{"id":6291,"date":"2015-03-31T01:34:37","date_gmt":"2015-03-31T01:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=6291"},"modified":"2015-03-31T01:34:37","modified_gmt":"2015-03-31T01:34:37","slug":"his-generation-easter-series-part-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.firstofallpray.com\/?p=6291","title":{"rendered":"His generation\u2014Easter Series Part 8"},"content":{"rendered":"
By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? <\/em>Isaiah 53:8, NASB<\/p>\n He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.<\/em> Isaiah 53:8, KJV<\/p>\n The first of the above two versions of Isaiah 53:8 is from the\u00a0translation I normally use, the New American Standard Bible<\/em> (NASB). The second is from the King James Version (KJV); using both versions together sheds new light on this verse.<\/p>\n By oppression and judgment He was taken away\u2026<\/em> (NASB)<\/p>\n John MacArthur said of the crucifixion of Jesus, \u201cNo victim of injustice was ever more innocent than the sinless Son of God\u2026It was the greatest travesty of justice the world has ever seen\u201d (see http:\/\/www.oneplace.com\/ministries\/portraits-of-grace\/read\/articles\/the-murder-of-jesus-13577.html<\/a>).<\/p>\n Others have stated that His arrest, trial, and sentencing was, by far, the worst case of criminal miscarriage of justice in history. It was because of<\/em> man\u2019s oppression and evil judgment that Jesus was nailed to the cross, but God turned the twisted wisdom of men’s murderous ambition\u00a0on its head. Instead of the intended \u201csnuff job\u201d, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ gave the entire human race access\u00a0to redemption and eternal life\u2014not the outcome His\u00a0executioners were anticipating.<\/p>\n He was taken from prison and from judgment\u2026 <\/em>(KJV)<\/p>\n Jesus had been oppressed and judged by man\u2019s judgments, and He was taken<\/em> from the prison of the grave and judgment by\u00a0the\u00a0resurrection power of God. Commentator Matthew Henry wrote of this verse, \u201cHe was discharged…He was by an express order from heaven taken out of the prison of the grave, an angel was sent on purpose to roll away the stone and set him at liberty, by which the judgment given against him was reversed and taken off\u201d (see http:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org\/Comm\/mhc\/Isa\/Isa_053.cfm<\/a>). Because of His sinlessness, neither judgment, nor death, nor the grave could hold Him down once He had completed His\u00a0redemptive mission.<\/p>\n \u2026and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? <\/em>(NASB)<\/p>\n Who living in that generation even once considered during the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ that He was cut off\u2014assassinated\u2014for their own<\/em> sins and guilt-laden ways? They<\/em> deserved death and judgment; He <\/em>took it on for them; they were clueless concerning it.<\/p>\n \u2026 and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken <\/em>(KJV).<\/p>\n The KJV reads, \u201cHe was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation?\u201d<\/em> Because Jesus was sinless, death could not hold Him. Therefore, when He rose from the dead He became the firstborn among many brethren after bearing\u00a0our sins and wiping out\u00a0our debt. As a result, His generation\u2014you and I and all the others who would be born again through faith in Him\u2014would be without number.<\/p>\n