Isaiah 52:13-53:12, The Tense Present

Isaiah chapter 52 verse 13 to the end of chapter 53 here the Word of the

Lord Behold My servant shall act wisely. He shall be high and lifted up and shall be exalted as many were

Astonished at you his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance and his form beyond that of the children of mankind

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 Who has believed what he has heard from us and to whom has the arm of the

Lord been revealed? 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 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

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet. We esteemed him stricken smitten by God and afflicted

But he was wounded for our transgressions He was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his stripes

We are healed all we like sheep have gone astray We have turned

Everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all

He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet He opened not his mouth like a lamb that has led to the slaughter like a sheep that before it shears is silent

So he opened not his mouth by oppression and by 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 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

May the Lord at his blessings the reading of his Holy Word. Well, what do you have to look forward to?

Graduation marriage Retirement a good job, maybe

Whatever it is It drives a lot of what we are what we do and what we're willing to go through We're willing to put ourselves through a lot of Hard work and pain if we have something to look forward to it at the end of it all

You can train athletically maybe running hard if you believe that you can achieve a time or an award you want

You can study long hours if you can see the light at the end of the tunnel You know the degree and the job that it opens doors for You can get up every day.

Maybe early like go to work you can train now In the hopes for some future dream you may work hard every day for To earn your pay your bills for now, but to earn a hope of a pension

Retirement savings for the future. We're all caught between what we've given

Already what we're putting ourselves through and the hopes

In what we have to look forward to in the popular movie

Shawshank Redemption, which seems like it's on like every day the main character a man in prison for a crime.

He didn't commit Unknown to us do nearly the whole movie except near the end He's been digging slowly a

Tunnel with a small rock hammer about this size through concrete walls

And that that digging that that goal is what has given him hope through the entire movie

It's what keeps him going gives him something to look forward to when the other prisoners Just give up What do you have to look forward to?

You look back at what's been spent What you put your life into What what's in front of you, you know, you're in a tension between your past and your future

You're like a tent being pulled in two different directions to keep it up. You know, that's how tents work

Usually some not all of them but a lot of them Anyway, they're they're tied to a stake or to a tree or a pole or something with ropes

Maybe bungee cords or something pulling them in two different directions and it's the tension that keeps it up if you lose the tension

Maybe in your own life you lose the hope. This is pulling you to the future

You collapse like a deflated tent Now, you know, what do you hope for what keeps you going?

Well here we see the servant again again like the first servant song in chapter 42

We're told to behold him. There are five stanzas in this service song five stanzas each of three verses

I mean most of them focus on what he's done Oddly enough, even though it is written 700 years before Jesus was the servant

That is Jesus was far in the future for Isaiah Much of what is written is in the past tense as though we were written in our time

It's kind of from our point of view. We read it naturally and it makes sense to us But it was written actually before it happened

That's because Jesus is the Lamb of God. It was slain before the foundation of the world God in eternity past Covenanted among himself the father covenanting with the

Son to be the servant Who would be upheld by the

Holy Spirit to be a guilt offering for the people that God was going to save That's just basic what they call covenant theology in a nutshell

And so he could speak of it here. God could speak through Isaiah speak of it as if it were done

Even before it's done Notice the verb tenses in the servant song I think they're very interesting the verb tenses and how they change

Most of them are past most of them are about the sacrifice of the servant Some of them are future particularly near the end about what the servant has to look forward to only one of them is present

About our time about what's going on now. So we're in this Tension between what's been accomplished in the past by the servant and what is coming in the future

What what we have to look forward to first behold look at the servant

That he'll act wisely or prosper He will act in a way that attains the goal that he wants that he wants to attain

He'll prosper in achieving what he's after if you if you wanted to reach a goal, whatever it is

You want to graduate you want to get a good job? You want to qualify for the Boston Marathon?

