Who Is This?
A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 13, 1887,
BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Behold, the Lord has proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say you to
the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes; behold, His reward
is with Him and His work before Him. And they shall call them, The Holy
People, The Redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called, Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken. Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed
garments from Bozrah? This One who is glorious in His apparel,
traveling in the greatness of His strength? I who speak in
righteousness, mighty to save." Isaiah 62:11,12; 63:1.
ISRAEL was often in great trouble, frequently oppressed by neighboring
nations. It would not have been so if they had been faithful to
Jehovah. But as a chastisement for their idolatry, they were given over
into the hands of adversaries. One nation, near akin to them, was very
jealous of them. The Edomites, the seed of Esau, were always watching
against Israel and whenever the nation fell on evil times and powerful
kingdoms invaded them, Edom was always in alliance with the enemy,
ready to profit by Israel's sorrows. Hence Edom was the typical
adversary of Israel and is, in that manner, mentioned here with Bozrah,
its capital city.
The Lord God of Israel often interposed to rescue His people. I need
not go over the history, but any one of these appearances for the
overthrow of Israel's enemies may be represented in the language now
before us in the commencement of the 63rd Chapter. God coming forth in
the glory of His strength overthrows Israel's enemies and is seen in
vision returning from their slaughter. I take the text as a
representation of those marvelous victories which the Lord worked for
His chosen people when He put forth His power on their behalf. The
first verse represents the astonishment of the Prophet and of the
people, as they beheld the Lord glorious in power, when He had
vindicated the cause of His oppressed people and had crushed the power
of their adversaries.
As in God's immediate dealings with men we usually see the Son of God
most manifest, this passage may fitly represent the glorious appearings
of our Lord Jesus Christ whenever He has come forth to vindicate the
cause of His people and to overthrow their enemies. This vision will be
astoundingly fulfilled in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The 14th and 19th Chapters of the Book of Revelation give us parallel
passages to this. What astonishment there will be among the sons of men
when He shall appear in His vesture dipped in blood, smiting the
nations with His iron rod–yes, dashing them in pieces as potters'
vessels! In those last tremendous times, when the day of vengeance
shall have arrived, then shall the winepress be trod outside the city,
even the great winepress of the wrath of God. No tongue can fully tell
the terrors of that day when our Lord shall say, "Ah, I will ease
Myself of My adversaries." While He shall give victory to the cause of
peace, purity, truth, righteousness–and shall save all those who
believe in Him, He shall bruise Satan under His feet, and crush the
powers of darkness. Then shall these words of the Prophet be more fully
understood–"Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from
Bozrah? This One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the
greatness of His strength?"
The commentators and expositors almost universally deny that this text
may be used as referring to our Lord's passion. They tell us that to do
so would be to wrest the Scripture from its obvious meaning and, at any
rate, at the best, it would be a mere accommodation of the passage.
Now, I take up the gage of battle and deny the assertion! The Church,
by a holy instinct, has referred the passage to our Lord's First, as
well as His Second Coming, and she has not been in error. The very
first reference of this text is to the Lord's passion in its spiritual
aspect as a battle against the enemies of our souls. I grant you that
the text does not speak of our Lord as trampled upon and crushed in the
winepress blood which stains His garments is not said to be His own
blood, but that of His foes. Such a representation might have been
expected had it been the Prophet's design to describe the sufferings of
our Lord. He does not describe the sufferings, themselves, but he does
most clearly depict their grand result. If we take a deeply spiritual
sight of our Lord's passion, such as a Prophet would be likely to have
before him in vision, we see upon His garments, as the result of His
sufferings, not so much His own blood as the blood of the enemies whom
in death He overthrew.
