The gospel of Jesus Christ can be outlined in four words: God, Man, Christ, Response. Isaiah the prophet expressed each of these gospel themes in full:
- God is Holy: The holy God reveals his attributes in Scripture through his person and his work.
- Man is Sinful: Sinful man deserves the judgment of God as the just wages for unrepentant sin.
- Christ is Savior: Jesus Christ is your only way of salvation when you believe in his perfect life, his sacrificial death, and his victorious resurrection on your behalf.
- Respond in Faith: You must now respond. Will you reject Christ and remain beneath God’s wrath or will you receive Christ and the eternal blessings he promises to those who trust in him?
The following meditation on the Gospel of Isaiah presents these four themes of gospel truth. It is an original spoken word poem written and performed for New Life Church on Good Friday (April 19, 2019).
Part 1: God is Holy
Hope has a name.
He is the holy God, uplifted high Upon a throne (6:1), surrounded by A host of Seraphim Each angel with six wings Stretched out to cover face and feet (6:2) His name: the Lord of hosts, the King of glory (6:3). His voice earth-shaking, temple-quaking, universe-making power (6:4; 66:6) Which brings the prophet to his knees, Wailing, “Woe is me! I am unclean! I cannot set my eyes upon the King of glory (6:5). Yet here am I! O Lord, send me” (6:8).
Hope has a name.
The Mighty One of Isra-el (1:24) Whose strong right arm both rules the world (52:10) And gathers up the lambs; He is both Shepherd and our Champion (40:10-11). “Fear not,” he says, “With you, I AM; Be not dismayed. I AM your God (41:10). I AM the Potter; You are but clay I work with you whichever way I plan (64:8). So shall it be; As I have purposed, man shall see (14:24; 46:10). For I inhabit eternity (57:15). I send forth rain and shake out snow; I sow the seed to make bread grow (55:10). No empty words do I bestow I do not speak in vain” (55:11).
Hope has a name.
Helper (41:13), Upholder (41:10), Redeemer (41:14), Friend (41:17); Our Maker and Husband, our God to the end (54:5). His thoughts far above; His ways far beyond (55:8). His steadfast love goes on and on (54:10) Forever he is God! His peace shall never be cut off (54:10). Though grass may wither and flower fade, Yet his Word is a promise made Which stands unchanged (40:8). Turn unto him and he will save, For he is God (45:22); No other God like him (46:9). He is the great I AM, unrivaled in his worth (42:8). He is the everlasting God, Creator of the earth (40:28). Commander of the stars who gave to each its name (40:26; 45:12) And stretched the heavens on its frame (44:24; 45:12). As God, he cups the oceans in his hand And marks the galaxies with a span (40:12). He sifts the mountains and the coastal lands And weighs them on his scales (40:12, 15). He builds up cities or brings them down (37:26). He plants new trees in desert ground (41:19; 60:21; 61:3, 11), Defeating armies in the dead of night, For his beloved, he fights the fight (37:36) And sweeps out enemies with his sword (41:2). He is the resurrecting Lord (26:19). For only he adds years to life (38:5), Restoring health (38:16), increasing wealth To Isra-el, his chosen wife.
Hope has a name.
The First and Last (41:4; 44:6), Beginning and End (42:9; 46:10). Our Master, Chooser, Maker, Friend (41:8). He rends the heavens (64:1), contends with foes (49:25), Defends the needy in the throes Of storm and wind; He is a shelter And a shade beneath the swelter Of the scorching sun (4:6; 25:4). No eye has seen; No ear has heard Except the Lord who showers Bold words (64:4; 59:1) of power through His towering works untold, His wonders fashioned from of old (25:1): Red Sea divider (63:11-12); Manna-in-the-wilderness provider (30:23); Guider Of the chosen nation (42:16; 49:10; 58:11); Delighter In the granting of salvation (12:2-3). This God who formed you in the womb (44:24) Will one day call you from the tomb of death (26:19). The one by whom All things were made (44:24) Upon your life has laid The promise of eternal hope (8:17). In heaven, sits his mighty throne; The earth, a footstool of his own (66:1). His name alone do we recall (26:13), So, as the prophet, we must fall Upon his mercy and his grace (30:18-19) Before his face like people dead (66:15) May he alone cause fear and dread (8:13): Our great Redeemer, Savior, Head (49:7; 60:16). He is the God of truth (65:16) Who shapes both darkness and the light, Creating grace and calamity alike (45:7; 33:2); Who fashions wings for those who faint (40:29-31), Increasing strength to those who wait on him (30:18); And perfect peace for those with faith (26:3) In God, the everlasting Rock (26:4; 44:8).
