♪ theme music ♪ (Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School, an in-depth, interactive study of the Word of God. We are in the middle of an amazing series of studies on <i>Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet.</i> We've learned so much, not only about Isaiah, but about the Messiah who has now come 700 years after the prophecies - Jesus. It's an amazing study. We're glad you're with us, and welcome to the team. I'm excited because Liza's teaching today, and our little Gideon's band of just five because of the social distancing, but we've seen God work in amazing ways through this series of studies. And if you missed any, go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess, and you can watch the whole series on <i>Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet.</i> Today we're talking about, well,
something unthinkable, <i>A Suffering Messiah,</i> but it's exactly what was prophesied 700 years before Jesus came, and He was, indeed, the fulfillment of all of those prophecies. We have a special gift for you if you're with us for this series. It's not only the prophecies regarding Jesus from Isaiah, but <i>all</i> of the Old Testament prophets. It's an audiobook that you can download
called <i>Radical Evidence,</i> and we'd like to send you a digital copy of that audiobook. And it's easy to get; you just write to our regular email address, sshope@hopetv.org, and on the subject line
put "free offer." We'll send you a link; you can even share that audiobook with your friends. I know you'll be blessed because Jesus is awesome, isn't He? He's an awesome Savior, and He's changing lives around the world. We're always happy to hear from you, our Hope Sabbath School members. And here's one from Henry in Nigeria, and Henry writes and says, "God bless you for the wonderful way you bring life and deep understanding to the teaching of the Word of God." Amen? (Team) Amen. (Derek) "I'm Henry; I'm the head elder of a church in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. We have the objective of significantly improving the way our teachers teach the Word of God." (Team) Amen. (Derek) So, you know, you can download the same outline that we're using here on Hope Sabbath School. Download it from the website; and you can share it with all of the people in your class,
and you can have an in-depth, interactive study of the Word of God. Thank you, Henry, for sharing that
with us. Linda writes from North Carolina in the United States, and Linda says, "Hope Sabbath School has been my spiritual food for three years now. I'm 74 years old, widowed for six years and disabled; I feel like you are my family. But most of all, I praise God for people who teach the Word of God." (Team) Amen. (Derek) Well, thank you, Linda, for writing to us. And you know the promise of that great prophecy; the day is coming soon when God will make all things new. Here's a note from Andrea, and Andrea writes from here in the United States. She says, "I'm in the middle of watching your study for this week. I just had to stop and say thank you. I'm feeling like I'm in a small group right now, and it feels great. You've inspired me; keep up the good work." Well, you know, I'm told that people, when I ask a question, or Liza's going to be teaching today, you ask a question, that people all around the world
raise their hand; they're ready to make a comment, because we're interacting, right, Jason? "I'm ready to make a comment." What's even more amazing is when they're ready to make a commitment, praise God. We're just so glad, Andrea, that you engaged with us in that interactive study. Here's a note from a couple in Dunlap, Tennessee, and I just want to say thank you. This is a donor couple; I won't mention the name, but I want to thank you for your support for Hope Sabbath School. We are a donor-supported ministry. The team here are volunteers. They even pay to get their way to the studio, so they can share the Word of God. And you can partner with us. Just go to hopetv.org/donate, and you can make a donation online and be part of this great miracle. Well, this couple sent a note, and I'd like you to do that, too, because then I can read a word of encouragement. "My wife and I have been watching Hope Sabbath School for 10 years now. Each week we are blessed with the discussions by the team. We copy the link and send it to our family members," that's good. "And they are positively impressed with your in-depth study of the Word of God. Our prayers are that our small financial gift will assist this ministry to reach even more viewers. Jesus is coming soon, and we must act now. May His blessings continue to be poured out on this ministry," and a gift for a thousand dollars for Hope Sabbath School. Thank you for your support. And, you know, now is the time, isn't it, to share the Word. One last note, from Edwin. Edwin, thanks for writing from Zimbabwe. We have a lot of Hope Sabbath School
