ISAIAH 53 SERIES: ONE TRUTH THREE WAYS
ISAIAH 53:3 | #Isaiah53
PERSON IN THE CONGREGATION READS ISAIAH 53
READ ISAIAH 53:1-12 (ESV)
“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 a 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.”
INTRODUCTION
What is behind the verse we will look at today? [despise]
… the feeling people have about rapists and child molesters
… the mindset that those who tend to sweat have when they hear the word “beach”
… the meaning of the look you get when you talk in a movie theater during the movie
… the reaction of anyone walking into the BMV
… the state of one’s tongue after drinking V8
What is behind the verse we will look at today? [rejected]
… the reason men and women are petrified to initiate romantic communication with each other
… the feeling anyone gets when being picked last for kickball
… the purpose behind DD Form 2496 in the US Military
… the thing behind the fear of parents who won’t discipline their children in public
What is behind the verse we will look at today? [sorrow]
… the feeling kids get when they trick or treat and someone gives them an orange
… the condition of your emotions when you watch the last episode of a TV show
… the atmosphere of any nursing home or funeral home
… the reaction we have when our favorite Girl Scout Cookie is retired
… the mood after watching the evening news
What is behind the verse we will look at today? [grief]
… the feeling after a natural disaster takes away your childhood home
… that thing that kicks you in the heart when you hear the word “hospice”
… the reaction we have when our family members die
… what children do when their parents get divorced
… the process one goes through after a favorite sports team moves cities
What is behind the verse we will look at today? [esteem]
… the reason presidential libraries are established in each president's home state
… the reason SAG awards and Kids’ Choice Awards are given to actors and actresses
… it is the word behind value, acceptance, confidence, honor, and respect
What is behind the verse we will look at today? A whole lot actually.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:3 (ESV)
“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.”
CONTEXT OF ISAIAH 53
The book of Isaiah takes its name from its writer as many of the prophets do in the Old Testament (Genesis-Malachi). Isaiah was married to a prophetess and had at least two sons (Isaiah 7:3; 8:3). He ministered to God’s People under the reigns of four kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Isaiah likely lived in Jerusalem and we know that he was related to some of the kings under which he served.
In the Book of Isaiah, chapters 52-53 refer to the coming Messiah (or the coming Christ) as the "suffering servant" Who will be punished to atone for the sins of humanity. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is perhaps one of the most significant predictive prophecies about the Christ that we find in the Old Testament. The Christ is described as paying for the sins of the people as a sin offering. Some say that Isaiah 53 reveals the story of Jesus in just a few verses. Jewish folks who do not accept Jesus as the Christ often identify “the Suffering Servant” as the collective people of Israel who have suffered greatly throughout history. While Christians certainly agree that Jewish people have and continue to suffer, we also see clearly that Isaiah 53 is about Jesus.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:3 (ESV)
“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.”
TRANSITION
What do we find in Isaiah 53:3? We find a verse packed with significant words that communicate to us important ideas about ourselves and about our Ordinary Divine Savior. Isaiah 53:3 is quite poetic in a parallel fashion, grammatically smooth, and communicates one truth three different ways.
VERSE 3: DESPISED AND REJECTED
Isaiah 53:3 begins by introducing us to the words “despised” and “rejected.” The verse also describes the Person highlighted beginning in Isaiah 52:13 that we talked about last week in 53:1-2. I want to review those verses because the reaction predicted to this person is astounding.
READ Isaiah 52:13-53:2 (ESV)
“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. 53 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.”
God makes it very clear that the Servant that He is speaking about belongs to Him, is wise, is worthy of respect and honor, a child of mankind like us, is a blessing for many nations, will correct kings and those in authority, will reveal hidden truths, will be mistreated, and seemed ordinary in many respects. Isaiah 53 is very thick with his description of this “Suffering Servant.”
It is astonishing to us that this Servant of God would be despised and rejected. Why isn’t He honored or respected? Why isn’t He famous or a figure to be esteemed? He should be, but Isaiah predicts that the Christ will be despised and rejected.
When Isaiah uses the word “despised,” he is using a specific word (bazah) that means to disdain, to feel contempt towards, to think scornfully, or to judge that someone is a vile person. When Isaiah uses the word “rejected,” he is using a specific word (chadel) that means destitute and frail because attention has ceased.
ILLUSTRATION… Despised and Rejected (p)
I think the greatest time in my life when I felt despised and rejected was in the season of my life and ministry before coming to this church family. The elders at the previous church that I served in Tampa called me to a meeting one Tuesday night and fired me on the spot. They let me go and did not feel the need to explain themselves. I had served there for almost 13 years and in 15 minutes or less I was out and gone. I felt angry and rejected and like a total failure. What hurt even more was that over the next 9 months 95% of the congregation never contacted me at all. That was a hurtful time where I became good friends with rejection.
