Reformed Theology Pt 11 | Davidic Covenant | Incarnation & Resurrection

Isaiah’s Call to Repentance and the Holiness of God

If you return to your Bibles to Isaiah 1. Isaiah chapter one. Let's pray. Father, Lord, we come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, in your spirit, we come to you in faith. Begging you, asking you for grace upon grace to meet with us.

Today, Lord, in your word, speak to us. Help us to learn from you, we pray. In the mighty name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Isaiah chapter one. The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem and the days of Uzziah, Joptim, Heza and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah.

Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. Children, I have reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib. But Israel does not know.

My people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly. They have forsaken the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel.

They are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot, even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds.

They are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. Your country lies desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. In your very presence, foreigners devour your land. It is desolate as overthrown by foreigners.

And the daughters of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.

Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. Give ear to the teachings of our God, you people of Gomorrah. What to me is the multitude of sacrifices, says the Lord. I have had enough burnt offerings of rams and the fat, well-fed of beasts.

I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me.

Your new moons and Sabbaths, they are calling of convotations. I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hates. They have become a burden to me. I am weary of burying them.

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes. Even when you make many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes.

Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Seek justice, correct oppression. Bring justice to the fatherless. Plead the widow's calls. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.

Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of the Son

This is part 11 of our Reformed Theology series. Concerning the covenant of works, our main outline has been the Edemic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, and the Davidic Covenant.

This week, we will focus solely on the Davidic Covenant. Our main text is gonna be Isaiah chapter six, I mean, excuse me, Isaiah chapter nine, verses six and seven. Isaiah chapter nine, verses six through seven.

Last week, we saw that the Davidic Covenant dealt with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that that's how he fulfilled it. And for that reason, Jesus fulfills the prophecy spoken to King David in 2 Samuel, chapter seven, verses 12 through 16.

And I wanna read that before we enter into our main text, 2 Samuel, chapter seven. Now, for context, David decides that he wants to build a house for the Lord, and the prophet Nathan agrees. But then the prophet Nathan hears from God, and God is against David building the house.

He has never asked for a house. And so, Nathan comes to David with these words, beginning in verse 12. When your days are fulfilled, and you lay down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build a house for my name. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of man, with the stripes of the son of man.

But my steadfast love will not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be everlasting forever.

Established forever, excuse me. Your throne shall be established forever. Two things I want to notice about that text. One, it says, it points out that God will punish the son when he commits iniquity, verse 14.

And verse 16 seems to be saying that David's earthly kingdom will be established forever. Now what I've brought to you last week, meaning that Jesus is the son and that Jesus is the one that this covenant is established, by having that knowledge with what I just read, now this should be immediately bringing red flags to your mind.

Like red flags should be going off in your mind. And we will get to that in a minute, or 30. Now to our main text, Isaiah chapter nine. We will go through verses six and seven, but I want to begin reading in verse one for context.

But there will be no gloom for her. Let me start over. But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. And in the former time, he brought up into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Nephili.

But in later time, he has made glorious the way of the sea and the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of all nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in the land of the deep darkness, on them light has shown.

You have multiplied the nations. You have increased its joy. They rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divided the spoil. Verse four. The yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulders, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of meeting.

For every boot of the trampling warrior in battle, Tama, and every garment, road and blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us, a child is born. To us, a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And of his increase of his government there, and of peace, there will be no end. And on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time forth and forevermore, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Our theme is the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. And in our outline, we will see the progression of the child taking his seat on the throne. Notice with me what the text says about the child. One, a son is given to us.

Two, he's given divine names. And three, the government shall be upon his shoulders. Now as we transition in 2 Samuel 7, David sought to build a house for the Lord, but in verse 11, tells us that it's the Lord that is going to build a house for David.

And this is how it's accomplished. Point number one, it's a son given to us. Right off the bat, we see that a child is born, verse 6a. For to us, a child is born. The to us here is specifically pointing to the Jews.

Isaiah is speaking to the Jews. More specifically, he's speaking to Judah. This is speaking to Ahaz, King Ahaz, who is the king of the southern borders of Judah. This prophecy was given in a time of darkness.