The passage is poetical. The battle is a spiritual one. The conflict is
with sin and with the powers of darkness. And the Conqueror returns
from the fight having utterly destroyed His foes, of which His
blood-dyed garments are the surest evidence. Our Lord's passion was the
battle of all battles, upon which the whole campaign of His life
turned–and had He not then and there vanquished all our adversaries
and had He not at the Resurrection come back as One who had trampled
down all His foes–then there had been no glorious appearing in the
latter days! That first combat is the cause of the ultimate triumph! I
look upon this 63rd Chapter of Isaiah as the prophetic statement of the
event described by Paul in Colossians 2:15–"And having spoiled
principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing
over them in it." On the Resurrection morning it would have been
poetically correct to have used the language of our text. Unseen
spirits, viewing our Lord after a spiritual manner, might have
exclaimed as they beheld the risen Savior–
"Who is this that comes from Edom, All His raiment stained with blood?
To the slave proclaiming freedom; Bringing and bestowing good? Glorious
in the garb He wears, Glorious in the spoils He bears?"
I mean so to use the passage, this morning, with a consciousness that I
am not accommodating it, nor taking it from its natural sense at all,
but rather placing it in the light of its first great fulfillment. I
have not concealed from you its relation to the Second Advent, when the
Lord Jesus shall appear in victory, "clothed with a vesture dipped in
blood." But, at the same time, this is a picture of salvation rather
than destruction, and its Hero appears as "mighty to save," in
fulfillment of a Divine proclamation, "Behold, your salvation comes."
The scene before us describes an interposition of the Messiah–the
return of the Divinely appointed Champion from the defeat of His
enemies. It is evidently a picture of salvation rather than of
damnation, as the main feature in it is that He is mighty to save. The
great and chief element of the whole thing is that the year of His
redeemed is come and that the Warrior's own arm has brought salvation
to His people! Therefore I cannot, for a moment, question that this
text is applicable to the first coming of Christ. Then He did battle
with the hosts of sin and death and Hell–and so vanquished them that
in His Resurrection He returned with the keys of death and of Hell at
His belt! Then was He seen as "mighty to save." Now lend me your hearts
as well as your ears while I proceed to the great subject before
us–and may the Holy Spirit grant us His gracious aid!
I. First, in my text there is A PROCLAMATION–"Behold, the Lord has
proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say you to the daughter of Zion,
Behold, your salvation comes; behold, His reward is with Him, and His
work before Him. And they shall call them, The Holy People, The
Redeemed of the Lord: and you shall be called, Sought Out, A City Not
Forsaken." The commentators as a whole can see no connection between
the 63rd Chapter and the preceding part of the Book of Isaiah, but
surely that connection is plain enough to the common reader! In these
verses the coming of the Savior is proclaimed and in the next chapter
that coming is seen in vision–and the evangelical Prophet beholds the
Savior so vividly that He is startled and enquires, "Who is this?"
Let us consider this proclamation broadly, for we have no time to dwell
upon its details. I desire to apply its spiritual lessons as I go on,
aiming chiefly at the comfort of those who are in soul trouble. Are any
of you oppressed with a sense of sin? Do you see sin to be an enemy too
powerful for you to overcome? Are you unable to escape out of the hand
of the enemy? Here is a proclamation! God the Ever-Gracious One,
demands your attention while, as a King, He proclaims His word of mercy
to the daughter of Zion–"Behold, your salvation comes!"
This great announcement tells you that there is a salvation from
outside. Within your heart there is nothing that can save you–all
within you is carnal, sold under sin. Out of bondage only bondage can
arise. The proclamation is, "Behold, your salvation comes!" It comes to
you from a source beyond yourself. It does not arise from within you,
for it could not do so. Salvation comes from God, Himself! What a
blessing, that when there was no salvation in you, nor the possibility
of its coming from within, it came from above! Salvation comes not from
man's will, or merit, or efforts!
"Salvation is of the Lord." "It is not of him that wills, nor of him
that runs, but of God that shows mercy." O Soul, if the Lord God comes
to save you, Edom and Bozrah, sin and Hell will soon be broken in
pieces! The power of your sins and the tyranny of your sinful habits;
the cords of your companionships; the bondage of Satan himself must
speedily yield when salvation comes from the Eternal Throne and the
Mighty One of Israel hastens to the rescue!
