>>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]¤
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>>Announcer: When
will the Messiah come?
00:08:05.68\00:08:07.42
Or has He come already?
00:08:07.45\00:08:09.18
The Bible speaks
of a coming Messiah
00:08:09.22\00:08:10.79
who will one
day judge the earth.
00:08:10.82\00:08:12.59
And you can find out more
when you receive our free guide
00:08:12.62\00:08:15.02
called "The
Messiah and the Judgment."
00:08:15.06\00:08:17.83
Simply call 800-253-3000,
00:08:17.86\00:08:20.80
visit us online at iiwoffer.com,
00:08:20.83\00:08:24.40
or write to the
address on your screen.
00:08:24.43\00:08:26.57
We'd love for you to
receive our free offer,
00:08:26.60\00:08:29.00
"The Messiah and the Judgment."
00:08:29.04\00:08:30.81
Call 800-253-3000.
00:08:30.84\00:08:34.31
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:08:35.98\00:08:37.31
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.
00:10:05.93\00:10:10.01
This Jesus was a tender
plant and, at the same time,
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"as a root out of dry ground,"
00:10:14.34\00:10:16.21
with nothing about Him
that would necessarily attract
00:10:16.24\00:10:19.55
a person's attention.
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It's important to realize
00:10:21.32\00:10:22.38
Jesus didn't come to the
earth to attract attention
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to Himself.
00:10:24.55\00:10:25.82
He didn't come imbued with
the beauty or attractiveness
00:10:25.85\00:10:28.69
that society places
such a high value on.
00:10:28.72\00:10:31.56
If people were
going to appreciate Jesus,
00:10:31.59\00:10:34.20
they were going to be
drawn to His character,
00:10:34.23\00:10:38.13
to what was on the inside.
00:10:38.17\00:10:40.40
They'd be attracted to the way
that He represented His Father.
00:10:40.44\00:10:44.01
If you've seen me, you've
seen the Father, said Jesus.
00:10:44.04\00:10:46.68
And that was the purpose
of His mission to this earth:
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to reveal to the world
what His Father was truly like.
00:10:50.08\00:10:54.62
Really, the purpose of
the believer in this world
00:10:54.65\00:10:58.32
is exactly the same.
00:10:58.35\00:11:00.16
The human desire is
often to attract attention,
00:11:00.19\00:11:02.76
to get praise,
to gain notoriety.
00:11:02.79\00:11:05.43
In our age, pretty much anyone
with an internet connection
00:11:05.46\00:11:08.03
can communicate with
millions of people at once.
00:11:08.06\00:11:11.67
And there's never
been an age like this
00:11:11.70\00:11:13.20
for attracting attention,
for having people notice you.
00:11:13.23\00:11:17.07
That can be a
really dangerous way to go.
00:11:17.11\00:11:20.04
But Jesus didn't come to
the earth to attract attention
00:11:20.08\00:11:22.88
to Himself.
00:11:22.91\00:11:25.01
There's a lesson
there for all of us.
00:11:25.05\00:11:26.82
That's not to say
that Jesus was physically
00:11:26.85\00:11:28.48
or personally unattractive,
00:11:28.52\00:11:30.75
but people weren't drawn to
Jesus because of how He looked
00:11:30.79\00:11:33.62
or because He was
rich and powerful.
00:11:33.66\00:11:35.92
In fact, when someone came to
Him wanting to be His disciple,
00:11:35.96\00:11:39.29
Jesus made it clear that
that person wasn't about to gain
00:11:39.33\00:11:42.80
any worldly advantage.
00:11:42.83\00:11:44.87
As He said in
Matthew 8, verse 20,
00:11:44.90\00:11:47.24
"Foxes have holes and
birds of the air have nests,
00:11:47.27\00:11:51.21
but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head."
00:11:51.24\00:11:54.81
But what Jesus can give
you is what really matters.
00:11:54.84\00:12:00.08
Now, let's look together in
Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 3.
