>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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The desert can be a
harsh, unforgiving environment.
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The Sahara Desert covers an area
of 3.5 million square miles.
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In some places it gets
.003 inches of rain a year.
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The Arabian Desert's
almost a million square miles,
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and while the Atacama
Desert in Chile is much smaller,
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it's incredibly dry.
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The largest deserts in the world
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are the Antarctic
and the Arctic deserts,
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both around 5.5
million square miles in area.
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Now, you'll find people
who say they love the desert.
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There's no doubt that while
a desert isn't the Oregon coast
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or the Swiss Alps, there's
a real beauty to the desert,
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a real attractiveness.
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However, there's no
getting around the fact
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that the desert is tough.
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One man who found that
out the hard way, well, maybe,
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was Everett Ruess.
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Twenty-year-old Everett Ruess
from California was an artist
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who often explored the deserts
of the American Southwest alone.
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In 1934 he went missing
in a remote part of Utah.
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The question became, whatever
happened to Everett Ruess?
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Was he injured in a fall?
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Was he murdered?
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Did he engineer
his own disappearance?
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Decades after the
young man disappeared,
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DNA tests proved
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that bones thought to be
those of Everett Ruess...
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were not.
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However, one writer
claims the young man's remains
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were indeed found and
that markings discovered
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on the wall of a cave were
made by the wandering artist
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shortly before he perished.
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Whatever the truth about Ruess,
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whose story has been
described by the New York Times
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as "one of the most enduring
mysteries of the modern West,"
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we know that it proves yet again
the desert is a hard place.
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It's not the sort of environment
you can afford to take lightly.
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In the Bible, the
children of Israel wandered
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in a desert
wilderness for 40 years.
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There was no
water for them to drink,
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no food for them to eat,
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so God brought water from a rock
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and blanketed the
ground with manna.
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And one of the most
fascinating encounters
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you read about in
all of the New Testament
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takes place in a desert
after God actually sends someone
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on a walk for miles
through that harsh environment.
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This is Acts chapter 8,
and we start in verse 26.
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"Now an angel of the
Lord spoke to Philip, saying,
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'Arise and go toward the south
along the road which goes...
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from Jerusalem to
Gaza.' This is desert."
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It's not clear by looking at the
text if God was telling Philip
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it was desert, or if Dr. Luke,
who wrote the book of Acts,
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was making it
clear for his readers.
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Whoever was telling the story,
Philip was dispatched by God
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to walk from Jerusalem
to the southwest of Israel.
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Challenging country.
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So why does God send a
man into the wilderness?
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He didn't explain
to Philip at the time
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what his journey was for,
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but like Abraham
journeying across the wilderness
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from Mesopotamia, like Moses
leading Israel out of Egypt,
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he simply
followed God's direction.
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And that's faith.
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Following where God
leads, going where God calls,
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that's faith.
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Philip was a man of faith.
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In Acts chapter
8, an Ethiopian man,
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an official in the
government of Queen Candace,
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a man who had been
to Jerusalem to worship,
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was riding in a chariot,
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reading from the
writings of the prophet Isaiah.
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Philip approached him and
asked him if he understood
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what he was reading.
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He said he did not.
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And what was the
passage of Scripture
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that he was considering?
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He was reading from the chapter
that we're looking at today
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as part of our ongoing series,
"Great Chapters of the Bible."
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See if you can recognize this.
It's Acts chapter 8:32 and 33.
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"The place in the Scripture
[where] he read was this:
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'He was led as a
sheep to the slaughter;
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and as a lamb before
its shearer is silent,
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so He opened not His mouth.
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In His humiliation His
justice was taken away,
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and who will
declare His generation?
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For His life is
taken from the earth.'"
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The man was
reading from Isaiah 53,
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one of the most incredible,
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one of the most moving
Old Testament descriptions
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of the sufferings of Jesus.
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Once Philip was
seated in the chariot,
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the Ethiopian
official turned and asked him,
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"Of whom does
the prophet say this,
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of himself or
of some other man?"
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That's verse 34.
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Who's Isaiah talking about?
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It's interesting, and I
think it's quite phenomenal,
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that in some circles there's
actually some debate about this.
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Certain commentators,
some of them Christian,
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some of them Jewish,
believe that Isaiah 53
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is referring to
the nation of Israel.
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Well, let's see
what the passage says.
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We'll find out what
other Bible writers say,
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whether they agree
with that position or not.
