William Holman Hunt worked on one painting for four years (media note: show Hunt’s photo on screens). On the roof of a house during an extended stay in Jerusalem, Hunt painted Jesus as a young man, working as a carpenter. In the painting, Jesus rises up to stretch, after sawing wood, with outstretched arms at the center of the portrait. Stripped to his waist and with his eyes looking toward the heavens above, the late afternoon sun casts a shadow upon the back wall showing a man hanging on a cross. The cross cast its shadow over Jesus for all of His days.
Why Did Jesus Christ Die? It was Judas who delivered Jesus to the priests. In turn, the priests delivered Him to Pilate and then, Pilate to the soldiers. Yet, all of this is above the surface for when we look below the surface, we discover that it was none other than God the Father who delivered up Jesus to the cross AND it was also Jesus, who voluntarily gave Himself up to die on the cross.
Introduction to Isaiah 53
To help us better understand what precipitated the first Easter I invite you to turn to Isaiah 53. The Bible says Jesus was ordinary in so many ways. It is Isaiah shows us Jesus Christ and how people were drawn to Him because of his eternal character not his external features (Isaiah 53:2). Yet, when Mel Gibson choose a character to play Jesus in the movie, The Passion of the Christ, he choose a man who People magazine would call the one of the sexiest men alive.
Now before I read Isaiah 53, let me prepare you for what you are about to hear. It’s often been referred to as the fifth gospel. This is a HUGE chapter in Scripture. Ask yourself as I read it, “Who is this Man?” I read you a document from 700 BC, tell me if you don’t see Jesus behind every syllable.
“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. 10 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. 11 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. 12 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)
Few shoes are as iconic as Disney’s Cinderella and her glass slipper. If you remember, Prince Charming is looking for his mysterious princess throughout much of the movie and it’s Cinderella’s glass slipper that leads him finally to her. For centuries people have read these ancient words and wondered who wears “the glass slipper”?
It is difficult to exaggerate how important this chapter was to the early Christian believers. This chapter is quoted more inside the pages of the New Testament than any other Old Testament chapter.
Philip, the Ethiopian Eunuch and Acts 8
This passage written 700 years before Jesus’ appearance in Bethlehem was pivotal in the early church’s understanding of Jesus. Let me show you how this worked. In Acts 8 we find a man known to us as the “Ethiopian Eunuch” and he is reading the scroll from Isaiah. The Ethiopian Eunuch is reading from Isaiah 53:7-8. “Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth” (Acts 8:32–33). These verses describe the innocent and submissive death of the Servant. The Ethiopian Eunuch says in effect, “Who is this passage talking about?” (Acts 8:34). So, Philip connects the dots between Isaiah’s prediction of the Servant’s humiliating death that shocks everyone who sees it: “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35).
Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician of the 1600s, felt the weightiest proof that Jesus was the Messiah was the Old Testament prophecies made about Him. This chapter has been instrumental in changing the thinking of atheists and even Jews who had rejected Jesus as the Son of God.
Jack Fish was a high school senior in the late 1950s. Back in those days, American high school students would begin the day in their homeroom with the pledge of allegiance to the flag and reading from the Bible. Jack would read from the New Testament every day as the school year opened. After several weeks, a boy complained and pointed out that according to state law, only Old Testament texts could be read. The law was worded in such a way that it included both Jews and Christians in the exercise. The teacher ordered Jack and Pete to read from the Old Testament from that point on. The next day, Pete read from Isaiah 53. After he had read about half of the chapter, the same boy who had complained earlier said, “You are not allowed to read from the New Testament.” Pete responded, “I am reading from the Old Testament.” The boy replied, “No, you are not. That is the New Testament.” Several other members of the class joined in too. Even the teacher came over to Jack & took the Bible away, saying, “Let me see that!” She looked at the passage Pete was reading and said in surprise, “Why, it is in the Old Testament!”
No wonder this is thought of as the Mount Everest of Messianic Prophecy.
Every word and syllable of Isaiah 53 is really a biography of Jesus. Like the glass slipper, I’m telling you the description found here only fits one person.
On this Easter, let’s briefly look beneath the surface of the cross together with Isaiah’s help.
Three Truths the Cross Teaches Us The cross of Christ enforces three truths – about ourselves, about God, and lastly, about Jesus.
1. My Sin Is Horrible
If you will look at Jesus on the cross with only one eye, you will clearly see this: Nothing reveals the gravity of my sin like the cross of Jesus. Before we can see the Jesus’ death on the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us. “…he poured out his soul to death…” (Isaiah 53:12b) and “…he bore the sin of many…” (Isaiah 53:12c). Warnings on your mental dashboard blink for your attention when you see Jesus the cross. Ultimately, Christ was on the cross was neither the greed of Judas, nor the envy of the priests, nor the vacillating cowardice of Pilate. Instead, He was sent to the cross because our greed, our envy, and our cowardice. Alarms go off inside me when I see the cross for it is impossible for us to face the cross and not to feel ashamed of ourselves.