It is a salvation which comes through a Person. "Your salvation
comes–behold, His reward is with Him and His work before Him." The
great salvation which we have to proclaim is salvation by Jesus Christ,
the Son of God! Jesus of Nazareth, who died on the Cross, is also the
Son of the Highest. God has set Him forth to be the Propitiation for
sin, to be the Deliverer of mankind from the bondage of evil. Behold
Him, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Behold Him,
the Beloved of the Father! Power to save unto the uttermost is laid
upon Him. He is a Savior and a great one. Remember this and do not look
to rites and ceremonies, or to creeds and doctrines, but to the Person
of Jesus, who is God and Man. Simeon said, when he beheld our Lord as a
Babe, "My eyes have seen Your salvation"–truly we may say the same
with emphasis when we see Him in His Resurrection!
This salvation leads to holiness, for the text says of those who
receive the Savior, "They shall call them, The Holy People." If, dear
Friend, you are to be saved, you are also to be sanctified. Indeed,
that sanctification is the essence of salvation! This will give you
great joy, I know, for no man really desires salvation–rightly
understanding what he desires, without meaning by it that he may be
saved from the power of sin and may no longer be in servitude to his
own lusts–or to the wicked customs of the world. Sinners, rejoice! The
great Jehovah proclaims to you a salvation which shall so purify you
that you shall be saved from your sins and shall be called, "The Holy
People." Is not that the best news you have ever heard?
Further, it is salvation by redemption, for it is written that they
shall be called, "The Redeemed of the Lord." In the sacred Scriptures
there is no salvation for men except by redemption. You have enslaved
yourselves and your heritage is under bond and, therefore, you and it
must be ransomed. Behold, your Redeemer pays your ransom! His own
heart's blood, Messiah pours forth, that men who have been enslaved may
be set free! Redemption by Substitution is the Gospel! Christ stands in
your place, a sufferer because of your sins–you are set in Christ's
place–rewarded because of His righteousness, accepted because of His
acceptableness with God! This is a sure and satisfactory salvation–a
salvation which satisfies the conscience of man as well as the justice
of God. This salvation is to you without money and without price, but
it cost the Redeemer nothing less than Himself! Behold in Him the
ransom paid in full, so that He bids you go free! He says, "Fear not,
for I have redeemed you." Tell it out among the heathen, tell it out
among the fallen, that there is salvation, salvation by a great
redemption, full and free! All that lost ones have to do is joyfully
accept the purchased freedom and go forth in joy and peace!
This salvation is complete. "You shall be called, Sought Out, A City
Not Forsaken." See the beginning of it–"You shall be called, Sought
Out"? See the end of it–you shall be called, "Not Forsaken"? You will
not begin with God, but God will begin with you! You shall be sought
out and then you will seek Him. He seeks you even now. You shall be
known as one that was sought out, a sheep that wandered, a piece of
money that fell into the dust, but, behold, you are sought out till the
Savior says, "Rejoice with Me; for I have found My sheep which was
lost." This is the gracious beginning of salvation!
But suppose the Lord found you and then left you? You would perish. But
it shall not be so, for the same Lord who calls you, "Sought Out," also
calls you, "Not Forsaken." You shall never be forsaken of the Grace of
God, nor of the God of Grace! Whatever you may be, notwithstanding your
weakness and your waywardness, you shall be known in Heaven by these
two names–first, that you were, "Sought Out," and next, that you were,
"Not Forsaken." It makes my eyes sparkle with delight to think how
fully those two names describe myself! I delight to sing–
"Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God; He,
to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood." Equally true
is that other word, "Not Forsaken." Notwithstanding all my provocations
and rebellions, I believe in Him who has said, "I will never leave you,
nor forsake you." I shall not die but live because He is with me!