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Verse 35 says,
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"Philip opened his mouth,
and beginning at this Scripture,
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preached Jesus to him."
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John 12:37 and 38 say,
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"But although He had done
so many signs before them,
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they did not believe in Him,
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that the word of Isaiah
the prophet might be fulfilled,
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which he spoke: 'Lord,
who has believed our report?
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And to whom has the arm
of the Lord been revealed?'"
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Which would seem clear.
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Matthew 8:16 and 17 says,
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"And He cast out
the spirits with a word,
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and healed all who were sick,
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that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken
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by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
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'He Himself took our infirmities
and bore our sicknesses.'"
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So from a
biblical point of view,
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the burden of
Isaiah 53 is clear:
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the suffering Messiah.
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And like no other
chapter in the Old Testament
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and like few in
the entire Bible,
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Isaiah 53 reveals to us
the enormous love of God
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for a sinful world.
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And so we're going to
turn to Isaiah chapter 53,
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but before we do, let's
look at how Isaiah 52 concludes:
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"Behold, my servant
shall deal prudently;
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He shall be exalted and
extolled and be very high.
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Just as many were
astonished at you,
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so His visage was
marred more than any man,
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and His form more
than the sons of men;
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so shall He
sprinkle many nations.
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Kings shall shut
their mouths at Him;
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for what had not been
told them they shall see,
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and what they had not
heard they shall consider."
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That's Isaiah 52:13-15.
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You could say that's
where Isaiah 53 really starts.
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Look at what's almost
contradictory in those verses.
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The person being
described is said to be exalted
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and extolled very high,
yet He'll suffer terribly,
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His face marred by anguish,
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more than any other
human being has experienced.
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This was fulfilled in Jesus.
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But what would cause
Him to suffer so much?
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And why would He
choose to suffer so intensely?
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We'll look at
that in just a moment.
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¤[Music]¤
00:07:55.80\00:08:03.18
>>Announcer: When
will the Messiah come?
00:08:05.18\00:08:06.92
Or has He come already?
00:08:06.95\00:08:08.68
The Bible speaks
of a coming Messiah
00:08:08.72\00:08:10.29
who will one
day judge the earth.
00:08:10.32\00:08:12.09
And you can find out more
when you receive our free guide
00:08:12.12\00:08:14.52
called "The
Messiah and the Judgment."
00:08:14.56\00:08:17.33
Simply call 800-253-3000,
00:08:17.36\00:08:20.30
visit us online at iiwoffer.com,
00:08:20.33\00:08:23.90
or write to the
address on your screen.
00:08:23.93\00:08:26.07
We'd love for you to
receive our free offer,
00:08:26.10\00:08:28.50
"The Messiah and the Judgment."
00:08:28.54\00:08:30.31
Call 800-253-3000.
00:08:30.34\00:08:33.81
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:08:35.48\00:08:36.81
on It Is Written.
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Today, another great
chapter of the Bible.
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We're looking at Isaiah 53,
a sublimely beautiful chapter
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that speaks of the
sufferings of Jesus.
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Isaiah looked forward to
what Luke would write about
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in Luke 22, where he
describes Jesus' agony
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in the Garden of Gethsemane.
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Luke tells us that Jesus
poured His heart out to God,
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and "His sweat became
like great drops of blood
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falling down to the ground."
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The pain in Jesus' heart was so
great that He begged His Father,
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"If it is Your will,
[remove] this cup...from me;
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nevertheless not my
will, but Yours, be done."
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It's no wonder Jesus
suffered so intensely.
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The Bible says that
He became sin for us,
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as the sins of the
world were placed upon Him.
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Now, here's Isaiah chapter 53,
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and we'll start with
the first two verses.
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"Who has believed our report?
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And to whom has the arm
of the Lord been revealed?
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For He shall grow up
before Him as a tender plant,
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and as a root out of dry ground.
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He has no form [nor]
comeliness; and when we see Him,
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there is no beauty
that we should desire Him."
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Now, that's an evocative
way to start a chapter.
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"Who has believed"--or
who would have believed this?
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This isn't what you
might expect from the Messiah,
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from the Deliverer of Israel,
from the Savior of the world.
00:10:05.43\00:10:09.50
This Jesus was a tender
plant and, at the same time,
00:10:09.54\00:10:13.81
"as a root out of dry ground,"
00:10:13.84\00:10:15.71
with nothing about Him
that would necessarily attract
00:10:15.74\00:10:19.05
a person's attention.