00:12:00.82\00:12:05.42
"He is despised
and rejected by men,
00:12:05.45\00:12:08.46
a Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief.
00:12:08.49\00:12:12.13
And we hid, as it
were, or faces from Him;
00:12:12.16\00:12:15.50
He was despised, and
we did not esteem Him."
00:12:15.53\00:12:19.90
John 1, verse 11 says
that Jesus "came unto His own,
00:12:19.93\00:12:23.67
and His own received Him not."
00:12:23.71\00:12:26.34
Try getting your
mind around that.
00:12:26.37\00:12:28.14
He created the universe.
00:12:28.18\00:12:30.28
He's responsible
for every single life
00:12:30.31\00:12:33.68
that has ever been lived.
00:12:33.72\00:12:35.38
His power upholds
every living soul.
00:12:35.42\00:12:39.72
And yet when He
came to the earth,
00:12:39.75\00:12:41.39
those He created
especially to be saved,
00:12:41.42\00:12:45.43
despised Him and rejected Him.
00:12:45.46\00:12:49.50
Would a person really do that?
00:12:49.53\00:12:51.67
Here was Jesus coming
to the earth to give life,
00:12:51.70\00:12:54.90
and yet people
rejected Him and chose death.
00:12:54.94\00:13:00.98
Let me ask you:
What are you choosing?
00:13:01.01\00:13:04.65
Isaiah chapter
53 and verse 4 says,
00:13:04.68\00:13:07.62
"Surely He has borne our
griefs and carried our sorrows;
00:13:07.65\00:13:11.35
yet we esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted."
00:13:11.39\00:13:16.32
That's what Jesus
came to the earth to do:
00:13:16.36\00:13:18.73
to bear your griefs
and carry your sorrows.
00:13:18.76\00:13:24.20
Think about that.
What does that suggest?
00:13:24.23\00:13:27.50
What kind of God
does that speak of?
00:13:27.54\00:13:30.11
It reminds me of
Isaiah 66:13, which says,
00:13:30.14\00:13:33.31
"As one whom
his mother comforts,
00:13:33.34\00:13:36.21
so I will comfort you."
00:13:36.24\00:13:38.35
What a picture.
00:13:38.38\00:13:39.81
As tender as a mother's
comfort is the comfort of God.
00:13:39.85\00:13:44.69
You can lean on Him.
00:13:44.72\00:13:46.32
You can fall into His arms.
00:13:46.35\00:13:48.66
When you need comfort,
God says, "I'll comfort you."
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.23
Jesus said, "Come to me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden,
00:13:51.26\00:13:55.00
and I will give you rest."
00:13:55.03\00:13:56.10
That's Matthew 11, verse 28.
00:13:56.13\00:13:58.30
Are you getting
the picture here?
00:13:58.33\00:13:59.90
All this talk you hear about God
being cruel and unkind and hard,
00:13:59.93\00:14:04.24
you want to forget
that as quickly as possible.
00:14:04.27\00:14:06.64
The God of heaven bears your
griefs and carries your sorrows.
00:14:06.68\00:14:12.88
It was in His suffering
and death that we saw Jesus
00:14:12.91\00:14:16.05
stricken, smitten, and
afflicted as Isaiah described.
00:14:16.08\00:14:21.56
"Likewise the
chief priests also,
00:14:21.59\00:14:23.76
mocking with the
scribes and elders, said,
00:14:23.79\00:14:26.16
'He saved others;
Himself He cannot save.
00:14:26.19\00:14:29.06
If He is the king of Israel,
00:14:29.10\00:14:30.33
let Him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe Him.
00:14:30.37\00:14:33.47
He trusted in God;
00:14:33.50\00:14:35.27
let Him deliver Him
now if He will have Him;
00:14:35.30\00:14:37.71
for He said, "I
am the Son of God."'"
00:14:37.74\00:14:39.91
That's Matthew 27:41-43.
