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NOTE:
At this point in our study of Isaiah, you’ve probably noticed something about his writings. We seem to keep talking about a lot of the same things each week. He seems to come back again and again to the same topics and ideas, and he constantly shifts without warning between these themes even within specific chapters. Well that shouldn’t really surprise us if we understand how the Book of Isaiah came to be in the first place. It’s not as if he sat down and wrote the entire book as a complete whole. Rather, this is a collection of various talks and sermons that he gave over the course of his entire lifetime, like a collection of all of a modern-day apostle’s talks into one. So it shouldn’t shock us that there’s repetition. Prophets often emphasize and reemphasize certain messages based on the circumstances of their people. So these messages are interwoven in and out of each other kind of like a rope with multiple-colored strands in it. Our job as students and teachers of Isaiah then, is to separate those strands from each other so that we can observe each one as a more complete whole. So this week, we’ll examine two of those strands that we’ve already seen in our study of Isaiah so far. One, the message of hope and comfort for the glorious future of Zion, and second, what I would consider to be Isaiah’s most fundamental purpose in writing—to reveal the life, character, and mission of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. So first, the hope of Israel . . .
HOPE OF ISRAEL
ICEBREAKER
Last week we explored a number of messages of comfort from the Lord to his people, and this week’s chapters are going to allow us to add to that list. There’s a continuation of that thread, and we’ll see it again next week. So for an icebreaker, try the following fill-in-the blank activity. You give them the chapter that the answers are in, and their job is to be the first person to find what goes in the blank. To discourage guessing, require them to also tell you the verse the answer is found in. If you’re teaching children or youth, perhaps you could throw out a small treat to whoever finds the answer first. So here we go, these first three all come from chapter 51.
51:3
3 For the Lord shall ________ Zion: he will _________ all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Hint: The same word goes in both blanks. What is it? The word is COMFORT. A beautiful promise about Zion’s future.
Next:
51:12
12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be _______ of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
Answer: AFRAID. There’s no need to be afraid of man, who like grass, will eventually wither, and die.
51:19
19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be ________ for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?
Answer: SORRY. Who shall be sorry for thee? And later in that verse, who shall comfort thee? In the midst of their trials and persecution? What do you think is the answer to those questions? Who will comfort them? The Savior, of course.
52:9
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath ____________ Jerusalem.
Answer: REDEEMED. Therefore, why wouldn’t they rejoice and sing.
And finally, our last one is in chapter 57.
57:18
18 I have seen his ways, and will ______him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
Answer: HEAL. The Lord promises to heal their hurts and bring comfort to them once again.
TRANSITION
Well did you notice anything that all those verses had in common? They all contain some form of the word comfort in them. Throughout Isaiah, Jesus consistently seeks to comfort his people. Just like last week, we’ll begin our lesson by focusing on more of those messages of comfort, because as the current members of the house of Israel, these messages apply to us as well.
SEARCH
Now there are many comforting things that you find within our chapters this week, but we’re going to specifically take a look at 3 sections. One from chapter 50, one from 52, and another from 54.
And as we dig into those sections, I’d like to ask if any of you can relate to one of the following types of people?
Campers
Runners
Singers
Husbands or Wives
Parents or Children
If you can relate to any of these roles, Isaiah has a message of comfort that should connect particularly well with you.
CAMPERS (50:10-11)
So first, the campers. I have a question for you. When you’re in the wilderness, why build a fire? What use does a fire have to the camper? Well I can think of a few reasons:
· Warmth
· Comfort
· Light
· For cooking food
· Protection-wild animals are much less likely to approach you if you have a fire going.
Lots of great reasons to have a fire while you’re camping
Now go to chapter 50:10-11 and tell me what you think Isaiah is trying to teach us here
10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.