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It's important to realize
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Jesus didn't come to the
earth to attract attention
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to Himself.
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He didn't come imbued with
the beauty or attractiveness
00:10:25.35\00:10:28.19
that society places
such a high value on.
00:10:28.22\00:10:31.06
If people were
going to appreciate Jesus,
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they were going to be
drawn to His character,
00:10:33.76\00:10:37.63
to what was on the inside.
00:10:37.67\00:10:39.90
They'd be attracted to the way
that He represented His Father.
00:10:39.93\00:10:43.51
If you've seen me, you've
seen the Father, said Jesus.
00:10:43.54\00:10:46.17
And that was the purpose
of His mission to this earth:
00:10:46.21\00:10:49.54
to reveal to the world
what His Father was truly like.
00:10:49.58\00:10:54.12
Really, the purpose of
the believer in this world
00:10:54.15\00:10:57.82
is exactly the same.
00:10:57.85\00:10:59.59
The human desire is
often to attract attention,
00:10:59.62\00:11:02.26
to get praise,
to gain notoriety.
00:11:02.29\00:11:04.93
In our age, pretty much anyone
with an internet connection
00:11:04.96\00:11:07.56
can communicate with
millions of people at once.
00:11:07.60\00:11:11.17
And there's never
been an age like this
00:11:11.20\00:11:12.70
for attracting attention,
for having people notice you.
00:11:12.73\00:11:16.57
That can be a
really dangerous way to go.
00:11:16.60\00:11:19.54
But Jesus didn't come to
the earth to attract attention
00:11:19.57\00:11:22.38
to Himself.
00:11:22.41\00:11:24.51
There's a lesson
there for all of us.
00:11:24.55\00:11:26.31
That's not to say
that Jesus was physically
00:11:26.35\00:11:27.98
or personally unattractive,
00:11:28.02\00:11:30.25
but people weren't drawn to
Jesus because of how He looked
00:11:30.29\00:11:33.12
or because He was
rich and powerful.
00:11:33.15\00:11:35.42
In fact, when someone came to
Him wanting to be His disciple,
00:11:35.46\00:11:38.79
Jesus made it clear that
that person wasn't about to gain
00:11:38.83\00:11:42.30
any worldly advantage.
00:11:42.33\00:11:44.37
As He said in
Matthew 8, verse 20,
00:11:44.40\00:11:46.74
"Foxes have holes and
birds of the air have nests,
00:11:46.77\00:11:50.71
but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head."
00:11:50.74\00:11:54.31
But what Jesus can give
you is what really matters.
00:11:54.34\00:11:59.51
Now, let's look together in
Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 3.
00:12:00.32\00:12:04.92
"He is despised
and rejected by men,
00:12:04.95\00:12:07.96
a Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief.
00:12:07.99\00:12:11.63
And we hid, as it
were, or faces from Him;
00:12:11.66\00:12:15.00
He was despised, and
we did not esteem Him."
00:12:15.03\00:12:19.40
John 1, verse 11 says
that Jesus "came unto His own,
00:12:19.43\00:12:23.17
and His own received Him not."
00:12:23.20\00:12:25.84
Try getting your
mind around that.
00:12:25.87\00:12:27.64
He created the universe.
00:12:27.68\00:12:29.78
He's responsible
for every single life
00:12:29.81\00:12:33.18
that has ever been lived.
00:12:33.21\00:12:34.88
His power upholds
every living soul.
00:12:34.92\00:12:39.22
And yet when He
came to the earth,
00:12:39.25\00:12:40.89
those He created
especially to be saved,
00:12:40.92\00:12:44.93
despised Him and rejected Him.
00:12:44.96\00:12:49.00
Would a person really do that?
00:12:49.03\00:12:51.17
Here was Jesus coming
to the earth to give life,
00:12:51.20\00:12:54.40
and yet people
rejected Him and chose death.
00:12:54.44\00:13:00.48
Let me ask you:
What are you choosing?
00:13:00.51\00:13:04.15
Isaiah chapter
53 and verse 4 says,
00:13:04.18\00:13:07.12
"Surely He has borne our
griefs and carried our sorrows;
00:13:07.15\00:13:10.85
yet we esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted."
00:13:10.89\00:13:15.82
That's what Jesus
came to the earth to do:
00:13:15.86\00:13:18.23
to bear your griefs
and carry your sorrows.
