HoHum:
As we head into the Lenten season, the Easter season, wanted to do a sermon on Isaiah 53. I thought I had never preached on this passage so I went into my files and there at the top was a sermon by Davon Huss. I preached on Isaiah 53 during the Lenten season heading into Easter in 1996. The sermon notes are 5 pages long. 1 page equals approximately 10 minutes so I preached 50 minutes on that passage. I don’t think you want me to preach for 50 minutes so I have reworked the whole thing and have expanded this into 5 messages on Isaiah 53.
WBTU:
Isaiah is the most beautiful and colorful of the Old Testament prophets. He is called the Shakespeare of the Old Testament. Isaiah is the also the Old Testament Evangelist. Isaiah’s evangelistic message begins in chapter 40 where Isaiah prophesies about the ministry of John the Baptist. He then proceeds to show the sinful condition of his people and that in spite of their sin; God loves them. In chapter 42 he introduces the Messiah and His ministry, and goes on to elaborate upon the person of the Messiah and the part God’s people will have in him. Why preach on Isaiah 53? In chapter 53, the doors of heaven are opened and on display is the heart of God and the suffering servant of God, and the blessings which will follow those who will accept God’s love and forgiveness. Isaiah 53 is the Old Testament’s version of John 3:16. Many people call this the greatest chapter in the OT because it contains such a clear prophecy of the events surrounding the death of Jesus Christ. Writing 700 years before the events took place, Isaiah describes the death of Christ in such minute detail that it cannot be anything other than the direct work of God. On at least 9 different occasions the New Testament writers quote Isaiah 53 and apply it directly to Jesus Christ. The verses and phrases here are all verified in the NT
Starting today with the end of Isaiah 52, thought we were doing Isaiah 53? The Bible is inspired by God but the chapter divisions are not. These were added centuries later to help us find different passages. The chapters divisions of the bible were made in the 13th century AD. The verses were laid out in 1560 AD. The portion of Scripture that stars with Isaiah 52:13 and ends with Isaiah 53:12 is often called the “Fourth Servant Song,” meaning it is the fourth passage in Isaiah describing the coming “Servant of the Lord.” We know from history that the “Servant of the Lord” is a prophetic reference to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. This “Fourth Servant Song” focuses on the death of the innocent Servant of the Lord who offers himself for the transgressions of the people. This song has five stanzas of 3 verses each. In this series we will discover what each stanza teaches us about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ray Pritchard gives the titles and here they are:
The Shocking Servant (Isaiah 52:13-15); The Misunderstood Messiah (Isaiah 53:1-3);
The Sinless Substitute (Isaiah 53:4-6); The Silent Savior (Isaiah 53:7-9);
The Victorious Lord (Isaiah 53:10-12)
As go through this study, may we see the Lord Jesus Christ more clearly so that we may grow in our devotion to him. The first stanza of the “Fourth Servant Song” speaks of Christ’s exaltation in spite of his degrading death on the cross. In putting the matter this way, the Holy Spirit intends to teach us that God’s ways are not our ways. What seemed like a terrible tragedy turns out to be a pathway of blessing for the whole world (Living for Jesus song).
Thesis: As we consider Jesus Christ in this passage (Isaiah 52:13-15) we see...
For instances:
I. His unrivaled success (Isaiah 52:13)
Christ will act “wisely” meaning that in every situation he will perfectly fulfill the Father’s will. Some translations use the word “prosper,” which means that Christ will do well in every situation. Isaiah looks to the end of the earthly trials of our Lord and declares that he will prosper because of his wisdom. Another translation says “my servant will be successful.” But what is this “wisdom” that will lead to success? It is the wisdom of God that led Christ to the bloody cross where the world crucified its Savior. That “wisdom” seemed like folly on Good Friday. Little did the world know, much less understand, what it was doing that day. “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:8, NIV. If they had know, if they had understood, but they didn’t! The world didn’t understand Jesus when he walked on the earth and the world still doesn’t understand him today. This should give us perseverance when we talk to unbelievers. Sometimes when lost people say foolish things that are rude and unkind, we may be tempted to retaliate with unkind words of our own. This is a bad idea. It’s like cursing a blind man because he can’t see the color green. But notice what this folly produced: “He will be raised” on Resurrection Sunday. “He will be lifted up” when he ascends to heaven. “He will be highly exalted” at God’s right hand.