11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
The imagery here in these verses is of someone struggling to light a fire and has that ever happened to you before? Have you ever tried to light a fire with only flint and steel, or with very wet wood? What was that experience like? Pretty frustrating, right? I told you last week that at young men’s camp this summer we taught the boys how to light a fire with flint and steel and I’ll tell you what. That was hard! Without any previous experience with that ourselves, it took us a long time to figure out how to make that work. Like, over an hour. We saw a lot of sparks, but not much fire. So Isaiah asks a bit of a rhetorical question in that first verse—kind of a “duh” question. Is there anyone out there that obeys the prophets and still finds themselves walking in darkness? What would be the obvious spiritual answer to that question. Uh, Nobody! If you follow the prophets, you will always have light. You’ll be able to see where you’re going and how to get there. Obedience=Light. It’s like lighting a fire with extremely dry wood, a Bic lighter, and lighter fluid. It’s not hard to get a fire going with that! And with that you’ll have the light of God’s truth, the warmth of the Spirit, the comfort of his love, protection from sin and sorrow, and you’ll be fed with his words.
However, the second verse in that pair reflects the mindset of the world. They say, “I don’t need God’s commandments or prophets or scriptures or Church to be happy. I don’t need the light of his gospel, I can figure it on my own. I’m going to make my own fire, my own light, apart from and outside of God”. And what does Isaiah promise those with that attitude? All you’re going to get is sparks. It’s going to be like struggling to light a fire with flint and steel and wet wood. You’ll only succeed in compassing yourself about with sparks. How much light will sparks give you? Only quick flashes of light here and there. You won’t get the light, warmth, comfort, food, or protection you need. Ultimately, you will lie down in sorrow, cold and in the dark.
So campers, the message of comfort for you? Obey the voice of God’s servants and walk in his light!
RUNNERS (52:7, 11-12)
Now for the runners, let me begin by asking you a question. Do you have beautiful feet? And as a teacher, at this point I’ll take off my shoes and socks in front of my class and show them my feet. So you might want to clip your toenails and make sure there are no holes in your socks on the day you teach this lesson. And I’ll tell you, I’ve done this many times with classes of youth and they always find it amusing and of course, a little odd, but it’s a good attention getter. And I’ll ask them if they know how to get beautiful feet. Feet aren’t typically considered to be the most attractive part of the human body. They spend all day inside shoes and get sweaty and smelly, and they’re kind of weird looking besides, right? But we can do something about that. There is a way to make your feet more beautiful. And it’s not by painting your toenails, or filing down calluses, or keeping them washed and moisturized. The scriptures will teach us how. How can I make my feet beautiful according to Isaiah 52:7
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Now Isaiah lived in a time before cell phones and CNN and FedEx and in ancient times, when important news needed to be delivered and delivered fast, messengers or runners were tasked with conveying that news as quickly as they could. And it was considered a great honor to bear a critical or celebratory message, like a great victory in battle. The most famous example of this idea comes from Greek history where the Greeks were terribly outnumbered in a battle with the Persians on the plains of Marathon. But miraculously, they win! And the traditional story says that a young runner by the name of Pheidippides is given the privilege of bearing the news of that great victory back to Athens roughly 26 miles away. And he runs with such fervor and speed and exertion that after he runs up the steps of the Acropolis to the King, he shouts out his message, “Victory, victory! Rejoice, we conquer” and then supposedly, he dies right there of exhaustion. And that’s where we get the distance for the modern-day marathon.
So here, according to Isaiah, what makes someone’s feet beautiful? When those feet are attached to a person that is willing to bear the critical and celebratory message of the good tidings of good to all. The feet of someone who publishes peace and salvation are beautiful upon the mountains. In fact, do you know what the word “gospel” actually means—good news. So if you want to beautify your feet, forget the toenail polish and the lotion, share the good news of Christ’s gospel to all you can far and wide.
To verse 7, let’s add verses 11 and 12 as well.
11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.
12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.
So a warning, a charge, and a promise there. What should you run from? Isaiah shouts, Depart! Depart! Go ye out from thence! From where? From Babylon, like we talked about last week. O Babylon, O Babylon we bid thee farewell, we’re going to the mountains of Ephraim to dwell. Run from Babylon, go ye out of the midst of her. The repetition of that instruction suggests urgency and emphasis. And you could pair that verse up with 52:1. Awake, awake, depart, depart! I can’t have my messengers sleeping on the job or hanging out in the world. They’ve got to be alert and be stalwart citizens of Zion. Also, they need to be worthy. They need to be clean, like the Levites of old who were charged with carrying the vessels of the Lord. Those that are charged with carrying the holy message of the Lord need to be worthy of it. Touch not the unclean thing. And if we do that, Isaiah has a promise for us. God will not only go before us, but he’ll be behind us as well. Like you might say to someone who was feeling a little trepidation about doing something challenging, “Don’t worry, I’ll go first.” OR, you might say, “Don’t worry, I’m right behind you”. Well God says both. Therefore, there is no need to fear. So runners, the message of comfort for you. Run for the Lord and enjoy the privilege of sharing his message with all, “Rejoice, Christ conquers!”
