3rd Sunday of Advent
“The PASSION of Messiah”
How will help us?
INTRODUCTION
Christmas commemorates the first advent; the first coming of Jesus Christ. Advent means arrival, start, coming, beginning, dawn. This year we have revisited the Christmas story by focusing on the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah available to Jews and Gentiles hundreds of years before His coming. The prophecies revealed his person, practice, passion, purpose as well as the period and place of His birth.
THE PERSON OF MESSIAH – Who will He be?
THE PRACTICE OF MESSIAH – What Will He do?
1.Speak for God as His anointed Prophet, teacher, preacher
2.Intercede as God’s High Priest as well as God’s sacrificial Lamb
3.Rule as King of kings and Lord of lords and Prince of Peace
4.Shepherd as Chief Shepherd
5.Heal the spiritually and physically sick
6.Deliver from sin and Satan
7.Redeem / Savior
THE PASSION OF MESSIAH – How will He help us?
The word “passion” is usually used in reference to the suffering of Christ. The week of Easter is generally called “Passion Week”. The Jews were focused on the political reestablishment of the Kingdom of Israel. God was working on His Kingdom that would include all nations. He promised Abraham that through his “seed” (singular) ALL nations would be blessed. In order for God to bring about His kingdom of righteousness and not just another corruptible earthly kingdom run by fallen creatures, it would be necessary to change people’s heart. He must decisively deal with the sin dilemma.
The Jews generally missed the suffering aspect of Messiah’s mission. They were so focused on the Reigning King and the reestablishment of the Kingdom glory that they missed the many passages related to the suffering of Messiah. The one unmistakable prophecy, they in later years reinterpret to refer to Jeremiah, Josiah or the nation Israel itself not their coming Messiah. The passage itself soundly argues against such an interpretation. There are two major prophetic passages and a host of other passages spelling out remarkable details concerning the suffering and death of Christ.
A. Isaiah 53:1-12
This passage is quoted in the New Testament more frequently than any other passage. (41)
In only twelve short verses we find extraordinarily detailed prophecy related to the life, suffering, burial, death, resurrection and exaltation of Messiah. Isaiah reports from a post crucifixion perspective. He details the suffering of Messiah as a reporter reporting an event that had already taken place.
1.He came in obscurity
Prophecy
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
Isaiah indicates that the general public would not believe this aspect of God’s plan. Who would believe that God would bring about salvation through such a person? The refusal of the people to hear was indicated from the beginning of Isaiah’s call in chapter 6. God called him to proclaim the message of salvation but indicated the people would not listen. Here, they refuse to believe that God would send salvation through such a “pathetic” deliverer.
“Bare the Arm” is a figure of power and strength. It pictures someone rolling up their sleeves to reveal a strong and muscle bound arm ready for action. Who would believe that the arm that would bring salvation was actually an unremarkable scrawny arm?
He created the world with His fingers (Psalm 8:3)
He delivered Israel from Egypt with His strong hand Ex 13:3)
It would take the baring of His mighty arm bring about salvation for all of mankind.
However, His bared arm would not be recognized as a show of strength. Messiah would start out in a vulnerable state (tender shoot). He would grow up in a difficult circumstance and time of history (parched ground). Instead of a mighty oak we find a vulnerable little shoot appearing in dry ground. This is an image of humiliation and weakness and vulnerability in a hostile environment. This tree of deliverance would sprout up in a most unexpected place (descendent of a failed and defunct Davidic dynasty from an obscure despised town in one of the smallest nations on earth).
Jesus appeared at the right time although at a time of extreme spiritual dryness. Although hidden from the general public, this “Tender Shoot” would grow up under the watchful eye of the Father. He would not bear any outstanding feature to distinguish Him from the crowd. His physical appearance would basically be unremarkable. His would not grow up as one of the elite or “beautiful people”. He would not have “star power”. This Savior of mankind and redeemer of Israel would not even be born to remarkable parents or in a remarkable place.
Fulfillment
It would take a year to cover all the passages related to the fulfillment of this grand prophecy in the person of Christ.
The whole New Testament is a testament to the fulfillment of the things mentioned in Isaiah.
Because this is such a extended passage I am going to deal with the fulfillments in each section.
This is the passage that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading when Philip joined his chariot and pointed to fulfillment in Christ. (Acts 8)
I have provided more detail in the notes and will only briefly touch on some of the astoundingly detailed fulfillments.
He was born in a manger in a sheep herder’s town.
He became a resident of Nazareth, a unassuming town. His parents were poor. He was born under suspicious circumstances (Illegitimate son of Joseph). There were no fanfares, media coverage. Even the religious leaders were unaware of His arrival.