When I say the words “despised” and “rejected” I can empathize and sympathize with those words, but even my experience is the shallow end of the pool compared to what was predicted about the Suffering Servant. Perhaps you have an experience where you felt despised or you felt rejected by another… you too can empathize and sympathize, but it all is much more for the Suffering Servant.
Was any of this true in the life of Jesus? Yes. There are many examples of times when the people around Jesus despised Him and rejected Him:
* Matthew 21:45-46 when the leaders wanted to arrest Him because of His parables
* Mark 6:1-6 when His hometown had no faith in Him
* Luke 18:18-23 when the rich young man chose his wealth over Jesus
* John 10:31-33 when crowds wanted to stone Him to death because of what He said
Those are just four examples among many! The best example I can think of comes from Matthew 27…
READ Matthew 27:15-23 (ESV)
“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus Who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered Him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that Righteous Man, for I have suffered much because of Him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let Him be crucified!”
The Roman governor Pilate gave the people a choice for a prisoner to be freed at feast time. The people in Jerusalem had a notorious murdering criminal terrorist as one choice and they had a travelling miracle-working teacher as another choice. They despised and rejected Jesus so much that they chose to allow Barabbas back into the general population.
The people despised what Jesus taught about God.
The people rejected what Jesus explained about the Kingdom of God.
Yes, Jesus was despised and rejected just as Isaiah 53 predicts.
TRANSITION
What do we find in Isaiah 53:3? In communicating one truth three different ways, the verse continues by describing sorrows and grief.
VERSE 3: SORROWS AND GRIEF
Isaiah 53:3 continues to describe the Suffering Servant by using the words “sorrows” and “grief.” It is astonishing to us that this Servant of God would first be “despised and rejected,” but also that He would know “sorrow” and “grief” intimately. Why isn’t His life perfect and without trouble? Why isn’t His life covered over by divine favor inside and outside and below and above? We feel like that if anyone should have their best blessed better life it should be a Person Who is 100% dedicated to the Lord Almighty. This Blessed One of God should not be acquainted with sorrow. We associate sorrow with punishment or bad luck or mental illness or the result of bad decisions; not the Suffering Servant.
When Isaiah uses the word “sorrow,” he is using a specific word (mak’ob) that means extreme afflicting anguish. When Isaiah uses the word “grief,” he is using a specific word (choliy) that means a malady or sickness of anxiety and calamity.
ILLUSTRATION… Sorrow and Grief (p)
I was thinking about these two words and I firmly believe for me, that most of my days of sorrow and grief are ahead of me. I am blessed that all of my very close family members are still alive. I say that because when I think of grief I automatically think of death, but grief covers many areas of life and situations. I personally have not had overwhelming amounts of sorrowful events or grief to bear… I have yet to experience those seasons of life, but I know they are coming. That is not to say that I do not know sorrow or grief, but when I think of those words I automatically think of death.
I know that some of you are in the midst of seasons of great sorrow and grief. I was chatting with someone just this week and it seems like they have one sorrow-filled and grief-making event one after another lately like dominos toppling over. This makes life harder than it needs to be.
When I say the words “sorrow” and “grief” we can usually empathize and sympathize with those words, but even our experiences are the shallow end of the pool compared to what was predicted about the Suffering Servant. This shocks us when we connect the Suffering Servant with Jesus Christ. Jesus knew sorrow and grief, therefore, He can identify with us in our sorrow and grief.
Was any of this true in the life of Jesus? Yes. There are many examples of times when Jesus endured sorrow and grief:
* Matthew 23:37-39 when Jesus laments and weeps over what will happen in Jerusalem in 70AD
* Mark 14:27-31 and Luke 22:31-34 when Jesus predicted Peter would deny Him three times
* John 11:32-36 when Jesus wept because of the death of Lazarus and the grief of his sisters
Those are just three examples among many! The best example I can think of comes from Luke 22 (paralleled with the word “sorrow” twice in Matthew 26) as Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane before He is arrested…
READ Luke 22:41-46 (ESV)
“And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Jesus was facing arrest, unfair trials, expert torture, abandonment, pain, and separation from God; as a result He was sorrowful and full of grief. His stress was at such a level that the capillaries in His head burst and His blood mixed with His sweat. That is intense sorrow! That is intense grief!
Jesus felt great sorrow in His life many times because of those around Him and what He’d endure.
