sermons by IVOR POWELL

ISAIAH AND THE MIRACLE OF CHILDBIRTH

"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. He shall see of the travail

of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa. 53:10-11).

The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah is among the most loved parts of

the Bible. Inspired by the Spirit of God, the prophet described in

detail all that would happen when the Messiah became the Redeemer

of the world. The Scripture is all the more remarkable because

most of the contemporaries emphasized that when the Anointed

One arrived, He would subdue His enemies and establish the kingdom

of God. Isaiah never contradicted his brethren; he merely insisted

that to have a spiritual kingdom, it would be necessary to find

spiritual people over whom the Messiah could reign. The prophet

stated the kingdom would become a reality, but only after the Messiah

had died to make reconciliation possible. Then he began to

elucidate the details of the crucifixion of Christ, and among his

promises or predictions was a statement which seemed to be ludicrous.

Isaiah said a man would die giving birth to a baby.

The Messiah in ....... "The Travail of His Soul"

The word "travail" was a word used for childbearing. A woman

about to give birth was described as "being in travail" (for example,

see Isa. 13:8; 21:3; 66:8; Jer. 31:8). Today that word has changed;

people speak of a woman being "in labor." Dr. Strong translated the

verse, "He shall see the fruit of His pain," and this corresponds with

the meaning of the text. To paraphrase Isaiah, "The Anointed One

will bring forth His baby; the first-fruits of a great family." The

exact time of this amazing event was clearly stated "when thou

shalt make his soul an offering for sin." It was not to happen when

Christ healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, nor when He raised

the dead. Isaiah predicted it would take place when the Messiah

gave Himself "a ransom for many." That prediction was fulfilled

when the dying thief requested the Lord to help him get into the

kingdom of God. Christ would "see His seed." The magnitude of

that amazing miracle can only be understood in the light of Matthew's

announcement that both thieves cursed the Lord (see Matt.

27:44). Perhaps Isaiah appeared to be foolish, but evidently he was

well-informed.

The Message of Love... "Yet It Pleased the Lord to Bruise Him"

I remember traveling on an overnight train from Edinburgh to London

when a business man sat with me in the coach. We were both

bored with the journey so I began a conversation. when I congratulated

him on being a Jew, he was astounded, and asked, "How can you say

that when you Gentiles believe the Jews crucified your Jesus?" I smiled

and replied, "Sir, that is false. Neither Jews nor Gentiles crucified Jesus

of Nazareth." He was puzzled, so I opened my Bible and asked if he

believed the prophet Isaiah. When he replied, "Of course I do," I asked

permission to read what the prophet said. "Yet it pleased the Lord to

bruise him He hath put him to grief" (Isa. 53:10). He listened when I

explained it was not nails that kept Christ upon His cross, but the

amazing love of God Isaiah cited the Messiah would "make his

soul an offering for sin." Jesus "appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice

of himself" (Heb. 9:26). When we separated in London, he su-

plied his business address and invited me to meet him again. I never

had that opportunity, but what I said during the night was seed planted

in fertile ground.

The Miracle of Liberation... "He Shall Prolong His Days"

Isaiah taught that the power of death would be vanquished; although

the Messiah would die, He would raise again to attend to His Father's

affairs "the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand" The prophet

said the Messiah would "justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities"

(Isa. 53:11) The thief was the firstfruits of a tremendous harvest; many

people would emulate his example, and the church would become a

reality. It is understandable why orthodox Jews dislike this Scripture

which remains one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down:

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.