This series is a tool to help shape your heart in preparation for Easter. Here are three brief reasons why you should rehearse the narrative of our Lord’s grief carefully:
1) Seeing Jesus’ Sorrow Lightens My Pain
One cannot think long about Jesus’ agony without tears. I have personally have had to pause in reading about Jesus’ week of trials and pain because of excessive emotion. When you stop to consider what Jesus went through, your heart breaks for His grief dwarfs our grief. While I would not want to minimize your grief even for a moment, for there is substantial pain and hurt in our world today. Yet, His agony makes our pain into light affliction. My pain can never been healed other than by His nailed-pierced hands.
2) Seeing Jesus’ Sorrow Stimulates My Passion
Not only does our hearts break at the sight of Jesus’ pain, but the cross of Jesus stimulates a passion for Christ inside me. Though you are nearly crushed by the sight of Jesus, there’s within you a strong, resolute and fervent passion for Him that explodes forward. Nothing is too hard for us to attempt and nothing is too difficult to endure for the One who sacrificed Himself for us. And while we are grieved to consider that our best will be so little in comparison to what He did, we are resolved in this: He deserves nothing less than our best.
3) Seeing Jesus’ Sorrow Destroys My Carelessness
His shame makes my indifference unthinkable. When I see His sufferings, my careless heart is disturbed and disrupted. I am weaned from my love of sin by hearing about Jesus’ pain on my behalf.
We are just four Sundays away from Easter – one of biggest celebrations in Christianity. Easter is the time when non-Christians will more easily come to church and we want to be prepared. We want to see people come to Christ this Easter. I want to see your friends, family members, and co-workers to experience the love of God this Easter. To accomplish this, your church is already preparing for this big day. Both at Cross Church and at NRHBC, we are rolling out the red carpet. Beginning Palm Sunday, we are extending our welcome into the parking lot with volunteers looking to greet people as well as extend a helping hand to those who look confused. We are setting up a Pastor Reception area after each service where our staff and me hope to meet guests you bring with you on that special day. We are putting the final touches on a simple communication card to be used on Easter Sunday. But I need you to step your game and this is how.
1. Invite someone to church with you on Easter Sunday. Grab a “Hang 10” bag with information on our Easter events today. Say this with me: “I can do that.”
2. If you don’t know the person you are sitting next to, here’s a neutral question I want you to ask: “How Long have you attended Cross Church/NRHBC?” If you identify someone as a guest, ask them, “Can I introduce to our pastor and staff?” Then walk them back to our pastor’s guest reception. Once there, first time guests will receive a new Bison thermal mug (one per family).
We need you to bring an unchurched friend with you – will you do it? I promise you they will hear the gospel clearly presented on Easter Sunday.
We are devoting ourselves to a study of one of the powerful chapters in the Bible. It has been called the Bible in miniature. No where in all the Old Testament does the gospel shine more brilliantly than in Isaiah 53. Many believe this is the best single chapter in the whole Bible to explain what happened on the cross. Sit back and listen to this song and hear from the very voice of God Himself.
“Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. 1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 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, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 52:13–53:12)
Isaiah waxes lyrical about One who has an extraordinary love for those who hate and abuse him. I find this chapter so intriguing for so many reasons but one of the main curiosities is that is was written 700 years before Jesus – 700 years! Think with me about predictions and college basketball brackets for a moment. I was reflecting on the sheer impossibility of this prediction and how accurate it is – double WOW! I want to come back to this point a little later with you and talk a little college basketball with you.
Let’s Focus is Isaiah 5:7-8 for the next several minutes together…
1. Look How He Suffers
We see four items that verse seven tells us happened to Jesus.
1.1 He was Oppressed
Like a pistol and mortar from an old pharmacy, Jesus is crushed – He’s oppressed.
1.2 He was Afflicted
The word “affliction” implies humiliation, being brought low, treating with contempt, shaming, belittling, and derision. I think of how the Jesus was subjected to scorn, jest, mockery, and ridicule.
1.3 He was Led Like a Lamb to Slaughter
Like a young girl trapped in a trunk of a car who is kidnapped, she contemplates her horrible future. Likewise, Jesus is led to slaughter – only … only … He volunteered for it. He suffered all of this silently, or without protest.