00:14:39.94\00:14:43.28
David forecast this
when he wrote in Psalm 22,
00:14:43.31\00:14:46.28
"All [those who] see
me laugh me to scorn:
00:14:46.31\00:14:49.85
they shoot out the lip,
they shake the head, saying,
00:14:49.88\00:14:53.32
'He trusted in the
Lord, let Him rescue Him;
00:14:53.36\00:14:56.22
let Him deliver Him,
since He delights in Him!'"
00:14:56.26\00:14:59.23
Psalm 22, verses 7 and 8.
00:14:59.26\00:15:02.96
The Bible says that
"the wages of sin is death."
00:15:03.00\00:15:07.00
Sin separates from God,
and because we've chosen sin,
00:15:07.04\00:15:12.61
death is our lot.
00:15:12.64\00:15:14.91
We have earned it.
00:15:14.94\00:15:17.45
But Jesus, thank God,
Jesus wouldn't leave it at that.
00:15:17.48\00:15:22.82
He did all He could
to deliver us from death.
00:15:22.85\00:15:27.39
"But He was wounded
for our transgressions,
00:15:27.42\00:15:30.26
He was bruised
for our iniquities;
00:15:30.29\00:15:32.86
the chastisement for
our peace was upon Him,
00:15:32.89\00:15:36.30
and by His
stripes we are healed.
00:15:36.33\00:15:40.60
All we like
sheep have gone astray;
00:15:40.64\00:15:42.47
we have turned,
every one, to his own way;
00:15:42.50\00:15:45.24
and the Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all."
00:15:45.27\00:15:49.34
Those are verses 5 and 6.
00:15:49.38\00:15:51.71
Paul wrote that "all
have sinned and come short
00:15:51.75\00:15:53.62
of the glory of God."
00:15:53.65\00:15:55.08
We rebelled, we sinned,
00:15:55.12\00:15:57.35
we deserve to be
separated from God forever,
00:15:57.39\00:16:00.32
and yet He was
wounded for our transgressions
00:16:00.36\00:16:03.73
when He died on the cross.
00:16:03.76\00:16:05.76
It's by His
stripes that we're healed,
00:16:05.79\00:16:08.30
through His death
that we have life.
00:16:08.33\00:16:10.87
Paul wrote in 1
Corinthians 15, verse 3,
00:16:10.90\00:16:13.30
"Christ died for our sins."
00:16:13.34\00:16:15.74
Where Isaiah writes, "By
His stripes we are healed,"
00:16:15.77\00:16:19.64
you see a clear prediction
of the kind of punishment
00:16:19.67\00:16:21.74
that Jesus would suffer when
He was scourged by the Romans
00:16:21.78\00:16:24.78
before Pontius Pilate.
00:16:24.81\00:16:27.32
I imagine there are
times you look at the, the sin
00:16:27.35\00:16:30.62
in your life, the
rottenness in your own heart.
00:16:30.65\00:16:34.39
Often people do
that, and they'll say,
00:16:34.42\00:16:35.72
"How can
somebody like me be saved?
00:16:35.76\00:16:38.26
How can I possibly be forgiven?"
00:16:38.29\00:16:40.80
Well, here's your answer.
00:16:40.83\00:16:42.16
Jesus died so
that you could live.
00:16:42.20\00:16:44.60
When you couldn't
save yourself, Jesus said,
00:16:44.63\00:16:47.34
"I'll save you."
00:16:47.37\00:16:48.60
No, we don't deserve it,
00:16:48.64\00:16:50.27
but God offers us everlasting
life all the same, freely.
00:16:50.31\00:16:54.98
He saves us.
00:16:55.01\00:16:57.01
"By His stripes we are healed."
00:16:57.05\00:17:01.55
I'll be back
with more in a moment.