Hope has a name.
Part 2: Man is Sinful
Yet calloused ears refuse to hear; Blind eyes unclear Reject the fearsome judgment near (6:10), As hardened hearts are far apart (29:13; 44:18, 20) From our God’s favor to impart. Therefore, the Lord arrives in fire Before the roaring ire of the wind (66:15-16) With vengeance, he will not rescind. For he is God Who hastens all To happen in good time (60:22).
Hope has a name.
Though people-pleasers, idol-appeasers, fortune-seekers proud (2:6-8, 11-12, 17) May claim allegiance to the Lord aloud With lying lips—deceitful mouths (29:13). These fools who love the law of man (29:13) Will fail to stand On judgment day (3:13). Their vine producing sour wine (5:4) Reminds the unwise foes of God Of woes to those who covet more (5:8-10) As unjust men oppress the poor (5:22-23; 3:14-15); Woe to the drunkard (5:11-12) and to those Entwined in sin (5:18); Woe to the wise in his own eyes (5:21) To those mixed up in Evil though they call it good (5:20; 3:11-12); Woe to the wicked who should deserve God’s wrath (5:24-25; 3:9), Yet persecute his holy name (66:5) And feed on ashes they have made With their own hands (44:20). They pray to logs For kindling (44:9-20)—imported gods From foreign lands— Unsteadied statues cannot stand Without supporting hands (46:1, 7). Their gods Are nothing but the wind: A whiff of breath, a whim of sin (57:13) Which marks them off as enemies of God By their iniquities (59:2).
Yet hope, however, has a name.
He is the Lord who comes in terror (2:21). Beware! Behold his splendor From of old; His majesty above (48:3, 5, 8). He comes in garments dipped in blood, From trampling the wicked in a flood Of righteous rage (63:1-3, 6). He hides his face and shuts his ears (59:2); Denying grace, he does not hear Their frenzied pleas for mercy in the fear That they deceived and grieved His Holy Spirit (63:10) Thus receiving holy wrath, Which carried them away like chaff (57:13). For who is man? (2:22) He cannot stand On judgment day (3:13).
Hope has a name.
Yet children of deceit (57:4). They meet His gaze with shame. For even righteous deeds Will blaze within the fire and the flame (10:16) As filth before his holy name (64:6); Revealed as evil in his sight, Their deeds deliver no delight (66:4) Unto the Lord of hosts (10:16). Therefore the axe must never boast Before the one who wields it most (10:15). Those dogs don’t bark; Their watchmen blind. Unfaithful shepherds who remind (56:10-11) The wicked foes of God (33:1-34:70) Of woes to those who live in pride (28:1-29) And hide behind Hypocrisy (29:1-14). Woe to rebellious enemies (29:15-24) Who trust in man (30:1-33) And do not trust in God (31:1-32:20).
Yet hope, however, has a name.
He is the Lord whom you must know, For only he reverses woe (35:1-10) Hope has a name. He is the precious cornerstone (28:16), Tried true and tested, he alone: The stone the builders stumbled on (8:14) has laid A sure foundation strong In Zion (28:16), City of the Lord.
Hope has a name. His name, my friends, is Jesus!
Part 3: Christ is Savior
He is the Holy One of Isra-el (1:4; 5:16) Immanu-el, God with us (7:14) Who came to us a newborn child; Gentle in the manger, mild: Son of Mary (7:14; 9:6), Son of God, Son of David, Son of the sod on which we trod. So glad we glory in salvation (25:9); In his wondrous incarnation; Ransom of the world unfurled; God’s Son became a man Whose name is Jesus! Keeper of the vineyard (5:1; 27:2-3) and the End of all fears (40:2); Destroyer of death (25:8) and the Wiper of tears (25:8). Shoot of Jesse, righteous root, Restoring the remnant to bear good fruit (10:20-22; 11:1, 10). The King of Zion (60:14); Judge of man (2:4); The Branch Of God, in the glorious land Of Isra-el (4:2). For he shows Wonder in his Counsel, He throws thunder as the God of Might (9:6; 29:6); The Shining Light, Dispelling darkness from the night (9:2). Give grateful thanks unto his name (12:4) Affirm his fame. Proclaim his praise as Prince of Peace (9:6); Eternal Father to the end (9:6) Unto the least of these his friends. For in affliction, he has heard Our pain (63:9) and thus sustains The weary saints with words (50:4) Of comfort and compassion (40:1; 49:13). As our Strong Salvation Song; In him alone we lean upon (12:2).