00:13:18.26\00:13:23.70
Think about that.
What does that suggest?
00:13:23.73\00:13:27.00
What kind of God
does that speak of?
00:13:27.04\00:13:29.60
It reminds me of
Isaiah 66:13, which says,
00:13:29.64\00:13:32.81
"As one whom
his mother comforts,
00:13:32.84\00:13:35.71
so I will comfort you."
00:13:35.74\00:13:37.85
What a picture.
00:13:37.88\00:13:39.31
As tender as a mother's
comfort is the comfort of God.
00:13:39.35\00:13:44.19
You can lean on Him.
00:13:44.22\00:13:45.82
You can fall into His arms.
00:13:45.85\00:13:48.16
When you need comfort,
God says, "I'll comfort you."
00:13:48.19\00:13:50.73
Jesus said, "Come to me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden,
00:13:50.76\00:13:54.50
and I will give you rest."
00:13:54.56\00:13:55.60
That's Matthew 11, verse 28.
00:13:55.63\00:13:57.80
Are you getting
the picture here?
00:13:57.83\00:13:59.40
All this talk you hear about God
being cruel and unkind and hard,
00:13:59.43\00:14:03.74
you want to forget
that as quickly as possible.
00:14:03.77\00:14:06.14
The God of heaven bears your
griefs and carries your sorrows.
00:14:06.17\00:14:12.38
It was in His suffering
and death that we saw Jesus
00:14:12.41\00:14:15.55
stricken, smitten, and
afflicted as Isaiah described.
00:14:15.58\00:14:21.06
"Likewise the
chief priests also,
00:14:21.09\00:14:23.26
mocking with the
scribes and elders, said,
00:14:23.29\00:14:25.66
'He saved others;
Himself He cannot save.
00:14:25.69\00:14:28.56
If He is the king of Israel,
00:14:28.60\00:14:29.83
let Him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe Him.
00:14:29.86\00:14:32.97
He trusted in God;
00:14:33.00\00:14:34.77
let Him deliver Him
now if He will have Him;
00:14:34.80\00:14:37.21
for He said, "I
am the Son of God."'"
00:14:37.24\00:14:39.41
That's Matthew 27:41-43.
00:14:39.44\00:14:42.78
David forecast this
when he wrote in Psalm 22,
00:14:42.81\00:14:45.78
"All [those who] see
me laugh me to scorn:
00:14:45.81\00:14:49.35
they shoot out the lip,
they shake the head, saying,
00:14:49.38\00:14:52.82
'He trusted in the
Lord, let Him rescue Him;
00:14:52.85\00:14:55.72
let Him deliver Him,
since He delights in Him!'"
00:14:55.76\00:14:58.73
Psalm 22, verses 7 and 8.
00:14:58.76\00:15:02.46
The Bible says that
"the wages of sin is death."
00:15:02.50\00:15:06.50
Sin separates from God,
and because we've chosen sin,
00:15:06.53\00:15:12.11
death is our lot.
00:15:12.14\00:15:14.41
We have earned it.
00:15:14.44\00:15:16.95
But Jesus, thank God,
Jesus wouldn't leave it at that.
00:15:16.98\00:15:22.32
He did all He could
to deliver us from death.
00:15:22.35\00:15:26.89
"But He was wounded
for our transgressions,
00:15:26.92\00:15:29.76
He was bruised
for our iniquities;
00:15:29.79\00:15:32.36
the chastisement for
our peace was upon Him,
00:15:32.39\00:15:35.80
and by His
stripes we are healed.
00:15:35.83\00:15:40.10
All we like
sheep have gone astray;
00:15:40.14\00:15:41.97
we have turned,
every one, to his own way;
00:15:42.00\00:15:44.74
and the Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all."
00:15:44.77\00:15:48.84
Those are verses 5 and 6.
00:15:48.88\00:15:51.21
Paul wrote that "all
have sinned and come short
00:15:51.25\00:15:53.11
of the glory of God."
00:15:53.15\00:15:54.58
We rebelled, we sinned,
00:15:54.62\00:15:56.85
we deserve to be
separated from God forever,
00:15:56.89\00:15:59.75
and yet He was
wounded for our transgressions
00:15:59.79\00:16:03.22
when He died on the cross.
00:16:03.26\00:16:05.26
It's by His
stripes that we're healed,
00:16:05.29\00:16:07.83
through His death
that we have life.