It seems that they, Israel, were always looking for someone to turn things around. When you read the Old Testament, they're always looking for some kind of Messiah figure to come and to bring them back to God.

Is this the one? Is he the one that's going to be able to do it? Isaiah chapter six, real quick. Turn there if you will. Verse one, in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temples.

And above him stood seraphims, each having six wings. And with two wings, they covered their face. And with two wings, they covered their feet. And with two wings, they're flying. It says, with two wings, they flew in one call to the other and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is filled with his glory. Imagine these holy angels, these angels in the presence of God who are hiding their face, they're hiding their feet and they're flying. And they're looking between the wings at one another, reminding each other how holy this God is that sits upon the throne.

As if the angel did not know, they're reminding each other how holy this God is who is sitting on the throne. And it says, and the foundations of the threshed floor shook at the voice of him who called.

Who called? It was the angels. The foundations of the temples were shaking at the voice of the angel who's called. And it says that the house was filled with smoke symbolizing judgment. And I said, this is Isaiah, woe is me for I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips.

For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. He's saying, man, I have seen things and done things and I hang out with people that see things and do things. I am sinfully sinful. And right now I am in the presence of God and in the presence of mighty angels whom I fear that fear God.

And I'm about to die. It says, and then one of these serpents flew to me and having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and he said, behold, this has touched your lips.

Your guilt is taken away and you're sin atoned for. Verse eight. And I heard a voice, the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then I said, here am I, send me. And he said, go and say to this people, keep on hearing, but do not understand.

Keep on singing, but do not perceive. Make the hearts of the people dull and their ears heavy, blind their eyes, least they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turned and be healed.

And then I said, how long, oh Lord? And he said, until the cities lie waste without inhabitant and houses without people. And the land is a desolate waste. And the Lord removes people far away and the forcing places are many in the midst of the land.

And though a 10th of them remain in it, it will be burned again. Like a timber or an oak whose stump remains when it's filled. The holy seed is the stump. In our main text, we're introduced to Hazza, King of Judah, grandson of Uazza, which we just saw when he died, the father of Hezekiah.

Go back, if you look at chapter one, verse one, the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Joplin, Hazza and Hezekiah, the kings of Israel.

This letter was written to the kings of Israel in a time of darkness, darkness. Judgment is coming upon Israel, upon Jerusalem, upon Judah. Why? For their disobedience. Their kings have astrayed and as goes the king, so goes the nations.

The kings were not following the Lord, so the nations are not following the Lord.

If you look at chapter seven, Hezekiah,.

I mean, not Hezekiah, excuse me, Hazza receives horrible news. I won't read all of it, but basically him being the king of Judah, the southern borders, Jerusalem, which was being, so we have Syria and Jerusalem are coming against Judah and they get word of this and they're terrified, they're fearing, they're wanting to know, is God going to step in and do something?

So the prophet Isaiah comes to him and speaks for the Lord and he says to him, beginning in verse, beginning in verse 10, again, the Lord spoke to Uzziah, this is through Isaiah, as he says to him, ask a sign from the Lord, your God.

So he's telling him, he's saying, ask for a sign from me, ask me for a sign, let it be as deep as Sheolt or as high as heaven. But as I said, I will not ask and I will not put the Lord to the test. And he said, hear then, O house of David, is it too little for you to worry men that you worry my God also?

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call his name Emmanuel. Some say that the fulfillment would be Hezekiah has a son. They say that the immediate fulfillment is Hezekiah.

The problem lies with the prophecy. So in Isaiah chapter nine, verse six tells us that this child is speaking of a son who is Emmanuel. Emmanuel means God with us. That although there seems to be a near fulfillment, the near fulfillment does not meet the prophecy given, meaning Hezekiah is not Emmanuel.

He is not God with us. He does not meet the prophecy. Yes, Isaiah has a son after this prophecy, Hezekiah, but he does not meet the prophecy. He is not God with us. Matthew chapter one, verses 22 and 23.

And all this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and we shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. Luke chapter one, verses 31 through 33.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus and he will be great and he shall be called the son of the most high. And the Lord your God will give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever.

And to his kingdom, there will be no end. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the New Testament interpretation of Isaiah. Again, turn back to our main passage, Isaiah chapter nine. Look at verse six again. Verse six B, for to us a child is born, to us a son is given.

