Series: Isaiah
Title: Pleasure Prospering in Christ’s Hand
Text: Isaiah 53: 10
Date: January 23, 2014
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Isaiah 53: 10: Yet it pleased the LORD to
bruise him; he hath put him to grief:…
On the darkest
day this world has ever known God fulfilled the counsel of his own will and
took away the darkness of his people forever.
Isaiah 53: 10:…when thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin,…
Many
men and women have been given grace to suffer cruel deaths of martyrdom. But not one man ever paid for even one of his
own sins much less the sins of a multitude.
Yet, Christ who knew no sin, put an end to sin and brought in
everlasting righteousness for his people by his one offering on the tree.
Isaiah 53: 10:…he shall see his seed, he
shall prolong his days,…
God saw
his Seed—his only begotten Son, raised him from the dead to his throne in glory,
prolonging his days forever. And Christ saw his seed raised with him to glory.
Also, Christ
shall see each elect child conceived the first time and born-again to newness
of life. Those who die in infancy, do so by his appointment, and he takes them
home with him immediately. Those who live on, do so by his appointment, and
they shall each be given faith to believe on Christ at his appointment and
brought to glory by him.
Notice here: we do not read that the Lord Jesus has followers but the
text says He has a seed. His seed was in him when he lived and died. And all
who are saved by Christ have his life—his seed—in them. In the new man we are
like him being born of his incorruptible seed and in glory we shall be
perfectly conformed to his image.
Now, to
our text: Isaiah 53: 10:…and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper
in his hand.
Proposition: This statement is itself the one thing I want you to get
from this message—“the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in [Christ’s] hand.”
I. FIRST, LET’S GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THIS
STATEMENT.
What is the pleasure of the Lord?
What
are we to understand by this phrase, “the pleasure of the LORD?” What is this “pleasure”
that is said to “prosper in his hand?” The
term “pleasure” expresses God’s purpose to glorify himself in the person of his
Son by saving a chosen number of Adam’s fallen race from sin and all its consequences
through faith in Christ.
In
general, this term “pleasure” includes the glorification of the triune God in
every aspect of our salvation: from our redemption by Christ which he accomplished
fully by his one offering, to the spread of his Gospel throughout the world in
this gospel age, to making the gospel effectual in the hearts of his people which
he shall accomplish in each child for whom he died, to the establishment and
increase of Christ’s kingdom, to the carrying out of our salvation to its
fullness in glory hereafter. The
pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Why is this work called “the pleasure of the
LORD”?
It is
called the “pleasure” of the LORD because it is the triune God’s free, sovereign,
eternal purpose and grace toward his people in Christ.
Ephesians 3:11: According to the eternal purpose which he
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
2 Tim 1: 9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
It is called
his pleasure because it is God’s will and God’s will is his pleasure.
Ephesians 1:5: Having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his
will,…9: Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
It is
called God’s pleasure because this work of salvation magnifies and honors God’s
holiness and righteousness and that which magnifies and honors his holy name is
God’s good pleasure.
Isaiah 42:21: The LORD is well pleased for his
righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
Also,
it is called the pleasure of the LORD because in the accomplishment of his will
by Christ his Son, the triune God takes great delight.
Psalm 35:27: Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that
favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be
magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. [his servant
being Christ his Son]
Isaiah 42: 1: Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine
elect, in whom my soul delighteth; (Spoken of Christ in Mt 12: 17-21])
Matthew 3:17: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Another
reason, this work of grace is called God’s pleasure is because God delights in
those he saves by his Son.
Isaiah 62:4: Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken;
neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah,
and thy land Beulah: for [Hephzibah means] the LORD delighteth in thee, and
[Beulah means] thy land shall be married.
Psalm 147:10: He delighteth not in the strength of the
horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. 11: The LORD taketh pleasure
in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
Psalm 149:4: For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people:
he will beautify the meek with salvation.
What part does Christ Jesus have in this
work?
All of
it! All of this work has been in Christ’s hand since God the Father chose his
Son and entered covenant before the foundation of the world.
