From Enslavement of Sin & Death, to the Glorious Beauty & Light of the Irresistible Christ
“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun – scorched land.” (NIV, Psalm 68:6)
“The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.” (NIV, Psalm 69:33)
“May the groans of the prisoners come before you; with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.” (NIV, Psalm 79:11)
“‘The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.’” (NIV, Psalm 102:19 – 20)
“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.” (NIV, Psalm 142:7)
“He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.” (NIV, Psalm 146:7 – 8)
“‘I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.’” (NIV, Isaiah 42:6 – 7)
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, … to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” (NIV, Isaiah 61:1)
“As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.” (NIV, Zechariah 9:11 – 12)
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (NIV, 2 Corinthians 2:14)
“Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.” (NIV, Galatians 3:23)
“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -” (NIV, Ephesians 3:1)
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (NIV, Ephesians 4:1)
“I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. …” (NIV, Colossians 4:18)
“Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, …” (NIV, Philemon 1:1)
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Abraham and Sarah were prisoners of the Lord – overwhelmed by his majesty, captive to his love – even in the sorrow of barrenness.
Before he reigned as vice regent over Egypt, Joseph was imprisoned figuratively and literally, over the course of a number of events and relationships – captive to God’s training, and plan, for redemption and restoration of relationships and life.
Noah was God’s prisoner, commissioned to build an ark, offering good news of righteousness to those far from God.
Moses was God’s captive in Midian for 40 years; God’s cultivating and pruning ground for one of the Kingdom’s greatest servants and intercessors.
And held captive with Israel in God’s protective care for another 40 years in the wilderness; cultivated and pruned once again.
Samuel was a prisoner of the Lord; dedicated and harnessed to him for the welfare and care of Israel for life.
David was a prisoner of the Lord in the wilderness, hiding and fleeing from Saul; cultivated and pruned by God to become his intimate and King.
Israel was a prisoner to Babylonian captivity, God’s discipline; instructed by God not to resist their captivity, a training ground for greater service for those who submitted.
And Israel continued as God’s captives, under his protective care and discipline, under the Medes, Greeks, and, lastly, the Romans.
Christ was a prisoner to the call of God, his Father; undone by the beauty and majesty of his holiness; sold out, absorbed, in love with his Father, and his Father with him.
A union so deep, holy, and pure, not to be repeated again in this creation.
A prisoner to the journey of overcoming the hostility in his own flesh, born sinless, destined for greatness and servitude, yet, inheriting wounds from his human ancestral line.
That, if left unhealed, would separate him from his Father, and, the plan of redemption for mankind.
His “preparation captivity” to the Father was critical; loved, initiated, comforted, discipled, healed and transformed – the Word made flesh, by grace through faith in obedience – bound to the Father in an inexpressible and holy union.
His “ministry captivity” lasted over three years, eventually releasing him and others to the ends of the earth.
Christ’s greatest imprisonment – irresistible intimacy and union with his Father, captured everything he was, and all he would become, to passionately and fiercely take the kingdom by force, teaching others to do the same.
And today, two millenniums downstream of the great river of God, if we allow the Lord, he’ll welcome us into a new and fresh season of captivity, the irresistibility of his grace and love, in this, the Philadelphia church age, the fulfillment of Tabernacles again in the body of Christ.
The opportunity to be ushered into deep relationship by grace through faith, intimacy and union with Christ.
It’s the city Abraham looked for, the prophets of old inquired – the deep work of grace transforming lives from unrighteousness to holiness (Hebrews 11:10 and 1 Peter 1:10).
A deep binding to Christ, transforming lowly natures into his glorious likeness.
What an honor and privilege it is, to be his prisoners, like the ancients and saints of old, undone by his beauty and majesty, captured by his irresistible love in the adventure we call life.
What other King offers his subjects the opportunity to partake of his nature, be made new, cleansed, healed, to the likeness of the greatest person who ever lived?
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Good day and a good new year to you and yours.
If you’ve been following my posts you’ve had a window into Christ’s journey to perfection not commonly understood or taught in Christendom at large.
Age old beliefs and creeds still take center stage when it comes to Christ; particularly those formed at the beginning of the dark age.
Frankly, at the more public levels of Christianity, the pressure to adopt and conform to age old creeds and beliefs is expected, intense, and seemingly, in public circles, off limits to fresh examination and revelation from the Lord.
For many, the knowledge Christ might have more for them, beyond what has been handed down through the generations, is not something they’ve been taught to believe, ponder, or, expect.
The beauty and majesty of Christ, has been hidden, locked up in creeds and traditions, guarded and protected like an ancient tomb or historical site.
But Jesus is not bound to creeds and traditions, nor man’s history of him.
He is alive, full of wonders yet to be revealed.
Many young Christians have not been taught to “expect” revival in the knowledge of Christ – to know Christ beyond their forefathers.
Many have not been taught to seek, hope, or look for greater connection and intimacy with Jesus.
Simply, Jesus has more about himself he wants to share with his sons and daughters.
