Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Before we leave Isaiah 59 (and there is much more we could study), I would like for us to briefly consider the use of this Old Testament passage in the New Testament. From Genesis to Revelation, the written Word of God was produced over a period of more than 1500 years, yet it displays glorious consistency and unity. There are three specific parts of Isaiah 59 that are quoted in the New Testament. First, verse 7 is employed in Romans 3:15-17. There, Paul echoes Isaiah’s teaching about the deadly seriousness of sin, culminating in the well-known absolute statement of Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Second, the armor of the Messiah (verse 17) is referenced in Ephesians 6:14, 17. (Note also that “Spirit” and “ Word of God” in verse 17 are also found in Isaiah 59:21). The difference is that it is now our armor, but it is still His “righteousness” and “salvation” working on our behalf. We are sinners absolutely short of the glory of God, but He gives us His righteousness and salvation in place of our sin. Third, verses 20-21 are quoted in Romans 11:26-27 as Paul discusses the future salvation of the nation of Israel. As far as I know, I am not Jewish, but I am glad beyond words that the Jewish people will one day finally welcome their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Since Isaiah was originally written to the nation of Israel, it is only fitting that part of it would be used in the New Testament to speak of their future redemption from the Kinsman-Redeemer (verse 20). We can see that our Savior can be trusted in the smallest details and in the grandest fulfillments of His eternal plans.