This salvation which we have to proclaim to you, then, is one that
comes to you who lie despairing at Hell's dark door. You shall be
sought out according to the Sovereign Grace of God. Jesus comes to you
when you are afraid to come
to Him. You fear that if you were to commence the march to Heaven, you
would faint by the way, but He who travels in the greatness of His
strength comes that you may lean on Him. You that are smitten with
faintness of heart because you know your own weakness and
changeableness–you shall be helped and sustained to the end! He that
begins the good work of Grace in the heart is no changeling–He will
carry it on and carry it out to the praise of the Glory of His Grace.
Oh, this is worth proclaiming! Oh, for a silver trumpet with which to
blow a blast that might awaken all who slumber! There is salvation!
Salvation by a glorious Person! Salvation unto holiness! Salvation by
redemption–a salvation so perfect that those who receive it shall
never be forsaken!
dear Hearer, do you not wish to have this salvation? Do you not desire
to obtain it at once? If you do, I beg you to follow me, now, while I
direct you to Him who is the Salvation of His people! While we fix our
eyes upon the glorious Person raised up and upheld by God, by whom this
salvation is brought to the sons of men, I pray that you may believe in
Him unto eternal life!
II. To introduce this Person, I now come to consider THE QUESTION–"Who
is this that comes from Edom?" The Prophet beholds in vision the
Captain of salvation, returning from battle, arrayed like the warriors
of whom we read, "the valiant men are in scarlet." He beholds the
majestic march of this mighty Conqueror and he cries, "Who is this?"
Now when a soul first hears the proclamation of God's salvation and
then sees Jesus coming to him, he asks, "Who is this?" The question, in
part, arises from anxiety, as if he asked, "Who is this that espouses
my cause? Is He able to save? Has He really conquered my enemies?" The
heart enquires, "You preach to me a Savior, but what sort of a Savior
is He? Is He able? Is He willing? Is He tender? Is He strong?" What you
are, dear Friend, is easily told, for you are lost and ru-ined–the
great question you need to consider is–Who is He that comes to save
you? And you may well, with anxiety, ask the question, because it
concerns your own personal welfare–"Is He such a Savior as will be
able to save me?"
The question arose from anxiety, but it also indicates ignorance. We do
not, any of us, know our Lord Jesus to the fullest. "Who is this?" is a
question we may still put to the sacred Oracle. Paul, after He had
known Christ 15 years, yet desired that He might know Him, for His love
passes knowledge. If this passage refers to our Savior's Resurrection,
it is a remarkable Truth that even His disciples did not know Him when
He had arisen. Launcelot Andrewes, in a famous sermon on this text,
enlarges on this point and I am content to borrow from him. Magdalene,
of all the women in the world, ought to have known Him, but she
supposed Him to be the gardener.
The two disciples that walked with Him to Emmaus were with Him long
enough to have spied Him out and yet in all that long walk they did not
know Him! Are you amazed that they did not discern their Lord? Would it
have been a marvel had they said, "Who is this? Behold Him traveling in
the greatness of His strength and yet a few hours ago we saw Him dead,
and helped to lay His lifeless body in Joseph's tomb! Who is this? We
saw Him stripped! They took His garments from Him on the Cross and now
He is 'glorious in His apparel.' Who is this? His enemies made nothing
of Him. they spat in His face, they nailed Him to the tree, but, lo,
His garments are dyed with the blood of His foes and He comes back more
than conqueror! Who is this?" I do not wonder that when the Person of
Christ first flashes on the sinner's eyes, he thinks to himself–He was
once a Babe at Bethlehem, a weary Man before His foes, scourged, spat
upon–is this the Savior? And does He come to me and proposes that I
should put my trust in Him as having overthrown all my adversaries?
"Who is this?"