And there’s more about Jesus in his Word than we’ve come to realize.
For many, the prospect of venturing out with Christ, to seek a deeper relationship with Jesus, is not worth the risk.
But that does not hinder the Lord from stirring things up in peoples lives.
And picking and choosing those who have a heart for him, calming fears, inspiring hope and expectancy.
He’s looking for those, whether they know it or not, who want the deep things of God; who are not content to die on the vine.
The Lord is not asleep, on the contrary, he’s busy building his Church for another new season.
And many alive today will see the body of Christ turn yet another corner into a new season.
He, above all those who’ve walked the earth, knows how and when to stir hearts toward him, touching the ache inside where nothing less than Jesus will do.
Change in Christendom’s beliefs and practices can happen suddenly, an outpouring of the Spirit (e.g., Azusa Street Revival), or, more slowly, over decades, as the Lord meticulously builds a network of generations sufficient to hold the weight of a major outpouring.
The age of Philadelphia, the present and coming fulfillment of Tabernacles – a corporate, world – wide body of believers coming to maturity – has both aspects of revivals.
The Lord has been laboring with men and women over two millenniums to get the Church where it is today – a deep work of grace on a corporate scale greater than ever before – even in the face of growing apostasy.
This has been in the works for a long, long, time, as God prepares his sons and daughters to transition victoriously through the end times.
And for those who remain virgins, to victoriously weather the storms of the Tribulation.
Many within the Church are swimming in deep waters today, being prepared by the Lord for the next move of his Spirit.
I hope my posts encourage you to lean “in” to the deep things of Christ.
I know my posts are lengthy (they’re not “drive by eating”).
But I pray a banquet, pointing hearts toward Christ, and the deep work of grace in this, the last Church age, an unprecedented opportunity in Jesus.
I’ve split this post into sections to be read at your convenience.
*** SECTION I ***
Introduction
I was raised and schooled in Pentecost, ingrained with a certain understanding regarding the nature of Christ, but lacked, like most, an understanding of his personal journey.
Late in the previous decade, knowing the Scriptures foretold of a deep work of God in the last days – promises yet to be fulfilled – I sought the Lord for an adventure in him before I left this earth.
The Lord began to answer my petition by leading me into a deeper relationship with him through a number of resources, like, Wild at Heart, Elijah House, the inner healing movement, and, exposure to a number of other pioneering ministries.
Then, in 2014 the Lord began an intensive work of grace in me, unlike anything in the past, and, began to open up the Scriptures regarding his personal journey, which continues to this day.
I’ve been extremely blessed over the many years of my Christian journey by great Bible teachers, counselors, prayer ministers, the prophetically gifted, etc.
And a multitude of everyday folk, who took interest in me, sharing the presence of Christ in their lives, their banquet with him, graciously and lovingly with me.
I’ve shared a lot about Christ’s personal journey over the last 60 plus writings I’ve posted on the site.
To really know our journey, we must know his, and, what he had to overcome before ministry could even be considered by the Father.
Hopefully, we’re not shocked or surprised when the Lord does new things in our lives, and in the lives of others. It should be hoped and expected.
That’s the nature and heart of the gospel, to be made new in Christ.
It wasn’t completed with the Reformation, with Pentecost in the early 1900s, with numerous outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the 20th century, nor with the present move of God’s Spirit.
There’s much more of God’s fullness to come!
As I’ve noted many times, there’s a lot more to Jesus than his ministry and Calvary.
Actually, ministry and Calvary are secondary.
Because, his ministry and Calvary flowed from who he “became” – the deep work of truth and grace of the Father in the Son.
Without that, there’d be no 40 day wilderness commissioning, ministry, or, Calvary.
And who he became is the pattern he pioneered for us to follow.
And, that is more important than ministry (ministry is not to be our source of living water, but, instead, flow out of us, from our healed and restored life in Christ).
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Those who wrote the Gospels did not live nor write the full revelation of God.
The gospel record is complete, but it does not reveal all we need to know of Christ.
That comes in time – over the course of the gospel age – as he grows the Church into the fullness of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4).
If the gospels had the fullness of Christ, then there’d been no need for the rest of the New Testament.
Simply, there are things of the Spirit, the revelation of God, left for later generations, in the fullness of time.
It’s part of the beauty of the gospel, the ongoing discovery the Lord has for different seasons of newness and Kingdom expansion.
The Philadelphia church age is one of those seasons where the Lord takes his children deeper, into greater intimacy and journey.
And with that, greater discovery of the deep mysteries of God hidden from the beginning of time, revealed now, in part, to his children once again in greater fullness and on a broader scale.
For example, the writers of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, lacked the intimacy of John’s gospel, and, the deeper revealing in some of Paul’s writings, Hebrews, and, letters from Peter and John.
The deeper into Paul’s letters, the deeper the revelation of Christ.
Simply, the first three Gospels provide accounts of Christ’s ministry, a knowledge “about” Christ, and hints of experiencing his Spirit, but not the deep revelation of Jesus.