members in Zimbabwe, don't we? We're glad that you're writing. Simiso, that's your home country,
isn't it? (Simiso) Sure is. (Derek) Though you were born
in Zambia, right? But Zimbabwe - give a wave to Edwin, would you? Edwin writes and says, "Thank you, Hope Sabbath School. Your studies have helped me understand the Bible better than ever before. Since the COVID lockdown, when churches have been closed, I've got closer to Hope TV, and there's been so much to learn from your studies. I feel that God has had His way in spreading the gospel to families in their homes. Please continue the good work you're doing to spread God's Word, for the end will not come until the gospel has been preached in all corners of the world," is that right? (Team) Yes. (Derek) That's what Jesus said, and we want to be part of fulfilling that prophecy. We're just so thankful for each one of you, and we love to hear from you. Write to us at sshope@hopetv.org, but right now we need you to sing because we're not allowed to sing in the studio with the restrictions. But we'd love to hear you sing our theme song. It's taken from Isaiah 55. It says, "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let's sing together. ♪ music ♪ (Derek) I'm so excited that we can seek the Lord even in our study today. So, Liza, thanks for leading us in prayer as we begin our study. (Liza) Let's pray; heavenly Father, we want to invite You here today. I pray that You will open our eyes
that we may see, open our ears that we may hear, and open our hearts that we may receive Your Holy Spirit today. In Jesus' name. Amen. (Derek, Team) Amen. (Liza) Well, welcome to our exciting study
today. We're in part 10 of "Isaiah the Prophet,* and the title is called <i>Doing the Unthinkable:
The Suffering Messiah.</i> Now, what are your immediate thoughts
about that title? I know it sounds strange,
"suffering Messiah." Why would some people have trouble with that? Jason? (Jason) So, when I think of a Messiah, particularly in, like, the context
of the world, I think of someone who is successful, powerful, not someone who has to deal with pain. If anything, if you look at "messiahs"
in the world, they're the ones who cause
other people pain. And so, it's interesting to see a Messiah who has pain Himself,
or suffers Himself? (Liza) Absolutely. I was thinking the same thing, Jason. And, actually, let us start with Isaiah, chapter 9, verse 7, because I believe that there are some people who may have misunderstood
the Messiah and may have been thinking like we are right now. Travis, would you read first, Isaiah, chapter 9, verse 7? (Travis) Sure, and I'll be reading from the New King James Version: (Liza) Yes, and just hearing that (thank you so much, Travis,
for reading that), there are certain words that stand out to me, government, throne, forever, and this person called David. Now, I'm wondering, can any of you give us a brief bio of David? Who is he, and why is he being mentioned in this text? Nancy? (Nancy) Sure, so David is first known as the boy who knocked down Goliath because he called upon God. He was defending God's name. And then he became King David;
God chose him. And, well, he was born the son of Jesse, and Jesse is in the line of Jesus. If you go to Matthew, the first chapter, it has a genealogy, and it reminds us that Jesus is the Son of David. And the genealogy goes all the way to God, who is our Father. (Liza) Yes, thank you, Nancy; that was very thorough. And David was an actual person. He was a real individual who had an actual kingdom over an actual period of time. And so, a lot of people hearing this alone would think, "Yeah, I know David. I've heard about this person." However, we may sometimes have misunderstandings and think
that the Messiah would have an actual kingdom over an actual period of time and be a military or political leader. So, it's really important, as we study the Scriptures, not just to take one verse and create an entire picture, but we're going to be doing verse by verse, Scripture by Scripture, to get a complete understanding of who this Messiah was, what kind of leader He would be, what kind of kingdom He would have, and the nature of His government. So, let's turn over to Isaiah, chapter 50;
this is one of the most comprehensive and thorough
explanations of the Messiah, and so, we're going to do a lot of reading today. And, Simiso, would you start us off with Isaiah, chapter 50, verses 4 to 5. (Simiso) Isaiah 50, verses 4 to 5, reading from the New King James Version:
it says: (Liza) Thank you so much, Simiso. And just hearing that, we can try to understand it, but we're going to cross-reference this with some New Testament texts. And we're going to go to Luke, chapter 2, verses 46 to 47, and, Aicha, when you get there, please read it for us. Here we're going to see how this prophecy was fulfilled, and the specific description