00:17:01.58\00:17:03.52
¤[Music]¤
00:17:03.55\00:17:10.59
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:17:12.39\00:17:14.36
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:17:14.36\00:17:17.77
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:17:17.80\00:17:21.00
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:17:21.04\00:17:25.07
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:17:25.11\00:17:26.74
to the address on your screen,
00:17:26.78\00:17:28.21
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:28.24\00:17:31.88
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:17:31.91\00:17:34.78
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:17:34.82\00:17:38.92
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:38.95\00:17:41.99
[Artillery fires]
00:17:42.76\00:17:43.79
>>John: Just hours after
the attack on Pearl Harbor
00:17:43.83\00:17:46.33
in December of 1941,
Japan attacked the Philippines.
00:17:46.36\00:17:51.63
In the midst of the
death and destruction,
00:17:51.67\00:17:54.50
tens of thousands of
American and Filipino soldiers
00:17:54.54\00:17:57.67
were captured
and forced to march
00:17:57.71\00:18:00.54
on what would become
known as the Bataan Death March.
00:18:00.58\00:18:05.31
The horror of that
march is almost impossible
00:18:05.35\00:18:07.85
for people living in
peacetime to imagine.
00:18:07.88\00:18:11.25
And so we ask ourselves, why?
00:18:11.29\00:18:14.76
Why does a loving God allow
such horrors to take place?
00:18:14.79\00:18:20.33
The answers don't come easy.
00:18:20.36\00:18:22.63
Join It Is Written on
location in the Philippines
00:18:22.66\00:18:25.43
for "The March of Death"
00:18:25.47\00:18:27.94
as we explore together
that challenging question: why?
00:18:27.97\00:18:32.31
Why me?
00:18:32.34\00:18:33.98
"The March of Death."
00:18:34.01\00:18:35.58
Watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:18:35.61\00:18:38.81
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:18:43.35\00:18:44.82
on It Is Written.
00:18:44.85\00:18:45.95
Isaiah chapter 53 is
truly one of the great chapters
00:18:45.99\00:18:50.13
of the Bible.
00:18:50.16\00:18:51.66
It tells the story of the death
of Christ Jesus for sinners.
00:18:51.69\00:18:55.53
It's the gospel
story beautifully told
00:18:55.56\00:18:58.03
by the one often referred
to as the gospel prophet.
00:18:58.07\00:19:01.94
The chapter tells us that Jesus
died as humanity's substitute.
00:19:01.97\00:19:06.98
He took the penalty
of sin for every person.
00:19:07.01\00:19:10.45
The New Testament speaks of
how this prophecy was fulfilled.
00:19:10.48\00:19:13.78
Remember, God told Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden
00:19:13.82\00:19:17.09
that if they ate the
forbidden fruit, they would die.
00:19:17.12\00:19:20.09
So why didn't
they die that very day?
00:19:20.12\00:19:22.32
Because Jesus
stepped in and said,
00:19:22.36\00:19:24.13
"I will die instead."
00:19:24.16\00:19:26.29
That's why the book
of Revelation calls Jesus
00:19:26.33\00:19:28.43
"the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world"
00:19:28.46\00:19:31.23
in Revelation 13, verse 8.
00:19:31.27\00:19:33.64
The Apostle Paul
writes that just as Adam led
00:19:33.67\00:19:36.04
the entire world into sin,
00:19:36.07\00:19:38.54
Jesus took the penalty of all
our sins, and because of this,
00:19:38.57\00:19:43.68
He is able, if we
confess and forsake our sins,
00:19:43.71\00:19:46.68
to forgive our sins and
impart to us His righteousness.
00:19:46.72\00:19:50.39
In the words of
the Apostle Paul,
00:19:50.42\00:19:51.72
"For as by one
man's disobedience
00:19:51.75\00:19:53.96
many were made sinners,
00:19:53.99\00:19:55.72
so also by one Man's obedience
many will be made righteous."
00:19:55.76\00:19:59.96
That's Romans 5, verse 19.