As the sinner looks, and looks again, he cries, "Who is this?" in
delighted amazement. Is it, indeed, the Son of God? Does He intervene
to save me? The God whom I offended, does He stoop to fight and rout my
sins? He without whom was not anything made, Heaven's Darling and the
delight of angels, can it be He? The soul is astonished and scarcely
believes for joy. Yet, Beloved, it is even He. This same Jesus is both
Lord and God! When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and
made an open show of His vanquished foes. He nailed the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us to His Cross. He broke the head of the
serpent and destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil. How could He be less than God? It is He and none other than
He–God over all, blessed forever, who took upon Himself the form of a
Servant and was made in the likeness of men and became obedient to
death–even the death of the Cross! It is He whom God has highly
exalted and given Him a name that is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow! No wonder that the soul enquires, "Who
is this?"
1 think the question is asked, also, by way of adoration. Such a
question is elsewhere so used. Here is an instance– "Who is a God like
unto You, that pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression of the
remnant of His heritage?" So
that, as the soul begins to see Jesus, its anxiety is removed by
knowledge and is replaced by an astonishment which ripens into worship.
Adoringly the spirit cries, "Who is this?" What a Savior I have! How
could it have come about that He should die for me? What a Savior is He
in His death! What a Savior in His rising again! What a Savior in His
ascension up to Heaven! What a Savior in His enthronement! What a
Savior in His glorious Advent when He shall come to gather together His
own! Who is this? We are lost in wonder as we bow before the infinite
Majesty of the Son of God and adore Him as God, our Savior, forever and
ever.
It appears from the question that the person asking it knows from where
the Conqueror came, for it is written, "Who is this that comes from
Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?" Yes, our Redeemer has returned
from death, as said the Psalmist, "You will not leave My soul in Hell,
neither will You suffer Your Holy One to see corruption." He came again
from the land of the enemy. He died and descended into the regions of
the dead, but He loosed the bands of death, for He could not be held by
them. He went forth to fight with all the adversaries of our souls,
even with all the powers of darkness! It was a terrible battle. How
thick and fast the shafts flew at the commencement of the fight! Our
Hero soon knew the garments rolled in blood, for He became covered with
a bloody sweat. He flinched not from the horrible conflict, although
His body had become one bleeding wound. How sharp were the swords that
wounded Him when His friends proved cowards and one of them betrayed
Him!
How terrible were the blades that sheathed themselves in His body and
mind! They pierced His hands and His feet. They laid open His very
heart. His head was bleeding with the thorns and His back with the
knotted scourges, but He ceased not to grapple with the evil powers. He
said, "This is your hour," and full well He found it so. He had in the
midst of the fight to groan as well as sweat that cry forced from Him,
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" But quickly followed the
victorious shout of, "It is finished," and then and there He hurled His
tremendous adversary headlong, crushed his head and left him fallen, no
more to rise!–
"'Tis finished,' said His dying breath And shook the gates of Hell."
As on this Resurrection Day we see our Lord come back to us, we
perceive His garments sprinkled with the blood of all who fought
against us. I beseech you to lay hold of this and trust my blessed
Lord, for He has fought with all the enemies of our souls and He has
returned from the enemy's country, leading captivity captive. We may
look at Him this day right trustfully, for His fight is over and His
enemies are crushed as grapes in the winepress. We not only trust our
Lord, but we worship Him this day as King of Kings and Lord of Lords–
"Bruised is the serpent's head,
Hell is vanquished, death is dead,
And to Christ gone up on high,
Captive is captivity. Alleluia!"
Next. notice that the Prophet in vision observes the color of the
Conqueror's garments–"Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed
garments from Bozrah?" Red is not Christ's color, therefore the
question arises, "Why are You red in Your apparel?" Our Beloved's
garments are whiter than any fuller can make them. The glory of His
purity is such that we say to ourselves, "Red–why, that is the color
of Edom, the adversary! Red, that is the color of the earth of our
manhood! Red is the color of our scarlet sins." Why is He red? Brothers
and Sisters, although the text treats of the blood of His adversaries,
yet I would have you devoutly think of our Lord literally as shedding
His own blood, for His victory was thus accomplished. The text sets
forth the result of that blood-shedding in the overthrow of His enemies
and ours–but we cannot separate the effect from the cause. As a matter
of fact, when our Lord's own blood was shed, sin and death and Hell
were trod down and destroyed as grapes in the winepress.