You want to lose weight? I kind of do but I'm not sure what how I'm gonna do it or whatever You you need the you need the wisdom

How to achieve that goal of the servant here will act wisely To achieve his goal.

He shall be in chapter 52 verse 13 that first verse. He will be high and lifted up He'll be exalted

He'll achieve that goal that's his goal that the first verse wouldn't be so astounding by itself.

I Mean the goal of prosperity of triumph of being the champion You know being the one who's exalted the one who's on the podium at the end with the gold medal around your neck the power and the glory

Maybe one we maybe want the money. Well, that's what we want to Nothing particularly unusual about that.

We might say well, please tell us your secret. Mr. Servant how we can be High and lifted up to maybe in our own private jet, maybe have a penthouse suite on a skyscraper

You know in some big city right there on Central Park in New York something like that That's something that's something we can look forward to that's something we understand and make no mistake about it

He will be high and lifted up He is already seated on a throne beside the father and he is right now take taking all his enemies captive to obey him

He's in that process right now The last enemy that he'll put under his feet that he'll trample down He's got a list of his enemies and he's going through them all the last one

That he will personally conquer it and he's already actually personally conquered and he'll conquer in the whole world is death

When that last enemy is conquered death itself will be defeated and then we'll get to taunt it. Where is your death?

Where's your sting now? Oh death and then the certain Jesus the servant will be high lifted up He'll be exalted as we praise him as the lamb who was slain

He'll be on the throne and will be around the throne and we know that that day is coming is something to look forward to Because Jesus has already been raised from the dead.

So we're in the we're in that process. We're in we're after the beginning of The end for death but before the end of the end for death.

We're there in the middle We're in that tense present between what Jesus has already done and what will surely come to pass

Because of what he's already done The servant will act wisely to get to that day

When he's exalted when every knee will bow and everyone confess that he is Lord That's not really what's so astounding.

We understand that it's it's not the goal Exaltation that's astonishing

But the way he got there the plan the wisdom Because the knowledge here that got in there

It's so astounding at the beginning of verse 53. It's like who would believe this who believes our report well, he got there through being marred almost beyond recognition as human by being lashed and Pierced and stabbed so the blood flowed out

Because it was through that blood through that blood that he sprinkled people from every nation. It's so astonishing

Says Kings are left flabbergasted by it Even the royalty can't fathom this and the first verse first stanza not the first stanza for chapter 52 verses 13 to 15 all of the plan that the wisdom of salvation both the exaltation and the agony of the cross is

Looked forward to as if as if this were the covenant that God Made within himself the

Father with the Son the Holy Spirit enable it labeling before the foundation of the world That's the first stanza now in the second stanza in chapter 53 verses 1 to 3.

It's as if we move into our time now Now the focus is on the past Looking back on the servant

It's almost it's almost all past tense verbs read through it who has who has believed

What he has heard from us The plan is so astounding people find it hard to believe only those to whom it has been revealed revealed

Catch that past tense for he grew up Like a root out of dry ground past tense he he had

Past tense no form our majesty. He was Despised and rejected past tense

He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief past We now here we are we make our entrance esteemed past Him not

Why? The third stanza continues this starting in verse 4 chapter 53 verse 4

Continues this but but now tells us why what why he did this Why is he he who will be exalted the the

Lord to whom every knee will bow? Why is he become? Like a tender shoot in dry ground.

I was what appears at first to be a little bit of life and this spiritually dead arid land of sinners and Pharisees And he's the only thing really alive.

Why did he appear like that? But but he appears first so Vulnerable and small and unimpressive

Why is he who who is who really is majestic who has? Glorious beauty who is the most desirable person in all of history?

Why is he appearing? incognito Why is his glory? veiled

Even more mysterious. Why is he suffering being despised and rejected sorrow and grief eventually?

So grotesque you can't stand up to look at him. You just want to look away. Okay Why in order to become the one we counted as worth the most?

