”The Parties of the Covenant of Grace”

t Isaiah 53:10-121

Introduction: Last week we again saw the bleak background of the

broken Covenant of Works into which God interjects His gracious
second covenant, the Covenant of Grace. The Covenant of Grace is
that which is the basis for every ounce of mercy, every iota of
grace, which God bestows. God is just, and in order to be just He
must have a just basis for everything that He does. The Fall and
the subsequent sin of His creatures is the just basis upon which He
can pass the sentence of condemnation upon man. But upon what basis
may God bestow mercy and grace if everyone by their works only
merits wrath and condemnation? That undeserved, gracious basis is
not found in us, rather it is found in the good pleasure of God in
sending His Son to redeem His people. This arrangement between the
Father and Christ Jesus, is what we call the Covenant of Grace.
In Isaiah 53, Isaiah is recording what God has revealed
concerning the future of the nation of Israel. His people are going
to be taken into exile for their breaking of His covenant. And yet,
God is not going to leave them to the consequences of their sins,
but is going to be gracious to them, by sending to them His servant.
Earlier, he had introduced this character, the h$-p”L, or the
Servant of the Lord, and here we see something of that work which
His Servant was to accomplish to bring about the restoration of His
people. He was not One that would be outwardly lovely, but His
appearance will be marred, more than any man. He would not be
received with joy by His people, but He would be despised and
forsaken of men. He would not be lifted up by them upon a throne,
but He would be lifted up and pierced through and crushed on behalf
of His people. He would not suffer for His own sins, for He would
be sinless, but He would have the sins of God’s people laid upon Him
in order to atone for them. But in the end, the Servant as well
would prosper, for He shall see His seed and be satisfied.
Why can God grant grace to any? Here we have one of the
clearest passages in Scripture which tells us the just basis for
God’s mercy. It tells us what this covenant is between the Father
and His Christ, and it also speaks of some of the benefits to Christ
and to His seed. And what I want you to see this evening is,

Christ covenanted with the Father to give Himself as an

offering for sin, in order to receive from the Father a people
for His own possession.

First I want you to see what Christ did to secure the salvation
of God’s elect, and second, what the rewards are for Christ and
for His people.

I. Christ, in the Covenant of Grace, Was Sent by God to Accomplish

What the First Adam Failed to Do.
A. Adam, Representing the Whole Human Race in the First
Covenant, the Covenant of Works, Failed to Confirm His
Posterity in Life.
1. We saw last week our representative head, Adam, fail in
his probation to obtain for his people what he was
capable of bringing in, namely the confirming of them
 2

forever in a state of original righteousness.

2. When he failed to do so, if there was to be any future for
the human race, there had to be gracious intervention.
a. Prior to the Fall of man, there was no need for
grace, for there was no sin, or demerit.
b. But in light of the Fall, and its consequences on
humanity, if there was to be any continuance of the
human race at all, there must be intervention by God.

B. But, Although the First Adam Failed, God Accomplished His

Purpose by Sending His Son as the Second Adam.
1 . God ordained this from all eternity as He did all of His
works.
a. God ordained the covenant of works and its
subsequent failure.
b. But He ordained another covenant to perfect that
which the first covenant was unable to do.

2. In this covenant, Christ takes upon Himself a human

nature in order to stand in the place of His people.
a. God prepares for Him a human nature. The author to
the Hebrews says, ”SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU HAST
NOT DESIRED, BUT A Bony THOU HAST PREPARED FOR ME;
IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES FOR SIN THOU
HAST TAKEN NO PLEASURE. THEN I SAID, ’BEHOLD, I
HAVE COME (IN THE ROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF
ME) TO no THY WILL, o GOD’” (io:5).
b. It was necessary for Christ to become like His
brethren in all things in order to stand as their
head and to offer a sacrifice for their sins.
t i ) ”THEREFORE, HE HAD TO BE MADE LIKE HIS BRETHREN
IN ALL THINGS, THAT HE MIGHT BECOME A MERCIFUL
AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST IN THINGS PERTAINING
TO GOD, TO MAKE PROPITIATION FOR THE SINS OF
THE PEOPLE” (Heb. 2: 17).
t i i ) ”SINCE THEN THE CHILDREN SHARE IN FLESH AND
BLOOD, HE HIMSELF LIKEWISE ALSO PARTOOK OF THE
SAME, THAT THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT RENDER
POWERLESS HIM WHO HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT
IS, THE DEVIL; AND MIGHT DELIVER THOSE WHO
THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE SUBJECT TO SLAVERY
ALL THEIR LIVES” (Heb. 2: 14-15).