00:20:00.00\00:20:02.30
"For He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us,
00:20:02.33\00:20:07.14
that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:20:07.17\00:20:11.37
Second Corinthians 5, verse 21.
00:20:11.41\00:20:14.18
When the movie "The
Passion of the Christ"
00:20:14.21\00:20:15.84
was released in 2004,
00:20:15.88\00:20:18.15
some said that the
film was anti-Semitic
00:20:18.18\00:20:20.42
because it blamed Jewish people
for putting Jesus to death.
00:20:20.45\00:20:24.72
But the fact is that
according to the prophet Isaiah,
00:20:24.75\00:20:27.62
according to the entire
Bible, we all put Him to death.
00:20:27.66\00:20:31.99
That's why Isaiah declares,
00:20:32.03\00:20:34.00
"The Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all."
00:20:34.00\00:20:39.17
Isaiah 53, verse 6.
00:20:39.20\00:20:41.60
And now verse 7:
00:20:41.64\00:20:43.84
"He was oppressed,
and He was afflicted,
00:20:43.87\00:20:46.01
yet He opened not His mouth:
00:20:46.04\00:20:48.21
He [was led] as a
lamb to the slaughter,
00:20:48.24\00:20:50.35
and as a sheep before
[its] shearers is dumb,
00:20:50.38\00:20:53.35
so He opened not His mouth."
00:20:53.38\00:20:56.15
Seven or eight
hundred years in advance,
00:20:56.18\00:20:57.89
Isaiah described how
Jesus would handle the abuse
00:20:57.92\00:21:01.42
heaped upon Him.
00:21:01.46\00:21:03.19
He never retaliated.
00:21:03.22\00:21:04.99
The Savior of the world
was being cruelly treated
00:21:05.03\00:21:07.76
by the wickedest of
men, and as Peter wrote,
00:21:07.83\00:21:11.30
"When He was reviled,
[He] reviled not again."
00:21:11.33\00:21:15.30
When the high
priest accused Jesus,
00:21:15.34\00:21:16.84
the Bible says
Jesus kept silent.
00:21:16.87\00:21:19.17
When Pilate quizzed
Him, John 19, verse 9 says,
00:21:19.21\00:21:21.91
"Jesus gave...no answer."
00:21:21.94\00:21:24.11
He didn't even
attempt to defend Himself.
00:21:24.15\00:21:28.25
Isaiah 53, verse 9:
00:21:28.28\00:21:29.98
"And they made His
grave with the wicked--
00:21:30.02\00:21:32.45
but with the
rich [in] His death,
00:21:32.49\00:21:34.59
because He had done no violence,
00:21:34.62\00:21:36.56
nor was any
deceit in His mouth."
00:21:36.59\00:21:38.53
He died between two
thieves, among the wicked,
00:21:39.03\00:21:41.40
and He was buried in the
tomb of Joseph of Arimathea--
00:21:41.43\00:21:44.60
"with the rich in His death."
00:21:44.63\00:21:46.84
And yet Isaiah 53 is a chapter
with a triumphant ending.
00:21:47.67\00:21:51.31
Jesus died for our
sins, but that was a triumph.
00:21:51.34\00:21:54.78
Jesus was victorious.
Satan couldn't break Him.
00:21:54.81\00:21:58.01
He didn't fall into sin,
and He secured our salvation.
00:21:58.05\00:22:02.05
We pick it up in verse 10:
00:22:02.08\00:22:03.99
"Yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise Him."
00:22:04.02\00:22:06.62
Oh, not that God delighted
in the suffering of His Son,
00:22:06.65\00:22:10.73
but it pleased Him inasmuch
that through the death of Jesus
00:22:10.76\00:22:13.70
you could have eternal life.
00:22:13.73\00:22:15.50
The thought goes
further in verse 11:
00:22:15.53\00:22:18.67
"He shall see...the
travail of His soul,
00:22:18.70\00:22:20.60
and...be satisfied:
00:22:20.64\00:22:22.64
by His knowledge...my righteous
Servant [shall] justify many;
00:22:22.67\00:22:26.27
for He shall bear
their iniquities."