God the
Father first trusted Christ with his chosen people because Christ Jesus took
full responsibility for us before the world was made. Of every elect child of
God, the Son of God promised the Father
Genesis 43: 9: I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt
thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then
let me bear the blame for ever:
We are Given Full Assurance
Fourthly,
notice this statement gives us full assurance that this work shall prosper in
the hand of the Redeemer?—v10: the
pleasure of the LORD SHALL prosper in his hand. The same sure statement is made throughout the Word of God.
Isaiah 42: 1:…he shall bring forth judgment to the
Gentiles…3:…he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4: He shall not fail nor
be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth:….9: Behold, the former
things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth
I tell you of them.
Isaiah 46:10: Declaring the end from the beginning, and
from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall
stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11: Calling a ravenous bird from the
east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken
it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Psalm 135:6: Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in
heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
II. FOR OUR SECOND DIVISION, LET’S SEE EACH
PARTICULAR PLEASURE THAT SHALL PROSPER IN CHRIST’S HAND.
Note: It was
March of last year that we saw these things so we need to be reminded.
First, v10:
“It pleased the LORD to bruise him”—Having
fully accomplished the eternal redemption of all God’s elect, therefore these
things are certain TO COME TO PASS BY THE HAND OF OUR RESURRECTED REDEEMER!
It Pleased God for all Preeminence & Fullness to
Dwell in Christ
Christ shall have all preeminence for in
Christ all fullness dwells.
Colossians 1: 18: And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he
might have the preeminence. 19: For it
pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20: And, having
made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself.
The pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in
Christ’s hand.
It Pleased God to Save Through Preaching
Christ shall call out his sheep through preaching.
1 Corinthians 1: 21: For after that in the wisdom of God
the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
The pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in Christ’s hand. Christ has all power in heaven in earth to
bring the gospel to each child he shall save.
It Pleased God to Call Each Child to Faith in
Christ
At the appointed time, Christ shall call each elect,
redeemed, child to faith. It pleased God
to do so. Paul said,
Galatians 1: 15: But when it pleased God, who separated me from
my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16: To reveal his Son in me,…
Christ said,
John 6:37 All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him.
The pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in Christ’s hand. Christ shall give faith to each one given to
him of the Father.
It Pleased God to Set Each Member in His
Church by Christ
Here is
one I did not include before. Christ shall set each individual member of his
church, in the church his body, exactly as it pleases God.
I Corinthians 12: 18: But now hath God set the members
every one of them in the body, as it
hath pleased him.
Christ
is the Head of his body. Through Christ
Jesus the Son, God the Father is setting each member in his church as it hath
pleased him. This body is prospering
exactly on time because it is the Lord who is adding to the church daily such
as should be saved. (Act 2: 47)
It Pleases God to Never Forsake One Child
It is God’s pleasure that Christ shall not forsake one
child.
1 Samuel 12:22: For the LORD will not forsake his people
for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased
the LORD to make you his people.
John 6:39 And this
is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 10:28: And I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand. 29: My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is
able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
The pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in Christ’s hand.
It Pleases God to Work in Each Believer through the Power
of Christ
It
pleases God to make each believer do that which pleases him through the power
of Jesus Christ working within each believer.
Hebrews 13: 16: But
to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. [how will a believer do
so?]…20: Now the God of peace, that
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21: Make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, working in you that
which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 2:13: For it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of his good pleasure.
It
pleased God to do this work in us THROUGH JESUS CHRIST because thereby Christ
is glorified in his people and his people in him.
2 Thessalonians 1:11: Wherefore also we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness,
and the work of faith with power: 12: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in
you, and ye in him, according to the
grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in Christ’s hand.
It Pleased God to Gather All His Elect in Christ
In the end all his elect shall be gathered in
Christ.
Ephesians 1: 9: Having made known unto us the mystery of
his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself: 10: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11: In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12: That we should be
to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
The pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in Christ’s hand.
Therefore, believer, this last thing that pleases God is
certain.
Luke 12: 32: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you
the kingdom.
The pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in
Christ’s hand.
Amen!