1.1 What I Deserve
We are a generation of people concerned with getting what we deserve. We deserve childcare, health care, good schools, good jobs, easy commutes, & generous retirements. We deserve happy marriages & well-behaved kids. Yet, when I see what Jesus experienced at the cross, I realize what I really deserve. Yes, the cross shows me the gravity of my sin.
1.2 The Violence of Jesus’ Death
Press pause in your mind as we consider what we deserve to ponder the violence of Jesus’ death with me. The Messiah is someone who’s going to come and bring God’s peace and God’s justice. From the earliest chapters of the Bible, we hear about His coming return. Yet, there’s a sudden turn when we get to Isaiah 53, because the most appalling thing happens. The Messiah, this Servant of the Lord, who is supposed to bring an end to violence, is instead the victim of violence. He was supposed to bring an end to injustice and is instead the victim of injustice.
In fact, look back at the beginning of verse five with me for a moment: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities…” (Isaiah 53:5a). Underline the word “pierced” in your Bibles and consider this. When this prediction was made, crucifixion as capital punishment had not been invented as of yet. The Hebrew people would execute someone by stoning rather than crucifixion. Yet, this predicts the Messiah would be “pierced.” Jesus was pierced in His right hand and pierced in His left hand. Jesus died on my cross, He laid in my tomb, and He experienced my punishment. Again, nothing reveals the gravity of MY sin like the cross.
2. God’s Love is Wonderful
The cross is the summit of God’s love. God could have left us to experience all that we deserved. The cross of Jesus shows me the love of God. Yet, the cross shows me more than love – it shows me grace. Look again at verse twelve: “…makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12b) tells us that Jesus prayed for rebellious sinners. Underline the words “intercession for the transgressors” and write the words “Luke 23:34” next to it in your Bible. “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments” (Luke 23:34). Many think Jesus prayed these words while the nails were being hammered into His hands and feet.
The cross shows the great love of God. You can see the love of God by witnessing the wood of the cross. Perhaps you think of the love of God as a warm blanket that soothes you. Yet, the love of God is a spark that ignites you (think of a light match).
The cross frees us up from the performance “hamster wheel of life”. Why? Because the cross shows us what Jesus accomplished for us matters more than what we accomplish. When you experience the love of God, you understand that your true worth is internal and eternal, not external. Sometimes we feel like we are only as good as our most recent accomplishments. Today, we often base our worth on our appearance or accomplishments and when those fade we feel like our worth fades. When I experience the rich love and grace of God, I live from a place of security rather than a place where I must perform.
You are more than your beauty and your trophies. It’s not the outside but the inside the matte rs. It’s not pressure on me but pressure off me. You see, when you think of the love of God as a warm blanket, you want to do nothing but it sit on the couch. In contrast, when you consider the love of God on the cross as spark, it gets you off the couch because there’s now no pressure on you. All the pressure was on Him.
3. Jesus’ Gift is Free
Jesus’ death is not an award for your hard work. Neither is the cross an honorarium for your labor. Jesus’ death is a free gift. You must respond to this gift by repenting and receiving.
Isaiah predicts, “He shall see his offspring…” (Isaiah 53:11b). Now if you see a TV special that tells you Jesus is married, don’t believe it. History tells us Jesus was always single & the Bible does not mention Jesus having a family. So when Isaiah predicts “he shall see his offspring…” (Isaiah 53:11b), we’re surprised. Yet, it’s not biological offspring but theological offspring Isaiah is talking about. Most of the time “offspring” is children. So it’s not about those who have been born physically but born again spiritually by trust in Jesus.
Faith in Jesus makes you a child of God. “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Consider with me Mt. Rushmore Jesus. Stop and consider that Jesus was probably between the ages of 30 and 35 at his death. By comparison, Mohammed lived until he was 60, Socrates until he was 70, while Plato and Buddha were over 80 at the time of their deaths. Yet, when Jesus died in His mid-30s, He accomplished more than all these great men put together. Push back against the idea of the Mt. Rushmore Jesus where He is just special alongside three others prophets. And let me tell you why you should do this.
Jesus Arose. God prolonged the days of Jesus beyond the cross: “…he shall prolong his days…” (Isaiah 53:10b). And your days can be prolonged beyond your grave by your faith and trust in Christ. The good news of the gospel is this, Jesus did not remain in the grave (hold up sign that reads “The grave is EMPTY”). You see, Jesus chose God’s plan, refusing to quit. He chose to keep His promises, instead of breaking even one of them. He chose to endure the pain, knowing joy was ahead. He chose to love me as He suffered, because our reconciliation was near. He chose to forgive, even though it was completely undeserved. We could paraphrase the New Testament as one man recently did: “You might forget other things that I teach you, but don’t ever forget the cross, because it was on the cross, through the cross, and by the cross that our Savior performed His work of redemption and gathered His people for eternity.” You must respond to this gift by repenting and receiving.
Conclusion
A little boy once heard that if he asked Jesus to be his Savior, God would come live inside his heart. So he asked his hearts, “How can God live inside my heart? He’s so big He made the whole world! If He lived inside my heart, He’d stick out?” Yes, He would stick out. Always follow Jesus publicly.
Join us at the Pastor’s Reception Area and tell us you have come to Christ today.