That can only come out of deep union with him, a revelation of his personal journey.
John, on the other hand, in his writings, displays the knowledge birthed out of intimacy with the one he came to know deeply.
(Though Scripture is inspired, it does come from “out of the abundance of the writer’s heart,” – from the work of grace deep within.
Just as God does not violate our will to accomplish his, nor will he violate our will to say and write his Word not accomplished, or being accomplished, in our hearts and minds.)
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In John 21, after addressing Peter, Jesus says he’s returning for John, the journey of intimacy we’ve come to know he has for those who want intimacy with him.
For whatever reason, the record notes Peter being invited first.
The Gospel of John is one of the fruits of John’s intimacy, the Word written on his heart, full of the treasure of Christ.
Unlike the other gospels, it puts to paper the best of what can be put to pen of the nature and beauty of Christ of the four gospels.
It sheds light on Christ’s personal journey in deep and intimate ways.
The story of Christ’s personal journey is cleverly woven throughout the New Testament, the bulk of its’ writings, everything else coming from that.
One can only write of the nature of Christ if they themselves have experienced it.
John’s Gospel shows an understanding of Christ far surpassing the other Gospels.
This is important because we are all at different stages of relationship with the Lord; you can even see it in the writings of the New Testament.
Even though the Church has traveled 2000 years down the gospel road, there’s still more revelation to come of the Lord, his plan and purposes for us, and the work of grace in the body of Christ as we approach the end times.
Do not be surprised or shocked when things we hold as sacred and holy in Christendom are found wanting, and, more importantly, are not what the Lord holds as holy, but obstacles to intimacy instead.
The nature of revival is to bring life, put away death, “birth newness,” re-revealing old truths hidden and lost to time and events, and new insights and truths timed by God for discovery now.
We cannot understand what Christ pioneered for us – if we don’t understand the journey of Christ, and what God accomplished in him before, separate, and apart from ministry.
Out of the work of God in Christ flowed everything else, not vice versa.
If Jesus is the pioneer (forerunner) and perfecter of our faith, the first fruit, last Adam, and, firstborn, the first among many brethren, then we best let him take us into discovering who he is and what he’s pioneered and called us into.
That’s the template we’ll be measured by, not by our ministry.
He’s looking for sons and daughters to know him, and to know him intimately and deeply – the call in this hour of church history.
And only his intervention can bring this about. But it is upon us to open the door when he knocks. He’ll even help us open the door, if we cry out to him.
We don’t want to miss the wave(s) of his Spirit he has now, and coming.
If your thoughts about Christ, your relationship with him, focus on Calvary, i.e., your salvation rests on the events of Calvary, and not the person of Christ, then, I hope this series, and the other series I’ve written, will help you understand the Scriptures teach otherwise.
That the man presented by the Father to John at the river Jordan was the exalted Son of God, King, Lord, Savior, having the fullness of God, made perfect, having already been “resurrected,” a new creation, from the hostility in his flesh (Ephesians 2:14-16 see an interlinear) inherited from his human ancestral line.
Important
Some Scriptures you may want to ponder:
Hebrews 12:2, keep our eyes focused on Jesus.
Ephesians 4:20 – 24, there is a truth “in” Jesus we need to understand, the way of his journey, his life, his pioneering work (models do not pioneer truth and grace!), the pattern we are to follow – dying to sin, raised to walk in resurrected life by the Spirit of God (Romans 6).
1 Timothy 2:5, there is only one person between us and God, Christ, not an event or series of events, but one person, and that person was presented to John at the river Jordan, the living blood of Christ offering healing and salvation right then and there to Israel for the taking.
Calvary did not change Christ’s ability to heal and save, nor mankind’s need for confession, but, exposed our sins on his holy body – etched into his body (2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Peter 2:24) the “resurrected” Christ “raised” again, the sign of Jonah, as proof positive he was who he said, healer and savior, and proof positive, repentance in his name would bring salvation.
Israel was given a second chance, another 40 years to decide.
Peter on the day of Pentecost, proclaimed (speaking of the resurrected life David prefigured as a type of Christ, the coming restoration, i.e., “Tabernacle of David”), God raised “…this Jesus…” that is “…the resurrection of the Messiah…” to life again. (NIV, Acts 2:32 & 31, respectively, italics are mine)
In other words, Peter is saying, God raised the resurrected Messiah back to life again. (Luke 24:7, John 10:17, John 12:28, 2 Corinthians 5:15)
Christ was resurrected to walk in newness of life in his personal journey, dying to sin, made alive in spirit, perfected, becoming eternal savior, High Priest, King and Lord.
He offered healing, life and salvation to Israel.
Israel rejected and killed him, demanding the sign of Jonah.
God raised him again.
David’s Psalm 16, the resurrection psalm, is about the healing and restoration of resurrection life this side of heaven, of which Christ was the pioneer and firstborn to receive.
Jesus was revealing who he was and what he experienced when he said he was the resurrection.