00:16:07.86\00:16:10.37
Paul wrote in 1
Corinthians 15, verse 3,
00:16:10.40\00:16:12.80
"Christ died for our sins."
00:16:12.83\00:16:15.24
Where Isaiah writes, "By
His stripes we are healed,"
00:16:15.27\00:16:19.14
you see a clear prediction
of the kind of punishment
00:16:19.17\00:16:21.24
that Jesus would suffer when
He was scourged by the Romans
00:16:21.28\00:16:24.28
before Pontius Pilate.
00:16:24.31\00:16:26.82
I imagine there are
times you look at the, the sin
00:16:26.85\00:16:30.12
in your life, the
rottenness in your own heart.
00:16:30.15\00:16:33.89
Often people do
that, and they'll say,
00:16:33.92\00:16:35.22
"How can
somebody like me be saved?
00:16:35.26\00:16:37.76
How can I possibly be forgiven?"
00:16:37.79\00:16:40.30
Well, here's your answer.
00:16:40.33\00:16:41.66
Jesus died so
that you could live.
00:16:41.70\00:16:44.10
When you couldn't
save yourself, Jesus said,
00:16:44.13\00:16:46.84
"I'll save you."
00:16:46.87\00:16:48.10
No, we don't deserve it,
00:16:48.14\00:16:49.77
but God offers us everlasting
life all the same, freely.
00:16:49.80\00:16:54.48
He saves us.
00:16:54.51\00:16:56.51
"By His stripes we are healed."
00:16:56.54\00:17:01.05
I'll be back
with more in a moment.
00:17:01.08\00:17:03.02
¤[Music]¤
00:17:03.05\00:17:10.09
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:17:11.89\00:17:13.86
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:17:13.90\00:17:17.27
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:17:17.30\00:17:20.50
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:17:20.54\00:17:24.57
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:17:24.61\00:17:26.24
to the address on your screen,
00:17:26.27\00:17:27.71
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:27.74\00:17:31.38
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:17:31.41\00:17:34.28
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:17:34.32\00:17:38.42
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:38.45\00:17:41.49
[Artillery fires]
00:17:42.26\00:17:43.29
>>John: Just hours after
the attack on Pearl Harbor
00:17:43.32\00:17:45.83
in December of 1941,
Japan attacked the Philippines.
00:17:45.86\00:17:51.13
In the midst of the
death and destruction,
00:17:51.17\00:17:54.00
tens of thousands of
American and Filipino soldiers
00:17:54.04\00:17:57.17
were captured
and forced to march
00:17:57.21\00:18:00.04
on what would become
known as the Bataan Death March.
00:18:00.08\00:18:04.81
The horror of that
march is almost impossible
00:18:04.85\00:18:07.35
for people living in
peacetime to imagine.
00:18:07.38\00:18:10.75
And so we ask ourselves, why?
00:18:10.79\00:18:14.26
Why does a loving God allow
such horrors to take place?
00:18:14.29\00:18:19.83
The answers don't come easy.
00:18:19.86\00:18:22.13
Join It Is Written on
location in the Philippines
00:18:22.16\00:18:24.93
for "The March of Death"
00:18:24.97\00:18:27.44
as we explore together
that challenging question: why?
00:18:27.47\00:18:31.81
Why me?
00:18:31.84\00:18:33.48
"The March of Death."
00:18:33.51\00:18:35.08
Watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:18:35.11\00:18:38.31
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:18:42.85\00:18:44.32
on It Is Written.
00:18:44.35\00:18:45.45
Isaiah chapter 53 is
truly one of the great chapters
00:18:45.49\00:18:49.62
of the Bible.
00:18:49.66\00:18:51.16
It tells the story of the death
of Christ Jesus for sinners.
00:18:51.19\00:18:55.03
It's the gospel
story beautifully told
00:18:55.06\00:18:57.53
by the one often referred
to as the gospel prophet.
00:18:57.57\00:19:01.44
The chapter tells us that Jesus
died as humanity's substitute.
00:19:01.47\00:19:06.47
He took the penalty
of sin for every person.
00:19:06.51\00:19:09.94
The New Testament speaks of
how this prophecy was fulfilled.
00:19:09.98\00:19:13.28
Remember, God told Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden
00:19:13.31\00:19:16.58
that if they ate the
forbidden fruit, they would die.
00:19:16.62\00:19:19.59
So why didn't
they die that very day?