about His learning or His intelligence and wisdom. So, this is Luke, chapter 2,
verses 46 to 47. (Aicha) I will be reading from the New International Version, Luke 2, verse 46 to 47: (Liza) Thank you so much, Aicha; that was so well read. (Derek) And, by the way, He was only 12 years old, just to look at the context, right? So, even as a young boy; I mean, I'm not sure you would even say
a young man, but as a lad, this prophecy given 700 years before His birth is being fulfilled in His young life. (Liza) Wow, can you imagine a 12-year-old leading out in an intense Bible study? (Derek) An in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God, right? (Liza) Yes. There is also
another text, Jason, in John, chapter 7, verses 14 to 16, that also recounts this prophecy
that was fulfilled. So, this is John, chapter 7,
verses 14 to 16. (Jason) I have the New King James
Version here, John, chapter 7, verses 14 through 16: (Liza) Thank you so much, Jason. Now, why is it important that the Messiah had this divine wisdom? Because, just by reading these verses, it doesn't indicate that He went to a special school or had a special tutor but that God Himself was His Tutor. Why is that important, that the Messiah had this divine connection, or this divine wisdom, can you think? (Travis) His task would not
have been possible without an undisturbed connection
with the Father. We just read earlier that He did not depart from that connection; He stayed connected to the Father. So, Jesus did nothing of His own, but He always sought power
from the Father. (Derek) I think it's important to realize, Liza, that Jesus had to learn. He was fully human, right? He was the Word of God incarnate,
or in the flesh, but He had to learn. I think the reason that Mary, His earthly mother, didn't send Him to one of "their" schools, is there was so much tradition and human wisdom there. When they say "having not learned," they're not saying He doesn't
know anything; He actually knows more than they do;
He's teaching them. But He's not been indoctrinated in their educational system. So then, how did He learn? And the answer is He was home-schooled. His mother, who was filled with the Holy Spirit in order to conceive Him and be born, was also guided by the Holy Spirit to teach Him in the ways of God. So, the Holy Spirit is really His Teacher, but I think it's important to realize that He's not just there, and everything's being beamed down in some way or poured down into His head. He's studying, He's learning, and I would say praise God for godly parents who would help a child make it past all of the tradition and the false teaching of this world. (Liza) Yes, thank you so much,
Pastor Derek, for pointing that out. We're living in an age where people are very proud and very self-confident in their education and their knowledge, but how humble this Messiah was to actually learn and seek knowledge from God Himself. So, I think that is a key lesson
for all of us. No matter what our educational status is, God can be our Teacher. God can give us the wisdom and knowledge that we need to fulfill the purpose that we have for our lives. And, Jason, did you have a comment there? (Jason) Sure, this just makes me think, because I myself have been blessed to get a lot of education, and I remember I got to go to law school, and after I had my law degree, I was having conversations with a friend. Now, they hadn't gone to law school like me, but they had actually worked in the legal system, and they had learned a lot of things from experience
that I had not. And so, even though I had the degree and the "letters," they had the experience, they had the training, and so I realized, wow, it's not just about the education. There's also the experiential process of learning as well, and that's why it's good to listen to people, not just based on their degrees but through a lot of other methods,
if you will. (Liza) Thank you so much, Jason, because I'm sure there are so many viewers who are watching us and saying, "Wow, what an educated group
of people," but a lot of us had to learn the hard way, right, Travis? A lot of us had to learn from life, and praise God, right, and that we can give Him the glory. So, let's go back to Isaiah, chapter 50. We're working our way down this prophecy, and now we're going to read from verses 7 to 10. Jason, do you mind reading that section for us? Isaiah, chapter 50, verses 7 to 10. (Jason) All right, I've got the New King James Version here, Isaiah, chapter 50, verses 7 through 10, says: (Liza) Amen. So much richness in detailing the Messiah. What words stand out to you? There are a lot of verbs there that I heard as Jason was reading. Was there anything that stood out to you