He knew first – hand what it was like to be perfected, walking in resurrection power, even, giving descriptions of what it was like; like the angels in heaven.
I hope you’ve been reading my posts to get the heart of all this, and the back story on Christ, buried under mounds of creeds and traditions, being unearthed once again.
The beauty and majesty of Christ has been lost too long.
It’s necessary to understand his baptism if we are to understand and partake of the feast of Tabernacles, the Philadelphia church age.
There are a number of Scriptures that talk about him being raised again and the Father glorifying him again.
And regarding the quoting of Psalm 16 in Acts 2, this reveals David’s understanding by the Spirit of God; his descendant would walk in resurrection life and power, something David experienced in a measure when he possessed the Ark.
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Our salvation journey is all about Jesus. It is out of who he became we are saved.
And of course, Calvary played a part, because of Israel’s rejection, but it was the blood in his body, his life, that saved us, through repentance, and not the act of his murder (Acts 7:52).
For, our glory is not Calvary, Hollywood’s or otherwise, but Jesus, being made perfect (Hebrews 5:7 – 10).
His more perfect sacrifice, doing the will of the Father – putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive in Spirit (resurrection life), becoming eternal savior, High Priest, King, and Lord – ushered him into ministry to save Israel.
And, sadly, and tragically, instead of ushering in the Millennium, he, instead, bore the marks of Jew and Gentile sin on his body, in one last public display of his love.
*** SECTION I I ***
More on Christ – Laying the Foundation for a Better Understanding of Isaiah 53
This post brings together some of what I’ve written the last two years, connecting it with one of the better – known passages in Scripture, Isaiah 53.
If you haven’t read my other posts on Christ’s personal journey, I suggest at least going back to the beginning of this series, Fullness of Time.
It is interesting to note only a few Isaiah 53 Scriptures are quoted in the gospel accounts; Isaiah 53:1 in John 12, part of Isaiah 53:4 in Matthew 8:17, and, part of Isaiah 53:12 in Luke 22:37, and in some manuscripts, Mark 15:28.
It seems odd so little of Isaiah 53 is quoted in the Gospels, or for that matter in the New Testament, considering the extraordinary weight commentaries and other writings note as depicting the events of Calvary.
As I’ve written, the proliferation of creeds and traditions at the dawn of the dark age resulted from a loss of intimacy and connection with the Lord, evidenced in his letter to the Church of Thyatira (which many have come to understand as symbolic of the “dark age”).
In the absence of intimacy with the head, the Lord Jesus, creeds and traditions sprung forth as a means of establishing Christian identity and destiny.
One would think, if Isaiah 53, verses one through six, were prophetic of Calvary, the Lord would have mentioned them, or, at least, been quoted elsewhere in the New Testament as relating or fulfilled at Calvary.
(Isaiah 53:1 is quoted in John 12:38 and partly in Romans 10:16.
And Isaiah 53:5, the last part of the verse, is not quoted, but apparently in substance repeated by Peter in 1 Peter 2:24.)
Isaiah 53 verses one through six, particularly four through six, are another treasure in the Word waiting for discovery.
And that’s the journey we begin, in part, in this post.
I find it fascinating much has been written about Isaiah 53, verses one through six, and yet they are not quoted in the New Testament by Christ, and otherwise, in only a few scattered instances.
It is because verses four through six do not relate primarily to Calvary, but to his personal journey before his ministry. That’s what this post begins to unpack.
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Respectfully, to those who have gone before us, Peter says,
“… it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (NIV, 1 Peter 1:18 – 21, bold and italicized are mine)
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Important, please note:
Peter is talking about the revelation of Christ, his life, his presence, his words, his ministry – the person of Christ, his walk in and among God’s chosen people for over three years.
The redeemer walked in fullness in the presence of Israel and they did not recognize him.
The precious blood of Christ was in his veins, offering healing and life to those coming to him, or those, he came to.
This is the revelation of Christ his disciples and others came to know before Calvary.
They came to know a glorified Christ (even transfigured before them), a resurrected Christ, walking in the fullness of God, truth, grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
They came to know the exalted Christ, at the right hand of the Father, having all dominion and authority over both visible and invisible creation.
They came to know the one having a name above every other name, the one whose name caused demons to bow.
That’s the Jesus Peter came to know, spent years with, and fell in love.
Calvary was an event (horrible event) in the life of Christ, but not the revelation of Christ, i.e., the deep work of grace the ancients and prophets of old desired to look into (1 Peter 1:10).
The revelation of Christ in the last times, the heart of the gospel, was the putting to death the deeds of the flesh, being made alive in spirit, to walk in newness of life, resurrection life, the promised new creation.
That is what Christ revealed – being raised from the dead, i.e., putting to death the hostility in his flesh (Romans 1 – 6, Ephesians 2, Hebrews, etc.), glorified by the Father.
Jesus meant what he said, he was the resurrection and the life!
Our faith and hope, in Christ, is to walk in resurrection life this side of heaven.
We don’t need resurrection life in heaven!
