Intro: How can we bring Christianity, or being a Christ follower to its most basic components? How can we simplify it to the point that children can understand? We do as the Bible does. In Genesis there is no argument for God merely a statement of truth. “In the beginning God created.” This is not a politically correct statement. The inspired writers of the Bible never considered offending the hearers or readers of this text instead they had a holy fear of offending the one who created them and called them to communicate His plan for saving mankind. Simply there is a God. There is a creator a person who created and has ownership of everything. There is a creation. namely me, you, and every person that has ever drawn breath. According to Romans 3.23 all of us have sinned. Let me unpack that for you. All have thought they knew better than God. All creation is in open rebellion to God’s best. When you hear it like that it takes away the safeness of a word like sin doesn’t it.
So basically there is a God, a creator and controller of the universe. There is a creation a corrupter and resister of God’s will and plan for creation. The great problem of creation is this thing called sin. Sin is rebellion, distrust, dislike, rejection of God’s best for you, me, for everyone.
In the Bible God is revealed as Holy, set apart, different. We are told He will not allow sin in His presence. So how does this perfect God allow imperfect men into His presence? Better yet how does God allow rebellious, disobedient men and women, boys and girls, enjoy the best of His blessing wholeness? It is the Hebrew word Shalom. It was and is used by Jewish and Arab people alike for the well being of the person greeted.
It is in the 4th servant song of Isaiah that we find how we can enjoy the wholeness of God. 700 years before the birth of Jesus this book was written by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah tells us in chapter 7 verse 14 of the virgin birth. In 9.6,7 he is called the Prince of Peace, the prince of wholeness. It is in this passage Isaiah 53 that we see how we become whole. The suffering servant, the messiah, God in the flesh, Immanuel takes the burden of sin and carries it to judgment on the cross.
What many argue about when it comes to God, Jesus, and sin are not the person and work of Jesus, but debate, text, history, and interpretation. What I want you to come face to face with today is the real and living Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible is not an appealing, attractive person from natural standpoint. What he calls us to is rejection of our way of thinking, and living. This passage is a biography of the king. The entire Bible is about Jesus. We see 700 years before the birth of Jesus the burden of the cross.
Isaiah 11-12Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. Message
What is the burden that this servant or arm of the Lord carried? It was in the words of Max Lucado, Godless attitudes that led to Godless action. That is the great burden of the cross.
I. The personality of the servant
There were many interpretations of who the servant in this fourth and final song. At the time it could have been king Uzziah, Isaiah, or some other person. Some have thought that the nation of Israel was the personality behind the song. None of these adequately fulfill the personality in this passage.
A) Unattractive
Jesus’ portrait is painted in this passage. It is not a Polaroid of a sovereign Lord, it is the picture of the suffering lamb. It is this average looking carpenters son that is God in the flesh. He is not what you would expect. He is not striking, but there is an apparent depth in his stare.
Isaiah 53.2b There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
God was clearly declaring in Christ that His value system is different. Jesus was not charismatic but compassionate. He was not controlling he was and is kind. The true attraction beauty of Christ was in His humility and obedience to His father’s will. When you are looking for God what and where do you look? Is it in the attractive things of this world? Remember there was nothing about His appearance to attract us to Him. Jesus is attractive to the homeless in Him we are adopted and forever have a place in God’s house, Jesus is attractive to the helpless, lame, blind, and diseased. Jesus is attractive to the hopeless.
B) Unaccepted
The Hebrew word translated despised carries the idea of worthless. The one truly worthy of praise, worship, honor, and obedience of life was counted worthless. He was despised. He came to His own and they didn’t give him a second thought. If you think that is what our savior is going to be like then you have another thing coming.
We rail on the Saducees and Pharisees for their unbelief all the while living lives of rejection and unacceptance of who Jesus really is. I know you. With your decisions you count Him not worthy of your time, with your attitudes you count Him not worthy of your thoughts, with your heart you count Him not worthy of your life. But He alone is worthy.
