The most popular book of the Bible to Jesus, John, Paul, Peter, and the Early Church is the Book we are studying here in Asia with the NextGeneration. Our classes have enrolled scores of the top evangelists, tent-makers, and servants of the Lord from across three continents: Africa, Asia & Europe. Here is what they are learning: The GOSPEL According to GOD! Do you see Christ there? Proof that God is the author of Scripture and Jesus its fulfillment is found in that one chapter alone, in the minute essential details exactly fulfilled in the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, intercession, coronation, and salvation provided through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself, the apostles of the New Testament, the writers of the New Testament in proclaiming the gospel point back to Isaiah 53 many, many times. Jesus referred to it. The apostles referred to it. The New Testament writers referred to it again and again and again. There are references to Isaiah 53 in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, 1 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and 1 John.
No Old Testament Scripture so often and so convincingly is applied to Jesus Christ by the New Testament as this one. The New Testament writers refer to virtually every verse in the fifty-third chapter. It contains the sum and substance of the gospel, and to reject Christ is to reject the clear testimony of history, fulfilling every detail in this prophecy. But, on a bigger scale than the history and the fulfillment, as vital and important and wonderful as it is, is this question: what does that mean to me? That's The BIG issue. |