in that passage? Jason, is there anything that stood out to you? (Jason) Yes, so I see these verbs. There is contend; I see
this word adversary. So, there's going to be some kind of difficulties or troubles that are going to come up, we see, with this Servant, with this Messiah Person. (Liza) Yes, I have here "obeys God," "trusts in God," "fears God," "relies on God," and this is kind of building a picture, as you were saying, Travis, of that connection to God, that, even though He would go through some difficulties, He needed to remain closely linked to God. And so, verse 6 can be a bit troubling, Pastor Derek. I want Simiso, if you could read verse 6, Isaiah, chapter 50, verse 6,
one more time. (Simiso) Sure, Isaiah 50, verse 6, reading from the New King James Version: (Liza) Why is that a troubling image
or picture? (Derek) I think it's troubling
to everybody. To those of us who love the Lord, it's troubling that they would treat the Messiah like that because it was fulfilled, just as it says. But I think to those who were expecting a superhero, military deliverer Messiah, that one verse doesn't fit at all. So, at that point, I think it really challenges them. But for those of us who see it all fulfilled in the life of Jesus, it's really tragic that evil would so control people that they would treat the Lord's Anointed One with such scorn and abuse. (Liza) Yes, definitely. Travis, did you have a comment? (Travis) I was just thinking that anyone who aligns themselves with the Messiah experiences the same thing, and so this is outside of the norm when it comes to the way we think. I remember a verse in the Bible that says that the cross was foolishness to those who are perishing, so the idea of God on a cross? Like, the majority of people can't even comprehend that, because we've been taught, you know, strength always wins. But Jesus comes, and He says, "No, no. I'm going to change the way you think completely. It's love that actually wins." And He comes and conquers with love. But, that's the God that we serve. He came to just totally reconstruct and reeducate us in the way we think,
and He wants us to be a loving example as well. (Liza) Thank you so much for that, Travis,
so well said. So, let's move over to Isaiah, chapter 53. This, Pastor Derek, some people will say is the prophecy about Christ, and they will just say this is the chapter all about Jesus. And some will say, "No, actually, I don't think so," but we're going to do our own investigation today. And we're going to read
the entire chapter, but we're going to break it
out into sections. So, Nancy, could you start us off with Isaiah, chapter 53, verses 1 to 3. (Nancy) Yes, and I'm reading from the New King James Version,
and it reads: (Liza) Wow, thank you so much, Nancy. What do we learn in those verses about the Messiah? Simiso? (Simiso) It's really not what they expected, right? So, they were expecting One who would liberate them with great power and might. And here they are describing something totally different. They're talking about a Man acquainted with much grief
and so much pain. But what does it mean to us as we experience pain and grief? We have a high priest who has been tested in every single way but without sin. (Derek) And before that, and certainly Simiso's right, He's just a tender shoot. He doesn't just show up, you know, instant Messiah. He's actually going to be born as a helpless baby. He's going to be walking around Nazareth as a little toddler and then learning Scripture songs and singing them while He walks and plays, totally not what was expected, and yet it is in that incarnation that the love of the Father is revealed. (Liza) Absolutely. Aicha. (Aicha) And I think it shows how accessible it is to everybody because it says there was no beauty or majesty; there was pain, and this tells us that you don't have to be anything, you can be whoever you are, and God loves you as you are. It's accessible to all. (Liza) Absolutely, and I think, Aicha, you have a great point. We live in a culture that's very obsessed with physical beauty and attractiveness, and there are some people who would be turned off by that. They would think, "I can't
relate to that." But the fact that He was a normal-looking person; there was nothing outrageous
about Him, it means that it was more than just physical attraction. It was His character, His behavior, and those deep qualities, and I think that is an excellent point. Travis? (Travis) I was just going to actually kind of comment the same way you did. I remember the Apostle John said, I think it was John 1:11, he said, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." They were actually looking
for the Messiah, and then when He came, He wasn't what they had perceived
