The light upon your way will not grow dim.

ISAIAH 49:1-13

Gospel, ,

Isaiah introduces something into the revelation of the purposes of God which was unpalatable to the Jews, but part of God’s reason for calling them to be His chosen people from the beginning.  God’s passion was not only to bring His own people back to Him, but to call all nations to worship Him.  Through His Servant He would accomplish this.

ISAIAH 49:1-13

Listen, all of you in far-off lands!

Before my birth and from within the womb

God’s whispered call has echoed in my heart;

I know ‘twas me; He called me by my name.

My words of judgment, sharp as two-edged swords

Shall issue from my mouth by His decree;

A polished arrow in His quiver kept

And in His hand my hiding place shall be.

“You are my servant, Prince of Israel,

The glory of the Lord you will reveal.”

 I answered, “But my work for them seems vain;

For naught I spent my energy and zeal.”

Yet in God’s sovereign hand my work shall rest,

And my reward shall come from Him alone,

For He who formed me in my mother’s womb,

He reigns as Lord o’er every earthly throne.

‘Twas He who called me to restore to Him

His wayward and rebellious Israel.

‘Tis He who helps me do another task

And bring Him glory as I do His will.

“And now I have a greater task for you,”

Declares the Lord, “For you shall do much more

Than bring my wayward people back to me

To worship me again and to adore.”

“A Light to lead the nations of the world

My message to the Gentiles you will be,

Salvation and the love of God to share;

This is the task that you will do for me.”

Redeemer, Lord and King of Israel

Says to the one rejected by all men,

“The kings who held you underneath their heel

Shall worship, praise and honour you again.”

“As you pass by, princes before you bow,

For I, the faithful one, have chosen you

To be a guarantee to Israel

My promise once again to them renew.”

“This barren land, once rich with heaven’s grace,

With milk and honey flowing, now lies still;

But I will come in mercy to restore

And call my people back to do my will.”

Pris’nors of darkness hear my voice through you,

“Come out, forgiving love has set you free!”

Again my sheep will graze on grassy hills,

With eager steps they’ll gladly follow me.

Hunger and thirst will not assail them there,

Protected from the searing midday sun;

No scorching desert wind will trouble them,

Beside cool streams they’ll leap and play and run.

High mountains will be levelled out for them,

Deep valleys raised to highways for their feet;

My people shall return from far away —

Their joy and happiness will be complete.

O sing for joy, you heavens, shout, O earth;

Break forth with song, you mountains steep and high!

My people in their grief are comforted;

Compassion finally has brought them nigh.