When He was suffering, He was then smiting down His enemies. By the
shedding of His own blood He was shedding the blood of His foes! The
life of the powers of darkness was taken away by His death. When I see
Jesus coming back, literally covered with His own blood, I discern Him
spiritually as encrimsoned with the slaughter of evil and its abettors.
Glory be to His name! I shall never cease to look upon my Lord in the
red colors as in the prime of His beauty. The blood-red colors are the
colors of victory! He never looks so lovely as when He appears as "a
Lamb that has been slain." I remember how Rutherford seems to glow and
burn when, in his prose poetry, he talks of "the bonnie red man." That
crimson vest is His most royal garment! He has taken away all our
transgressions and iniquities–and covered all our scarlet sins–and we
see the blood of them in His blood.
Glory be to the bleeding Christ, I say! If there is one hallelujah
louder than any other, let it be unto Him who wears the vesture dipped
in blood! His own blood is the token and proof that the blood of all
His spiritual foes has been shed. Our warfare is accomplished and our
sin is pardoned! Behold the colors of Atonement, for they are the
ensigns of eternal victory–
"Why that blood His raiment staining? 'Tis the blood of many slain; Of
His foes there's none remaining, None the contest to maintain! Fallen
they are no more to rise; All their glory prostrate lies."
But yet the question comes from one who perceives that the Conqueror is
royally arrayed. "This that is glorious in His apparel." O dear
Hearers, the Jesus we have to preach to you is no mean Savior! He is
clothed with glory and honor because of the suffering of death. He
wears, today, a greater splendor than adorned the sons of Aaron–our
great High Priest has put on all His jewels! He also wears the majesty
of His kingship–"On His head are many crowns." He is, this day,
arrayed in light and glory. His majesty is too bright for mortal eyes
to gaze upon. When the beloved John beheld Him, he fell at His feet as
dead. He is "glorious in His apparel."
The question ends with "traveling in the greatness of His strength." He
did not come back from slaughtering our enemies feeble and wounded, but
He returned in majestic march, like a victor who would have all men
know that his force is irresistible. The earth shook beneath our Lord's
feet on the Resurrection morning, for "there was a great earthquake."
The Roman guards became as dead men at His appearing! Beloved, the Lord
Jesus Christ is no petty, puny Savior. He is traveling to meet poor
sinners, but He is traveling in the greatness of His strength. "All
power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth" He said. As He travels
through the nations, it is as a strong man against whom none can stand,
mighty to rescue every soul that puts its trust in Him.
There is the question. I leave it with you, praying that every soul
here that is oppressed by the powers of Hell may ask the question, "Who
is this that comes from Edom?"
III. Thirdly, let us consider THE ANSWER. Upon this I must be brief.
No one can answer for Jesus–He must speak for Himself. Like the sun,
He can only be seen by His own light. He is His own interpreter. Not
even the angels could explain the Savior–they get no further than
desiring to look into the things which are in Him. He Himself answers
the question, "Who is this?" His personality comes out–"I, the Lord
Jesus. It is none other than Myself who has come forth to overthrow the
adversary." The speaker was too modest to ask the mighty Savior who He
was, but that Savior was not too lofty to give Him the information
which was desired. O poor Heart! Jesus will show Himself to you if you
desire to know Him! He will come near to you when you dare not come
near to Him. In His own light you will see Him–and if you are
bewildered and befogged, but yet truly anxious–He will manifest
Himself to you in His great love and say to you, "It is I; be not
afraid."
The answer which our Lord gives is twofold. He describes Himself first
as a speaker–"I that speak in righteousness." Is He not the Word?