SINGERS (52:8-10)
Now singers. What about you? Why do you enjoy singing? Is it because it gives you the ability to express your feelings and emotions in a more powerful way than just words can for you? At some future point in earth’s history, we are all going to start singing. And why? What is it that will cause us to burst into song? Let’s stay here in chapter 52:8-10.
8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice;
And that’s yet another metaphor for missionaries and prophets. They’re watchmen who raise a warning voice to all of coming dangers.
with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Why will we sing? Because we will see with our own eyes the redemption of Zion. We will rejoice in the comfort of a new world without wickedness or darkness. This is a joyful message! The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations. What does that mean? Picture somebody rolling up their sleeves. When you do that, what does that action communicate? Two reasons I can think of. One, you’re about to go to work and two, you’re showing your strength, your muscles. We rejoice and sing in the work and strength of the Lord. He’s made salvation possible to every nation and every person, to all the ends of the earth. The message of the future of Zion is a joyful one. So we sing it. And would you like to know the words of that song? The Doctrine and Covenants actually gives us the words! You’ll find them in Doctrine and Covenants 84:99-102. We won’t go through those verses here, but I encourage you to take a look at them yourselves. It’s quite a beautiful hymn. I just wish we had the music to it. But don’t worry, we will. I’m sure it’s a melody that’s recorded somewhere in the back of minds or souls from a distant pre-mortal memory.
The message of comfort to you singers? God will redeem Zion, and one day we will joyfully sing of his victory!
HUSBANDS/WIVES/PARENTS/CHILDREN (54:4-17)
Now for the husbands and wives, parents, or children. Which would basically include all of us. We all would fit into at least one of those categories, and some of us into all three. Let’s go to chapter 54 because it’s family imagery that abounds here.
54:4-17
Chapter 54 is a section that is FILLED with comforting messages. We already spoke about one of those comforting messages last week as we talked about the destiny of Zion compared with Babylon. And both cities were compared to wives. Zion is no longer going to be barren. She’s going to have so many children that we’re going to need a bigger tent!
Now for the remaining verses of chapter 54, I would play a recording of them to my class. This is a message that really needs to be heard to be most effective. It’s a direct message from Christ to his bride, Zion. And you may need to remind them of that common metaphor in the scriptures. Jesus is the husband, and Zion is his bride. And sadly, Zion had been unfaithful to him for a time. It had gone after other gods. And, he, as her husband, has every reason in the world to forsake them or divorce them, because, they had left him, and not the other way around. In fact, as a sidenote, that’s the context behind the meaning of Isaiah 50:1-2.
There he assures them he never divorced or forsook them. There’s no bill of divorcement and he assures them that he is still there to answer them, redeem them, and deliver them. And, thank heavens, Zion is coming back, seeking for his forgiveness and acceptance. So you have to picture Jesus as the one speaking here. And to perhaps make the message more personal and relevant have you ever felt this way. Have they ever felt like you’d done something that has displeased the Savior? Have you ever felt like you needed his love, help, reassurance, or mercy? Picture that scenario as you listen to these words. And, as a teacher, put a portrait of Christ on the board or screen or on an easel and play the words of the chapter, and invite your students to mark all the phrases that either comfort or inspire them. And when that’s complete, invite them to share some of the things they marked and why.
Here are a few that stand out to me:
:4
4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
You don’t need to worry about the past. There’s no need to be ashamed. Forget about it. I have.
And :5
5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
I’m still with you! I haven’t abandoned you. I’m forever your husband.
:7
7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
Yes, I admit it, I did allow you to feel the pain of your sins for a time, to help you recognize the folly of them. But only for a small moment, just enough to help you learn the lesson, and no more. I am kind and merciful.
