Isaiah 50:4-9 – The Willing Saviour
God is able to deliver from the greatest enemies of this life and the greatest enemy of all: sin. But is He willing? In these verses God is showing forth a willing Saviour. First, we see in verses four and five that He is a willing preacher. Jesus had the mouth taught of His Father. He did not use merely His own words. Jesus Himself says so in John 7:15-17. He was given the words, He was given the teaching. But not only does He speak the Word of God, He is the Word of God. We see also in verse five that not only is His mouth open to declare God’s praises and to show forth His will, but His ear is open to the Father. And it is because of that He speaks what He is told. He speaks of God’s holiness, He speaks of man’s sinfulness, He speaks of God’s justice, He speaks of God’s grace, and He speaks of the fulfilling of all of it in His own Person and work. Let us thank Jesus for being our willing preacher, our willing Prophet.
In verses six and seven we see He is the willing sufferer. Look what He had to bear through much of His life, that agony that He endured in Gethsemane, the false trial, the physical and spiritual abuse that He had from the hands of the Jews and the Romans, His agony on the cross and His shameful death. He willingly, He determinedly went, knowing what was coming, knowing what was ahead. He went to endure the wrath of His father, not for anything that He had done, but because He willingly took upon Himself the guilt of all His people and the wrath due to it. This is our willing sufferer, our willing Priest.
In verses eight and nine we have the willing conqueror. His strength and power is exercised to deliver us from our strong enemy of sin. He is above all nations. He reigns over all. For God has made Him His King, as the Mediator, as the God-man. No one can condemn Him. There is no one who can contend with Him. All who seek to destroy Him and His people are utter failures. He is the willing conqueror who has come to rescue us and to save, and who brings all things under Himself. He is indeed our willing conqueror, our willing King.
Questions
- How is Christ a willing preacher?
- How was Christ a willing sufferer?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for Christ’s willingness to save.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.