The Isaiah 52 Blog

Well, it seems that google is down (very strange, I know) so I am posting today’s Daily Bible Reflection here on the Isaiah 52 blog. The content of the post being what it is, this post being here actually fits. Here goes:

Today’s reading comes from the book of Mark. You can find all of today’s readings here.

“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’” – Mark 8:27-33 (ESV)

There is a song that I love by Caedmon’s Call titled Before There Was Time, and as far as musical exegesis goes it is top notch. The song is based out of Ephesians 1, which explains that before the world began the Lord chose for Himself a people to save and bring into the kingdom through the grace afforded by Jesus on the cross. This passage has stunning implications, namely that sin was not something that surprised God. He was not caught off guard by Adam’s fall, but indeed already had a plan in place to redeem the people who mock and defame His holy name by their sin. The song goes like this:

Before there was time, there were visions in your mind. There was death and the fall of mankind, but there was life and salvation’s design. And before there were days, there were nights I could not see your face, but the night could not keep me from grace. And you came and you took my place. So I cry ‘Holy only begotten Son of God!’ …I sing the praises of the on who saved me, and the promises He made before there was time.

Does this confuse you? It should. Why would a holy and perfect God, who has everything he wants and needs within the three persons of the Trinity, create earth and a people in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) that would ultimately run away from Him? This is one of the great questions that we will never know the answer to – why the Lord of the universe, who does not in any way need His creatures (Acts 17:25), would create a race of men and women who spit upon His name? We are indeed all sinners by nature and choice, and deserve eternal separation from Him as a result, yet still He saves us. Why?

We cannot ever know why – but we do know by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures that this is true. The Lord chose to create knowing that His creation would hate Him, and also chose before the foundations of the earth were laid to redeem that creation through His son Jesus Christ.

In today’s passage, we see Jesus claiming yet again that He is the messiah, sent to fulfill the prophecies that came hundreds of years beforehand and to redeem the nation of Israel. He alludes to passages such as Isaiah 52 and 53 and Ezekiel 36 when He says that the Son of Man must be killed, and rise again. This was not a coincidence, and the Lord did not see Adam’s sin in the garden and whip something up to fix the problem – no, He planned this all before there was time to bring the Himself glory and the honor and praise that he so rightly deserves.

So what does this mean to us? If you are sinfully doubting the Lord’s sovereignty and providence over the world that He created, repent of your foolishness and turn to the God who before time even began thought of you, and planned to send His only son to die in your place. The father who is not served by human hands still choses to send His love and grace on the whole world, a world which has turned their backs on Him. Know that you are chosen, bought and paid for, and live your life in the light of this truth! Take up your cross, as Jesus commands in this passage, and follow the God who predestined you to life! Do not repeat Peter’s sin of doubt, or try to rebuke God – for you know in part, but He knows fully. Don’t try to come at God with a list of bachelor’s level philosophical syllogisms, instead have faith that He who started a good work in you is faithful to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus! (Philippians 1:6) Revel in the fact that you are a child of the Most High, and worship Him who planned this from the beginning.

Heavenly Father I thank you that you are both sovereign and good.. I praise you that this world is not a haphazard experiment gone wrong, but that the things of Jesus were foretold, accomplished, and brought to completion in my salvation. You are so holy, and so worthy of my praise! Take my mind from the things of this world and set it upon the things of You, for you are both sovereign, and good. Amen.

-MD Letteney