00:19:19.62\00:19:21.82
Because Jesus
stepped in and said,
00:19:21.86\00:19:23.63
"I will die instead."
00:19:23.66\00:19:25.79
That's why the book
of Revelation calls Jesus
00:19:25.83\00:19:27.96
"the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world"
00:19:27.96\00:19:30.73
in Revelation 13, verse 8.
00:19:30.77\00:19:33.13
The Apostle Paul
writes that just as Adam led
00:19:33.17\00:19:35.54
the entire world into sin,
00:19:35.57\00:19:38.04
Jesus took the penalty of all
our sins, and because of this,
00:19:38.07\00:19:43.18
He is able, if we
confess and forsake our sins,
00:19:43.21\00:19:46.18
to forgive our sins and
impart to us His righteousness.
00:19:46.21\00:19:49.88
In the words of
the Apostle Paul,
00:19:49.92\00:19:51.22
"For as by one
man's disobedience
00:19:51.25\00:19:53.46
many were made sinners,
00:19:53.49\00:19:55.22
so also by one Man's obedience
many will be made righteous."
00:19:55.26\00:19:59.46
That's Romans 5, verse 19.
00:19:59.49\00:20:01.80
"For He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us,
00:20:01.83\00:20:06.63
that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:20:06.67\00:20:10.87
Second Corinthians 5, verse 21.
00:20:10.91\00:20:13.68
When the movie "The
Passion of the Christ"
00:20:13.71\00:20:15.34
was released in 2004,
00:20:15.38\00:20:17.65
some said that the
film was anti-Semitic
00:20:17.68\00:20:19.91
because it blamed Jewish people
for putting Jesus to death.
00:20:19.95\00:20:24.22
But the fact is that
according to the prophet Isaiah,
00:20:24.25\00:20:27.12
according to the entire
Bible, we all put Him to death.
00:20:27.16\00:20:31.49
That's why Isaiah declares,
00:20:31.53\00:20:33.50
"The Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all."
00:20:33.53\00:20:38.67
Isaiah 53, verse 6.
00:20:38.70\00:20:41.10
And now verse 7:
00:20:41.14\00:20:43.34
"He was oppressed,
and He was afflicted,
00:20:43.37\00:20:45.51
yet He opened not His mouth:
00:20:45.54\00:20:47.71
He [was led] as a
lamb to the slaughter,
00:20:47.74\00:20:49.84
and as a sheep before
[its] shearers is dumb,
00:20:49.88\00:20:52.85
so He opened not His mouth."
00:20:52.88\00:20:55.65
Seven or eight
hundred years in advance,
00:20:55.68\00:20:57.39
Isaiah described how
Jesus would handle the abuse
00:20:57.42\00:21:00.92
heaped upon Him.
00:21:00.96\00:21:02.69
He never retaliated.
00:21:02.72\00:21:04.49
The Savior of the world
was being cruelly treated
00:21:04.53\00:21:07.30
by the wickedest of
men, and as Peter wrote,
00:21:07.30\00:21:10.80
"When He was reviled,
[He] reviled not again."
00:21:10.83\00:21:14.80
When the high
priest accused Jesus,
00:21:14.84\00:21:16.34
the Bible says
Jesus kept silent.
00:21:16.37\00:21:18.67
When Pilate quizzed
Him, John 19, verse 9 says,
00:21:18.71\00:21:21.41
"Jesus gave...no answer."
00:21:21.44\00:21:23.61
He didn't even
attempt to defend Himself.
00:21:23.65\00:21:27.75
Isaiah 53, verse 9:
00:21:27.78\00:21:29.48
"And they made His
grave with the wicked--
00:21:29.52\00:21:31.95
but with the
rich [in] His death,
00:21:31.99\00:21:34.09
because He had done no violence,
00:21:34.12\00:21:36.06
nor was any
deceit in His mouth."
00:21:36.09\00:21:38.03
He died between two
thieves, among the wicked,
00:21:38.53\00:21:40.93
and He was buried in the
tomb of Joseph of Arimathea--
00:21:40.96\00:21:44.10
"with the rich in His death."
00:21:44.13\00:21:46.33
And yet Isaiah 53 is a chapter
with a triumphant ending.
00:21:47.17\00:21:50.81
Jesus died for our
sins, but that was a triumph.
00:21:50.84\00:21:54.28
Jesus was victorious.
Satan couldn't break Him.
00:21:54.31\00:21:57.51
He didn't fall into sin,
and He secured our salvation.
