See my Servant (52: 13 – 15);
I’ve preached many a time on the theme that God knew the cost of creating us and still did
What cost well, the suffering of Jesus
Have you ever wondered did Jesus really have to die, well did he?
After God is God, surely he could well just change the rules a bit and who would know, who could judge, who well none but the I AM
God would know and for God that is unacceptable
I wonder: Did Jesus have to die on the cross? The obvious answer is No. God could have used any way but this is the way he chose. I imagine a Trinitarian conversation in the heavenlies where they agree to make sure it happens this way.
My next question is: Why did Jesus die in this way? I offer three thoughts:
1: To condemn sin: In Romans 8:3-4 Paul writes: “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” He links Jesus’ death to a sin offering (Lev. 4:1-5:13)) which was for unintentional sins. In the next chapter of Leviticus, we read about guilt offerings, where the sinner paid the person back in full plus one-fifth. Paul makes it clear that Jesus was a sin offering – everything is paid by him, all our sin is covered and condemned at the cross.
2: To ransom many: Mark’s only interpretation of Jesus’ death is as a ransom. In the Bible ransom doesn’t mean that you pay somebody to release the captive, otherwise Jesus’ death would be payment to the devil, which is absurd. Rather, it means we will not destroy your city if you set the captives free (e.g.: Pharaoh and the Israelites). Jesus’ death frees us from the devil’s grip.
3: To show God’s love and justice: These are the two arms of the cross: Love for humanity (ransoming us) and hatred of sin (a sin offering).
After this Jesus was buried. Jesus definitely died.
“See, my servant will act wisely he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.”
He was lifted up on a cross and then from the grave and is highly exalted
Today we need to ponder the cross marvel at this statement, this act that underpins all of creation this reaching down from heaven, this crying out from earth this meeting of love and the divine, glory and blood, death and life eternal.
I remember watching the Passion of the Christ how appalled I felt at the bloodstained broken figure on the cross, beaten and bruised repulsive and broken, defeated and yet
Totally victorious, by this brokenness, by this offering the whole of humanity was saved made right with God
By this blood sprinkled on the dirt of a Jerusalem garbage heap, we can be washed clean and forgiven , not just the whole world but the whole of humanity, its amazing.
Chapter 53 Verses 1 - 3;
Originally the statement in verse 1 “who has believed our report” was delivered by Isaiah Ben Amoz about 720 years before Jesus death and resurrection. Isaiah was preaching to the nation Judah who had gone astray from God following the ways of Assyria and foreign Gods. Isaiah was preaching about repentance turning back to God and a Messiah who would deliver the people from their sin, that if they accepted this Saviour they would be forgiven
So here we are today and the world seems to me far from God the majority seeking not his ways certainly not praying “your kingdom come” more only my will be done as the norm is to lead ever more self centred lives following the I ME not the I AM
Romans 10:16-17 (The Message)But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims, ”A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to.
For you and me Jesus the son of God died and he was raised from the dead, a victory beyond all other the greatest of all in humankind existence a victory literally of life over death of good over evil of light over darkness, a victory eternal and true
John 16:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
Jesus is the way to God the gate of righteousness, that when you give yourself to Jesus you can enter at no cost, as Jesus has that covered and paid the price
Consider again John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
This is the meaning of life for human kind, this is what we are on this earth to live for and learn of before we die, this is our foundation stone this is the crowing piece of Gods architecture for the universe for all of creation, the salvation of mankind ours to accept or reject
God came down to rescue us humanity not is some grand “Flash and Awe” event so none could doubt and all would bow slave like and in fear
God came as a man, one of us looking nothing special looking like most of the other Jewish boys of that time, not a prince, not wealthy, just a carpenters son, with a link to the lineage of the house of David the king of Israel
Matthew 22:41-42 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.
Jesus often forced to spend time alone, received not even though here was God in their midst people did not always rejoice at his presence, questioned him and mocked him
Matthew 26: 6- 8 while Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.
Do you hear that his own disciples saying why waste that expensive stuff on Jesus we would be better off with the money, how cruel from those he had walked with and taught for three years, those that knew he was the Christ the Messiah
How many still reject Jesus, reject his offering of forgiveness and salvation, turn from him and scorn him?