:10
10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
Back then, mountains and hills were places of safety and refuge. If you were under attack, it was best to run for the hills, to gain the high ground. So he reassures them, “Even if you’re feeling like there’s no place of safety for you in the world to run to, run to me. My kindness, and peace, and mercy are places of safety that can never be removed. They will always be there for you. If you’ll come.”
:11-12
11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
Ah, so now we discover that the tent of verses 2-3 is not going to remain a tent forever. Now it has become a palace. And it’s not a palace built of mere brick and mortar, or limestone, but sapphires, and agates, and precious stones. It’s a beautiful building. A temple, even. God does not intend for us to just live in the tent forever. This is the place he has prepared for his beloved wife and for all his children.
:13
This is a great one for parents:
13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
I don’t know about you, but one of my greatest anxieties and fears in life is the worry I feel for my children considering the world they’re being brought up in. Every night I pray not only for their physical but for their spiritual safety. I want them, more than anything to remain true, and faithful, and righteous. As John said in 3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy, than to hear that my children walk in truth”. The Lord promises here that our children will be taught and have peace.
And then verse 17
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
So there’s some comfort for those living in a wicked world. No opposing force will prosper against you. Nothing will stop Christ from returning and Zion being redeemed! As long as we remain servants of righteousness, then triumph will be our heritage, our legacy. So forget about the anti-church websites, the protestors on temple square, the critics, the skeptics, the slanderers. All their efforts will come to naught in the end, and Zion, and all her children will be redeemed.
And there you have it! I hope all of you were able to connect with at least one of those roles or messages. And I hope that you all found some measure of comfort in them.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
So to liken the scriptures, Which roles message did you find the most comforting and why?
CONCLUSION
Well whether you are a camper, a runner, a singer, a husband, wife, mother, father, daughter or son, Isaiah has a comforting message for you. There is never any need to despair in this life, regardless of how bad things seem to get. For the righteous, the future holds the certainty of joy and salvation. So bask in the warmth of God’s fire, run with the power of God’s message, sing the glory of God’s song, rest in the loving embrace of his kindness and forgiveness, and grow up and be taught as a child of Zion. With all of that in mind, how could we ever get discouraged as his saints? And though the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, His kindness shall not depart from thee.
Now if you have the time in class. There is a wonderful song written by Rob Gardner that calls upon the very language of chapter 54 to express this message. It’s beautiful, and I’ll include a link here to a video of a performance of that song. I feel it would be a great exclamation point to add to the end of this part of the lesson.
CHARACTER OF CHRIST
ICEBREAKER
Now for the second strand of Isaiah’s rope this week. What do these chapters teach us about the life, mission, and character of Christ. In a word? Much. And as an icebreaker to introduce this section, I do one of the following activities. In my office I have little knit sign that somebody gave to me years ago. And do you understand what it says? I’ll often have students come into my office and look at it and say? What language is that? And I’ll say, oh, it’s English. And they’ll say, really? I don’t get it. And it usually takes them just a minute, but eventually they get it. And do you see it? It says Jesus. And if you still can’t see it, let me help you by highlighting the way you should be looking at it. There. Do you see it now? And sometimes people see it right off the bat, but for most, it takes a while. Now I know I have a lot of international watchers out there so this may not work for you. So you can try this one instead. Tell them to stare at this strange pattern without blinking for at least 30 seconds, and then, close their eyes. And what do they see? They’ll see an image of Jesus. And I’ll make both of these activities available on a handout this week if you’re interested in using either of these in a lesson.
TRANSITION
And after doing that with them, I would explain that that is exactly what you’ve got to do as you study Isaiah. You’ve got to look for him because he’s not always obvious in Isaiah’s writing. In fact, you won’t find the word Jesus anywhere in the book of Isaiah, but he is most certainly there on every page. You just have to know what you’re looking for and look in the right way. So that’s what we’re going to do this week in these chapters.
SEARCH
And an activity I like to do with this portion of the lesson is to use the following picture handout. As you study these verses about the Savior together as a class, encourage your students to pick which pictures from the life of Christ that they feel best match with what Isaiah is describing. And the point of this isn’t so much to correct their answers and tell them which picture is the right one to pick as much as it there to just to get them thinking. And if they come up with a picture match that works for them, don’t tell them that they’re wrong. Just invite them to explain their reason for why they chose that particular picture. Remember that we’re to see Isaiah more than just read him. And perhaps these pictures can help us to better visualize what Isaiah wants us to know about the Savior.
