The Makings Of A Savior.

The Makings Of A Savior.

Isaiah 53:1-12AMP

What are the makings of a Savior? The world would tell us that it would take wit, wisdom, charisma, excellent rapport, a word smith, charm, personality plus. The world would automatically elevate Him while somehow profiting from their fame.

Tonight I want us to look at Isaiah 53, verse by verse. I call the book of Isaiah, the Messianic book of the OT.

Isaiah 53:1AMP Who has believed [confidently trusted in, relied on, and adhered to] our message [of salvation]? And to whom [if not us] has the arm and infinite power of the Lord been revealed?

Right off Isaiah asks the question, “Who has believed the report, or the Message?”

More than 700 years before the birth of our Lord, Isaiah prophesied both the birth and the crisis.

Why a crisis? Like then, as now, a crisis of faith.

Again, the question asked is, “Who believes the report that Jesus is Messiah?”

Prophetically, Isaiah anticipates at least two things here. First, he anticipates how strange and contradictory it seems that this suffering Messiah, whose visage is marred more than any man, is at the same time salvation and cleansing to the nations. Second, he anticipates the rejection of the Messiah, that many would not believe our report.

Isaiah 53:1TM Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this?

It is said of blind songwriter Fanny Crosby, she would’ve refused treatment to restore her sight if it had been available. Her reason? She wanted nothing to interfere with the clear vision she had of Jesus.

Think for a moment—Out of every person on the face of the earth, the Messiah’s arm and infinite power was revealed unto you.

The arm of the LORD is a picture of His strength, power, and might.

As for you—

You Believed.

You Trusted.

You Relied on the message of salvation.

The question still to answer is, “to whom was the Messiah’s arm and infinite power revealed to?”

Q&A—How much of Jesus’ outstretched arm will you receive? How far will you go? How much will you believe?

Romans 10:8-10NKJV “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Once more, whose report will you believe?

Isaiah 53:2AMP For He [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender shoot (plant), And like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majestic splendor That we would look at Him, Nor [handsome] appearance that we would be attracted to Him.

As I thought of this, The birth of Jesus and his upbringing were very modest, his family had little wealth with little—education.

To the townspeople, they saw Jesus as Joseph's son, Jesus, the carpenter son.

He offered no royalty, he pledged to no man, his headquarters were more than likely, under the stars, at the time his pedigree or lineage was nothing special. He seemed very common.

Like Nathanael stated in John 1, can anything good come from Nazareth?

Isaiah 53:3AMP He was despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief; And like One from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him.

The prophet Isaiah states, 3b…we did not— appreciate His worth or esteem Him.

Jesus was certainly a man of sorrows, He was very much so acquainted with grief.

The Apostle Paul from one of his prison epistle, writes and speaks of Jesus being our example.

Philippians 2:1-4TM If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

However His service to all of humanity didn’t stop oneness between Him and His Father. The greatest thing about, oneness, it always produces joy.

Listen to the love, Luke 10:21NKJV In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.