He Who Endured Hostility Series

He Who Endured Hostility

(Isaiah 50:4-11 with Hebrews 12:1-3)

1. Who we are is either a great blessing or a great curse. "You can be pleased with nothing when you are not pleased with yourself." Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.

2. When I have to deal with grouchy, negative people, I console myself as follows: "When I go home, I take myself. I can joke, laugh, read, pray, study, or enjoy life in a variety of ways. When they go home, they have to take their negative selves."

3. But how did Jesus console himself when he was beaten and abused for us? The New Testament only gives us a glimpse, but Isaiah 50 is the best source of information about what Christ actually thought.

4. But first, I need to explain why a study of Isaiah 50 is relevant to a study of Isaiah 53.

5. Isaiah 42 begins a section that contains 4 "Servant Songs," of which Isaiah 53 is last.

6. Chiasmus: Isaiah 50 is the parallel to Isaiah 53

a. restoration of Mother Jerusalem and her children through the servant (49:1-26)

b. the suffering servant and Israel’s sins (50:1-11)

• the servant is beaten

• he did not hide his face

• Israel punished for its iniquities

• Yahweh will help and vindicate the servant

• ends: behold and who

c. almighty Yahweh will rescue his people (51:1-16)

d. CENTER: Mother Jerusalem, bereaved of her children, will be restored (51:17-23)

c’ almighty Yahweh will rescue his people (52:1-12)

b’ the suffering servant and the forgiveness of Israel’s sins (Isaiah 53:1-12)

• the servant is beaten

• he is "as one from whom people hide"

• he was wounded for our transgressions

• Yahweh will help and vindicate the servant

• begins: behold and who

a’ restoration of Mother Jerusalem and her children (54:1-17)

[source: David Dorsey, The Literary Structure of the Old Testament, an INVALUABLE book]

8. Hebrews12:1-3 is a Midrash on our portion from Isaiah, I believe.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Main Idea: Jesus Christ is so much at the center of everything that we can sometimes learn more about him from the Old Testament than we can the New!

I. Jesus’ TEACHING Ministry (4)

A. No man ever spoke as JESUS did (John 7:46)

B. He was the founder and "PERFECTER" of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)

C. He was taught by the Father through the SPIRIT

1. Jesus had something to say (esp. note teachers of the Word)

2. Where did he get his teaching from? Had to learn: The Kenosis

3. Before Christ was a teacher, he was a learner.

NIV vs. 4, "the instructed tongue" in the ESV is, "the tongue of those who are taught," the NASB, "The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples."

4. He taught the spiritually hungry.

D. He was eager to obey without RESERVATION

• Serving the Lord is important, but how you serve the Lord matters too.

• He was joyful; it was a treat to learn the Word

• He felt great pleasure when he taught and ministered to the weary

It was not a chore

Application: Have you discovered the joy of a life filled with God? I do not know that any of us have a life like this, but we can get a taste of it – and that taste can get bigger and bigger and turn into a feast! But a feast is worthless if you are not hungry!

II. Jesus’ CALLING to Suffer (5-6)

A. Gethsemane’s CHOICE (5)

He struggled, but he did not draw back

He swear drops of blood

B. He was a VOLUNTARY victim (6)

John 10:17-19, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

1. It is here, not in the OT, they we find out that Christ’s beard was plucked

2. In that region, a beard was a sign of dignity and respect; plucking it was an ultimate insult

3. The Roman guards usually hated the Jews, and so took out their rage…

4. Beating, mocking, spitting – it was all foretold

5. But here we see Jesus thoughts…