The Prophet Isaiah mentions the Messiah more than any other Old Testament prophet.
In Isaiah 7:14, he speaks of Messiah’s virgin birth. “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
I never ceased to be amazed at how Isaiah, Micah, and others could predict something happening hundreds of years before the event took place.
The other part of his prophecy is that God would come to us and He did. Think of that — God took the initiative and came to us and dwelt among us.
In Isaiah 9:6-7 we read,
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
Don’t you just love the expression – “The LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”
He can make anything happen.
Look how he described the Messiah in Isaiah 42:1-4 …
“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction”
We live in a time of terrible injustice. What a day it will be when true justice prevails all over the world. We have so much to look forward to.
Later in that same chapter of Isaiah (verses 8-9), our LORD declares,
“I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”
The Messiah is all-knowing. He sees everything in perspective. So, He already sees the end from the beginning. He can and will reveal these things to us before they happen. Nations such as China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, that seem to pose such a threat, will serve God’s purposes.
Isaiah also portrays the coming Messiah as a suffering Messiah. In chapter 53:3,7 the prophet describes Him as follows,
He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with the deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Can you picture the composure of the Messiah in the face of such opposition? The Holy Spirit was with Him, and He is also with every believer. He can give each of us a calm heart regardless of what we are facing. Lean on Him. Trust Him. Be strengthened by Him.
God bless you,
Pastor Leonard