Notice it says to us a son is given. A child being born speaks of humanity. We know that children are born, right? A son given to us speaks of divinity. This is something previously was given to us. This is speaking about the divine nature and the human nature of Jesus Christ.

That he is a child given to us. He is going to be born. He is going to be truly man. But this truly man is a son given to us, an already son in heaven given to us. This speaks of the two natures of Jesus Christ.

This points us to the eternal sonship of Jesus Christ. John chapter one, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Did you hear that? In the beginning was the word, the logos, and the word was with God and the word was God.

Look over in verse 18. No one has ever seen God, the only God, who is with the father. He has made him known. So we have God being described. We have the word being described that's with God and is God and it's through him, this word, that all things were made.

Verse three, all things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made. Now look at verse 14. In the word, this logos that's with God in the beginning, he's with God and he is God.

He's at the right hand of the father. He came to make God known. How? Verse 14, the word, the logos became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory. Glory as the only son of God, son from the father, full of grace and truth.

As we transition, the father sent his son through the incarnation. Ladies and gentlemen, the incarnation is this. God became flesh. So when you read verse 14 where it says the word became flesh, that is the biblical definition of the word incarnation.

Simply means the word God became flesh. Point number two, he is given divine names. Isaiah chapter six, excuse me, Isaiah chapter nine. My dyslexia is kicking in and that six is getting in front of the nine.

Isaiah chapter nine, verse six. For to us a child is born and to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called, listen, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.

Now in order to bring out the point here, I do not want to go in order concerning the names. Now in my study, there seem to be no lack, no shortage of interpretations when it comes to these names. Like listen, like the interpretations were so wide.

Like it was so wide. I listened to 50 videos, I had 50 interpretations. I read from Calvin to every commentary that I had to some guy in his boxers in the basement of his mom's house posting a video. Like it was, there's no continuity here, only discontinuity when it comes to this interpretation.

It doesn't matter if you got two reform pastors. It was so vast of a difference. And the best interpretations from the best man fell short in my opinion. So as I stand before you today, giving to you my interpretation, I'm not saying this as the Lord.

I'm not. The names of wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. But to be honest with you, I don't see how it can be interpreted any other way and be faithful to the text. I believe these great men have failed interpreting this text.

I say that in humility. Now at first sight, I only felt comfortable addressing Jesus with two of the first names, which are mighty God and prince of peace. Now I'm not officially, I'm not officially looking at this interpretation to explain the Trinity.

That's not what I'm doing, although I am looking at it to explain the deity of Christ. However, in dealing with the Godhead, the person of the Godhead, it's hard not to address what's right in front of you.

So on my list first, we will look at mighty God. Mighty God, God here being El. Mighty, Gabor, switch it around, it's El Gabor. Mighty God, El Gabor. This is the name given here for God. Now we know, I hope we know as Reformed people that this is speaking of God.

However, Jewish translators use this as an inconsistent way of speaking of Hezekiah. They take this portion of scripture and they make it try to fit into Hezekiah. So the same word here for mighty God, we also see in chapter 10, verse 21.

It says, a remnant will return. The remnant of Jacob to the Hezekiah? No, to mighty God. The interpretation Jews give here are to God, El Gabor, not Hezekiah. But because this is a prophecy of a son, they try to make this mighty God point to Hezekiah and it falls.

Although Jesus is El Gabor, mighty God, so is the Father and so is the Holy Spirit. All three persons are El Gabor. Can we agree with this statement? Jesus comes as Emmanuel, as God with us. Mighty God here in our text seems to be pointing back to verse 14 of chapter seven, which states, Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call his name Emmanuel.

Another name given on our list is wonderful counselor, which Jesus is wonderful. He is a wonderful counselor. He is our helper and our advocate. The one who pleads our case. He pleads on our behalf. He pleads our case on our behalf before the Father.

He is our advocate. In the New Testament, we also see we have the Holy Spirit who is called counselor, our helper, our advocate. The Greek word here for counselor can be translated as helper, counselor, or advocate.