00:21:57.55\00:22:01.55
We pick it up in verse 10:
00:22:01.58\00:22:03.49
"Yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise Him."
00:22:03.52\00:22:06.12
Oh, not that God delighted
in the suffering of His Son,
00:22:06.15\00:22:10.23
but it pleased Him inasmuch
that through the death of Jesus
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.19
you could have eternal life.
00:22:13.23\00:22:15.00
The thought goes
further in verse 11:
00:22:15.03\00:22:18.17
"He shall see...the
travail of His soul,
00:22:18.20\00:22:20.10
and...be satisfied:
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.14
by His knowledge...my righteous
Servant [shall] justify many;
00:22:22.17\00:22:25.77
for He shall bear
their iniquities."
00:22:25.81\00:22:28.11
Now, you notice that?
00:22:28.14\00:22:29.58
Jesus looked
forward, beyond His death,
00:22:29.61\00:22:34.22
and was satisfied.
00:22:34.25\00:22:36.15
Now, He knew that the
cross would be horrendous,
00:22:36.18\00:22:40.32
but He considered it all worth
it because you would be saved.
00:22:40.36\00:22:44.83
How's that?
00:22:44.86\00:22:45.93
Jesus was faced with death,
00:22:45.96\00:22:48.13
but He
considered it all worthwhile
00:22:48.16\00:22:50.00
because you could be
justified and sanctified
00:22:50.03\00:22:53.80
and live with Him forever.
00:22:53.84\00:22:57.07
Verse 12:
00:22:57.11\00:22:58.61
"Therefore I will divide [with]
Him a portion with the great,
00:22:58.64\00:23:01.78
and He shall divide
the spoil with the strong,
00:23:01.81\00:23:03.88
because He poured
out His soul unto death,
00:23:03.91\00:23:07.15
and He was numbered
with the transgressors,
00:23:07.18\00:23:09.32
and He bore the sin of many,
00:23:09.35\00:23:11.19
and made intercession
for the transgressors."
00:23:11.22\00:23:14.76
Jesus bore the sins of the whole
world so that all who desire
00:23:14.79\00:23:19.29
can have their sins forgiven.
00:23:19.33\00:23:20.90
The Apostle John speaks of how
00:23:20.93\00:23:22.13
"the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanses us from all sin."
00:23:22.16\00:23:25.93
First John 1 and verse 7.
00:23:25.97\00:23:28.44
And Jesus would
make intercession
00:23:28.47\00:23:30.64
for the transgressors.
00:23:30.67\00:23:32.14
The book of Hebrews in the New
Testament says the same thing,
00:23:32.17\00:23:35.14
declaring that "He ever lives
to make intercession for us."
00:23:35.18\00:23:39.05
That's Hebrews 7:25.
00:23:39.08\00:23:40.92
Jesus intercedes
for you with God,
00:23:40.95\00:23:43.49
and secures for
you, if you want it,
00:23:43.52\00:23:47.02
pardon and power.
00:23:47.06\00:23:48.82
Through Christ you're forgiven,
00:23:48.86\00:23:51.43
and then sin doesn't
have dominion over you.
00:23:51.46\00:23:54.13
Filled with the
presence of Jesus,
00:23:54.20\00:23:55.63
you're empowered
by the Holy Spirit
00:23:55.66\00:23:58.03
to live an entirely new life.
00:23:58.07\00:24:02.20
The government
official from Ethiopia
00:24:02.24\00:24:03.87
read the story of
Christ in Isaiah 53,
00:24:03.91\00:24:06.78
and he came face to face
with this incredible gift.
00:24:06.81\00:24:11.05
He'd witnessed the
sacrifices in the temple;
00:24:11.08\00:24:13.58
now he knew what they meant.
00:24:13.62\00:24:15.45
Jesus came to the
world as the true Lamb,
00:24:15.48\00:24:19.02
the sacrifice for sin,
so that through faith in Him
00:24:19.05\00:24:22.36
we could live,
forgiven, pardoned, cleansed,
00:24:22.39\00:24:28.26
not guilty, made new.
00:24:28.30\00:24:31.33
So how did our
friend from Ethiopia respond
00:24:32.33\00:24:34.50
to the gospel
story in Isaiah 53?
00:24:34.54\00:24:37.71
In Acts 8 and verse 36, the man
suggests that he be baptized.
00:24:37.74\00:24:43.71
Now, here's Acts 8:37 and on.