Else, like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, we, of all people (Christians), are the most miserable if our only hope is resurrection at physical death.
The intent and purpose of Paul’s dialogue in 1 Corinthians 15 is not about the resurrection after death, but the opportunity of resurrection life this side of heaven, Christ the first fruit.
Without this hope, symbolized in Lazarus, a new creation, Christianity is no different than any other religion.
The opportunity of being made new, having connection and intimacy with Christ, though yet struggling against sin, is the deep grace and truth Christ offers to those living in the Philadelphia church age – which is us.
Our Christianity is not for heaven, but for earth.
Why else would the devil be fighting so hard against the knowledge and understanding of the Lord, and the call of God in this late hour of church history?
And why else is there such huge spiritual warfare, leading up and into the end times, so much, the Dragon is standing before an unaware woman (the Church) waiting to devour her child (the bride) as soon as it is born?
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The futile way of life handed down to us, spiritually sums up what many of us have faced growing up: the lack of teaching and understanding of Christ’s pioneering work, making it possible, yes, even attainable, to apprehend in him what he’s apprehended us for, Christ in us.
An unprecedented and deep work of the Holy Spirit in the closing season of the gospel.
I’m not talking about surpassing the founding apostles such as Paul, Peter, James, and John, etc.
But I’m talking about the special place of intimacy and union Jesus has “opened the door for” in the last season of the Church in apprehending a bride.
Simply, we’ve lost the beauty of Christ’s journey, who he became, Fathered by God, what he apprehended, and what he patterned, provided, and promised.
And promises again, making plain, in an open letter, to those living in the Philadelphia church era.
The body of Christ has come far since the dark age, but oh, there’s still a journey.
Losing the beauty of Christ’s journey plunged the Church into traditions and creeds, too numerous to mention.
When you’re in relationship, there’s no need for creeds because you have the real thing.
The Reformation (early 1500s and forward) and Pentecost restored (the early 1900s), have come and gone, and yet, they were not sufficient, nor designed(!), to birth the end time bride of Christ.
The Lord is not one to quit or give up, but is committed to fulfilling Scripture.
He’s reserved for himself one last church age to birth and father a bride, Philadelphia, the fulfillment of the final Old Testament feast of Tabernacles, in a corporate body of sons and daughters.
There’s a long journey ahead for those who desire the deeper things of God.
They don’t come easy, but, intimacy with Christ far surpasses the cost of giving up our “fallenness.”
The body of Christ is in the beginning stages of a deep move of God’s Holy Spirit.
Part and parcel are the restoration of the beauty of the story of Christ.
The revelation of Christ – the knowledge of who he truly is – plays a part of the birthing of Christ in us.
You cannot have the deep things of God without deep intimacy with Christ, and that includes the revelation of his Word.
He’s so much more than what has been passed to us from the creeds and traditions of our spiritual forefathers.
Creeds and traditions over the centuries have done nothing to promote intimacy with Christ, rather, distance and separation from him.
I say that respectfully, knowing we all live in the light or our day.
And our day has glorious rays of revelatory light shining.
Having access to the Word of God, and, world – wide resources in the body of Christ, is an unprecedented opportunity in human history for the Lord to take us deeper in him, on a global scale.
And though the “light” of our day is greater than those in the past, there is still even greater light to come before the gospel age comes to an end.
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We’ve made the act of killing Christ at Calvary the worship and heart of Christendom.
What we worship belongs solely to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sadly, many today, those in prominent positions, believe we know all we need to know about Jesus, and anything outside historic Christianity is subject.
But this could not be farther from the truth.
Every new move of God reveals more of the foundation Christ and the apostles laid some two millenniums ago.
Jesus has reserved some special things for the last days, to be revealed and discovered the closer we get to the threshold of the end times.
And some of those special things are being revealed now, so we can be taken into the closing seasons of the Church.
Before we get into Isaiah, I want to give another high-level overview of Christ’s journey.
I believe this bears repeating a number of times from different angles so a thorough searching of the Scriptures can be had and sought out.
*** SECTION III ***
Separating Christ’s Personal Journey (the Father’s work of grace in his Son, Christ’s perfection) From Calvary
Before we can get into the meat of Isaiah 53, which captures both Christ’s personal journey and Calvary, here are more thoughts regarding Christendom’s focus on Calvary in the absence of the knowledge of Christ’s personal journey.
The New Testament did not begin with the killing of Christ at Calvary.
The New Testament began with the perfection of Christ, clearly described in the books of Romans and Hebrews.
Our heavenly Father, whose heart is to heal and restore the lost to the plan of God, ordained the beginning of the New Testament in the death and resurrection of his Son, i.e., the work of grace to bring to death the hostility in Christ’s flesh, resurrected to walk in newness of life.
Simply, the New Testament, the covenant of the new birth, a new creation in Christ, began with the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ – his death to sin, for him and for us, made alive by the Spirit, for him and for us.
This understanding to most Christians is foreign because of the focus on Calvary instead of the focus on Christ.
