The Promise of the Messiah

MEMORY VERSE: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” —Isaiah 9:6

ISAIAH 52:13 – 53:6

THE Apostle Peter informs us that through the prophets the Holy Spirit testified “beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (I Pet. 1:11) We have an example of this in our present lesson. Isaiah wrote that the Messiah “shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.” (Isa. 52:13) In verse 10 of this same chapter Christ is referred to as the Lord’s “Arm” The text reads, “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.”

Truly these are promises of glory; but in verse 1 of the next chapter Isaiah raises the question, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed?” This “Arm of the Lord” which Isaiah saw made bare in the eyes of all the nations is not accepted by the people, and the prophet asks, “To whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed?”

The “glory” aspect of this prophecy is further exemplified in verse 15 of chapter 52, which reads, “So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” The coming of the Messiah teas on behalf of “all nations,” and all nations were eventually to be sprinkled by his blood. While the Jewish nation was given hope of the coming of a Messiah, this information did not reach the Gentile nations until after Pentecost, and then on a limited scale as a witness, and to take out of them a people for the Lord’s name.—Acts 15:14

It will not be until Messiah’s kingdom is fully established and operative throughout the earth that, as promised, “the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9) It will be then that that true Light will enlighten all mankind, and the people of all nations will see and hear things completely new to them, and be blessed. They will hear the Spirit and the bride say, “Come, … partake of the water of life freely.”—Rev. 22:17

But before this glory of the Messiah and his kingdom could be made known to the people it was necessary that he suffer and die as man’s Redeemer. The glory follows the suffering. According to Isaiah 52:14 Jesus did not appear to his fellow Israelites as glorious. They expected their Messiah to be a great and powerful Ruler, but when he appeared to them in a fleshly body of humiliation they saw nothing in him desirable to them.

So instead of accepting Jesus and co-operating with him, the Jewish nation rejected him; and as a result of misguidance by their religious leaders they put him to death. Instead of being, at that time, the “Arm of the Lord” made bare in the eyes of all the nations, Jesus was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” The people testified, “We hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”—Isa. 53:3

Verses 4-6 of chapter 53 speak of a time when the people will recognize the true beauty of Jesus who laid down his humanity for the sins of the world.

Our memory verse presents various aspects of the “glory” of Christ as reflected in the titles it assigns to him. First it reminds and assures us that the Messiah was to establish a government—a world government—for which he would assume the responsibility. The success of this government will not depend upon human wisdom or military might. It will be upon Christ’s “shoulder.” How glad we are!

Christ will indeed be a Wonderful Counselor to guide the people. He will be a mighty God—not the Almighty, but mighty and powerful nonetheless, fully able to accomplish all that was foretold of him. He will give everlasting life to the people, therefore will be The everlasting Father. And he will also, as The Prince of Peace, give universal and lasting peace to all.

QUESTIONS

What two important things did the prophets foretell concerning Jesus?

Why did the Israelites of Jesus’ day not desire him?

When will the people of all nations come under Christ’s rulership?

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