Christ's Three Offices, Which We Must Enjoy (Isaiah 49:8-13)
Rev. Myung-Sin Choi
“8 Thus says the Lord: 'In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' "They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. 10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them. 11 I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated. 12 Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.' 13 Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.”
Introduction
I heard a story about deep breathing. There was an elderly man who lived in the forest and no one knew how old he was. Some people all guessed his age, and some said that he was 100 and others said that he was 150 years old. Whenever people tried to meet him, he barely greeted them. But in that village, there was someone who became ill and he held the highest position in the village. His servants went to the elderly man in the forest and told him that their master was sick. The elderly man agreed and went to go visit the sick man. The elderly man hung something on the sick man’s ears and had it connected to his face. And, then the elderly man put bird’s feathers on the sick man’s nose. The elderly man told the sick man to breath so that the feathers don’t move. Maybe because the sick man did deep breathing, the sick man was healed in 1 month. I put a string on my ears and a tissue on my nose, and did deep breathing. It was so hard for me and I couldn’t do it. I felt from this that my breathing and deep breathing was incorrect. You need to know everything correctly and accurately, and I realized that I didn’t have a correct understanding of deep breathing. This message’s main Biblical passage is about this. It is about the Israelites who were freed from Babylon’s captivity. When you look at this passage carefully, it is not about that at all but it is about the three offices of Jesus Christ and the mankind’s delivery from their sins. Last week we spoke about the three offices of Jesus Christ and the life of Jesus. Today’s passage speaks precisely about the three offices of Christ through prophet, Isaiah.
1. Christ Who Will Bring it to Fulfillment
1) The office of the priest
Verse 8 - Acceptable time is not talking about the time frame when Israel will be freed from Babylon but the time when God will pour down His grace through Christ. God poured down His greatest grace upon us when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross and to save mankind. God forgave the sins of Israel through their liberation from Babylon, that is evident here but it is about mankind who were forgiven from sins through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. During that acceptable time, God said that He heard us. The tense is perfect past. This means that this has absolutely happened. This speaks about God’s will to deliver us from sin and death. God will answer us through Jesus Christ. This was possible when Jesus Christ died on the cross and fulfilled the role of the True Priest. It speaks about how God has helped us. This is also in perfect tense. This means that God has allowed Jesus to die and resurrected Him. God delivered Jesus Himself. When Jesus Christ died and resurrected, this means that Jesus completely solved the problems of mankind.
Ephesians 2:1 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” - Through the cross of Jesus, He forgave all of our sins completely. Then, you may ask if our sins are completely forgiven, then why do we keep sinning in this world? What is absolute is that all sins have been completely finished and solved then what sin are we keep sinning? Even if we have been saved and forgiven of our sins, we still possess the nature of sin. We still possess the polluted sin in us.
That is why Jesus speaks precisely about this in John 13:10 “Jesus said to him, 'He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.' ” - We have been cleaned through the salvation that Jesus has given us. We have been forgiven of our sins and completely been cleansed. We have been forgiven but Jesus said that we still need to clean our feet. That was why Jesus washed Peter’s feet. This means that those who are saved, you can still sin due to our polluted nature of sinfulness. To lay your feet before Jesus means to repent. This is the blessing given to those who are children of God. Our feet are filthy and dirty, if we go before Jesus then we can be forgiven. This Bible verse also speaks about Judas Iscariot. Not all disciples were saved. There was who denied Jesus as the Christ. He was considered not bathed.
Verse.8 - If we become children of God, if we go before Jesus, He promised to wash our feet and will guide us eternally. Until when?
Hebrews 7:24 “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.” - Jesus is the eternal Priest so in the throne of heaven next to God, He continues to wash our feet.
2) The office of the king
Verse 9 - This is fascinating. This speaks about Jesus role as the True King. Who are the prisoners? It may seem like it is talking about the Israelites who were captives to Babylon but these prisoners is speaking about those who are prisoners of Satan. God said for us to go forth. Those who are living as captives of Satan to go forth. Jesus finished everything on the cross so we are freed; that is why God tells us to go forth. Satan pretended to be the ruler of the world but Jesus has liberated us from Satan so we are liberated and freed. He has declared us free. That is why Jesus is proclaiming that is the True King of all kings.
Ephesians 2:2 "In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience."- It speaks about this accurately. People of this world are bound by the prince of the power fo the air. There are spirits in this world who work upon those who are in the midst of unbelief. God is telling us to come out of this because we have been delivered. Do you believe in this? Believe in this.
Who are those in darkness? Those who are spiritually afflicted and suffering. There are people who always want to live in darkness and close their doors and curtains. Those who are afflicted live like that. God tells us to show yourselves and God has resolved everything. Show yourself but we can’t do that. Even believers are being deceived. Hold onto this message. Think that you are a child of God so everything is over for you. You don’t have to live deceived anymore. Open the doors and shows yourselves to God. Then, what happens?
Those who have been delivered, all doors have been opened to you and all blessings have been given to you. Before you had many concerns and worries but if we go before God, then we can enjoy all blessings. Why is that? The King who changed you is your True King and is inside of you. Everything has been finished. Be victorious. Hold onto this.
