Jesus on the Cross, The Ultimate Upper Hand in Life (Isaiah 51-58)
Sometimes there is nothing better than hearing a promise for hope to come. A future blessing you are SURE to receive? Yes, please! Jesus on the cross was predicted by Isaiah to the Israelites at a time when they needed to grasp hold of a future inheritance.
The few righteous were surrounded by the wicked (defined as ‘those who rebel against the Lord’). Does that not seem oddly familiar to the modern world today?
Jesus on the cross
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Sometimes there is nothing better than hearing a promise for hope to come. A future blessing you are SURE to receive? Yes, please! Jesus on the cross was predicted by Isaiah to the Israelites at a time when they needed to grasp hold of a future inheritance.
The few righteous were surrounded by the wicked (defined as ‘those who rebel against the Lord’). Does that not seem oddly familiar to the modern world today?
It’s never too late to start!
Download your first two weeks free by signing up below (or buy Book One of the Family Bible Plan)!
The Prediction...
Isaiah speaks as a true prophet of God. He shares the real truth. But he also is given words to share that offer future hope and promises.
And sometimes, that is exactly what is needed after hearing a hard truth. But what does Isaiah prophesy? Three of his main prophesies are in these chapters.
- Isaiah prophesies an everlasting salvation for those who pursue righteousness and seek the Lord.
- He paves the way for those who are not Israelites to be part of that promise.
- He unveils the reason those promises will come true: Jesus on the cross.
Why it matters...
There is intrinsic value to holding firm to hope.
Sometimes, it can be the only thing that pulls us through some of life’s hardest circumstances because we know what lies on the other side. The Israelites were offered the upper hand to deal with what was coming their way.
Their apple cart was about to be upSET! Other nations would conquer and take them captive… this was not a future anyone would look forward to.
The promise of Jesus on the cross offered so much more to those who call upon His name though!
Eternal Salvation...
God clearly identifies that there will be an eternal salvation in the future. It is not an open ended promise to anyone, rather He identifies to whom it is offered.
The people who:
- know what is right;
- have taken my instruction to heart;
- His righteous ones.
It is oddly similar and of zero coincidence that who He is promising this to here is the same as the promise of Jesus on the cross.
Much of Isaiah and the Old Testament point to something to come: in the rather immediate future, the relatively distant future, and the eternal future.
What Excluded Before Would Soon Include...
The coming promises given in these chapters pave the way for the ultimate gift God gave to the world. Not only was Jesus on the cross a gift to the faithful Israelites, but now it was being shared that Gentiles would be part of it! The Old Testament provides the pathway for the Israelites to remember that God’s promises of eternity would be for more than just them.
There is an invitation for all… yet few will accept.
Jesus on the Cross..
The promise of Jesus on the cross proved to be instrumental in many ways… it helped confirm the Bible, gave the Israelites a future hope, encouraged others that they could partake in the gift, etc.
It also gave them an understanding of what was at stake. Since our actions are really no different than the Israelites, we fall in similar traps. It can become way too easy to become so consumed with our days and our earthly problems that our thoughts don’t often turn to the future of eternity.
Eternity is an inescapable reality that everyone will face at one point or another, but it can surface so rarely to our thoughts that we no longer concern ourselves with it’s implications.
Q
Do you take the time to remember the promises about Jesus on the cross? If not, now would be a great time to start!
Do you live for HIS glory?
A motto that should fast to every area in our lives… why not grab a daily reminder to boast for Whom we live to please?
Soli deo Gloria!
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I honestly think I don’t think about Jesus on the cross very often. Thank you for this.