So say John chapter 16, verse seven, it says, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, Jesus speaking, it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper, the counselor, the advocate, however you wanna translate it, will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him to you. Jesus will send him to us. Send who? The Holy Spirit. Who is what? The counselor, the helper, the advocate. And so Jesus being filled with the Spirit, it talks about Jesus after his temptation, he's led by the Spirit into where?

The wilderness. Jesus has the Holy Spirit. He is called our wonderful counselor. Also listen to this. This is kind of like the Spirit of Christ slash Holy Spirit. Galatians chapter four, verse six says this.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. The Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Now is that different from the Holy Spirit?

Let's not say, yes. Let's not say that that's different. And we know that God is one. There's one God and this one God has revealed himself to us in three distinct persons. And they're not the same, but you cannot separate the divinity, the Godhood.

And I believe that this is what it's speaking about, that Jesus came to earth and he represents the entire Godhead for us. Jesus is also called, given the name Everlasting Father. Now this one really got me.

It can also be translated as Father of Eternity. Most people, especially in the reformed community, will say, well, the bride can be seen as our mother. And so Jesus is the husband of the bride as our father.

It just fell short. I do not feel comfortable presenting to you such a, in my opinion, a horrible way of interpreting this. There's so many interpretations, especially of this one spot where it calls him Everlasting Father.

There's so many, my interpretation is simple. I'm gonna give you what I know that I know. Like, I know that I know this, and it is this, that Jesus is mighty God. Jesus is God, mighty God, El Gabor. Jesus came to explain God.

1 John 1, verse 18, remember I read it earlier. No one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the Father's side has come to explain him, to exegete him. Jesus also said, if you have seen him, you have seen the Father.

Let's go back to John again, John chapter 14, beginning in verse seven, Jesus speaking, if you had known me, you would have known my father also. From now on, you do know him, and you have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.

Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. He who says, how can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?

The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his work. Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

The ministry of Jesus Christ is one that pointed to the Father. Jesus is not the Father, but if you have seen him, you have seen the Father. Why? Because he is mighty God. El Gabor, God with us, Emmanuel.

As we transition, Jesus as the Prince of Peace is how we are given peace with God. Romans 5, one makes it clear. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, faith in who? Faith in Christ, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Government Upon His Shoulders and the Fulfillment of the Davidic Kingdom

Point number three, the government shall be upon his shoulders. Isaiah chapter nine, verses six and seven. For to us, a child is born. To us, a son is given. The government shall be upon his shoulders, and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of his increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end. And on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Now, to answer the two questions from 2 Samuel 7, the ones that were to give you a red flag, it should have been going off. I pointed out two things to notice in the text. Let me turn there. That God will punish the son when he commits iniquity.

That's verse 14. I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. And when he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of man and with the stripes of the son of man. Now, we know that Jesus did not sin, and yet this is a prophecy pointed to Jesus.

So that should have been a red flag. And the second one seems to be saying that David's earthly kingdom will be established forever, verse 16. And your house, and he's speaking to David, and your kingdom shall be made surely forever before me.

Your throne, speaking to David, shall be established forever. So that this one that's going to come, when he sins, he will be punished, but his kingdom on earth will be established forever. That seems to be the natural reading of the text, right?

Am I missing something? That should be the natural reading of the text. But just like in Isaiah concerning the child, there seemed to be a near fulfillment, the near fulfillment here seemed to be speaking of Solomon, but we know that Solomon did not establish a kingdom, an eternal kingdom, an everlasting forever kingdom on earth, though we know he sinned terribly.

But here, now here is where the Davidic covenant finds its fulfillment. David was told that a son was going to come from him and that God would establish his kingdom. Hazzah is a son of David as well.

This prophecy was given to him about a child who God, let me say this again. This prophecy was given to him about a child who is God, but cannot be Hezekiah. This child was Emmanuel. Emmanuel means God with us.

It was given to Hazzah. They were thinking it was going to be Hezekiah, but it cannot be Hezekiah because he is not God. He is not El Gabor. This must be speaking of Jesus. The New Testament inspired writers is telling us that this is Jesus.

It's in Jesus where we find the progression of the child taking his seat upon the throne. Not in Hezekiah. The sign in Isaiah 7, 14, behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call his name Emmanuel was not for his time.