II. His Shocking Disfigurement (Isaiah 52:14)
Notice the change from vs. 13 to 14. Christ exalted to the highest place and then Christ disfigured as he dies. If we run the clock back from 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon- the moment of his death- to about 3 o’clock that morning and review what happened to Jesus we discover that Jesus Christ has been through 12 hours of torture. Arrested in the middle of the night; slapped; pushed around; mocked; slapped again; crowned with thorns that went into his scalp; scourged with a large strap studded with bits of bone, stone and metal; his beard ripped out; beaten again and again; forced to carry the cross through the streets of Jerusalem; nails driven through his hands and feet; crucified. The odors of this would have repulsed us. Crucifixion was a grisly way to die. The Romans intended to make it brutal and bloody. They had mastered the art of cruel killing. That day at Calvary the smell of death was everywhere. He didn’t even look human. He didn’t even share the “likeness” of a man. Which leads to an interesting question. What about all those shiny silver crosses people like to wear? Whatever we can say about it, the cross of Jesus wasn’t shiny, it wasn’t silver and it wasn’t clean. The scene that day was hideous and horrific. The Romans liked it that way because it sent a message, “This is what happens to troublemakers.” We sometimes sing, “When I survey the wondrous cross.” Isaiah reminds us that there was nothing wondrous about the cross that day. Nothing but blood, pain, agony, torture and death. Does this “appall” us? Do the horrors of the cross leave us in a state of shock and bewilderment? “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14, 15, NIV.
III. His Universal Victory (Isaiah 52:15)
The word “sprinkle” speaks of the purifying power of the blood of Christ. In this context, it means that the effects of his death have no national limits. Though he was a Jew dying on a Roman cross, because he was also the Son of God, his bloody sacrifice will provide cleaning and healing for many nations. Not just for Israel, not just for the Jews, not just for the Romans, not just for the Greeks, but for every nation on earth. From the OT we are reminded that on the Day of Atonement the high priest sprinkled blood everywhere. “He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover. “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it.” Leviticus 16:14, 15, NIV. “Kings will shut their mouths because of him.” If we think the kings are shocked now, just wait for the great and dreadful day of His return. The rulers laughed at Christ and mocked him when the Savior stood in Pilate’s hall and in the presence of Caiaphas. At His second coming they will behold him with fear and trembling. They will no longer see the lowly Nazarene whom they called the blasphemer. Instead they will see Him as King of all the earth, leading the armies of heaven, and “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:16, NIV. They will see him, His eyes a flame of fire and His head crowned with many crowns.
Notice that when Paul was explaining his desire to preach the gospel where Christ was not yet known, he quoted Isaiah 52:15: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”” Romans 15:20, 21, NIV. What is a missionary’s true ambition? He makes Christ known. He preaches the gospel. He tells the Good news. In Paul’s case, that meant a call to preach Christ where he had not yet been preached, which is why Paul preached in Asia Minor, then in Greece, and then in Rome (Maybe even on to Spain). It is the same with those who travel to the 10/40 window to share Christ with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, animists, and with those who have no faith at all. Even after 2000 years, much of the human race has never heard a clear explanation of the gospel of Jesus. That’s why there are Bible translators in distant lands, and pioneer missionaries (Pioneer Bible translators) bravely taking the gospel into “closed countries.” It was always God’s plan that the gospel should go forth to the ends of the earth so that every nation would hear the Good news. This ought to be our ambition. We labor and pray and preach so that they “might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”” Isaiah 6:10, NIV. “They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”” Acts 28:25-28, NIV. How few listen and respond today- may you see, hear, understand, turn and be healed. Believe, repent, confess, be baptized