And these are the verses that we’re going to be taking a particular look at this week:
· Isaiah 50:5-9
· Isaiah 51:22
· Isaiah 53:1-12
· Isaiah 55:6-9
Isaiah 50:5-9
When we consider the mission and life of Jesus Christ, in hindsight, we know the difficulties and trials he’s going to face. We know how painful, how discouraging, how difficult it’s going to be for him. But how did Christ face those things. What was his attitude towards them? Let’s see.
5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
And what picture might you pick from the life of the Savior to match these verses? I would choose picture #7—Jesus standing trial before the Jewish leaders where he was mocked, smitten, and spit upon. And even though he was a being of infinite power, he would not resist this persecution. He would not be rebellious to it, he wouldn’t turn away back, he wouldn’t hide his face from it. Instead . . .
7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
What picture do you feel best matches that section? The one that I feel really captures the essence of these verses is picture # 8. I just love the look on his face in that portrait. How would you describe it? Certainly there is love in it, as we would expect. But what else do you see? I see his face set like a flint. Flint is a very hard stone. So if you set your face like a flint, you are firm, unwavering, resolved. That is the look of pure determination, and I believe that’s exactly the look he must have had on his face as he entered Jerusalem that day, or as he contemplated what he was about to do. That face says, “I know what I have to do, and I’m going to do it, no matter what.” And how is he able to say that? Because he knows that his father is with him. So he says, “Who can contend with me? Who is my adversary? Let them come! I’m ready. I can take it. Because I am going to win in the end.” Paul’s words from Romans 8:31 come to mind: If God be for us, who can be against us! That’s the way Jesus approached this moment. And as we well know, he will triumph in the end.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
If we wish to take this moment and apply it personally, just put yourselves in Jesus’s shoes. When we have something difficult to face. When we are suffering persecution or opposition for a righteous cause, can we not also say the same thing? Can we look at our persecutors or our problems and say, “I have set my face like a flint. Who will contend with me? Let him come near. Behold, the Lord God will help me. I will not be ashamed.” How could you better confront your challenges with a “face like flint” attitude? I encourage us to channel that same determination and spirit when we are up against our adversaries.
Isaiah 51:22
22 Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:
Two things from this verse. One, here we see Christ acting as our advocate, or lawyer. “Our advocate with the Father” is one of his scriptural titles or roles in the plan. And if you’re curious to know what is it that he will say as he pleads, you can actually read that in Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5:
3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.
This is the plea he makes for the righteous. And can you picture him making that plea for you personally? It’s humbling. In my mind's eye I can almost imagine hearing Jesus petition his father by saying: You love me Father and because of that love that you bear to me, I bear that love to. You know that he believes in me and you. Father, I suffered and died for Ben, and I loved him enough to suffer and die, and he loves us, Father. So spare him. Give unto him eternal life. We both know that he is guilty, but he believes in us and loves us." Now who’s heart out there wouldn't be softened by hearing such a plea for them.
What picture does this verse make you think of? I think of picture #4. It looks like he’s looking to God and pleading on someone’s behalf there.
Also in this verse we find a common symbol that Christ uses to describe his mission and atoning sacrifice. What object did Christ often compare his atonement to? See if you can find it in Doctrine and Covenants 19:18? A cup! He compared his atonement to drinking a cup of something. You may remember the Savior’s prayer in Gethsemane, “Let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt”. (Matthew 26:39). But what kind of cup was it? A bitter cup. It was like drinking a cup full of something very bitter, say a cup of vinegar. Well, here, he gives that cup a few different names and what are they? The cup of his fury, and the cup of trembling. The significance of those two names? The cup of his fury hints at what is in the cup he’s being asked to drink. It’s the demands of justice required by sin. For a full understanding of what that cup entailed see Alma 7:11-13. And Jesus is going to be asked to drink that cup in Gethsemane all the way to the cross. And it’s very, very bitter. And this helps us to understand the meaning of the other name for the cup. The cup of trembling. Imagine what you would do if you were asked to drink a large, extremely bitter cup of vinegar. What do you imagine that experience would be like? You would tremble at the bitterness. Your hands would begin to shake at the strain and struggle of it. That’s a powerful visual representation of the suffering of the Savior. Now I do understand and know that in the next verse, verse 23, he says that he will place that cup in the hands of his enemies as well, which is true. Those that choose not to repent will have to drink the contents of their own cup at some point. But we also know that Jesus has elected to take that cup from our hands, and drink it himself to the dregs for us, as he says in Doctrine and Covenants 19.