3. Christ fulfills the first Covenant of Works, which was

broken, by keeping God’s Law perfect 1y.
a. A perfect righteousness was needed in order to bring
God’s people to glory.
b. Jesus said, ”FOR I SAY TO YOU, THAT UNLESS YOUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS SURPASSES THAT OF THE SCRIBES AND
PHARISEES, YOU SHALL NOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN” (Matt. 5:20).
c. He drew the qualifications so tight that His disciples
despaired of entering it. ”AND JESUS SAID TO HIS
DISCIPLES, ’TRULY I SAY TO YOU, IT IS HARD FOR A RICH
MAN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. AND AGAIN I SAY TO
YOU, IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A
 3

NEEDLE, THAN FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF

a n . ’ AND WHEN THE DISCIPLES HEARD THIS, THEY WERE VERY
ASTONISHED AND SAID, ’THEN WHO CAN BE SAVED?’ AND
LOOKING UPON THEM JESUS SAID TO THEM, ’WITH MEN THIS IS
IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH a n ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE’”
(Matt . 19:23).
d. If it is impossible for a rich man who has the time
and means to pursue the kingdom and do great acts of
charity, then who can be saved?
e. Jesus said that with men this is impossible, they
could never acquire enough merit. That is why the
work of Jesus is necessary, to merit for His people
what they were unable to do on their own.

4. But providing a perfect righteousness of obedience was

not enough. There were also the sins which were
committed which had to be removed. Therefore, Jesus, in
order to guarantee what was promised to God’s people,
had also to die to atone for their sins.
a. This was all determined as we said in the eternal
counsels of God, according to His sovereign plan.
b. And this is what we see in this passage this
evening.
c. Isaiah says, ”BUT THE LORD WAS PLEASED TO CRUSH HIM,
HE HAS PUT HIM TO GRIEF” (v. 1 0 ) .
ti) It was THE LORD who crushed His Servant, and
put Him through the agony of the cross.
tii) And yet, as we see in the NT, it was done by
the hands of wicked men, who were held fully
responsible for their actions.
tiii) Remember, God’s decree does not force a man to
sin, it only makes his free choices certain.
tiv) But why is it that the Lord WAS PLEASED to put
His Servant to death? It is because it was
necessary if He was to show them mercy.

d. ”WHEN HE WILL MAKE HIMSELF AN OFFERING FOR SIN” (v. 1 0 ) .

ti) Christ becomes a sacrifice, fulfilling all of
the typical sacrifices of the OT. He becomes
our Passover Lamb.
tii) It was necessary, if Christ was to bring His
people to God, for Him to remove their sins.
tiii) And so the text says, ”THE RIGHTEOUS ONE, MY
SERVANT, SHALL JUSTIFY THE MANY, FOR HE SHALL
BEAR THEIR INIQUITIES” tv. 11 1.
tiv) He bears their iniquities in order to take them
away, so that they might receive His perfect
righteousness. In the sight of God they are
fully acquitted of all guilt. That is,
they are proclaimed to be not guilty.
tv) Not only are they not guilty, but by the
imputed righteousness of Christ, they are
considered by God as having done everything
well, according to God’s perfect standard.