2. He would suffer painful apathy and rejection by those He came to save.
Prophecy
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.
He would be completely dismissed and considered worthless and unworthy. There is a certain sharp sting to relational pain and rejection. Some would rather suffer physical pain than relational pain. Messiah would suffer both, along with an intense spiritual pain beyond imagination. They despised Him because He did not represent their image of greatness and power. Poor, son of a carpenter (common laborer or handy man), obscure city, socially outcast.
He was too much like them. He suffered pain. He understood the grief and sorrow of everyday life in the trenches. He didn’t rise above it all. He suffered with them. How could one who suffered with them be expected to deliver them? So they turned away and did not give Him a second thought. (“esteem” = think about, consider). This was no more evident than their willingness to release a murderer rather than Jesus. Even His own disciples abandoned Him in His most urgent time of need. Grief and sorrow would become His constant companion. It is no wonder that Jesus longed to be resorted to the glory he experience with His father before the creation of the world.
Fulfillment
He came to His own and His own people did not receive Him. (John 1:12) Rejected by family
When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses."
The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons." Mark 3:21-22
For not even His brothers were believing in Him. John 7:5
The gospels are full of passages detailing rejection by people. The crowds completely dissipated toward the end. Even His disciples eventually abandoned Him in His greatest hour of need.
3. His would suffer excruciating pain and death because of our sin
Prophecy
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.
It’s hard to miss the contradiction and grave injustice here and the multiplication of negative terms. Our griefs – He bore (bore away). Our sorrows He carried. We transgressed and He was stricken, smitten, afflicted, and pierced through. We sinned and He was crushed. Our punishment fell on Him. We are healed by His scourging. Notice the plurals. It was our sin that brought His sorrow and pain and grief and suffering.
Some 800 years before the actual event, the prophet uses words of incredible detail. Piercing, scourging, bruising, crushing all significant to an unfamiliar beating and crucifixion. One verse in chapter 52 indicates a horrible marring.
Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. Isaiah 52:14
The point to keep in mind is not the fact that Christ died – everybody dies – but that He died for OUR sins.
“The people thought that He was afflicted because He was bad and they were spared because they were good. The reality is that He was afflicted because they were bad and they were spared because He was afflicted.” (Alexander McCaren)
We not only have emotional and relational suffering but now spiritual and physical suffering.
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.
Sheep have a tendency to follow their appetites not matter what trouble it brings. The punishment for all of our straying and doing our own thing fell on Him. The corporate sin of all of mankind was made to “encounter” Him; land on Him. The prophet employed a multitude of sin words. Wicked, sin, transgressions, iniquities, guilt, gone astray, turned to his own way, transgressors. The Man of Sorrows would bear them all.
Fulfillment
Jesus Himself detailed His own mistreatment about to come upon Him before it happened.
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again. But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said. Luke 18:31-34
The Biblical accounts of Passion Week in the Gospels graphically point to Jesus as the promised Suffering Servant.
4. He would respond to His unjust punishment with complete submission.
Prophecy
Not only would He bear them all but do it without a word of protest.
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.
Oppressed relates to being forced to immediately repay a debt incurred. In this case it was a debt that we incurred not Him but He was force to pay it. Through it all He would not resist or protest or cry foul or call for help.
Fulfillment
Peter powerfully recalls the fulfillment of this prophecy.
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24
The Gospels carefully point out Jesus’ silence at the accusations hurled at Him.
5. He would be oppressed and judged by the very people who deserved punishment.
Prophecy
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?
This oppressive judgment indicates predicts the fact that the crimes would be viewed as so vial and horrible that a fair trial would be denied. He would be cut off at a young age without offspring. (Considered a disgrace in that culture)
Fulfillment
The gospels record six complexly illegal and unjust trials.
Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Mark 14:63-64
6. He would be honorably buried despite being executed as a transgressor.
Prophecy
Not only does the prophecy predict his suffering and death but even details of His burial.
His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
The meaning of this verse would have been impossible to discern until after the actual event.
Fulfillment
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. Matthew 27:57-60
7. His sacrifice will satisfy the righteous demands of a Holy God.
Prophecy
How could God allow such a travesty of justice to afflict His only beloved Son?
He not only allowed it, He orchestrated it. Three times in this passage we are reminded that GOD intentionally did this.
