On Sovereignty, Penal Substitution, And Love

I have been preaching through the gospel of Mark for over 4 months, and we have been pushing through the Passion narrative for almost half that period. We have finally arrived at the Trial before Pilate (C.f. Mark 15:1-15). As we have been pushing these texts, the LORD has shown me more and more the bitter-sweet intention of God in Cross.

Indeed, the intentional act of the Cross has shown to me that all the more, the love of the Cross (C.f. Mk. 8:31, 9:31, 10:33f, 10:41-45; 13:27f, 14:8, 14:13-21, 14:48f). Moreover, it has made the words of Isaiah all the richer. Indeed, the intention and purpose of the death of Christ remains literally and clearly and predicted even 750 years earlier:

"Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scouring we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that i led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth."

- Isaiah 53:4-7

On Old Testament Restoration And, Perhaps, Regeneration?

The Prophet Isaiah reminds us that this is the Word of God:

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners..."

Then he reminds Israel of their hopeful redemption as a nation of priests. He ends with praise. And why rejoice? I will let the text speak for itself:

"I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, bridegroom as decks himself with a a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things own in it to spring up, so the LORD GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations."

- Isaiah 63:1; 63:10f