e. But how do His people enter into this relationship

 4

so as to obtain this forgiveness? The text tells

us that it is ”BY HIS KNOWLEDGE” (v. 1 1 ) .
ti) Now there are two ways of translating this
expression in the Hebrew.
tii) The way it reads in the NASB indicates that it
is through the wisdom and knowledge of the
Servant, which as Isaiah 11 tells us, is by the
Holy Spirit. This would emphasize the Spirit’s
role in the crucifixion of Christ.
tiii) But the alternate translation would read, ”BY
THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM, THE RIGHTEOUS ONE, MY
SERVANT, SHALL JUSTIFY THE MANY” tv. 1 1 1 .
t iv) In this second rendering, it is through His
people’s knowledge of Him, that they are saved,
which is tantamount to faith.
tV) You cannot be saved by mere knowledge, but
often in the Hebrew Scriptures, the word ”know”
has a much more intimate meaning.
tvi 1 Mere knowledge cannot save you. The devils
know much more than you and they are not saved.
tvii) Rather, you need the intimacy of a love
relationship with Christ if you are to be
saved. You must embrace Him with all your
heart .

f. And the text further tells us that His people are

kept in this gracious relationship through Christ’s
continuing intercession at the Father’s right hand,
”YET HE HIMSELF BORE THE SIN OF MANY, AND INTERCEDED
FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS” (v. 12).
ti) Jesus laid down His life for the many, not for
all. That is, He laid down His life for His
Father’s elect, for His sheep tcf. John 10:15).
tii) But He does more than simply lay down His life
for them, He continues to uphold them as their
Advocate at the right hand of the Father in
order to keep them in the mercy of God.
tiii) John writes, ”MY LITTLE CHILDREN, I AM WRITING
THESE THINGS TO YOU THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN. AND
IF ANYONE SINS, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE
FATHER, JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS” (1 John
2:1).

5. So we have seen that the covenant of grace was made in

eternity between God and Christ, and the elect in Christ
in order to bring God’s elect to glory.

11. Secondly, I Want You to See that Christ’s Reward for His
Obedience Was a People, and the Gracious Blessing for the
People of God Was Eternal Life.
A . Christ, for His Obedience in the Covenant of Grace, Receives
a Spiritual Seed.
1 . What we have already seen was Christ’s humiliation in
order to bring redemption to the people of God.
2. But the text now goes on to show us Christ’s exaltation.
a. First, there is the promise of a spiritual seed.
 5

ti) ”HE WILL SEE HIS OFFSPRING”, or seed tv. 10).

tii) The reward for the Servant, for His humiliation
and death, is that people whom God elected in
eternity. A multitude which no man can number.
tiii) The author to the Hebrews writes, ”BUT WE DO
SEE HIM WHO HAS BEEN MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN
THE ANGELS, NAMELY, JESUS, BECAUSE OF THE
SUFFERING OF DEATH CROWNED WITH GLORY AND
HONOR, THAT BY THE GRACE OF GOD HE MIGHT TASTE
DEATH FOR EVERYONE. FOR IT WAS FITTING FOR
HIM, FOR WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, AND THROUGH WHOM
ARE ALL THINGS, IN BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY,
TO PERFECT THE AUTHOR OF THEIR SALVATION
THROUGH SUFFERINGS. FOR BOTH HE WHO SANCTIFIES
AND THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED ARE ALL FROM ONE
FATHER; FOR WHICH REASON HE IS NOT ASHAMED TO
CALL THEM BRETHREN, SAYING, ’ I WILL PROCLAIM
THY NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE
CONGREGATION I WILL SING THY PRAISE.’ AND
AGAIN, ’ I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.’ AND
AGAIN, ’BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS
GIVEN ME’” ( 2 : 9- 13).

b. But if the Servant is to remain in the grave after

pouring out His soul unto death, then how will He
receive this reward? There is also promised to Him
extension of days, that is, that He would be
resurrected .
ti) ”HE WILL PROLONG HIS DAYS” tv. 10).
tii) There would be no reward, there could be no joy
in His children, if Christ were to remain in
the grave.
tiii) No, what we have here is another promise to
Christ, that if He should pour out His soul
unto death, He will receive back His life. He
will be resurrected, thus being vindicated by
the Father, that His sacrifice was received.
tiv) He shall live forever in communion with His
seed, and it shall be a great joy for Him,
”BECAUSE OF THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL, HE SHALL
SEE, AND BE SATISFIED” tv. 111.

c. And lastly, Christ also receives an inheritance for

his labors.
ti) The Lord says, ”THEREFORE I WILL ALLOT HIM A
PORTION WITH THE GREAT” tv. 12).
tii) Paul tells us in Philippians 2:9-12, ”THEREFORE
ALSO GOD HIGHLY EXALTED HIM, AND BESTOWED ON
HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THAT AT
THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, OF
THOSE WHO ARE IN HEAVEN, AND ON EARTH, AND
UNDER THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY TONGUE SHOULD
CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, TO THE GLORY
OF GOD THE FATHER.
tiii) Jesus received the title of Lord, the greatest
name in heaven and earth.
 6

tiv) And He also received the kingdom of God.

tv) The work of Christ is greatly rewarded as an
act of love to His Father.

B. And of course, His People Receive All that Christ Has Done
for Them.
1 . You, who are His people, who are in Christ Jesus,
receive many gracious gifts in Him.
a. You receive the forgiveness of sins.
ti) We have seen that Christ bore the sins of His
people and suffered their penalty.
tii) Paul says in Ephesians 1:7,”IN HIM WE HAVE
REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS
OF OUR TRESPASSES, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF
HIS GRACE.”
b. You receive gracious mediation at the throne of God.
ti) We have seen that Christ ”INTERCEDED FOR THE
TRANSGRESSORS” tv. 121, and that He is even now
before the right hand of the Father pleading on
our behalf.
tii) This means that whenever you may fail in your
obedience to Christ, that Christ is
interceding, He is pleading before the Father
that He would be merciful to you.

c. And you receive a portion of the inheritance which

Christ merited.
ti) ”AND HE WILL DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE STRONG”
tv. 12).
tii) Those who are Christ’s are His brethren, and
the children of the Lord.
tiii) Paul says, ”FOR YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SPIRIT
OF SLAVERY LEADING TO FEAR AGAIN, BUT YOU HAVE
RECEIVED A SPIRIT OF ADOPTION AS SONS BY WHICH
WE CRY OUT, ’ABBA! FATHER! ’ THE SPIRIT HIMSELF
BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE
CHILDREN OF GOD, AND IF CHILDREN, HEIRS ALSO,
HEIRS OF GOD AND FELLOW HEIRS WITH CHRIST, IF
INDEED WE SUFFER WITH HIM IN ORDER THAT WE
MIGHT BE GLORIFIED WITH HIM” Rom. 8:15-17).
t iv) Because we are Christ’s brethren and children
of God, through Christ’s work, we also receive
a portion in the inheritance which He merited
for us.

3. It pleased the Lord to do this, and it is something that

He caused to be fulfilled at the hand of His Servant.
a. ”AND THE GOOD PLEASURE OF THE LORD WILL PROSPER IN
HIS HAND” (v. 1 0 ) .
b. It was the Lord’s good pleasure to send Christ for
you, that He might redeem you to Himself.
c. Such is the love of God, from all eternity, for His
elect people. Such is the love that you who are in
Christ experience.

4. And all of this is because of the work of the Lord’s

 7

Servant, the Lamb of God, ”BECAUSE HE POURED OUT HIS

SOUL UNTO DEATH, AND WAS NUMBERED WITH THE
TRANSGRESSORS” (v. 12).
a. Jesus, the King of Heaven, the Lord of glory, died
a criminal’s death, crucified between two thieves, in
order to deliver His people from the curse of death.
b. ”FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST CONTROLS US, HAVING
CONCLUDED THIS, THAT ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEREFORE ALL
DIED; AND HE DIED FOR ALL, THAT THEY WHO LIVE SHOULD
NO LONGER LIVE FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED
AND ROSE AGAIN ON THEIR BEHALF” (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
C. Brethren, if God so loved us, how ought we to love
Him and each other? How much ought we to be
controlled by the love of Christ?
d. Live for Christ, live for His glory. Love Him, serve
Him, worship and adore Him. For He is worthy of your
whole life. He gave His life for you, you can do no
less than give your life to Him. Let us pray.