Chapter 53: Verse 4 -5;
Jesus offers wholeness that is being made right again with God
During his time leading up to the cross, he performed amazing healings, blind receiving sight, lepers being healed. A lady who had been bleeding to decades healed by a brief touch and yes he raised the dead on several occasions
Matthew 8:16-17 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases”
The point is Jesus not only carried the sorrows of the people in his life ministry he did so for the whole world when he hung on a cross
By his stripes we are told we are healed (King James translation) and the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (NIV).
Are you getting the picture he Jesus paid the price, he took it on himself, suffered and was wretched and unbelievable terrible pain for us for you and me, so that we might have peace and be set free
Tell me now what kind of heart does our saviour have, the only answer is love, love that sacrifices all for all, the love of the I Am
The love of a Father who would give a son that he dearly loves for a people that many love him not, but the key point is God loves all God is love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are love, can only be love that’s why Jesus came and suffered at the hands of those he had created
Matthew 27:27-31 (The Message) The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.
Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities and he took the whip so that by his stripes we might be healed, that’s love
God’s promise is not that we will not suffer or have grief, pain and trouble, his promise is more amazing than that it is that he will be with us in all of those moments, he will never leave us and forsake us, God loves us to much to leave us to face these moments alone, the creator of all things stands with you, remember that when the letter from the bank comes, remember that when the e-mail from HR falls into your inbox telling of synergy and how your services are well redundant, God is with you his love will not leave you will not reject you and never tell you are not good enough
By his stripes we are healed, Jesus bore the sorrows, the sins, and the weight of the whole world upon the cross
Chapter 53: Verses: 6 - 8;
Hate to say this but I will I believe we are all inherently selfish people
If we are left to our own ways and lead by ourselves we will serve our needs and look to please ourselves
John 16:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
Jesus is our way to God, if you want to be made complete to be lead on the right path you have to turn to Jesus and surrender your heart to him, let him become the Sheppard of your life
Note the word Sheppard not Police man or law enforcer
Jesus loves his sheep, would and did lay down his life for his sheep and expects in return his sheep to listen and follow his ways, but he knows our hearts knows that selfish me part of all of us which would fight against the way of the Sheppard
This is why its important to listen and follow as the closer we stay to Jesus the easier it is to follow his lead and become the person God knows we can be – fully alive in Christ living for Gods glory not ours
Here in verse 7 we read again of how Jesus was afflicted and beaten and did not speak out like a lamb to the slaughter he was led to his death
Jesus the Captain of heaven with the armies of heaven at his disposal legions of Angels that would come at one word and that could decimate the forces of the Romans with ease like an nuclear bomb can flatten a city
And yet, Jesus trusted the Father understood the plan and the need for him to be taken and crucified and remained silent in oppression and judgement was taken away, never given the chance to have children cut off from the land of the living to save you and me, his sheep and his children if you accept his patent hood
As it reads in the message version of verses 7-9
7-9He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. Justice miscarried, and he was led off— and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he’d never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn’t true.
Chapter 53 Verses 9 -12;
Matthew 27:57-60 (The Message)Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate granted his request. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.
His body was laid wrapped in linen and spices, the stone was rolled and the tomb sealed
Isaiah 53: 10 (The message) Still, it’s what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.
God that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit knew from the beginning of creation that this day would come, still the pain for Jesus Suffering and death imagine how any parent would feel seeing a child suffer in such away, image what pain for the creator of all things, who at any moment could have intervened and stopped it as God is God, but we would have then been the one condemned to death with no hope of rescue, no hope of salvation, give thanks that
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God came as a man into the mess of the world, fully a man to give himself for us the ones he loves, his children and into the mess of their lives. Then on this Easter Sunday consider again the glory of the resurrection, Jesus raised from the dead by God, the stone rolled away, the victory for you for me for all of human kind. Jesus raised up to the right hand of the Father, ever intervening for those who give their lives to him, offering the eternal promise of healing, being washed clean behold I AM is making everything new, one soul at a time, consider the victorious servant Jesus
Colossians 1: 15 – 20: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Rejoice, Rejoice by his strips we are healed, by his blood we are washed free of the filth and the stench and made right with God, looking forward to an eternal existence in the presence of our King, Jesus, FREEDOM!!!
Offer your life anew to Jesus with joy and thanks giving let him onto the throne of your life as king, king of all and you will be secure, you will be blessed for eternity and be surrounded and upheld by a love that will never fail
So give thanks and praise and exalt our God this is our worship
2 Corinthians 2:14 – 15 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
Live to follow Jesus final instruction to all of his followers:
Matthew 28: 16 – 20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[ the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“
Therefore go live like Jesus and he will be with you always.