00:22:26.31\00:22:28.61
Now, you notice that?
00:22:28.64\00:22:30.08
Jesus looked
forward, beyond His death,
00:22:30.11\00:22:34.72
and was satisfied.
00:22:34.75\00:22:36.65
Now, He knew that the
cross would be horrendous,
00:22:36.69\00:22:40.82
but He considered it all worth
it because you would be saved.
00:22:40.86\00:22:45.33
How's that?
00:22:45.36\00:22:46.43
Jesus was faced with death,
00:22:46.46\00:22:48.63
but He
considered it all worthwhile
00:22:48.66\00:22:50.50
because you could be
justified and sanctified
00:22:50.53\00:22:54.30
and live with Him forever.
00:22:54.34\00:22:57.57
Verse 12:
00:22:57.61\00:22:59.11
"Therefore I will divide [with]
Him a portion with the great,
00:22:59.14\00:23:02.28
and He shall divide
the spoil with the strong,
00:23:02.31\00:23:04.38
because He poured
out His soul unto death,
00:23:04.41\00:23:07.65
and He was numbered
with the transgressors,
00:23:07.68\00:23:09.82
and He bore the sin of many,
00:23:09.85\00:23:11.69
and made intercession
for the transgressors."
00:23:11.72\00:23:15.26
Jesus bore the sins of the whole
world so that all who desire
00:23:15.29\00:23:19.79
can have their sins forgiven.
00:23:19.83\00:23:21.36
The Apostle John speaks of how
00:23:21.40\00:23:22.63
"the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanses us from all sin."
00:23:22.66\00:23:26.43
First John 1 and verse 7.
00:23:26.47\00:23:28.94
And Jesus would
make intercession
00:23:28.97\00:23:31.14
for the transgressors.
00:23:31.17\00:23:32.64
The book of Hebrews in the New
Testament says the same thing,
00:23:32.67\00:23:35.64
declaring that "He ever lives
to make intercession for us."
00:23:35.68\00:23:39.55
That's Hebrews 7:25.
00:23:39.58\00:23:41.42
Jesus intercedes
for you with God,
00:23:41.45\00:23:43.99
and secures for
you, if you want it,
00:23:44.02\00:23:47.52
pardon and power.
00:23:47.56\00:23:49.32
Through Christ you're forgiven,
00:23:49.36\00:23:51.93
and then sin doesn't
have dominion over you.
00:23:51.96\00:23:54.63
Filled with the
presence of Jesus,
00:23:54.66\00:23:56.13
you're empowered
by the Holy Spirit
00:23:56.16\00:23:58.53
to live an entirely new life.
00:23:58.57\00:24:02.70
The government
official from Ethiopia
00:24:02.74\00:24:04.37
read the story of
Christ in Isaiah 53,
00:24:04.41\00:24:07.28
and he came face to face
with this incredible gift.
00:24:07.31\00:24:11.55
He'd witnessed the
sacrifices in the temple;
00:24:11.58\00:24:14.08
now he knew what they meant.
00:24:14.12\00:24:15.95
Jesus came to the
world as the true Lamb,
00:24:15.98\00:24:19.52
the sacrifice for sin,
so that through faith in Him
00:24:19.55\00:24:22.86
we could live,
forgiven, pardoned, cleansed,
00:24:22.89\00:24:28.76
not guilty, made new.
00:24:28.80\00:24:31.83
So how did our
friend from Ethiopia respond
00:24:32.83\00:24:35.00
to the gospel
story in Isaiah 53?
00:24:35.04\00:24:38.21
In Acts 8 and verse 36, the man
suggests that he be baptized.
00:24:38.24\00:24:44.21
Now, here's Acts 8:37 and on.
00:24:44.25\00:24:47.82
"Then Philip said,
00:24:47.85\00:24:48.85
'If you believe with
all your heart, you may.'
