#252-EP52 ~ Ephesians 3:4-5 & Isaiah 53:1-10
We begin this study with two passages I repeat on here often–1 Corinthians 15:1-4 & 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. I hope you’ll become familiar with them both. 2 Corinthians 5:19 is especially important because it lets us know that our personal sins are not longer an “issue” with God because they were all held against Christ and judged when He was on the cross. It is because of this that the message of salvation is called the gospel, meaning the GOOD NEWS. It is certainly GREAT news that our sins are no longer held against us because they were all held against Christ when He was on the cross. It is this message we’ve been commissioned to share with the people in “our” world–
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Be sure you BELIEVE, put your trust in what He did for you!!!—
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Then we go back to where we started—
Ephesians 3:1-3
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto ME the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
We then continue with Ephesians 3:4-5—
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
I have articles on our website about this MYSTERY.
Mystery: What is the key to understanding the Bible?
Mystery: What is the fellowship of the mystery?
Mystery: What is this Secret that Paul wrote about?
Again, Ephesians 3:5—
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
We now know the meaning of these passages. Let’s look at ONE example of this—
Isaiah 53:1-10
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
This was all prophecy about Christ. Did they in Isaiah’s day understand its meaning? NO! But we all can today!
Our main objective today needs to be to serve our Savior, expressing our appreciation for all He’s done for us.
Tags: