The Plan Previously Hidden
Isaiah 52:13:15, 1 Corinthians 2:7-8

†  I.H.S. †

May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ sustain you in those times, where like between the cross and resurrection, you aren’t sure of where you stand…or if you do!

The Darkness

In the other gospels, as Jesus is on the cross dying, it is said that darkness falls across the land. Luke mentions the sun fails to light the sky…the word will eventually become what we call an eclipse. For three hours, Jerusalem in hidden in shadows…

It was if everything good was heading out of town, as Jesus blood soaked the ground.   I imagine the apostles and disciples’ lives were pretty much drained of life as well, as they finally realized Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said he would be killed, when he would give up his life.

But even as they hadn’t heard that, they didn’t hear the rest of the story. Neither did the Pharisees and Priests, or Herod, Pilate and the Roman guard.

This event, planned from before the creation of the world, the Apostle Paul described this way, “No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. ⁸ But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.”

The darkness had to come, the despair—a realization of what was lost because of the sin of the world. The hope, shrouded for 3 days with the Lord of Love, of Hope, of Life.

While we don’t pay the cost of our sin, we need to take that cost seriously. We need to see in the cross, not just the promise of life and freedom, but the price paid there in the death of Christ.

What the rulers missed

SO what was hidden from these leaders, Roman and Jewish, these wise, powerful and in some cases, holy men—what did they miss?

Well – it wasn’t hidden well – as we see in the prophecy from Isaiah that we started with this evening. One that talks of when everyone will know, at the Day of Judgment..

“See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.”…

They didn’t see the cross as a tool used to pry us away from sin, to shatter its grip on us.

That in the next chapter of Isaiah we will hear,

¹⁰  But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. ¹¹  When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. Isaiah 53:10-11 (NLT2)

Jesus was… satisfied…

That is amazing… what He accomplished through His suffering and death on the cross… he was content with the process because of the result.

Our freedom, our life, for while we talk about the Lord is with you… that means the inverse is now true as well

You are with the Lord…

Therefore, we shall share in His glory a

And that is what was hidden, the mystery of Jesus, that the leaders made happen, as they sentenced him to die… for us.

Amen!