in their minds. And so, as I'm reading and studying this, I'm thinking we need to be careful with how we look at people. Just because they might not be in our eyes, attractive on the outside, Jesus was totally beautiful on the inside, and we don't want to miss that
in others as well because we might be missing out on a blessing. (Liza) Absolutely, and there's a saying that I heard when I was growing up, "Don't judge a book by its cover," and surely He was judged a lot because He didn't look the part. But He can relate with us on that level as well; Isn't that beautiful? Let's move over to verses 4 to 6. Simiso, would you pick up on Isaiah 53, verses 4 to 6? (Simiso), Verses 4 to 6, Isaiah 53, from the New King James Version: (Liza) Amen. Thank you so much, Simiso. What does the term "smitten by God" mean? What does "smitten by God,"...? Does it mean that God was taking out this suffering upon Him, that He was instigating it
and creating it? I mean, what does that mean "smitten by God"? Jason. (Jason) So, "smitten" or "to smite," means to cut off, or kind of with a sword stab, but what this is saying, this is kind of allegorical or contextual. It's referencing how,
because of our sin... God is separated from sin; God can't be where sin is, and so He took our sin upon us, and by doing that, He took God's "smiting,"
God's "punishing,"... That's not the right word, but a negativity, if you will, toward sin on us so that we wouldn't have to have the consequences for that, or so that we could have freedom through His salvation for us. (Liza) Absolutely, and what I'm hearing from you, Jason, is that it was the sin that He was smiting, not the individual, the person, right? (Derek) I think the most painful, to use that word "smitten," is the fact that that sin separates Him from the Father. Because God so loved the world, so He surely loved His Son who came in humanity. But that sin, which had caused
such a chasm, the Messiah takes all of that. And that's where this cry, "My God, My God! Why have You forsaken Me?!" is the cry of a heart because the sin is causing this barrier. That's so different from the idea that God is beating Him. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. But the sin causes separation, and the fact that Jesus was willing to bear that separation, having been one with the Father
from eternity, is an incredible manifestation
of His love. (Liza) Absolutely. Travis? (Travis) I just remember the verse, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." So, it wasn't God the Father
killing His Son, but Jesus became sin. He became the thing that God hates, and as Pastor Derek said, was separated. So, it was the smiting of sin, I think, that we're seeing in this verse, not God killing His Son because that's not the picture
of God of love. (Liza) Yes, absolutely. (Derek) And I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Travis, when you say He became sin. He became the Sin-Bearer; He became the Sin-Bearer. And, you know, that... You just want to take off your shoes. (Liza) Absolutely. Aicha, do you mind finishing off this chapter? (Aicha) Isaiah 53, verses 10 to 12: (Liza) Wow, what a climatic end, isn't it? We've gone through a deep valley of suffering and shame, and we see a happy ending, it seems, which is the Kingdom of God that is granted to Him. Why is this report hard to believe? I mean, we've been talking about things that are hard to picture, hard to visualize, hard to expect. Why is all this hard for us or for someone to grasp? Nancy, what do you think? (Nancy) We've mentioned it, but, you know, it's difficult for us to accept that a Conqueror and a King would be suffering. We expect Him to be forceful and in charge and having people do His bidding. But He rules through the heart,
through love. I wanted to go back to Psalm 22,
if you would. It has so many references to the Messiah, and just as the prophet Isaiah was inspired by God, David was inspired to write these things. And Pastor Derek had said earlier, "My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?" That's Psalm 22, verse 1, but I wanted to go down to verses 16 through 18. This is Psalm 22, verses 16 through 18;
it says: And this is exactly what happened to Jesus. David was prophetically shown what was going to happen, and I believe that Jesus must have memorized a lot of this, and I'm sure it helped Him as He was going through this because it's like a script, what was said and what happened. And, yes, He rules through love. He gave all for us. (Liza) Thank you so much for sharing that prophecy as well. And we've talked a lot about what the suffering Messiah
would go through, what this Individual would have to endure. Some people have a hard time with that, and I think that's the point that we want to address right now. Some people have a hard time with God the Father being so, It seems merciless, you know,
