Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces… I. THE HOLY AND HONOURABLE VICTOR. "He," the King of glory; "He," the Lord Christ; "He," the Father's co-equal and co-eternal Son; "He," who is called in the 6th verse, "the Lord of hosts"; "He," who, though He "thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross," that He might obtain the victory over death specified in the text. 1. The victories of His life and death in His own person. (1) His single-handed combat with the tempter. (2) We find Him attacked by the devil's sharpshooters — the Sadducees, the scribes, and the Pharisees. (3) Our glorious Victor now enters the very territory of "the king of terrors," that He may vanquish him in his own dominions. (4) Let us advance from this point, just to mark His victorious proceedings in the invincible operations of His grace; for, you must know, when He comes down on earth to carry on the triumphs of His redemption, He finds all the persons for whom He shed His precious blood, "dead in trespasses and sins"; and "He will swallow up" that "death in victory."(5) This glorious Victor will carry on a civil war in the hearts of His people. II. THE INTERESTS SECURED BY THESE VICTORIES. 1. The interests of the tribes of Israel, and we may just write upon these interests one sweet passage of Scripture: "So all Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation." 2. Moreover, the official character of Christ is herein honoured, and that is an interest peculiarly His own. 3. While the honour of Christ is to be maintained by His victory, and emblazoned before all worlds, the relationship existing between Him and His Church is dear to His heart. III. THE SACRED, THE SWEET PEACE, EVERLASTINGLY SETTLED BY THE VICTORIES OF OUR GLORIOUS VICTOR. Sovereigns generally profess that the object of their fighting is to settle peace upon honourable terms, so that it shall not be easily disturbed; and they do not care for proclaiming peace until it has been settled upon such terms that it is not likely again to be easily broken. Now, our glorious Conqueror has settled peace for His whole Church; nay, He Himself has become her peace. (J. Irons.) Parallel Verses KJV: He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. |
    |