Every Word that Christ speaks is true–He speaks not in falsehood, but
in righteousness. The Gospel which He proclaims is a just and righteous
one, meeting both the claims of God and the demands of conscience. O
Soul, if you will listen to Jesus you shall hear that from Him which
you could never hear from any other lips! "Never man spoke like this
Man." He will speak of God's holiness and yet He will speak to your
comfort. He will reveal God's justice and yet God's love to you. Oh,
hear what the Christ has to say and believe every word of it without a
quibble, for therein lies salvation! "Hear, and your soul shall live."
Our Lord also describes Himself as a Savior–"I that speak in
righteousness, mighty to save." Now, observe that the word, "mighty,"
is joined with His saving and not with His destroying. Although He can
crush His foes as easily as a man can crush with His feet the berries
of the grape, the Prophet does not speak of Him as, "mighty to tread
down His enemies." He will prove Himself thus mighty in that day of
vengeance which is in His heart, but just now He reveals Himself in the
year of His redeemed as, "mighty to save." Rejoice in this, O my
Hearers! The Lord Jesus Christ is a Savior and He is grand in that
capacity. Nothing is beyond His power in the line of salvation! He
says, "Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out." There is no
manner of sin which He cannot forgive! There is no sort of hardness of
heart which He can-
not remove! There are no spiritual difficulties which He cannot
surmount! "His reward is with Him and His work before Him." "He shall
not fail, nor be discouraged."
Oh that He stood here this morning instead of me! I do but prattle
concerning Him and yet it is the best that I can do. If you use the
eyes of faith, my Lord, who has overcome the foes of His redeemed,
stands before you today! And if you ask who He is, He proclaims
Himself, for He would have you know Him. To know Jesus is the first,
the chief, the highest piece of human knowledge! He is your Teacher and
this is your lesson. He answers the question of the prophetic catechism
and when it is asked, "Who is this?" He replies, "I that speak in
righteousness, mighty to save." Fall at His feet and love and adore Him
this day–and then your Heaven shall begin below!
Thus have we gone through the text in a very poor and hurried way, for
I need just a few minutes to make practical use of the subject before I
send you away.
May the Holy Spirit now apply the Truth with power! Poor troubled one!
Your sins are many and they grievously oppress you. You see no hope of
escape from the justice of God, or from the power of evil within your
nature. Listen to the proclamation, as I dwell upon it again. "Behold,
your salvation comes." Jesus can save you, for He is "mighty to save"!
He can save you for He has saved others like you. He has, these many
years, kept His hands at this work. Your case will not perplex Him! He
is at home at the business of saving sinners. The chief of sinners was
saved long ago and if the chief, then you, although you may be the next
greatest, can be saved! Jesus has never been put to a nonplus yet. He
that conquered Edom and Bozrah; He that led captivity captive and
vanquished all the hosts of Hell shall never be defeated! Do not tell
me that His arm is shortened, that He cannot save. He can save you, you
who now desire to be made holy. You with the hard heart, who desire to
have it softened, He can do the mighty deed! He can raise the
spiritually dead and even restore those who have become corrupt. He can
do it, though nobody else can.
He can overthrow all your enemies. Satan has you now in his grasp and
you are not able to war with him. One evil passion or another binds
you. You seem watched like Peter in prison and bound even as he was,
but He who loosed Peter can release you. Jesus can say to the
prisoners, "Go forth," and forth they shall go! There is no temptation,
no sin, no infernal influence from which He cannot rescue His chosen.
He is so mighty to save that He can deliver every soul that trusts in
Him, however great its extremity. Leave your enemies to Jesus! They
baffle you, but He can rout them. His garment is already dyed with
their blood, therefore be not afraid!