cruel and vindictive. So, we really have to answer the question of who is God? What is the nature of God? What is His heart? Because there are some people who may have misunderstandings about it. So, let's go to one of my favorite verses, and it may be one of your favorites, which is John 3:16, and, Travis, do you mind reading that for us? What made God do what He did? What compelled God to allow the Messiah to endure all these hardships
and sufferings? So, if you have it, please read
for us John 3:16. (Travis) I'll be reading from the New King James Version: (Liza) Yes, so thank you so much. So, love is what compelled Him. It wasn't out of hatred or anger but love for us, for me and you,
for all of us. Isn't that such great news? (Derek, Team) Amen. (Liza) Alright, let's go to Romans, chapter 5, verse 8, and, Jason, do you mind reading that for us, Romans, chapter 5, verse 8. We're still answering the question of the nature of God; why did God allow this to happen? (Jason) I've got the New King James
Version here, Romans, chapter 5, verse 8: (Liza) Wow, I don't know about you, but that's good news to me because I know that I've not been perfect. I know that I haven't had a perfect life. And to know that the Messiah was sent for me, in my sinfulness, that is such great news! Maybe I'm the only one
who is rejoicing, but I know that this is such great news, especially if you've done wrong or made mistakes along the way. We have one more, 1 John 3:1. 1 John 3:1, we want to understand the nature of God, the heart of God, so that we don't have misunderstandings
about the Messiah. Simiso, would you read that for us? (Simiso) Sure, 1 John 3? (Liza) One. (Simiso) Verse 1, reading from the New King James Version, it says: (Liza) Yes, so, once again, God's love was so great that He was willing to allow these things to happen so that He could be reconnected with us, so that we could experience His love. And the road to love can be painful; it can be shameful at times. But God thought it was worth it. God thinks you're worth it. God thinks I'm worth it. And not because we're perfect but because of all the things we're not. What love is that? I mean, I don't know about you, but I've not heard of a love like that. That is God's heart for us. And so there's hope, even in the sufferings and the misgivings, there is still hope. So, let's go to Isaiah, chapter 52, verse 13. What is the hope we have as we hear these prophecies? And sometimes hard to understand,
hard to accept, what is the message of hope? Nancy, could you read Isaiah 52, verse 13? (Nancy) Yes, and it reads: (Liza) Yes, so, even though the Messiah went through all this sadness,
all this shame, what was the end? (Travis) He would be exalted... (Liza) He would be exalted upon high. And what happens to us when we go through rough times and rough patches? Is it the end of our lives?
Absolutely not! God still has a purpose for us, so I believe this is a word for someone, someone who is going through some hard times, someone who is going through some chastening time, someone who is going through some shameful times, and you're thinking, "Well, I guess that's it." It's not it; God still can work a good work in you, and He can bring about a happy ending. And I want us to believe in that. I want us to claim that. (Derek) I want to just reemphasize what Isaiah has shown, that He will be exalted, this Messiah, "extolled and be very high." Paul says He's given a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, <i>every</i> knee shall bow, and <i>every</i> tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. So, I think this is more than just, He's given a high position. He is given the highest position. At His name, every knee bows. And again, I really appreciate
what Travis said. This is not the power of military might. This is the power of self-sacrificing love that ultimately wins the hearts. Would that mean that even those who rebelled, who are lost, will ultimately bow their knee? They will ultimately see that the devil's lies were a total distortion of the character of God, that God is love. (Liza) Yes, thank you so much, Pastor Derek. And what an amazing lesson
we're going through. Let's go to the book of Genesis. Aicha, could you read for us Genesis, chapter 22, verses 1 to 14? And, I know we've spent a lot of time in Isaiah, and we've gone all the way to the New Testament, but the Messiah was prophesied way before the prophet Isaiah. And, in fact, this is one of the first indicators we see, who the Messiah would be, what His role would be, and ultimately His name, The-Lord-Will-Provide. So, Aicha, are you ready? (Aicha) Yes, I will be reading from the New International Version: (Liza) Thank you so much, Aicha. What a powerful story. I saw you getting a little emotional,