2. Christ Who Will Answer
1) The office of the prophet
Verse 10 - This speaks about Jesus who is the True Prophet. Those who accept Christ, you will never grow thirsty or hungry. The Israelites who put the young lamb’s blood on the door post, they were freed from Egypt. And they never grew hungry or thirsty in the wilderness. God will protect His children until the end. The Israelites were protected with the pillars of cloud and fire. It is so hot these days that I realize that we need shades. If the Israelites didn’t have any pillars of cloud, I am sure they would have died from heat stroke. That was when I realized that God protected His children, the Israelites. This is how God protects us. Don’t worry at all.
Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” - Hold onto this.
Until the end, God will protect and guide us. Why is that? This is because He is our eternal Prophet.
John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” - If we are connected with Jesus our Lord then we will always be overflowing with living water. I pray that we can enjoy this blessing.
2) The answer of the three offices which are fulfilled
Verses 11-13 - On the cross, after Jesus became victorious, what happened afterwards? These verses spoke about that. All nations were able to return back to Jesus.
Verse 13 - When God saw all of those afflicted and His people returned back to Him, all glory and praise was given to God. We see repeatedly in the Bible but when a child of God returns back to God, all creations give glory and praise to God. When we are able to return back to God, even all creations in heavens is rejoicing and giving praise to God. Imagine how happy and pleased God would be. The reason is the Lord has comforted His people and has mercy on the afflicted. When God sees His people return back to Him, He is comforted by this and is rejoicing. This is because we are being freed from sin and the fate of hell. When we help a nonbeliever return back to God, then we have to realize that all creations of heaven and earth will rejoice. Then, how must we enjoy Christ?
3. Christ Whom We Must Enjoy
1) Hold onto the accurate covenant
We must enjoy 25 and the bartizan. During the World Remnant Conference (WRC) messages, we were able to receive messages about the bartizan. I will organize them very simply for you.
The first thing we must hold onto is that through worship, we must hold onto the accurate covenant.
The Remnant Covenant (Isa. 6:13 “But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”) - The covenant that we must hold onto is that we are the remnant and the remaining ones. As the remnant, we must hold onto the accurate covenant. As I spoke about the introduction, if we don’t know the correct method then we will keep go down the wrong path. If we hold onto the correct covenant, then you will receive blessings.
The proclamation of the future (Isa. 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever.”) - The future must be proclaimed through worship. When you hold onto the covenant, then the covenant will be manifested for the rest of your life. When you just hold onto the covenant, then you will receive God’s endless grace and answers through that.
The mission of the watchmen (Isa. 62:10 “Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples!”) - We need to hold onto the mission of the watchman. We need to hold onto the covenant that makes all creations rejoice. What must be our prayer topic? It is to save 5,000 tribes and 237 nations. This is the prayer topic that gives glory to God.
2) The unique path
Summit at the place (the field) (Genesis 39:3 “When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did.”) - The 25 answer starts from the summit. What is the spiritual summit? We must become the summit in your field. When did Joseph become the summit? When he was in the field of slavery and was able to experience God being with him. He was able to testify that God was with him. Whatever seat that you are in, if you are in the seat where God is with you, then you are at the summit. When people look at him and confess that God is with you and you have prosperity come out of you, then you have succeeded.
Summit while serving other (Genesis 39:6 “Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.”) - Be the summit as you serve others. This is also speaking about Joseph. Whenever Joseph was running errands, he was already in the place of the summit. He was serving others and devote himself to this but he was the one who was the spiritual summit. He wasn’t becoming the spiritual summit when he became governor but he became the spiritual summit when we was serving others.
To the summit through your career (Genesis 45:8 “So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”) - Make your career and studies into the summit. The work that Joseph was doing, it was already of the summit. Then, how did God work through Joseph? God made Joseph the father of Potiphar and made him the Lord over his entire house. He also became the ruler over the entire land of Egypt. This is what you call a true summit. He became the father of Potiphar, who was seen as the most powerful man at that time. May this blessing come upon you. God has already given you a talent that no one else has. Enjoy this and experience this in your field. This becomes revealed in your field as you serve others.
Conclusion
We must establish the absolute bartizan. We must be ahead of the times. The age of the universe is coming and the age of meta-verse is coming. We will live in the world that we never imagined before. The 3 organizations is going ahead of time already. Then how can we go ahead of them? Ephesians 2:2 "In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience."- The method is seen here. “In which…”, this is talking about the time when we became saved. How did we become saved? When we receive the Holy Spirit and Christ, we have been saved. The method where we were broken free from Satan and that was written in Acts 1:1, 3, 8. Find all the answers here. There is no method above the gospel. There is no other method. Jesus finished everything on the cross so there is no one who could do what He did on the cross or over-do what He did for us. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” - Through the gospel, we must save those who are in the midst of darkness. If we possess the gospel then we can save anyone. No matter what methods 3 organizations use, we can save them and solve all problems with the power of the gospel. No illness and sickness can exceed the power of Christ. We must deliver those people. John 2:15-16 “When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!' ” - Jesus was so angry here and we can see that He showed an amount of anger that was seen no where else. This was because the Israelites abandoned the courtyard for the Gentiles, the children, and people of prayer. Then, what does this show about Jesus’ greatest concerns? His concerns are the Gentiles, children (remnants), and people of prayer. Be victorious. I pray that all blessings will come upon you and last a lifetime.
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