What picture might we choose here? Picture # 10 comes to mind to me. It was on the cross where Jesus drank the bitter cup to its last bitter drop and proclaimed “It is finished” to his Father.
Isaiah 53:1-12
And now we move to what I consider to be the most important and superb chapter of the entire scripture block this week. Isaiah chapter 53. The depth and potency of these verses are undeniable. I feel so strongly about us understanding the contents of this chapter that I feel it is worth our time to take it verse by verse. Twelve verses of scriptural sublimity.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
The initial question: Who is going to accept and believe Isaiah’s message about Christ? Who is going to receive the blessing of Christ’s sacrifice. When he asks about the arm of the Lord being revealed, think back to that verse we already looked at where Isaiah said that the Lord would make bare his arm. Same idea here. He’s going to roll up his sleeves and show his strength and readiness to work. So, who are going to be the recipients of Christ’s strength and efforts. Isaiah 53 is eventually going to answer that question. But first, what is this Savior or Messiah going to be like?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
This is how Christ is going to come. He’ll come as a tender plant. He’s not going to come like a freight train, but as a seedling. Plants grow slowly and imperceptibly. So he’s going to come gently, subtly, meekly. He’s not going to be in your face or forceful. And did Isaiah get that prophesy right? He was born in a manger. He lived humbly in a no-name town as a carpenter. He was poor. He worked with fisherman, and tax collectors, and the poor, and the reviled. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. He gently and tenderly invited people to follow him. What picture would you choose for this verse? Many could apply. But I would choose picture # 9. Jesus growing up as a boy in Joseph’s carpenter shop—humbly and unknown to the world.
And what about his physical appearance? The reason people will choose to follow him won’t be because of his looks or his outward appearance. If we were to see Christ, you probably wouldn’t instantly recognize him. He would look very normal, plain even. Just an average looking, middle Eastern man. So people aren’t going to follow him or admire him because of his looks. There is no beauty that we should desire him. People had the same problem with Joseph Smith. He looks too normal to be a prophet, or even President Nelson. You tell someone he’s the prophet of God, and they say, “What, this old man in a suit? I pictured a bearded, robed patriarch with a staff in his hand. This man can’t be a prophet. He’s not what I expected.” We’d probably have a similar experience if we were to actually see Christ.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
So he’s not going to be super popular in certain circles—especially the “in” crowd. People will despise him, reject him, and esteem him not. And then I think we need to be careful about how we interpret the line that he is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Do you picture Jesus as mournful, somber, and incredibly serious all the time? I don’t think so. If wickedness never was happiness, and righteousness always was, and Jesus was the most righteous individual to ever live, than it stands to reason to think he was the happiest individual to ever live as well. I believe he smiled, and ran, and enjoyed being with people, that he had a sense of humor. All throughout the gospels you see him going to feasts, working with large crowds, interacting with people. He must have been a very pleasant person to be around. So why does Isaiah describe him as a man of sorrows? The next verse holds the key:
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Ah, so it’s not HIS sorrow and grief that makes him a man of sorrows, but our sorrows and griefs. He carries them for us. What picture might you choose for these two verses? Picture # 5comes to my mind. Especially the phrase, “With his stripes we are healed”. And these verses just give us a few of the many “atonement” phrases within this chapter. Isaiah is going to teach the great principle of the atonement in multiple ways. Let’s pause and take a look at each of those now at the same time and I encourage you to mark each of these in a common color.