Pastor Derek. What is your reaction to this story? (Derek) Well, as a father, you know, I just imagined when Isaac turned to his father Abraham and said, "Well, here's the wood and the fire, where is the lamb?" And this incredible statement of faith, "The Lord will provide." And that, of course, was a prophecy, too, right? The Bible is full of prophecies. And he said that by the Holy Spirit, "The Lord will provide." I also noticed where it says he said to his servants, "We're going to go, and <i>we'll</i> come back." And to me that was also a statement of faith, that he knew that somehow God was going to care for his son
(a beautiful promise). (Liza) Wow, I mean, how many of us need to claim that today? How many of us need to say, "No matter my situation, I know the Lord will..."? (Liza, Team) Provide. (Liza) Whatever it is, it could be financial difficulties. It may be a test that you have in school that you can't pass. It may be problems in your marriage or with your children. But how many of us need to say, "The Lord will provide"? I don't know how it's going to happen. I don't know how I'm going to overcome it, but what do I know? (Liza, Team) The Lord will provide. (Liza) Amen. Let's go to Isaiah, chapter 53, verse 7, because it describes the Messiah as a lamb sent to slaughter. Travis, do you want to read that for us, Isaiah 53, verse 7? (Travis) And I'll be reading from the New King James Version: (Liza) Wow, what do you think about that, Travis? (Travis) Well, first off, I think that it was the treasure that was in the mind of Jesus that kept Him going. You, Liza, myself, Pastor Derek, and the viewers watching, were on the mind of Jesus, and He kept thinking of that, "That's the prize I get." And, I think, instead of crying out and rebuking and doing these things, He's thinking, "I'm thinking of my prize. I'm thinking of the people I redeemed." And I often think about the thief
on the cross, the first one to respond to Jesus when he says, "Remember me." And I can imagine the tears rolling down the face of Jesus when He's hanging on the cross, "Yes! It was worth it." He didn't rebuke anyone; He just went forward to do His duty, and that was to save us. (Liza) Thank you so much, Travis,
so powerful. Let's go to the book of John, John, chapter 1, verse 29. Nancy, would you read that for us? Then, Simiso, would you read John 1:36, and then, Jason, John 1:30-34. We'll go through these pretty quickly, but here we're going to look at John the Baptist who is regarded as one of the last pre-Messianic prophets. So, before the Messiah came, he was the last one to really speak and proclaim and prophesy and even testify about the Messiah. (Derek) And, actually, Messiah
was already here, but they didn't know it yet, did they? Because He hadn't come to be baptized. (Liza) Absolutely, so let's hear
from his words what he had to say about the Messiah. So, Nancy read John, chapter 1, verse 29. (Nancy) Okay, reading from the New King James Version: (Liza) Wow, thank you so much. Simiso, would you read for us John 1:36? (Simiso) Verse 36 from the New King James Version says: (Liza) Wow, Jason, read for us John, chapter 1, verses 30 to 34. (Jason) I've got the New King James
Version, John, chapter 1, verses 30 through 34: (Liza) Wow, it doesn't get clearer
than that, right? The prophet is not just prophesying, but he's saying, "Look! There He is! You can't get it wrong; this is the Person that Isaiah's been talking about, this is the Person that Abraham prophesied about in Genesis, and now here I am saying, 'This is the Guy. This is Him. This is the Lamb of God.'" Travis? (Travis) I can't help but think - when he says, "Behold the Lamb of God," he hadn't seen the Spirit
fall on Him yet - and I can't help but think that the Holy Spirit revealed to him the story of Abraham because he knew the Torah, and when he made the promise, "The Lord will provide
Himself a sacrifice," and I can't help but think that the Holy Spirit must have impressed that on his mind, and John the Baptist said, "That's Him! That's the sacrfice. That's the Substitute that God
told Abraham about." (Liza) Absolutely, and what I'm hearing from all of us is that no matter how much we study, no matter how much education we have, unless the Holy Spirit points and directs the truth, there's no way to know. I mean, think about all