Hope has a name. His name is Jesus!
God’s chosen Servant, his soul delight (42:1), Is Spirit-filled with awesome might And counsel, knowledge, and the heights Of wisdom (11:2); Writing all things right For those who fear the Lord (66:14); Out from his mouth springs forth a sword Of judgment (27:1; 49:2). Yet he would never bruise the reed Nor snuff the candle without need (42:3). As the Anointed of the Lord, Appointing good news to the poor; He frees the captives. What is more, He binds the brokenhearted (61:1) And reminds the ones with love departed: The favor of the Lord (61:2)!
Hope has a name. His name is Jesus!
Who shares his glory with no other (42:8) So to him we raise another Grand reprise of praise (42:10). Like-wise, the heavens sing; The mountains ring; The oceans bring Great joy (49:13)! For to the nations, he shines light; To blinded men, he restores sight; To prisoners, he offers flight From dungeon cells (42:6-7; 49:6). Thus righteous deeds and justice flow Out from our God, salvation goes with hope (51:4-5; 30:18) To outer limits of the globe (49:6). Though heaven blows away like smoke, The world and man in one fell stroke (51:6, 8), God’s hand is not too short to save (50:2; 59:1). His righteous plan is not dismayed (51:6); Forever his salvation made a way.
Hope, therefore, has a name. His name is Jesus!
Whose face was marred unlike a man (52:13) On Calvary road he could not stand Beneath the burden of the cross. A man of sorrow, loss, and grief (53:3-4) His brief Appearance on the earth Did not appreciate his worth. He held no form or beauty in the eyes Of men (53:2). Then he Rejected and despised, received Their hatred undisguised: They ripped his beard And stripped his robe And whipped his back; They spit forth shame, Replacing honor with disgrace (50:6). And yet he set his face To Calvary like flint (50:7). So we esteemed him naught but stricken (53:3), Smitten sorely and afflicted (53:4, 7). For our iniquities, he was pierced; For our transgressions, fiercely Crushed by God (53:5). Though we like sheep had rushed astray; And each had turned to his own way (53:6); On him the Lord thus laid Our sins (53:6, 11).
Hope has a name. His name is Jesus!
Who though afflicted and oppressed, Did not express his blamelessness (53:7). The silent, spotless Lamb of God; Just like a sheep to shearers trod; He opened not his mouth (53:7). Though cut off from the land of living (53:8); His grave among the wicked giving (53:9) By God’s will, a crushed guilt offering (53:10) Unto death, his soul outpoured For all the countless sins he bore Upon the cross (53:12) Where he was counted as transgression From the grave to resurrection, Never ceasing intercession For the righteous saints forgiven (53:12).
Part 4: Respond in Faith
Today, you must respond with trust And tremble at his Word (66:2). You must Receive his grace Then look with faith And humbly fall upon your face That he might look on you (66:2) And see the Savior in your place.
For hope, beloved, has a name. His name is Jesus!
“Fear not,” he claims, “I have redeemed you by my name And called you mine for my own fame (43:1). For I am with you in the flame As you pass through (43:2); The raging rivers will not claim Your life. The fire will not consume you” (43:2). “For I myself alone am Lord; Aside from me is no reward: The Savior of the world (43:11) Who blots out your transgressions (44:22) And for sin, makes intercession; For my name’s sake, I take confession (43:25) And unmake the accusations (25:8) Til they dissipate like mist (43:25; 44:22) And all your guilt has been dismissed. Come, let us reason now and know Your scarlet sins washed clean like snow (1:18); Your crimson stains redeemed also” (1:18). “Be calm; fear not! Behold your God (35:4); A balm to aging men of old; To those with graying hairs untold (46:4). For I have made and I will bear; Yes, I will save and hold your cares Within my hand (46:4). No weapon planned against you stands; No tongue commands my judgment” (54:17).