He can do this alone. If you trust Jesus and none but Jesus, you have
an all-sufficient salvation. "I have trodden the winepress alone, and
of the people there was none with Me." "I looked, and there was none to
help; I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore My own arm
brought salvation unto me." Poor Sinner! Hang on to Jesus and His one
salvation! If you have no other sort of hope. If you can see no good
thing in yourself. If your prayers die on your lips. If you cannot
weep, if you cannot feel, if you have not even so much as a jot of
anything that is commendable about you–still cling to Jesus–only to
Jesus! The great battle of salvation He fought single-handed and He can
save you single-handed. He is exalted to be a Prince and a Savior and
He will not stain His princedom by failing in salvation! I fear I have
never done more in my own salvation than hinder rather than help my
Lord, and yet I know that though I believe not, He abides faithful. He
will stand to His office even though I fail in my pledges! When He
saves, He does truly save. He is master of the business! He put Himself
apprentice to it when He was here below and set to work to heal all
manner of sickness–and He never failed even then! But now that He has
gone through death and Hell for us–and made Himself perfect through
suffering–He is a master workman and He can save in the teeth of all
opposition. Do but trust Him and you shall find it so!
Let me add to this, dear troubled Friend, that He is able to save you
now. Do you notice that verse, "The day of vengeance is in My heart and
the year of My redeemed is come"? I leaped with joy at those words as I
studied them. Yes, I thought, I will tell these sinners that the day of
vengeance is in God's heart and I will warn them that if they do not
turn to Him He will destroy them. Ah, but that vengeance is as yet in
His heart, He lets it lie there in His long-suffering patience! But the
year of His redeemed is come–it is present, it is now! It is not,
"Today will I destroy you," but, "Today, if you will hear His voice,
harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." Today is the day of
salvation–"the year of My redeemed is come"! We speak of our dates as,
"Anno Domini," and so they are–these days are in the year of our Lord.
We live in the years of our Redeemer, years of His redeemed, years of
pardoning love! Oh, that you would come, now that your year is come!
Jesus is able to save you at this hour!
This morning in February. This cold and bitter morning when the east
wind searches you to the very marrow–the Lord Jesus Christ can warm
your hearts with a summer tide of love! It was such a morning as this
when I first found my Lord–when the snowflakes fell so abundantly!
Each one seemed to say that Jesus had made me whiter than snow. Even
this cruel east wind will breathe comfort to you if you will look to my
Lord dressed in His vesture dipped in blood. Behold the glorious
apparel of His love and righteousness! He comes back from death and
Hell triumphant, so that you may never come under their yoke! He
proclaims life to you because your foes are dead. He washes your
garments white because His are dyed with blood. You shall live forever
because He died–and you shall triumph because He has won the battle on
your behalf. You shall go forth conquering and to conquer because He
conquers!
Jesus has already done the work. There is nothing to be endured by Him
in order to save you from your sins–the expiation is made, the
redemption is paid, the righteousness is worked out. Of this salvation
our Lord said, at the moment when He won the victory, "It is
finished"–and it is finished forever! Without seam and woven from the
top throughout was the garb the Savior's body wore–and now He presents
a garment like it to every naked sinner who trusts Him. And He says,
"Put it on." It is freely given though it was dearly worked. It cost
our Lord His life to weave it, His blood to dye it–but to the sinner
it is a free gift and, if he will but have it, he, also, shall be
glorious in his apparel and Jesus will strengthen him till he, also,
shall travel in the greatness of His strength. Oh that you would
believe in Jesus Christ this morning!
It is a sad wonder that men do not believe in Jesus. It is a mournful
wonder that you who have been hearing the Gospel for so many years, do
not believe in Him. What are you doing? Why, if somebody were to preach
to you any other Gospel than what I have delivered, you would grow
angry–you would not hear it! Why is it that you delight to hear the
Gospel and yet will not accept it to your own salvation? Many of you
have a great admiration of my Lord, after a fashion, and you love to
hear me praise Him–but what is it to you? What can He be to you unless
you trust Him? "Oh, but I don't feel my sins." Have I not told you many
times that salvation does not lie in your feelings? "Oh, but I am
not"– Have I not told you over and over again that it is not what you
are, but what Jesus is? Listen to me. Cease from self and come to Jesus
just as you are!
Let us finish by each one of us singing this verse from the heart and
all of us together with our tongues–
"A guilty, weak and helpless worm,
On Christ's kind arms I fall:
He is my strength and righteousness
My Jesus and my All."