00:24:43.75\00:24:47.32
"Then Philip said,
00:24:47.35\00:24:48.35
'If you believe with
all your heart, you may.'
00:24:48.38\00:24:50.69
And he answered and said,
00:24:50.72\00:24:52.22
'I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God.'
00:24:52.25\00:24:55.76
So he commanded the
chariot to stand still.
00:24:55.79\00:24:58.39
And both Philip and the
eunuch went down into the water,
00:24:58.43\00:25:02.03
and he baptized him.
00:25:02.06\00:25:04.17
Now when they came
up out of the water,
00:25:04.20\00:25:05.70
the Spirit of the
Lord caught Philip away,
00:25:05.73\00:25:08.37
so that the
eunuch saw him no more;
00:25:08.40\00:25:10.77
and he went on
his way rejoicing."
00:25:10.81\00:25:14.78
There's a Rembrandt
depicting the baptism
00:25:14.81\00:25:16.64
of the Ethiopian
man, a fine painting,
00:25:16.68\00:25:19.45
but inaccurate because it shows
Philip sprinkling a little water
00:25:19.48\00:25:23.52
on the Ethiopian man's head.
00:25:23.55\00:25:25.15
The text says that he
"came up out of the water."
00:25:25.19\00:25:28.22
He'd been in the
water being baptized.
00:25:28.26\00:25:31.36
But even more importantly,
00:25:31.39\00:25:33.26
the man who had
surrendered his life to Jesus
00:25:33.29\00:25:36.06
went on his way rejoicing.
00:25:36.10\00:25:40.27
Now, I want to encourage
you to read Isaiah chapter 53.
00:25:40.30\00:25:42.74
You'll see Jesus
there, your Savior,
00:25:42.77\00:25:45.37
offering you forgiveness of sin
and the promise of a new life.
00:25:45.41\00:25:49.11
And if you welcome
that Jesus into your heart,
00:25:49.14\00:25:53.01
you'll go on your way rejoicing.
00:25:53.05\00:25:56.92
>>Announcer: When
will the Messiah come?
00:25:57.92\00:25:59.72
Or has He come already?
00:25:59.75\00:26:01.49
The Bible speaks
of a coming Messiah
00:26:01.52\00:26:03.09
who will one
day judge the earth.
00:26:03.12\00:26:04.79
And you can find out more
when you receive our free guide
00:26:04.83\00:26:07.30
called "The
Messiah and the Judgment."
00:26:07.36\00:26:10.10
Simply call 800-253-3000,
00:26:10.13\00:26:13.30
visit us online at iiwoffer.com,
00:26:13.34\00:26:16.71
or write to the
address on your screen.
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.87
We'd love for you to
receive our free offer,
00:26:18.91\00:26:21.18
"The Messiah and the Judgment."
00:26:21.21\00:26:22.98
Call 800-253-3000.
00:26:23.01\00:26:26.55
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:28.55\00:26:30.75
Our Father in heaven,
we're grateful today for Jesus,
00:26:30.79\00:26:33.72
"despised and rejected of men;
00:26:33.76\00:26:36.66
a Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief,"
00:26:36.69\00:26:39.86
He died that terrible
death on an old rugged cross,
00:26:39.89\00:26:44.60
but He beheld "the travail
of His soul" and was satisfied.
00:26:44.63\00:26:49.24
When Jesus was
nailed to the cross,
00:26:49.27\00:26:51.54
He was satisfied.
00:26:51.57\00:26:52.67
As His life was draining
out of Him, He was satisfied,
00:26:52.71\00:26:56.85
because He looked
forward to this day
00:26:56.88\00:26:59.75
and saw people
all around the world
00:26:59.78\00:27:01.95
saying yes to Jesus
and no to an old life,
00:27:01.98\00:27:06.62
yes to Jesus and no to sin.
00:27:06.65\00:27:10.49
Oh, dear Father, Your
love for this earth is so great
00:27:10.53\00:27:13.76
You allowed Your only begotten
Son to die that we might live.
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Friend, would you accept
that life from Jesus today?
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Would you open up your heart
to the God of heaven and say,
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"I want that life; I want
that Savior to be my Savior"?
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As you do, you have salvation.
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As you do, you
have everlasting life.
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As you do, you can
go forward confident
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that you're a child of God.
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Heavenly Father, we
thank You today for Jesus,
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who died that we might live.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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Thank you so
much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[Theme music]¤
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