The Scriptures do not focus on Calvary; they focus on the baptism unto repentance, being made new by the Spirit of God, of which Christ is our pioneer.
Over the centuries, Christendom has put more faith in the “spilled blood of Christ,” instead of the “living blood of Christ,” presented to Israel by the Father (See explanation of Romans 3:25 in important note below).
Once one understands Jesus meant what he said, before Calvary, the New Testament was in his blood (Matthew 26:28), the revelation of who Christ was, who he became, and what he offered Israel before Calvary, refocuses our affections on Christ and Christ alone, and not on creeds, traditions, or Calvary.
The Son of God presented to John at the river Jordan, was the Son of God with the New Testament in his blood.
Nothing changed in Christ after that, other than the writing of our sins into his body, that he had already died to (Romans 6).
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The tragedy of creeds and traditions – the demise of intimacy and relationship – contributed to the elevation of the “natural analysis” of the Scriptures, instead of the revelation of God.
You can’t have revelation of the Word in the absence of intimacy.
The enemy has been clever in constructing numerous roadblocks to intimacy with Christ, to keep men and women anchored in the natural; separate from life and light in the deep things of God.
You can analyze the Scripture until the cows come home, study until your head aches, but unless and until the Lord shines his light on his Word, you’ll be spin circles.
We can hear what the Word says with our natural ears, and read what the Word says with our natural eyes, but it is with spiritual ears and eyes we come to understand what is actually being said, and how it relates to the plan and purposes of God.
(Note the image of the living creatures in Revelation, their eyes, symbolizing intimacy and union with Christ, singly focused on him, the orchestration of heaven and the will of God.)
The absence of revelation of the Lord, like Peter received (the revelation of Christ, the Messiah), and, Paul wrote about in a number of places, led to the long lost and forgotten journey of Christ.
Robbing him of his beauty, his story, his journey, what he apprehended for himself, us, and what God apprehended for him.
I’ve written much on the journey of Christ, which Romans Chapters one through eight describe, and Hebrews 1 through 12 testify, as well as elsewhere.
His journey to perfection, his healing and restoration from the hostility of his flesh (see an interlinear, Ephesians 2:14 – 16).
Simply, Christ, though sinless, inherited wounds and brokenness from his human ancestral line needing healing and restoration before he could minister and be commissioned.
Just like you and me, as the book of Hebrews says, Christ needed the care and love of his father to be fully healed and restored.
God went beyond where Adam started, finishing everything he started in Adam, in Christ, the last Adam – Christ, fully healed and restored, the fullness of God in man, the focus and center of this creation, our eternal Savior.
Israel wanted a “sign,” so the God gave them a sign, the spilled blood of their Savior – so they could see the backdrop of their sins on the holiness of God, raising the resurrected Christ – as Peter says in Acts 2.
But, oh, had they accepting the “living” blood of Christ, the walking living New Testament in their midst, the spilling of his blood would not have been necessary.
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This was his journey from young boy to adult.
His resurrection to life, perfection, dying to sin, etc., occurred before his presentation to John at the river Jordan.
The absence of relationship with Christ resulted in the eventual establishment of creeds and traditions pointing like arrows the “body of Scriptures found in Romans and Hebrews to Calvary, instead of to Christ.”
The body “weight” of Scriptures rightly describe and testify of Christ’s journey to perfection, fathered by God.
Christ, the Father’s focus for this creation – the first of this creation made into the likeness of God, “first fruit,” “firstborn,” “pioneer,” “last Adam,” his story – was pushed aside over the ensuing centuries by the events of Calvary – the “work” at the hands of the Romans and Sanhedrin replacing the “grace” at the hands of the Father.
They substituted the act of killing and murder (see Acts 7:52) for the precious blood of Christ, the person of Christ, walking and talking in their very midst.
When one understands most of the references to Christ in the New Testament writings, Acts forward, refer to his personal journey, the cross he bore, his baptism in the refining fire of God’s love and care, the crucifixion of the hostility in his flesh, dying to sin to walk in resurrection life, one realizes:
- Scripturally, his putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit, resurrection life, was apprehended before his presentation to John,
- Calvary played no part in his personal journey to perfection, other than to reveal who he had already become, eternal Savior,
- The beauty of Christ presented to Israel (Romans 3:25), the perfected Son of God, Son of man, having the New Testament in his blood before Calvary (Matthew 26:28), the work of grace by the Father for Israel was complete, their Savior and redeemer standing before them with open arms if only they would believe.
*** Important Note ***
Here’s a prime example where creeds and traditions usurp the actual Greek, elevating Calvary over Christ
One English translation adds the word “shedding” in Romans 3:25.
It is not in the Greek.
Christ’s blood did not have to be shed for us to receive mercy. Jesus offered healing and salvation before he was killed.
His “sinless perfection” was our mercy seat, our advocate with the Father.
Christ sacrificed his will, life, everything, to do the will of the Father, perfected through suffering, learning obedience by grace through faith, before he was presented to John (Hebrews 5:7 – 10).