But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
The Father, with the full cooperation of the Son, inflicted such suffering on the Son for a grand purpose. The purpose is so powerfully proclaimed in verse 10 and 11. Messiah would be crushed and put to grief to become a guilt offering on our behalf. He took the punishment for out sin so we wouldn’t have to. The voluntary sacrifice of the Son for the sons of men would satisfy the righteous demands of a holy God. A righteous God must carry our justice.
Someone must pay. Sin must be punished. Jesus took that punishment. As a result of His sacrifice Go can justify (declare righteous) the many who embrace Him.
Fulfillment
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 1 Peter 3:18
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2
Passages on the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ are too numerous to list here.
8. God will exalt Him because of His sacrifice.
Prophecy
The reward to be poured out on His Son would be great. Realize many offspring – abundance of followers, children of God. Prolong His days – bodily resurrection. Prosperity – Give Him pleasure and the kingdom
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
Who is the greatest of all? Who will come in triumph and rule as King of kings and Lord of lords? Why? Because He sacrificed Himself and took on our sin and interceded for the many.
His exaltation was mentioned in chapter 52.
Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted…He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand. Isaiah 52:13,15
Fulfillment
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11
Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ’THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."’ "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 2:29-36
There are many passages indicating the suffering of Messiah.
Daniel 9:26
"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
Zechariah 12:10
"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
B. Psalm 22 -- The extent of His suffering
This Psalm is a most detailed cry of suffering.
The suffering expressed here fits accurately with the suffering of Christ on the cross right down to words spoken by Christ and those mocking him and the action of soldiers below Him.
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, "Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb. Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance. Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth; from the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
This psalm talks about:
Feeling of abandonment
Despised by men, sneering mocking (some exact works of the Pharisees)
Surrounded by demonic hordes
Joints out of place
Heart filling with fluids
Strength failing
Thirst
Pierce hands and feet
Dividing of the garments by dice throwing
I will tell of Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the LORD, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard. From You comes my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him. The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD’S and He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, all those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. Posterity will serve Him; it will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has performed it. Psalm 22:1-31
C. Suffering Details
The details of His suffering are detailed in other passages as well as Psalm 22. Following are just some of the specifics.
1. No broken bones
Prophecy
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:19-20
Fulfillment
Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, "NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN." And again another Scripture says, "THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED." John 19:31-37
2. False witnesses
Prophecy
Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. Psalm 27:12
Fulfillment
They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, Matthew 26:60
3. Struck on the head
Prophecy
"Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek. Micah 5:1
Fulfillment
They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. Matthew 27:30
4. Given vinegar and gall
Prophecy
Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:20-21
Fulfillment
And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. Matthew 27:33-34
5. Divided the clothes
Prophecy – See Psalm 22
Fulfillment
And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. Matthew 27:35
6. Betrayal by Judas including price
Prophecy
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. Psa 41:9
Also Psalm 55:12-14
I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Zechariah 11:12
Fulfillment
Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?" And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. Matthew 26:14-16
7. Numbered with the transgressors
Prophecy
…He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
Fulfillment
At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. Matthew 27:38
8. Spit upon
Prophecy
I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. Isaiah 50:6
Fulfillment
Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, Matthew 26:67
9. Hated without Cause
Prophecy
Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; what I did not steal, I then have to restore. Psalm 69:4
Fulfillment
"He who hates Me hates My Father also. "If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. "But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ’THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’ John 15:23-25
10. Friends stand aloft
Prophecy
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off. Psa 38:11
Fulfillment
And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things. Luke 23:49
11. Wagging of heads
Prophecy
I also have become a reproach to them; when they see me, they wag their head. Psalm 109:25
Fulfillment
And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads Matthew 27:39
12. Side pierced
Prophecy
"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Zechariah 12:10
Fulfillment
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. John 19:34
13. Darkness falling
Prophecy
"It will come about in that day," declares the Lord GOD, "That I will make the sun go down at noon and make the earth dark in broad daylight.” Amos 8:9
Fulfillment
Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. Matthew 27:45
14. Intercede for His enemies
Prophecy
…He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
Fulfillment
But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34
The odds of one man fulfilling these specific prophecies are phenomenal.
One expert’s calculations of just 8 of these prophecies all coming true in one man in is 1x1017. Which is 1 followed by 17 zeros.
If you calculate the odds of 48 of the prophesies you end up with 1x10157.
Conclusions
We can be absolutely certain that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah promised in the Scriptures.
Jesus suffered because of our sins. Not only ours but the aggregate sins of every person who ever lived and will live. He took our punishment so that we might be reconciled to God. He bore our sin that we might stand before God holy and blameless.
The Man of Sorrows became the Man of Joy.
Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
Hallelujah what a Savior!
Let’s remember Him.
Let’s worship Him.