the religious leaders. They were all wrong; they were looking for someone else. So, it's the Holy Spirit testifying and saying, "This is the Person. Take a good look at Him. This is the One that has been prophesied." Peter also had a testimony. In fact, Simiso, would you read for us 1 Peter, chapter 2, verses 21 to 25? He also has a testimony about what he experienced about Jesus and also connecting all these prophecies and what the Holy Spirit revealed to him. First Peter, chapter 2, verses 21 to 25. (Simiso) Verses 21 to 25, 1 Peter, chapter 2, 1 Peter, chapter 2, verses 21 to 25, reading from the New King James Version; it says: (Liza) Amen. Thank you so much, Simiso. This has been such a rich study. I don't know about you, but we have gone through, really deeply, the prophecies of Isaiah. We went to the Old Testament and looked at Genesis, and now in the New Testament, what the apostles were writing about. And I wanted us to do it this way because I wanted to show us that when we look at prophecies, we need to have a complete understanding, not just taking out one verse and creating an entire picture, but to weave these verses together, compare Scripture by Scripture, Old and New Testaments, because here we get a much broader and much more detailed account of God. And now we're coming to an end. We're finally coming to an end, and we're going to go to the last book, Revelation. And this really is a summation or a conclusion of what we have seen and heard and prophesied and testified and witnessed to. These are the last words, actually, that are spoken about this great Messiah. This is Revelation, chapter 5,
verses 8 to 13. Aicha, if you could read that for us. (Aicha) Yes, and I will be reading from the New International Version: (Liza) Thank you so much. Amen. Even the angels are testifying! Even the angelic hosts are echoing what Isaiah spoke about, what Abraham prophesied, what the apostles were speaking about. There seems to be harmony, isn't there, Pastor Derek, with all the Scriptures about the Messiah. So, now, I'm wondering, what is your response as you reflect on the price for your salvation, what the Messiah went through
for you personally? How would you respond to that? And we'll go around, and each person can share, but what is your response just to hear all this great news and maybe troubling news and maybe confusing news? Travis, do you mind starting us off? How would you respond to this? (Travis) Well, usually I am responding with tears when I think about this because the value that Jesus has placed, or God has placed, on every human being, it just amazes me to no end. I think of Matthew 13:44, the treasure in the field, where the man who finds the treasure goes and sells everything, for the joy over it, sells everything, so that he can purchase that field. And the thing is, He knew we were broken when He did it. He could have said, "I just want the perfect people," but God bought us even when we were broken. And the fact that He did that, and the exchange that has taken place, we'll never ever be able to understand the depth, and the breadth and the width of that love. We'll never be able to understand it;
it's amazing. (Liza) Wow, thank you, Travis. Nancy, what are you feeling? (Nancy) Overwhelmed by the love of God. He gave up everything so that by chance we should seek Him, we would have salvation,
so eternally grateful. (Derek) Amen. (Liza) Amen. And I just want to encourage all of you, if you haven't, to receive the Messiah into your life, to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. And if you have done that, to daily walk with Him. (Derek) Amen. Thank you so much, Liza. And I thought you were going to talk to all of our Hope Sabbath School viewers, but I'll do it and just say you've got an amazing choice because of what Messiah
accomplished for you. You have the choice to live eternally with Him, to accept the gift of His grace, forgiveness for your sins, rest for your soul. But you have that choice to make. You say, "Why wouldn't anyone want that?" And the answer is we've been confused by the devil's lies. My prayer is that today you have heard a clear word of truth. And you're saying, "Derek, I've been a follower of Jesus for years." Well, then I want you to think about someone you know or love who has not yet heard that truth, has not yet accepted the truth that God loves her, that God loves him with an immeasurable and unfailing love. And I want to challenge you to begin to pray, "Holy Spirit, show me how I can reach out to that loved one, to that neighbor or friend, so I can share with her, share with him, how precious they are to God." Jesus went through all that He did, He suffered and died so that we could have an eternal life with God;
accept that today. Let's pray; Father in Heaven, our hearts are moved at the suffering Messiah, but we know it was not only the Son of God who gave; it was the Father and the Holy Spirit. All of Heaven gave so that we could be reunited with God. I thank You that we can choose today that salvation. In Jesus' name. Amen. (Team) Amen. (Derek) Well, thanks for joining us for Hope Sabbath School. You say, "Derek, I've been redeemed." Praise God, but don't keep that to yourself. There's someone you need to share that with. Go out and be a blessing to those around you. ♪ theme music ♪