The NT was flowing through his blood when he was presented to John.
Calvary was Israel’s second chance at salvation, the sign of Jonah their hearts demanded (blinded by “works” from receiving grace through faith), giving them another 40 years – a chance to find Christ before dispersion and destruction.
Simply, Christ doing the will of his Father, through the process of his journey, becoming who he was born to be, was the living walking vessel of salvation presented to Israel.
The vast body of Scripture referring to Christ apply to his personal journey, not Calvary.
Because, that’s what we’ve been called into, the heart of the Gospel, the story of Christ’s journey of healing and restoration.
*** SECTION IV ***
Wounds and Sufferings
There is only one Christ and one Calvary.
But the journey of Christ is for all who are called by his name, desiring to be chosen by him for the deep things of God.
We have not been called to be martyrs, though, tragically, that may happen to some.
We are exhorted to focus on Jesus, and him alone, not events.
If you miss the personal journey of the Lord, you not only miss the heart of the Old Testament types depicting his journey, (for example, David in the wilderness & possession of the Ark), but end up associating the many Scriptures of his wounds, sufferings, to Calvary, instead of his personal journey.
Our personal journey “toward and in” Christ, which Jesus pioneered, involve piercing, suffering, wounds, stripes, chastisement, griefs, sorrows, etc., in one form or another, and, in one degree or another.
As Christians we’ve been taught by our forefathers to see many of these terms through the eyes of Calvary, instead of Christ’s journey, and ours.
Our journey of learning to receive grace through faith, i.e., putting to death the deeds of the body, made alive in spirit, occurs as the Lord brings our will into conformity with the Father’s by the creative power of his “grace” in our life.
There are different levels and degrees of this “grace” in our life long journey, the last stop, Tabernacles, being the most thorough, intensive, and complete.
Because the Father’s heart is drenched in goodness, kindness, love and blessing – our efforts of leading an independent life, “works,” only breeds the pain and sorrow of wounds and brokenness in our lives, and in the lives of others.
Again, commentaries and other writings associating much of the body of Scripture referring to Christ’s suffering to Calvary, instead of his journey, miss the all – important journey of Christ.
And connect many terms used for different types of suffering to Calvary, instead of the journey of learning obedience by grace through faith – the journey of healing and restoration into intimacy with the Lord.
Important
This in turn has resulted in some becoming fearful of the deep things of God, the cleansing and healing work of Christ, because so much of it has been associated with the brutality of Calvary, instead of the love of God to heal and restore our wounds and brokenness in kindness and goodness.
The enemy has pulled out all the stops to focus our attention on the passion of Christ at Calvary – making it a Hollywood epic – instead of the passion of Christ in becoming who he became, King, Priest, Savior, Prophet, Lord of Lords.
It is the secreted and hidden things of the heart, the fallen nature, not the brutality of Calvary, the Lord desires to access in our lives.
The “replacement” by theologians and others over the centuries of the journey of Christ – the many references to “death” in Romans, “sacrifice” in Hebrews, etc., – with Calvary, has had far-reaching consequences on the understanding of God’s Word and the character of God – making God complicit in our sins, after our likeness, instead of us being made into his likeness.
Tragically, the character of God has been maligned by the emphasis on Calvary – frightening and distancing many Christians from the kindness and goodness of God – his desire to heal and restore and not to kill.
For example, John 21:18, where Christ is leading Peter “a way he’s never gone before” (into the baptism he was baptized, putting to death the deeds of the body to walk in newness of life) has been widely interpreted as informing Peter he will be a martyr.
(Jesus has just been crucified, all the upheaval, unsettledness, and uncertainty in people’s hearts, particularly those who walked with him – Can you imagine him being so callous, dismissive, and uncaring, that one of the first things he wants to share with Peter is his coming martyrdom – that’s not the Jesus I know!
See my post, A Peculiar People, Part 5, for fresh insight regarding John 21:18.)
We’ve come to associate death, death of the cross, sacrifice, sacrificed once for all, obedience unto death, etc., in the NT writings primarily with physical martyrdom, Calvary, when, the vast majority of these instances refer to the baptism of Christ, dying to sin to walk in newness of life.
In John 10 Jesus makes it clear, Satan authored killing, destruction, and stealing.
God is the author of life, not death.
And the New Testament offer of life was in Christ, the blood of Christ, by his death to sin, resurrection life – his perfection – before he stepped into the river Jordan to be baptized.
The plan and purposes of the gospel is not martyrdom, but healing and restoration.
And the Scripture makes crystal clear, Christ was the first to experience healing and restoration, the pioneer of our faith, the one who blazed the trail of healing and restoration now offered corporately to the church of Philadelphia.
Jesus spent over three years ministering to Israel hoping against hope to win their hearts unto repentance.
(God knew in the end Israel would reject Christ, put him to death, but that was not the heart of the Father, nor the heart of Christ, that propelled him into the midst of Israel.