:4 He hath borne our griefs
:4 He carried our sorrows
:5 He was wounded for our transgressions
:5 He bruised for our iniquities
:5 the chastisement of our peace was upon him
:5 with his stripes (stripes means whippings or scourgings) we are healed
:6 the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all
:8 for the transgression of my people was he stricken
:11 by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many
:11 he shall bear their iniquities
:12 he bare the sin of many
:12 [he] made intercession for the transgressors
Do you see how many different ways Isaiah says it? That’s poetry for you, expressing the same thought with multiple images and phrases. But those phrases describe the miracle of the atonement. The fact that Christ was able to take upon himself our sins and make intercession for us. His grief brings us relief, his sorrow brings us joy, his wounds heal ours, his bruises bring us wholeness, his chastisement brings us peace, his stripes bring us freedom from punishment, his back bears the load of our iniquities so that we may walk uprightly, his being stricken makes us complete, his intercession makes saints out of transgressors. Now exactly how that works, I don’t think I could logically explain or diagram or satisfactorily comprehend it, but I do know that it works. The picture for all of these phrases? I would choose picture #3—Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where he truly did bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. Sadly, verse 6:
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Picture to go with this one? How about picture #2. If we are like sheep, that would make Christ the good shepherd. I like that contrast there. It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but it’s an accurate one. He compares us to sheep but at the same time says that we have turned every one to his own way. That’s a good description of the modern mindset. We want to do our own thing. We don’t want to be told what to do. We say, “I want to be a unique individual, just like everybody else.” Because, are sheep known for doing their own thing? No. They are known for following. No matter how much lip service we give to the idea of being original, we just can’t seem to suppress our herd instinct. And so those that rebel, usually all rebel in the exact same way, like sheep. Maybe when Jesus compared himself to a good shepherd, and we his flock, perhaps that wasn’t much of a flattering compliment. But then, there is another sheep in our midst.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
This “lamb of God” was brought to the slaughter as a sacrifice, but opened not his mouth. He did not protest. When Christ was betrayed, abandoned, scourged, judged, spit upon, and ultimately crucified, he humbly and meekly accepted it. He didn’t fight it. He didn’t protest. A picture to go with this verse? I’d pick #1. That scene of Christ standing before Pilate and the angry crowd demanding his death and Christ allowing them to judge him has got to be the absolute definition of meekness—power under control. With the snap of his fingers, he could have called legions of angels down to protect and deliver him. The earthly power of Pilate and the entire might of the Roman empire and the Jewish authorities was absolutely nothing compared to his infinite and divine power. And yet he submitted, like a lamb to the slaughter.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
There’s a lot happening in these verses and an important question is asked. These things literally do happen to Christ, don’t they? He is taken from prison and judgment and cut off out of the land of the living. He will be executed. He will make his grave with the wicked, think of the thieves that were crucified with him. And the rich in his death is a direct prophecy of Christ being buried in a rich man’s tomb. That of Joseph of Arimathea. You could choose picture #6 to go here—the picture of Christ’s tomb. And he will be falsely accused and unjustly slain. But what’s the important question that’s asked by Isaiah? Who shall declare his generation? In other words, who’s going to be his seed, his heritage, his heirs, his children? Because he died so young! He didn’t live long enough to pass on his legacy or have children to carry on his name or generation. In Bible times, ancestry and posterity is everything. Not to have an heir to perpetuate your family legacy was one of the worst things that could happen to you. So who are going to be HIS kids? Answer: verses 10 and 11.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Do you understand what Isaiah’s saying here? After he has been bruised, put to grief, and made his soul an offering for sin, then he WILL see his seed! His children! He will not be left childless! He shall see the travail of his soul. Besides the bitter cup, this is the other powerful scriptural analogy to help us understand the nature of Christ’s atonement. Travail—or childbirth. I’ve personally watched my wife bring four children into this world. And what was that experience like for her? I don’t think I can ever really understand it. But I watched her go through nine months of discomfort, pain, and difficulty to bring my children into this world. And then the actual birth itself exacts great pain and effort. There’s a reason they call it labor. This is the image chosen to help us understand what it may have been like for Christ. Suffering the atonement was like giving birth. But what do mothers do when that little child is laid in their arms after all that labor, and travail, and difficulty? Do they look down and say, “Well, that wasn’t worth it”? No, they are satisfied. They smile, and clasp the child near, and tenderly gaze at their beloved child. The pain is forgotten. Jesus himself used this same metaphor with his disciples. He said:
21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. (John 16:21)
That was his experience with the atonement. When he sees his children, he’s satisfied. He remembered no more the anguish and felt only joy. But still, we haven’t answered the key question yet. Who are these children that Isaiah speaks of? Who are the children of Christ? We’re going to have to go to the Book of Mormon to really answer that question. Abinadi is going to say it most clearly and directly:
Mosiah 15:10-12
10 And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed?
11 Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.
