Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. (Isaiah 52:13 KJV)

INTRODUCTION: In this introductory stanza to the Golden Passional we have God declaring "Behold the Man."  We must keep in mind that this prophecy was delivered hundreds of years prior to the events of Bethlehem or Calvary. In this prophecy not only the humiliation of Christ by the Glorification are evident.

We should praise God that in his wisdom he not only reveal a suffering Saviour but a glorified one.  Since all the prophecies of his birth, life, death and resurrection were fulfilled then we can trust him to fulfill the rest. When Christ came to earth he knew all that awaited him his birth lowly, His Life lonely, His suffering and death longingly, his resurrection lovely, and life in heaven lovingly. Thus he was able to endure the shame of the cross for the joy that was set before him.

Exaltation follow prudence. Maybe not in this life but we are not citizens here by there. Prudence in man sometimes fails but never in the Man Jesus Christ. When I acknowledge that I need prudence I can depend on him whose name is Prudence to give what I need.

I.    Prudent is his name--What Is His Nature.

A.    What is Prudence.

1.    Webster’s 1828 dictionary say "Wisdom applied to practice. Prudence implies caution in deliberating and consulting on the most suitable means to accomplish valuable purposes and the exercise of properly discerning and selecting them. Prudence differs from wisdom in this, that prudence implies more caution and reserve then wisdom, or is exercised more in foreseeing and avoiding evil, than in devising and executing that which is good. It is sometimes mere caution our circumspection.

2.    Wisdom and Prudence are not the same. Matt. 11:25

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” (Mt 11:25 KJV)

3.    "Thou hast hid these things form the wise and Prudent:" Matt. 11:25

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” (Mt 11:25 KJV)

B.    The Prudent are not just the possessors of wisdom

1.    They have used wisdom well.

2.    One may be wise and not prudent. A man may know the wise thing to do, but he may chose to do the unwise. Most preachers of the Word of God know that it is unwise to commit adultery, yet  some act without prudence and commit adultery and bring shame on themselves, their family and worst of all on the name of Christ.

C.    Those who have prudence will be wise Prov. 8:12

"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence."  If wisdom dwells alone man will make great errors in judgment. (Prov. 8:1)

1.    We should recognize that in us we have only the wisdom and prudence that we get for God who is wise and prudent and confess our need to have his prudence.

II.    Proofs that He is Prudent.

Our Blessed Lord was greater in wisdom and prudence than Solomon. The Passage of Scripture declares in prophecy that he was prudent but His live also displays prudence.

A.    In not Prematurely Surrendering His life.

1.    Several time the crowds and the ruler sought to kill him but he knew that his work must be accomplished and he took every precaution to prevent his life from being squander. Matthew 12:13-17

Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew [it], he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, (Matthew 12:13-17 KJV)

2.    We know that the world, the flesh, and the devil are seeking to destroy our body and/or our testimony we must have the prudent the comes from the one who is prudent so that our life will not be squandered.

B.    In His Insight into Character.

1.    All who came into touch with him knew he knew them through and through. Better than they knew themselves.

2.    They were aware that he could read there thoughts

3.    He acted toward them with unerring wisdom. Always using what he knew in the wisest fashion.

4.    In the case with the woman at the well he revealed that he knew about her 5 husbands and her current lover. But he dealt not with her symptoms of a sin nature but told her how she could get water that will cause her never to thirst.

5.    Do we sometimes react to people rather then seek to give them the solution to their problem. We need him who is called Prudent.

C.    In the skillfulness of his replies.

1.    Every Christian would do well to study the our Lord's Methods of dealing with individuals.

2.    he manifested amazing skill--was calm, never frustrated, had always the right reply, ever hitting the nail on the head.

3.    Oh we never wish we had not said something, or said something that was left unsaid. We feel inadequate to express our desire concerning the souls of men.

4.    "I Need the every hour" I need the one who is called Prudent

D.    In His Concessions to the Limitations of His hearer.

1.    He is the All-Wise One, The All-Knowing One, The God-Man, The God who knew all the big word that were knowable.

2.    Yet he never preached or taught above his hearers' head.

3.    He used parable, homey illustrations and simplest language

4.    One of thee most profound of his teaching the Beatitudes contains only 19 two or more syllable words.    Some of which are heaven(3), kingdom(2), comforted, inherit, hunger, children, persecuted, reward, and prophet.

5.    "The common people heard Him gladly," as well as the learned scholars o His time.    Many a public teacher is destroyed through lack of prudence.

6.    During the days of Spurgeon he said that one preacher would be a good martyr because he "was so dry he would burn well"

E.    In His Encouragement of all Good Living and Well-Intentioned Folks.

1.    Time and again he recognized and complimented them where He could.

2.    We have just gone through the tragedy of an officer of the Law giving his life in service of the community. He is to be complimented for that. But if he knew not the Savior he is in a place that burns forever.

3.    We can become critical of those who would ban semi-automatic weapons, but we could be complimentary to them also in that most of these mother, teacher, and police officers have the right motive. They just want to stop the killing. We know the Bible they don't.

4.    We need to Know the one who use Prudence in Dealing with men because we lack real prudence.

F.    In His Work of Salvation.

1.    He ever recognized that man's greatest need is not teaching but transformation. Not a code of morals, but a clean heart.

2.    Nicodemus declared him to be a great teacher--implying regeneration comes for education.

3.    The  Lord declared that Man need a new life. "Marvel not that I said unto you ye must be born again."

4.    Mankind seek to solve the problems of substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, drunk driving with education and laws. What man needs in not education by regeneration.

5.    As we deal with men we need the prudence that Knowing the Prudent one can give.

G.    In His Wondrous Scheme of Redemption. Eph. 1:8

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (Ephesians 1:8 KJV)

1.    It is in the redemptive work of Our Lord that we have the greatest example of His prudence.

2.    So marvelous is the plan that Satan has yet to find fault with it and destroy it, and He never Will.

3.    Every divine attribute is in perfect and complete harmony. Only this Scheme of Redemption could perfectly satisfy the righteous demands of all the attributes of God.

4.    With out this plan his Love, Goodness, mercy, kindness, grace and hope would be unfulfilled. and unsatisfied.

5.    Any other plan would have left his righteousness, justice, and Holiness unsatisfied.

6.    There at the Cross mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other.

IV.    His and Our Reward.

A.    He was and we will be exalted to the highest place of honor .

1.    Eph. 1:21--Him.

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:21 KJV)

2.    Eph. 1:12--us.

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (Ephesians 1:12 KJV)

B.    Extol Philippians 2:9-111

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 KJV)

C.    Glorified.

V.    He is Prudent, therefore we should be. For us to be prudent we must know him as the prudent one.

A.    We must confess our need to be what we are not and to be filled with the one who is.

B.    We need to praise him for the times he is his name to us. When we need prudence and he give to us himself and we are prudent.

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