Jesus felt grief because of how He was treated and what He chose to experience.
Yes, Jesus was familiar with sorrow and grief just as Isaiah 53 predicts.
TRANSITION
What do we find in Isaiah 53:3? In communicating one truth three different ways, the verse continues by describing that people hid from Jesus and that He was not esteemed. This act of hiding faces and not esteeming is the culmination of being despised and rejected; and the sorrow and grief. Overall, we can see that the Christ Who was predicted by the prophet Isaiah is not Someone that the people would accept, but that this was a person Who would suffer because He served the Lord.
VERSE 3: HIDDEN FROM AND NOT ESTEEMED
Isaiah 53:3 continues to describe the treatment of the Suffering Servant by using the words “men hide their faces” and “esteemed Him not.” It is astonishing to us that this Servant of God would first be “despised and rejected,” but also that He would know “sorrow” and “grief” intimately. Now we are shown that this Servant comes to do God’s will, to teach about the Kingdom of God, and to bring about salvation, is also subjected to people hiding from Him and ignoring Him.
When Isaiah uses the word “esteem,” he is using a specific word (chashab) that means to regard and consider purposefully. Combined with the direction of the faces in the verse, Isaiah is talking about purposefully turning away from the Suffering Servant by paying no attention to Him mind, soul, or strength. People will not even want to look at this One that God will send. They will ignore Him. They will just not even give Him a second thought or even a first thought.
Was any of this true in the life of Jesus? Yes. There are many examples of times when Jesus was turned away from or just ignored or His identity not seen clearly. You can include all the examples we have already talked about, but also:
* Luke 23:7-12 King Herod had Jesus right in front of him and did not pay attention to Him
* John 6:66 many who followed Jesus turned away from Him because it was too hard
* John 14:9 Jesus asked Philip how after three years he did not yet see Jesus clearly
The best example of what I am trying to describe I can think of comes from John 3 as Jesus is speaking to the Pharisee Nicodemus. Nicodemus had insightful and good questions about Jesus and for Jesus. Nicodemus is a religious leader who knows the Bible well and should immediately identify Jesus as the Christ and the source of salvation… but he does not. Nicodemus does not understand Jesus’ teaching on being “born again.”
Jesus explains why he doesn’t understand by referring back to an incident with Moses in the Book of Numbers. In Numbers 21, the people were utterly sinful and God sent a plague of snakes among them to get their attention and to bring about repentance. God sometimes has to shake us to get our attention because we don’t pay attention to Him.
READ Numbers 21:8-9 (ESV)
“And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”
In John 3, as Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, He comments that Nicodemus is not understanding the spiritual truths He is teaching because he is not intently looking and paying attention. He has turned away. As he talks to Nicodemus, He uses the example from Numbers 21 to make a point…
READ John 3:12-18 (ESV)
“If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.”
Jesus explains very clearly that He is speaking about spiritual truths and Nicodemus needs to pay attention to Him for salvation. Jesus also explains that human beings must intentionally look to Him for salvation just as the people had to look at the pole in Numbers 21. He is it. He is the way. He is the source of eternal life and only by looking to Him will anyone be saved. That means that if we turn our faces away from Jesus and “we esteem Him not” that we are turning away from the only source of salvation that is offered. That is what makes this last part of verse 3 so impactful. Hiding from Jesus and “esteeming Him not” is eternally detrimental to our souls.
This is why the writer of Hebrews writes to us in chapter 12…
READ Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
SUMMARY / CHALLENGE / CONCLUSION
What is behind the verse we looked at today? Being despised and feeling despised.
What is behind the verse we looked at today? Being rejected and feeling rejected.
What is behind the verse we will looked at today? Experiencing sorrow and feeling sorrow.
What is behind the verse we looked at today? Experiencing grief and enduring grief.
What is behind the verse we looked at today? Being ignored.
What is behind the verse we looked at today? Understanding not being esteemed.
Our challenge as we read over this one verse in Isaiah 53 is to connect the dots of what we have seen thus far. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Suffering Servant for us. He was constantly despised, often rejected, entered into sorrow, experienced grief, and was ignored. Jesus knew this would happen and yet He willingly endured all of this for us.
* We are saved because Jesus endured being despised.
* We have the opportunity for wholeness because Jesus was rejected.
* We are comforted because Jesus enters into our sorrow with us.
* We are complete in our souls because Jesus waded through grief.
* We have a Savior that pays for our sin because Jesus was ignored.
* We have worth and value in God’s sight because Jesus was not esteemed.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:3 (ESV)
“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.”
PRAYER
INVITATION
