Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He [cf. 52:13-15] grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched [i.e., “dry”] ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.TOPIC: Easter; atonement (substitutionary), sacrifice, worship
He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 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 scourging 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 is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and, as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
TITLE: The Message of God to Man!
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What can we say of God’s Suffering Servant?
TRUTH/CONTEXT: This is my continuing Easter prequel for the lack of a better word. I intend to have a bona fide Easter Series but want to build up to it by covering the marvelous touchstones of the season … so much! So much indeed! We must remember Isaiah’s Suffering Servant did this not just as an act of obedience to the Father and an act of love to mankind, but as an act of worship as well.
[SACRIFICE] When the government phased out its surplus commodity food program, a poor man went early to the closest distribution to get into line before the food ran out. A few hours later, he neared the door where the food was handed out. In the corner of his eye he saw a neighbor approach the end of the line. He called out to him. He knew the man. Neither his wife nor he had any work for some time. They had four children.FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What can we say of God’s Suffering Servant?
The man in line knew the food would run out soon, but he insisted his neighbor take his place. The first man went to the end of the line. Within a short time the distribution ended; the one who gave up his place also gave up his food.
In the same way, Jesus Christ drew us to His place, while He stepped into ours … taking upon Himself all the consequences of our failures.
EXPANDED OUTLINE:
I. WE CAN SAY: WHILE HELL FOCUSED ON HIM, HE FOCUSED ON US!
A. He Knew …II. WE CAN SAY: WHILE FORFEITING HIS OWN WELL-BEING, HE LABORED FOR OURS!1. SorrowB. He was treated Like a Leper …a) Anguish2. Grief
b) Afflictiona) Malady
b) Disease
c) SicknessPeople hid (pulled cloaks over) their faces from Him [i.e., averted]C. He was disparaged and disrespected1. DistainedD. Other …
2. Scorned1. Stricken – violently taken and thrown aroundE. Instead He …
2. Smitten – severely beaten
3. Afflicted1. Bore our griefsa) Both lifted up and2. Carried our sorrows
b) Carried awaya) Bent under
b) Burdened by
A. For Our Transgressions – Pierced!
B. For Our Iniquities – Crushed!1. BeatenC. For Our Healing – Scourged!
2. Bruised
3. Incapable of carrying himself; muscles wouldn’t respond1. The Passion of Christ
2. Black and blue all over
3. Cut and bleeding
APPLICATION/CHALLENGE: He suffered and He died that we might live; while we were yet in our sins, He died for you and for me.
Man was and is prone to do what seems right in his own eyes, to go the way of least resistance.
[LIGHT] No one switches on a flashlight in broad daylight; we turn on the light to dispel darkness. It is the darkness that makes the light necessary. God from eternity knew we would choose the darkness rather than His Light, and therefore He sent His only begotten Son to shine in the darkness … and the darkness will flee.And so He, the Light of God, shined in the darkness [John 1:4, 5] and he “has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
He was tortured and stomped, mocked, and spat upon, “Yet He did not open His mouth.”
His fate was as certain as a new born lamb on the day He was born … He would be “led to the slaughter,” to be torn apart to cover and feed the flesh. He knew this but He did not bleat!
Man wanted to destroy the Lamb of God for his own purposes but God had a greater purpose for His Lamb.
[COVERING] Two Aussies invented an inflatable covering for cars to protect them during hailstorms. The blanket is stored in the trunk until needed; then inflated with a lighter attachment in about 45 seconds. By the time the covering is up its too late! We need a covering to protect us from the strokes that are due us ... the covering provided by Christ does just that.Mankind (under the influence of sin) took the Lamb away to be cut off from the land (Israel) in order that Satan might deliver “the stroke … due” God’s people “for [their] transgression.” Notice the singular form of the word “transgression” … it’s a collective – meaning rebellion.
What was the greater purpose of God in all of this … other than that He would provide the ram as Abraham told his son God would do? It was this …
- Instead of His Lamb being used by man, He would be used for man.
- Instead of His Lamb being used by man to satisfy the Law, He would be used by God to satisfy the Royal Law.
- Instead of satisfying the flesh (will of man), He would satisfy the Spirit (will of God).
- Instead of a mortal, perishable, and natural purpose, He would be used for an immortal, imperishable, and supernatural purpose.
His Son gave Himself as a living propitiation to His Father, for our rebellion, that we might be cleansed and prepared for that Great Day of salvation and glory.
What, I pray, what have you given of yourself that you might be so presented on that day?
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