1.4 He was Sheared
Twice verse seven refers to Jesus as a lamb and then a sheep. (*Note to media: start eighteen second video as I speak about shearing now). Here, it makes reference to Jesus as One who is being sheared by a sheep. Three times we are told in verse seven: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet…”
1. he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter;
2. and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers;
3. so he did not open his mouth."
Marvel at His response of amazing silence, patience, and acceptance.
2. Love How He Responds
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth…” (Isaiah 53:7a). In fact, I say to you – not only LOVE how Jesus responded but MARVEL at how our Lord responded to all of this.
2.1 He was Silent
The Bible tells us the One who will suffers bows His head to the suffering. Jesus said: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18).
2.1.1 Jesus before the High Priests
At the mock trial in the middle of the night at Caiaphas' house when Jesus was accused by false witnesses. “And the high priest stood up and said, ‘Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?’ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God’” (Matthew 26:62–63).
2.1.2 Jesus before Pilate
“And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed” (Mark 15:4–5).
2.1.3 Jesus before Herod
“When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate” (Luke 23:8-11).
I think of the cumulative effect of these predictions Isaiah is making and I marvel. There were more than 18.8 million college basketball brackets completed on espn.com’s website in the past few weeks. And these nearly 19 million predictions have to do with just 63 games. Jeffrey Bergen, a professor of mathematics at DePaul University, says that the chances of someone filling out a perfect bracket is 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 when just guessing. The odds of completing a perfect prediction with your bracket are essentially 1 in 9 quintillion (that’s 18 zeros at the end). If you stacked 9 quintillion pieces of paper on top of each other, it would reach all the way to the sun and back...over 3,000 times by the time you finished. That number drops to 1 in 128 billion when adding in a little basketball knowledge. Either way, your chances don’t look good. Not one person in the espn.com website has a perfect bracket.
Yet, look at Jesus’ prediction for His crucifixion: “I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he” (John 13:19). This is the perfect and error-free Word of God! I marvel at the many details in Jesus’ life are foretold by God in the Old Testament.
2.2 He was Cut Off
“… and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people” (Isaiah 53:8b)? Jesus did not just simply suffer silently – He died. This runs all through this chapter. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement that made us whole was on Him and by His stripes we are healed. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. And now verse eight makes it crystal clear: He died.
Do you know Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities? It’s about Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. They both love the same young woman, but she marries Charles. They get married and start having children, but this is the French Revolution, so Charles Darnay is arrested, taken to prison, and awaits his execution. I’m paraphrasing, but on the night before his execution, Sydney Carton, who looks quite a bit like Charles Darnay, steals into the prison and says, “Look, Charles. You have a wife. You have a child. Let’s switch places. Let’s change clothes. I’ll die in your place.” Charles Darnay says, “No way! Are you kidding? I will never let you do such a thing!” So what does Sydney Carton do? He smacks him over the head and knocks him out cold. He puts his clothes on him. Sydney’s peace passes to Charles. Charles’ punishment passes to Sydney. He has some people take Charles (who is now out cold) out, and he assumes his place in the prison, waiting to be executed. Now, there’s a young woman, a seamstress, who is also about to be executed, and she knew Charles Darnay previously. When she hears he’s there, she seeks him out and starts talking to him. She starts asking if he remembers this, and if he remembers that. Of course, Sydney Carton is looking away, hoping she doesn’t look too closely, and suddenly she sees. She realizes it’s not Charles Darnay, and her eyes get big, and she says, “Are you dying for him?” Sydney says, “Shhh. Yes, and for his wife and children.” She says, “Stranger, I have been feeling I am not going to be able to face my death, but could I hold your hand? Because if someone as brave and as loving as you holds my hand, I think I’ll be okay,” and Sidney Carton says, “All right.” He wasn’t even dying for her, but his substitutionary sacrifice strengthened her to her roots. How much more will the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ for you absolutely change you and strengthen you if you would just let it have its way with you?”
What Held Him There? Do you know what this means? What could have bound the limbs of the Maker of the universe to the cross? What would be strong enough to hold down the arms of the One who created the stars? What would be strong enough to bind the limbs of the Maker of the universe to the cross? Nails? No. Chains? No.Nothing but His love for you.
