Isaiah 54:17 …no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” Weapon. A weapon is some kind of an instrument that is used to hurt you. The arsenal of our enemy is varied and well stocked. But also notice that he is “fashioning or forming weapons against us.” But notice the verse - “no weapon…” “will prosper.” This verse tells us that there is someone who limits the effectiveness of any and every weapon that is formed against you. This thought sets us up for some trash talk that Jesus practiced. We are going to be in two different passages and two events that occur at the end of the life of Jesus. Jesus has been arrested and now it seems that all the odds are against him. Matthew 26:63 And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” Jesus just testified that no matter what they did it wasn't going to stop who he was. John 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” Pilate in all his pompousness, with all of his authority, with the state on his side, with the armies of the state ready to do whatever he asks, it looks like a mismatch as this man in his fine robes and official adornment stands next to this cruelly beaten Jesus and Pilate says John 19:10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” And now this beaten savior trash talks... 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.