Does he first become someone? That we think is worth less accounts for nothing

Well, he tells us he makes it absolutely clear actually ten times from verses 4 to 12

The servant is our substitute. That's why he is our Substitute and he just says it in so many different ways

But all to that same point ten times let's count them in verse 4 number one. He has borne our griefs

Number two in the same verse he carried our sorrows He substituted for us taking griefs and sorrow so we wouldn't have to in verse 5

The third time he was wounded for our transgressions Fourth he was crushed for our iniquities that is for our wickedness

He was crushed so we wouldn't have to be crushed for them five upon him

Instead of upon us who deserved it, but upon him was the chastisement of the punishment

They brought us peace Now we have peace with God we have a right relationship with him instead of him being angry at us for our sins because He took the punishment our sins deserved finally in verse 5

Every line in verse 5 you want one verse and all the Bible describes him as a substitute Isaiah chapter 53 verse 5 is every line in verse 5 describes in different ways the servant

Being our substitute the sixth time in this passage with his stripes

It's with the scourging that the beating he took that beating he gave his back to remember from the previous service on last week

He gave his back to be beaten by that by those stripes. We are healed because the affliction he took in the past Notice the verb tenses, but because the affliction he took in the past We are now healed our relationship with God it is made whole and In the future one day our bodies will be perfectly healed in the resurrection in verse 6

There's the seventh time that we're reminded that he's our substitute says we all

Are like strange sheep But the Lord laid on him Wait, we're the strange sheep shouldn't he lay it on us?

But no, he laid it on him the iniquity of us all instead of laying it on us In verse 8 in the fourth stanza the eighth time

He was stricken for the transgression of my people Not for his own transgression.

He didn't have any He was stricken for the transgression of his people as for us We had transgression and so we deserve to be struck for it, but he was stricken in our place

And the end of verse 11 and that last stanza the ninth time he bears the iniquity of His offspring as that is the people that he is making his sons and daughters of God He takes their iniquity away for them.

He's their substitute finally for at least the 10th time You probably find more and in the servant song, but at least the 10th time we see that he is our substitute in verse 12

He bore The sin of many Even though it says he did no sin

There was no no lies found in his mouth. There's no violence in his hands He done nothing wrong, but he bore the sins of his many people.

That's what he's done in the past That's the investment he's made Now, what does he have to look forward to?

What's in the future? And because of that investment of his life of his blood of being a wholly consumed guilt offering three products of his investment

That he has to look forward to All of them are found in that last stanza from verses 10 to 12.

There's three goals is seeing Satisfaction and spoil

The first scene in verse 10 What does he have to look forward to? What was the the joy?

set before him That enabled him to endure the cross And we had a goal.

What was it? When his soul makes an offering for guilt it says Yeah, in other words, he's like the the

Old Testament So he is what those Old Testament sacrifices portrayed they all were looking forward to him and he was the actual fulfillment of all he he was the

The the Lamb of God upon whom our sins were put when he gives himself as a guilt offering When he's crushed at the

Lord's will it says then he shall see his offspring It's like a mother being willing to go through the pains of childbearing foot for the for the joy of having the child

He was willing to go through the cross for the joy of seeing many people become children of God and what he's doing

He can look forward To seeing them Like you might look forward to seeing your family you're reuniting around the holiday.

You know, you look forward to that reunion He's loving the joy of having all his people together in the future of seeing them and Thus surround the throne

The the will of the Lord in that last phrase of verse 10 Those are the unless the last phrase of verse 10 the will of the

Lord literally it could mean that his good pleasure It's it's the same word is at the beginning of the verse.

It was the will or the pleasure of the Lord He pleased the Lord to crush him.

It gave him pleasure because of what it would achieve and An offering for guilt so that our guilt could be taken away

Because of what he does the desire the Lord to save his children Will be accomplished

He'll save them and he'll see them That's the joy set before him He's looking forward to seeing his people

But wait, there's a problem If you think about it, isn't there? I mean, did you notice something?

