Christ Is Our Suffering Servant

CHRIST IS OUR SUFFERING SERVANT (Outline)

October 12, 2008 --

PENTECOST 22 --

Isaiah 53:10-12

INTRO: In our day-to-day activities we may look at certain decisions as life or death. From time to time we may think about weighty matters such as our own life and mortality. Today we gather around God’s word to learn that our weighty matters are not life and mortality but are really life and immortality. As believers we remember that we have been given God’s gift of eternal life. Christ came to this world as our suffering servant. Jesus came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Out of love God gives us immortality. "For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord"(ROMANS 14:7,8). In all things we belong to the Lord.

CHRIST IS OUR SUFFERING SERVANT.

I. Christ died for the sins of the world.

II. Christ rose for the life of the world.

I. CHRIST DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD

A. Verse 10 begins with the small word “Yet”. This word connects today’s section with previous verses.

1. Verse 9 states “he had done no violence…no deceit was found in his mouth”.

2. “He was assigned a grave with the wicked”. Jesus died according to God’s will, verse 10a.

3. Verse 10b. Jesus was the payment for the wrongdoing of mankind, God’s guilt offering.

B. Jesus did not offer payment for his sins because he did not sin. Jesus died for the sins of the world.

1. Jesus is the righteous servant, perfect guilt offering for the unrighteous and imperfect, v. 11b.

2. Verse 11c. Jesus’ guiltless and innocent death carried the sins of the world to the grave.

3. This sin bearing, guilt offering is so important it is repeated again in verse 12c.

C. Verse 12b. Jesus’ death on the cross between two criminals was guilt offering the world needed.

D. Maybe there is a certain sin that is nagging your conscience today. Satan likes to try and make us think that there are certain sins that even God would not forgive. Christ is our suffering servant. Jesus loves to show mercy. By his death Christ buried all of our sins in his tomb. Christ paid the price once and for all, perfectly, and completely. Jesus paid the price for us. "Christ gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father"(GALATIANS 1:4). God’s will is that none should perish. God’s will is that his Son would take the place of sinful mankind. God’s will is that believers would not have to suffer the bitter taste of death. Paul considered his time as “the present evil age”. God still rescues us from our present ever more evil age.

E. The Lord God Almighty is concerned with our spiritual and eternal welfare. Our eternal salvation has been purchased and paid for by the very blood of Christ. Over the years of being saved we may have for-gotten that joy which is ours because of God’s free, full forgiveness. The joy of forgiveness is a joy we are anxious to share with others. God was not choosy in his forgiveness. He did not pick only certain people to forgive. "Jesus Christ, the Righteous One is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world"(1 JOHN 2:2). Sad to say the whole world does not benefit from the sacrifice of our suffering servant, Jesus the Christ. All too many deny Christ. Thus they lose the benefit of God’s forgiveness. We are reminded all the more that it is only by grace that we are saved.

F. We want to remember that we cannot save ourselves. The price of salvation is too costly. No payment is ever enough. Really we cannot even decide to save ourselves. God’s grace alone saves. Our efforts, our desires cannot and do not earn eternity. Eternity is freely provided purely by God’s free forgiveness. "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins"(COLOSSIANS 2:13). Dead in sins = unable to do anything at all. In the deadness of our sins the Lord comes and saves us through the forgiveness of sins. What a beautiful description to remind us just how much God does to save us who cannot save ourselves.

CHRIST IS OUR SUFFERING SERVANT is not going to be a headline in any newspaper. Those who serve do not often make headlines. As our suffering servant Christ died for our sins + the world’s sins.