12 For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?
Who are the children of Christ? Those that HEAR the words of the prophets, but not only hear, but HEARKEN to the words of the prophets, but not only HEAR, and HEARKEN, but BELIEVE the words of the prophets and have LOOKED FORWARD to the day of the remission of their sins provided them by the sacrifice of their father, the Savior. These are his seed.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
So an important question for all of us to consider, to liken the scriptures to ourselves or apply this lesson in our daily lives. We’ve got to ask ourselves, “Am I a part of his seed? Have I chosen Jesus Christ as my father? Do I hear and hearken and believe the words of the living prophets, and do I look forward with hope to his coming. If we can honestly answer yes to those questions, then we are the children of Christ, and he is our father.
To finish out the chapter, verse 12:
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
He’s going to share the spoils of his victory with all of us, his heirs, his children. Yes, he conquered death through the power of his resurrection, but he’s going to share that with all of us. We too will be resurrected. Yes, he conquered sin through the power of his sacrifice, but he’s going to share that with all of us. We will be forgiven of our sins, and justified, and made pure. We too will inherit heaven and glory and power. All that He has, will be given to us. We will become heirs of celestial glory, just like Him. A picture to go with this one? How about picture #11 depicting a future day with Christ in heaven.
Isaiah 55:6-9
All right, for our last set of verses let’s go to chapter 55:6-9.
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
One of my favorite words from this part comes from verse 7. How does Christ pardon people? How vast is ability to forgive? He will “abundantly pardon” his people. Such a great word. Christ’s mercy is abundant. If you want to get an idea of that abundant mercy, just jump to Matthew 18:21-22 and Luke 17:4. When his disciples asked him how merciful we should be to others, Christ taught the following.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Then in Luke 17:
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Well I fervently believe that God is not going to ask us to do anything that he’s not willing to do himself. So how abundant is his mercy? He’s the kind of God that can forgive until 70×7. He is even able to forgive somebody seven times in one day for committing the same error, as long as they approach him with the true spirit of repentance. He “abundantly” pardons.
And, his thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways. And you think that if somebody else were to say the same kind of thing to us, we’d probably think them quite arrogant. You know, it would be like them saying, “Do you see how high the sky is? How much higher the heavens are than the earth? Well that’s how much smarter I am than you.” But when God says it, it’s true, and quite an important truth for us to grasp. Because we don’t have his perspective. We’ve got to learn to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not unto our own understandings, as the Proverbs teach. He's been a God for a long time. His thoughts and ways are so beyond ours, that we simply must put our faith in those thoughts, and in those ways and act accordingly.
Or, one additional thing to consider with those verses. The very first word in verse 8 is “for” which means the thought here is meant to be connected with the previous verse. So when God says this his thoughts and ways are higher than our ways, he’s more than likely referring specifically to his desire and ability to forgive—to pardon abundantly. And that can be a very reassuring message to any repentant person out there who is struggling to forgive themselves. Gods ways are higher than your own. “You may not be able to comprehend the abundance of my mercy,” he says, “It may be hard for you to believe that I’m capable of doing that. But my ways are higher than your ways. Believe in my mercy. Trust me. You are forgiven.”
CONCLUSION
I hope this little study of these verses has helped you to come to know Christ better. And, spoiler alert, there’s going to be more of this next week. You’re going to find Jesus Christ on every single page of the book of Isaiah. By the end of our study of this book, I really hope and pray that you are more fully persuaded to believe in the Lord your redeemer. If you truly wish to know the character of Christ, besides reading the gospels themselves, studying the book of Isaiah will probably aid you the most in that quest. Know Christ, and will know life. No Christ, though, and there will be no life, because he IS the way, the truth, and the life.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
And I’d like to conclude with a final LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES question.
What do you feel is the most important thing you learned about Christ from Isaiah today?
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