Don’t be mislead. Don’t look for Jesus in things that are attractive. Don’t look in prosperity or popularity, ease or safety. You must look beyond the surface to find Jesus. The voice of truth, words of compassion, a touch of acceptance, a call to righteousness. He stands unaccepted by many today because He is unrecognizable to the natural eye.
Who has believed our message? Don’t despise Jesus because He looks different than you have ever pictured Him.
II. The purpose of the servant (Isaiah 53.4-8)
Why did this servant come? The verbs in this passage tell us it was so that he could take action that we could not. Jesus came to live a righteous life, and die a vicarious death.
Vicarious simply means in the place of another. He came to be a substitute. Jesus came to bear a burden we could not.
A) He came to carry our sin to the cross (Isaiah 53.5)
“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.”
1) Transgressions:
Willful and rebellious sin. Willful disobedience. This is best illustrated by Adam and Eve they knew what God had said, when you eat this fruit you will surely die. It doesn’t matter if you are deceived, depressed, or disturbed willful disobedience is sin. Jesus carried the burden of your disobedience to the place of the skull and was crushed for it.
2) Iniquities
Can carry the meaning of twisted or distorted character. We were designed to display the glory of God in our character. Because of separation from God as David said I was formed in iniquity.
He carried our selfish and self-centered character to the cross. We all like sheep have gone astray, each to his own way. And the Lord has laid the iniquity, the fallen character of us all on Him. 2 Corinthians 5.21 He who knew no sin, became sin. He carried your and my distorted and disgusting character to the cross so that we by faith can exchange it for His righteousness.
B) He came to carry our suffering to the cross
So many preachers tend to focus on the depth of human suffering that Jesus endured that they miss the spiritual and emotional suffering He carried to and on the cross. Here we see that on the cross Jesus went to the depths of depression, “Why have you forsaken me?”
Isaiah53.4 bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Jesus wants to bear the burden of your sickness, your anxiety, your afflictions. We do not have a God who seeks to load us down with burdens that make life unbearable. Every other religion in the world says work, work, work, for the possibility of peace. Here the Prince of Peace says rest. I have carried your burden to the cross why are you still working for acceptance. It’s as if in His still small comforting voice He says stop working for my acceptance and start working from my acceptance. I already carried your burden away quit trying to carry it yourself.
Jesus does not tell us to grin and bear it. He does not tell us to get over it. He says enter into the joy of my rest. Receive a new character, live according to a new conduct.
Have you ever wondered where is God when I hurt, suffer, grieve? Remember a placed called Golgotha. He went to a place of suffering, separation, and death. Now he stands waiting for you to invite Him into your suffering, grief, anxiety and pain.
III. The pleasure of the servant
It is hard to comprehend that it pleased the Father, and that it was always God’s plan from beginning to crush His Son.
Isaiah 53.10 “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him.” Some translations soften the impact of the word translated pleased in the NKJV. However the Hebrew chaw- fetz literally means it delighted the Lord to bruise Him.
It was God’s plan all along for Jesus to be a substitute. This was according to Peters Pentecost sermon in Acts 2.23 the predetermined plan of God. It pleased God that His plan was coming to fulfillment.
Why was the father well pleased? He wasn’t pleased that many attended temple every day,
It is the delight the satisfaction, the pleasure of Jesus to step out of heaven and walk into the life of a sheep going its own way. He comes as the good shepherd that lays down His life for you. He will bear your burdens, He will share your sorrows. In this he delights. There is more joy in heaven in the presence of sinners over one lost sinner, sheep, soul that comes home.
Isaiah 53.10-12 shows us the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus. He is satisfied by the salvation of many who will be counted righteous (NLT) because of His sacrifice.
Why did it please God to bruise Jesus, and why did it please Jesus to be bruised?
Think on this wisdom by Adrian Rogers.
There is no accidental or incidental with God He is always working behind the scenes.
Conclusion: How has God worked behind the scenes for you this moning? Has He made it evident through His Holy Spirit that your willful disobedience and distorted character were forever carried away by the Jesus on the cross? Have you trusted the finished work of Jesus? Have you turned from your way of living?