Hope has a name. His name is Jesus!
Our lofty Lord abides on high (33:5). He guides the blind And drives the darkness into light, Reviving contrite hearts (57:15). He carves The rivers into sand (35:6; 43:19) And on rough places, room to stand (42:16); A righteous route through desert land (26:7); He makes a way (43:19). He strengthens weak and feeble knees (35:3), Relieving your anxieties. Come thirsty, hungry, poor, and needy (55:1). Incline your ear (55:3); Indeed he Hears you when you call on him above (55:6) To seek his sure and steadfast love, So that your soul may live (55:3). Then beauty he will trade for ashes; Sadness for the oil of gladness; Robes of praise (61:3); He will array you in the raiment of salvation (61:10), Priests of God (61:6); A holy nation in his sight. You are his bride (62:5): “Just married!” (62:4), he delights In you as you delight in him: “O precious Bridegroom, do not tarry Since your certain presence carries With it great reward (62:11). We are a people to the Lord (62:12); Redeemed, Restored; A Holy City Not Forsaken (62:12). Sin atoned; Our guilt is taken (6:7).
Our hope, beloved, has a name. His name is Jesus!
For he will lift his house on high; His holy temple in the sky (2:2; 56:7); In glory gathering all nations To his story of salvation (66:18) On the mountain of the Lord (2:3; 57:13) Where he distributes his reward. From Zion’s fountain flows his Word (2:3). Come, let us walk in light (2:5). In every tongue his name be praised; From every one his fame be raised (57:13; 66:19). In latter days, the farm tools forged From spears and swords Declare the end of war (2:4) For those with refuge in the Lord (14:32). Like wolf and lamb without a shepherd; Goat and leopard; Ox and lion Side-by-side in peaceful Zion. Snake and child, cow and bear Dwell in harmony Without a care (11:6-8; 65:25).
Hope has a name.
In justice and in righteousness his reign (11:3-5; 33:5). Then all the earth shall know his name (11:9).
His name is Jesus!
Blind eyes shall see; The deaf shall hear When Christ the King unstops their ears (35:5). Then shall the lame men leap like deer; And mute tongues ring with joyous cheer (35:6). As ransomed saints return (44:22) With everlasting joy (61:7) upon their heads. They flock to Zion singing Gospel gladness in the stead Of sorrow (35:10; 51:11; 65:18) On that day— Perhaps tomorrow: No more sighing; No more tears (35:10; 51:11); No more trials; No more fears (65:19) No more years of desperation; No more expiration Of a life cut short (65:20). Instead of death, Our Lord bequeaths a second breath To those who trust in him. In times uncertain, he is stable; Giving life abundant; Able To grant wisdom without measure; Fear of him is Zion’s treasure (33:6) Until they shall possess the land (57:13; 60:21; 61:7) As all the promised blessings stand And former troubles are forgotten (65:16). Behold! Therefore, He holds eternal life in view And molds anew The heavens and the earth more true (65:17; 66:22).
For hope, beloved, has a name. His name is Jesus!
Whose glory like a torch aflame (62:1) Ablaze in Zion for his fame; A royal diadem displayed; A crown of beauty (62:3). He exclaims To Zion, “Your God reigns (52:7), Removing all reproach and shame (25:8), So that your offspring shall remain (61:9; 66:22) Til he bestows another name On you” (65:15): On eunuchs, pagans, and outcasts (56:3-4, 6, 8), He grants an everlasting name Outlasting shame from painful pasts (56:5; 63:12). How lovely on the peaks, the feet Of him who brings good news of peace And publishing salvation free (52:7) Until each nation sees (52:10) The Giver of new life and peace Descending like a river down (66:12) Into your bones (66:14). Be nourished now and fully flourish In these gospel truths alone. For as you feast on what is good: The richness of delicious food (55:2) And well-aged wine (25:6). Arise and shine, O Zion bright (60:1) As peoples raised into your light Emerge in praise from dark of night (60:2). Converge your walls (60:10), But not one gate at all Must shut (60:11) As kings will follow in formation, Bringing wealth from all the nations East and west (60:11) With gifts to grace the gospel best (60:6, 11). In Jesus Christ alone be blessed!
Hope has a name. His name is Jesus!
His name is Jesus!