00:24:48.88\00:24:51.19
And he answered and said,
00:24:51.22\00:24:52.72
'I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God.'
00:24:52.75\00:24:56.26
So he commanded the
chariot to stand still.
00:24:56.29\00:24:58.89
And both Philip and the
eunuch went down into the water,
00:24:58.93\00:25:02.53
and he baptized him.
00:25:02.56\00:25:04.67
Now when they came
up out of the water,
00:25:04.70\00:25:06.20
the Spirit of the
Lord caught Philip away,
00:25:06.23\00:25:08.87
so that the
eunuch saw him no more;
00:25:08.90\00:25:11.27
and he went on
his way rejoicing."
00:25:11.31\00:25:15.28
There's a Rembrandt
depicting the baptism
00:25:15.31\00:25:17.15
of the Ethiopian
man, a fine painting,
00:25:17.18\00:25:19.95
but inaccurate because it shows
Philip sprinkling a little water
00:25:19.98\00:25:24.02
on the Ethiopian man's head.
00:25:24.05\00:25:25.65
The text says that he
"came up out of the water."
00:25:25.69\00:25:28.72
He'd been in the
water being baptized.
00:25:28.76\00:25:31.86
But even more importantly,
00:25:31.89\00:25:33.76
the man who had
surrendered his life to Jesus
00:25:33.80\00:25:36.56
went on his way rejoicing.
00:25:36.60\00:25:40.77
Now, I want to encourage
you to read Isaiah chapter 53.
00:25:40.80\00:25:43.24
You'll see Jesus
there, your Savior,
00:25:43.27\00:25:45.87
offering you forgiveness of sin
and the promise of a new life.
00:25:45.91\00:25:49.61
And if you welcome
that Jesus into your heart,
00:25:49.64\00:25:53.52
you'll go on your way rejoicing.
00:25:53.55\00:25:57.42
>>Announcer: When
will the Messiah come?
00:25:58.42\00:26:00.29
Or has He come already?
00:26:00.32\00:26:01.99
The Bible speaks
of a coming Messiah
00:26:02.02\00:26:03.59
who will one
day judge the earth.
00:26:03.63\00:26:05.29
And you can find out more
when you receive our free guide
00:26:05.33\00:26:07.83
called "The
Messiah and the Judgment."
00:26:07.86\00:26:10.60
Simply call 800-253-3000,
00:26:10.63\00:26:13.80
visit us online at iiwoffer.com,
00:26:13.84\00:26:17.21
or write to the
address on your screen.
00:26:17.24\00:26:19.37
We'd love for you to
receive our free offer,
00:26:19.41\00:26:21.68
"The Messiah and the Judgment."
00:26:21.71\00:26:23.48
Call 800-253-3000.
00:26:23.51\00:26:27.05
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:29.05\00:26:31.25
Our Father in heaven,
we're grateful today for Jesus,
00:26:31.29\00:26:34.22
"despised and rejected of men;
00:26:34.26\00:26:37.16
a Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief,"
00:26:37.19\00:26:40.36
He died that terrible
death on an old rugged cross,
00:26:40.40\00:26:45.10
but He beheld "the travail
of His soul" and was satisfied.
00:26:45.13\00:26:49.74
When Jesus was
nailed to the cross,
00:26:49.77\00:26:52.04
He was satisfied.
00:26:52.07\00:26:53.17
As His life was draining
out of Him, He was satisfied,
00:26:53.21\00:26:57.35
because He looked
forward to this day
00:26:57.38\00:27:00.32
and saw people
all around the world
00:27:00.35\00:27:02.45
saying yes to Jesus
and no to an old life,
00:27:02.48\00:27:07.12
yes to Jesus and no to sin.
00:27:07.16\00:27:10.99
Oh, dear Father, Your
love for this earth is so great
00:27:11.03\00:27:14.23
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.
00:27:45.03\00:27:47.00
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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