Pastor's Power Points

April 23, 2006

Divine Satisfaction (cont.)
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied…
Isa. 53:11a

                What are the ramifications of this divine satisfaction?

                First, the Father is satisfied.  The suffering of the righteous Servant was a most necessary event in God’s pleasure. Through the Servant’s suffering and subsequent satisfaction we see “God’s ultimate aim and end with respect to his universe.”¹  God, the Father, is now satisfied because the righteous requirement of His holiness has been met, as well as the compulsion of His love which is to draw us into communion with Him. The Father’s satisfaction means that we (those who have surrendered in faith to Him) are justified and at peace with Him. We are no longer condemned, but our lives are hidden with Christ in Him. Because the Father is satisfied we can approach Him confident of His acceptance. This is the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ – the suffering Servant.

                Creation is also satisfied.  Verse 10 concludes: The pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand.  The will of the Father will be carried out unimpeded, and His pleasure included all that was created by His hand. Not only did the sufferings of the Servant bring about the redemption of God’s people, but, in the end, all of His creation.  It is in God’s plan to make a better world – and only He can.  We are informed in Romans that creation was subjected to futility, but subjected in hope of deliverance from the bondage of corruption, to the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:20-21). Many noble attempts have been made by statesmen, political activists, journalists, professional leaders, educators, scientists, philosophers and philanthropists to make a better world. But their attempts fail dismally, with some carrying the stench of a wicked heart. In fact, as Steven Lagerfeld points out, with the exception of WWI, the great clashes of the bloody 20^th century were provoked by ideas ultimately about the possibility of human perfection.² It is God, and God alone, who makes all things new.

              Finally, this divine satisfaction means we can also find satisfaction – finally. It was the suffering Servant who offered to us that satisfaction that is desired deep within every human heart.  Man’s ultimate error was and is the attempt to find satisfaction apart from the loving Creator driving us away from Him.  He, in His matchless grace, took the initiative to remedy that alienation and to reconcile us through the travail of soul. Our satisfaction can be realized only because of His. It was He who said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.