More on the Old Testament prophecies of Christ’s death, and when he knew the die was cast against him, and, what he meant when he said, “‘But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’” to come. (NIV, Matthew 26:54, italics are mine)
It was all about doing everything possible to save Israel, offering them the best the Father had to offer – his only begotten Son, a visible, tangible, expression of the work of “grace” he was making available to them and their lives.
Christ did not have a bitterroot expectancy of death, but faith and hope in the salvation of Israel, fighting for them unto the very end.
He even gave a parable on how the Father hoped the tenants would receive the son of the land owner, saying,
“‘Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. … Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said. … But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, … “Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.”’”) (NIV, Matthew 21:33 – 38, italics are mine)
Romans Chapter 8 verses 10 and 11 capture the heart and journey of the gospel:
“But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (NIV, Romans 8:10 – 11)
This is not talking about physical death, but death to sin, followed by resurrection life this side of heaven.
Christ pioneered these verses for himself, and for us to follow by grace through faith.
That’s the message of the gospel. That’s the message of death to sin.
Inner Healing
Because so much focus has been on Calvary, instead of Christ, this maybe one of the reasons the Church at large has not embraced inner healing.
The teaching Christ accomplished everything on Calvary, the exultation of his death at Calvary, instead of the exultation of Christ’s death to sin, the pattern for us, may be keeping many from healing and restoration they so desperately need.
The deep work of “grace” in Christ by our heavenly Father has been supplanted, in part, for centuries, by the work of unrighteousness by those who put Christ on the cross.
Calvary exposed our unrighteousness, publicizing our sins on the body of the holy Son of God.
But it did not change our need of repentance.
That’s because our salvation is in the blood of Christ, “Christ,” and not in events, whether before or after Calvary.
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You may be thinking, Drake, you talk a lot about “inner healing,” so why doesn’t the Scripture use those terms instead of putting to death the deeds of the flesh, death to sin, sacrifice, obedience, etc., in Romans and elsewhere.
Because the term “death” of the old man encompasses the entirety of the Christian journey, from being born again, baptized in the Spirit, to learning concepts, choices, Scripture, prayer, deliverance, worship, teaching, preaching, operations of the gifts, etc.
Everything and anything connected with our new citizenship in the kingdom of God and the impartation of Christ in our lives.
It also includes the partaking of the divine nature, the creative acts of God to heal and restore body, soul, and spirit.
Death of the old man denotes the finality and certainty of new wine in new bottles, a nature being changed by God, a new creation, resurrection life, freed from the prison of sin, becoming a prisoner of Christ.
These are experiential and tangible changes from who we were to who we become in Jesus Christ.
Personally, I experienced tangible, specific, and experiential changes when I was born again.
And more so when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
And again, even more so entering the beginning stages of the feast of Tabernacles.
As Adam and Eve passed from life to death quickly at the feet of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we’re passing from death to life by putting to death the prison of sin, quickly, in some ways, and, more slowly, in others, being changed from glory to glory into his likeness.
And in that process, many times we must be “wounded” in areas to expose the secret and hidden wounds of our heart for cleansing and healing.
Other times, situations arise where we’re “pierced” (e.g., the woman caught in adultery) to expose hidden wounds and brokenness in need of restoration.
Hopefully, we all know about being chastened, “disciplined” by our heavenly Father in righteousness and holiness (Hebrews 12).
Simply, the journey of healing and restoration involves the Lord visiting the afflictions in our members, as we allow him access to our wounds.
In the natural, if one has an infection, it may require “opening up,” in order to be cleansed and healed.
The opening up may be likened to piercing, cutting, or, actually wounding the body, again, in order to access the infection.
Some infections do not require piercing, but are cleansed and healed by oral medication.
Others may require surgery.
Anyway, you get the picture.
In the spiritual realm, it’s similar.
Judgments, beliefs, and vows may need to be pierced by the Lord to get to the root of sinful appetites and desires plaguing your life and mine.
Other times, eating the Word of God – taking the medicine of the Word – may be all that’s needed to bring healing and restoration to an area.
In the spiritual realm it takes the Holy Spirit to expose and open up those areas of our life afflicting us and others.
In our healing journey we may face many piercing’s and wounding’s to expose underlying deeply rooted wounds and brokenness.
Opening up our afflictions exposes our brokenness and separation from God’s care and love.
Jesus said, “‘… Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.’” (NIV, Matthew 15:13)
Many times, our wounds are birthed out of our own bitterroot expectancies, i.e., bad fruit from our own works of unrighteousness rooted in agreements, etc., often empowered by the enemy, a way of life set in opposition to the grace of God.
Whatever the source of the wounding, piercing, etc., the Lord uses to access our wounds and brokenness, his purposes have one goal, our healing and restoration in the gentleness and kindness of the goodness of God.
With this in mind, hopefully, I’ve laid some preliminary groundwork for diving into Isaiah 53 as we discover it’s not all about Calvary, but, more so about Christ’s personal journey.
A lot more to follow, blessings, Drake
(NIV) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™
