out of that. Let's let's pray together and we'll get started this morning. Father, we bow to thank you for this day. What a mighty God you are. Thank you that you've called us to to serve you. To love you, to worship you, and we get to do that today. Would you guide us throughout the service, Lord, as we seek to honor and glorify you? Be with us in this lesson, Lord, as we think about Christ. No greater thoughts can we have than those of Christ. Your beloved son in whom you are well pleased. Would you cause us to be pleased? In him with him. To know that he's our everything. Cause us to love him more. To see him more that we might be conformed to his image. Bless this day and all that it holds. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. Alright, we're teaching through the five solas. And I've been. We've started a new members class, so I've not been able to attend, so I don't know what's taking place, if Jimmy's given a great history of how we've come to the Five Solas or not, but that's not my task this morning. I get the glorious task of teaching on Christ alone. Christ alone. And not just to teach on Christ alone, but to teach on Christ alone from the book of Isaiah. Does Isaiah teach us the truth of Christ alone? Now, already your mind's probably going, where did Isaiah talk about Christ? And maybe those verses are coming to your mind, and we will not hit all of them. So within our 30 minutes time frame here, we're going to try to touch on a few. So Christ alone. Our salvation is accomplished by the meditatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father. It is denied that the gospel is preached if Christ's substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited. Christ alone is the object of our faith. So, what does this mean and why is this important? I guess that's the question. Why is this important that we focus on this truth that our justification before God, our salvation, is in Christ alone. Why should we consider this topic? Because the scriptures are clear. The scriptures are clear. The Bible explicitly tells us this truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except. Through me. Remember, this is an answer to Thomas, who asked him, Jesus, how can we know the way to the father? Jesus had told him, I'm going to the father. And he said, how can we know the way? And Jesus. Makes this statement. I know when I when we teach on these five solas, when I teach on Christ alone this morning, it's like we're preaching to the choir because you all know this. But do we not need to be reminded? Do we not need to be continually pointed back to Christ? Are we not prone to wonder? Put our eyes on other things. This happens with the old man, the old nature, the old nature always wants to rise up and try to grab a hold of something else for assurance, grab a hold of something else for sanctification, even when all of it is in Christ. If we're not made aware that we're capable Even sometimes to looking at our performance. Hey, I had a good week. I prayed, had my quiet time every morning. I did so many good things for the Lord this week. And we can try to begin to feel like we're doing good because we're doing good. And if we are doing good, it's because of Christ alone. Christ alone. All of our advancement in faith and sanctification is a work of the Lord. So we can't measure our standing or our justification before God based upon anything but Christ, because if we do, we err greatly. I'm going to be using a couple of several quotes from Thomas Wilcox this morning, and I'll tell you why in a minute. He said, let all that is of old Adam in you fall down at the foot of Christ. He only must have the preeminence. All the vessels of the spiritual new covenant temple from cups to pictures must all be hung upon Christ. He is to bear the glory. This is from the book. that we have in the bookstore this morning that is open and ready for you to purchase. Choice honey from the rock of Christ by Thomas Wilcox. There is no way no truth in the world apart from Christ. Martin, Lord Jones. Jesus said, I am the door. If anyone enters by me. He will be saved. And we'll go in and out and find pasture from the words of Christ. He will be saved if you enter the correct door. All things have been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows the son except the father, and no one knows the father except the son, and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him. You say, well, that's not Isaiah. Well, we're getting there. Hang on. You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything but Christ. Isn't that an awesome quote? Everything else is empty. To see grace and salvation in Christ is the greatest sight in the world. When the scales fall off. and your eyes are opened to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, there's no greater sight. So why is this important? Well, because the scriptures tell us that it's important. The scriptures are explicit and we could go on and on and on versus telling us this. So as we consider this topic, not only that the Bible is clear and tells us that salvation is through Christ alone. And our flesh would have us forget and to rely upon other things. So, we know the Scripture's telling us the truth. Our flesh is rising up and trying to grab a hold and trying to help salvation along. But then also, there are those who would tell us that it's not Christ alone. Even within the past couple of weeks, you may have seen or heard of this quote from Pope Francis to the children in Singapore. All religions are paths to reach God. They're to make a comparison like different languages, different dialects to get there. But God is God for everyone. If you start to fight saying my religion is more important than yours, mine is true and yours isn't, where will this lead us? There is only one God. And each of us have a language to arrive at God. Some are Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christians. They are different ways to God. Wrong answer. So there are deceivers and those even demons that would lead us astray. What did Jesus say? I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. You would think that the vicar of Christ would know the words of Christ himself. There is a way that seems right unto a man. But the end thereof are the ways of death. Men with their puny ideas attempt to improve upon the glories of God and the glories of the gospel only to their peril. They're more gracious than God. God wouldn't just make one way. You come this way. We all are trying to get to God. God all wants us to get there. So, whichever path you choose, you can come through your path. That's not what Jesus said. That's not what the Bible says. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Let's let God's Word And Christ alone. Stand alone. The saved are singled out not by their own merits, but by the grace of the mediator. So it's not our works. We know this. It's not by any works of righteousness which we have done. But Christ. There's one mediator between God and man. The man, Christ, Jesus. But what is it to go to Christ? To go to Christ is to embrace him in his person and offices and to rest entirely and closely upon him for pardon of sin and eternal life, being deeply sensible of the want and worth of him. Is not Christ our everything? We must know that it's Christ alone and the perfect, complete work of him that saves wretched sinners. So what does Isaiah say? That's our question this morning. Does Isaiah teach the doctrine of Christ alone for our redemption and justification before the one true God? Let's take a look at a couple of verses. Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. What a statement. Never has a virgin conceived. That's impossible. But what's impossible with men is possible with God, because he is Emmanuel, God with us. Many have been born and named Emmanuel, but only one has been the Emmanuel. God with us. He would not follow the normal path. He would not be born of the seed of man, of the seed of Adam. He would not be born and thus inherit the curse of the fall. He would be born of woman. He would be conceived by the Holy Spirit. And through the lineage of his mother, he would be of the lion. of the tribe of Judah, he would be the offspring of David. He would be the offspring of Abraham. He would be the offspring of Adam. But he would be. A new man. A new breed. The breed of the new birth of those who would be born again from above by the Holy Spirit. What more does Isaiah say about this son that is to be born? For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Someone's going to be born. It's going to be born unlike any other man that has been born. He's going to be. God with us, he's going to be the son of God, he's going to be wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. He sent into the world, he's born onto us. For God so loved the world, what? That he gave us his only begotten son, that whoever would believe in him would not perish, but have eternal life, would be saved. Now let's focus in on this passage of Isaiah 52, 13 through 12, and we're going to have to run. Are you ready to run? All right. So what of this virgin born son given to save us? Behold, my servant will prosper. He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Isaiah puts forth this picture. God is telling us that, behold, look at my servant. He will prosper. He will be raised and lifted up. He will be highly exalted. How is this to come to pass? He existed in the form of God. He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant being made in human likeness. and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above all names. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. So Isaiah talks out, starts out, behold my servant. He will be lifted up, he will be highly exalted. Paul is telling us here in Philippians that he has been given a name that is above every name. that every knee will bow, every tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of the Father. What brings this exaltation about? Him humbling himself, becoming obedient unto death. Even the death of the cross. And this is what Isaiah is going to go on to tell us. Just as many were appalled at him, his appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and his form was marred beyond human likeness. What's happening? So will He sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard." What are you saying? Well, what we see here is that Jesus would be marred, and we're going to see the full extent of that here in a moment, He would be exalted so that He would sprinkle the nations so that those who have never seen would hear. Those who had never heard would see. What are they going to see? What are they going to hear? What are they going to understand? What is this? This is the gospel going forth unto all the nations. Not just Israel, not just the Jews, but the whole world. Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Who has God showed His strength, His might, His power unto? Those who have not ever seen, but now they see. Those who have not heard, but now are hearing. The opening of our hearts to receive the Lord Jesus Christ is not a work done by any power of our own, but by the arm of the Lord revealed therein. John Flavel. Do you see that? To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? You. When your eyes were opened to the Gospel, you saw the sinfulness of your sin, and you saw the love and the glory of God in sending Christ to die for you, and you beheld the Gospel. What was that? That was the power of God awakening you. That was the power of God causing new birth in you. What was that? It was the same power that raised Christ from the dead. More power than it took to form the universe. Miracle of all miracles when our eyes were open to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and we were born again. Hallelujah. He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, like one from whom men hid their faces. He was despised. And we esteemed him not. Isn't it wonderful that you can read Isaiah 53 and you really need no commentary? Surely. He took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken. By God struck down and afflicted. But what? He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. The punishment that should have been ours was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray. Each one has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. How clear, how precise is Isaiah preaching the gospel of Christ alone? He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, So he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away and who can recount his descendants, for he was cut off from the land of the living, he was stricken for the transgression of my people. He was assigned a grave with a wicked. And with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. The just dying for the unjust. Not just his suffering in death, but we see the burial of Christ. Another quote from Thomas Wilcox, The way of being justified before God is in and through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. All our self-righteousness is filthy rags. For surely, shall one say, in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory. If only through the death of this just one, it is only through the death of this just one that the unjust ones are brought to God. There's only one way. And it's only Christ. He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we who were nothing but sin might be made the righteousness of God in him. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him. and cause him to suffer. And when his soul is made a guilt offering, he will see his offspring, he will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the anguish of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant will justify many. He will bear their iniquities. The more I look at the suffering of the son of God, the more sure I am that they must meet my case. Why did he suffer? if not to turn aside the penalty from us. When we gaze upon Christ, when we look at His sufferings, there can be no answer except that He's glorifying His Father. He's doing the will of the Father to bring about the salvation of many sons. Therefore, I will allot him a portion with a great and he will divide the spoils with a strong because he has poured out his life unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Jesus died for you. Jesus died for you. Christ Jesus, the servant of the Lord, died for you. He took on your transgressions, your sins, and now gives you his righteousness. God did not leave us. in the state in which we were born. He has provided the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And now we've been translated to a new state. Forgiven. Redeemed. Justified. In Christ. In Christ alone. Now, did Jesus finish the work? Did Jesus finish the work for us? Then there can be no doubt that he will also finish his work in us. Amen. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for your word. That even as we look into the Old Testament. So many testify. Of Christ. It was Christ who said that all the things that are written in the law, the prophets, the song concern him. Help us exalt in Christ today. In his name we pray. Amen.