It was a prophecy concerning a different time. It was not for his time, no, but it was to show that Judah would not be destroyed. Think about it. They got the surrounded armies are coming in to destroy them.

They're thinking Judah is about to be uprooted. God says, ask for me a sign. He didn't ask, but he still gives him one. He says, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. The virgin shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call his name Emmanuel.

Letting him know that God himself was going to establish this. And then at this coming of this son should be proof that the surrounding armies would not destroy Judah because David's kingdom will be one that's everlasting.

Why? Because a child would be born. A human child will be born, but it's a son given that the creator entered creation and took on flesh. He was this child. This is God with us. The divine clothed himself in flesh.

And notice it says, behold, the virgin shall conceive, meaning it was not the seed of a man, the offspring of a man. This points us to the offspring of the woman who was promised as the curse given to Satan that an offspring would come from the woman who would bruise your head while only bruising his heel.

This was given in a time of darkness. They were looking for an earthly kingdom while God was pointing them to a heavenly kingdom, one where his son would sit on the throne of David. Jesus was sinless, yet his father disciplined him.

Jesus being sinless was disciplined by his father, disciplined with the rod of man and with the stripes of man. Look at Isaiah 53. This is the most deepest and profound prophecy of Jesus Christ. If you can hear this and not see Jesus, something is wrong.

Isaiah writes, who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrow acquainted with grief. And as one as from whom men hid their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and has carried our sorrows, yet we esteem him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Listen, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. And with his wounds, we are healed. Oh, we like sheep have gone astray.

We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, and yet he opened not his mouth like a lamb led to the slaughter, like the sheep that is before it shears its silence.

So he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. And as for his generation who considered him, he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgressions of my people.

Verse nine, and he made his grave with the wicked and the rich man in his death, although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him. He has put him to grief.

Listen for the resurrection. When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring and he shall prolong his days. The will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. So we have David's, the son of David was to come, and if he sinned, he would be beaten by men and with the stripes of men.

And we see that he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities and upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and by his wounds that was given to him by man, we are healed.

And according to the scriptures, the resurrection of Jesus is the evidence that Jesus is sitting on the throne of David. We saw that last week in Acts chapter two, that whenever Jesus resurrects from the grave, that this was proof that it's him that sits on the throne of David, that the throne of David is at the right hand of the Father and that's where Jesus Christ sits.

So if this is true and it is, then the kingdom of God has been established. The heavenly kingdom is on earth by way of new covenant church. The heavenly kingdom is on earth by way of the new covenant church, being ruled by Christ in heaven.

The kingdom of God is the church and government that sits upon his shoulders. And listen to me, it will increase. The text says it, we have seen it in history, it will increase, why? Because all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus Christ.

It has been given to him, he's in control of everything by his coming in the incarnation, and through his death, burial and resurrection, he has hypotasso, he is subduing the whole earth and though we cannot see it, this is truth.

And remember last week we saw that the Jews rejected God as being king over them. They came to Samuel and they wanted a king. They said, Samuel, you're old and your sons are not walking in your ways, give us a king.

And Samuel being upset, but God told them, they're not rejecting you, Samuel, they're rejecting me. And now we see that Jesus was sentenced to be crucified by the Jews, why? Because they once again rejected their God as king.

They said, we have no king but Caesar, crucify this man. I'll close with this, John chapter 12. This right here is just to kind of wrap everything in a bow. John chapter 12, look at verse 35. So Jesus said to them, "'The light is among you for a little while longer.

"'Walk while you still have the light "'lest darkness overtake you. "'And the one who walks in darkness "'does not know where he is going. "'While you have the light, believe in the light "'that you may become sons of light.'".

Remember 1 John 1 .5 tells us that God is light. When Jesus had said these things, he departed and he hid himself from them, verse 37. "'Though he,' still speaking of Jesus, "'had not done many signs before them, "'they did not believe in him.'".

Believe in who? Jesus. "'So that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah "'might be fulfilled.'". Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Isaiah 53.

"'Therefore they could not believe.'". Now, I'm supposed to quote Isaiah 6. "'For again,' Isaiah says, "'he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, "'and at least they see with their eyes "'and understand with their hearts and turn and be healed.'".