In verse 7 that that fourth stanza He's led to the slaughter He's led to it, you know rested in the garden

Gethsemane and all that and put up this kangaroo court trial the beatings That's in verse 7 led to the slaughter like a lamb.

He opens not his mouth because he had a submitted will He's cut off in their verse 8. He is actually then slaughtered

Says he's cut off from the land of the living So he's dead in verse 9.

He's buried as he's buried with a wicked he's buried on the woods, but the rest of us sinners because We get the wages of sin, which is death, but but he's buried in a rich man's grave, but he's definitely dead

So, how does he see his offspring? I mean if he's dead, how is he gonna see them?

You know, I hate that my father died before he could see his grandchildren especially my two sons We don't believe that the the dead

See this life. I will never indicate that like it seems to indicate the opposite. So how does how does the servant?

See his offspring Because he's not dead anymore.

Oh he was but he's not now Indeed look at the middle of verse 10 says he shall prolong his days

That's after he was led to the slaughter and then in verse 7 and then slaughtered in verse 8 and then buried in verse 9

He shall prolong his days After he's dead How does that work?

How could he prolong his days in verse 10 after he's dead and buried in verses 8 and 9? Because he's raised from the dead the servant is resurrected and being resurrected.

He will see his offspring He has seen to look forward to Because he's resurrected

Second he has satisfaction in verse 11 notice that he has satisfaction It's gonna be satisfied and he's invested the anguish of his soul it says that the sweating profusely like a like it was like the sweat like it was flowing blood out of wounds the

Beatings the crucifixion the the anguish of having to cry out my god. My god Why have you forsaken me think of it the anguish of soul that he was expressing out and from that anguish he can now look forward to seeing his offspring and also the satisfaction of making those offspring says righteous making them counted as Right.

They weren't counted as righteous before but now they are because of what he did. They're counted. They're seen there as If they were righteous, but now accounted they're justified

They're declared just before God They're put in a right relationship with God because of it because of the anguish of soul that he went through and that's satisfying for him

To have a reconciled God with his people so that he is no longer angry with at us and we're no longer alienated from him you know always wandering like Mangy sheep because we don't really love him in his word.

We don't unless he changes our hearts It's the greatest satisfaction to have changed that to amended the relationship

To have reconciled to have restored harmony That's satisfaction well, finally the third great blessing he and and we have to look forward to is

Is spoiled? I don't mean being spoiled. I mean spoil is in loot as in reward in verse 12 that last verse

Therefore it was because he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows Because the

Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all Because it was the good pleasure of the Lord to crush him instead of us to wash away our guilt

So that we could be his sons and daughters Because he was numbered with the transgressors therefore

This is the result of all that the Lord says in verse 12. The Lord will give the servant spoil

Loot what he calls here a portion With the many We are the many and he shares the portions of his victory

With us the servant will notice now here future tense This is where it's key.

Notice all the future tenses. He will return from his mission Like a warrior laden with spoil and he's one from the enemy and we are

We are the spoil. He won us And We are as allies

Getting to share his spoil resurrection life a new heaven and new earth

Behold, I make all things new and now we get to share all that new all things

We share it with him and this is this is the bounty we get to have Because he won it as our conquering

King and he will spread it out for us to enjoy Look here. Look what I won.

Look what I earned now. Enjoy Notice verse 12 the verb tenses. God says

I will future tense divide For him a portion the loot the reward that he won with us the mini he shall future

But they look forward to divide the spoil with us the strong He strengthened us has given us new life given us the

Holy Spirit because here's the reason it gets spoiled reward Because he poured out past tense what he's accomplished his soul to death and yet He will be rewarded with spoil after dying

Because he's not dead anymore He was raised he was past tense numbered with the transgressors hanging between two of them

The the tension between the past having poured out a soul to death numbered with the lawbreakers and the future a

Bounty to be divided up a new heaven and an earth to enjoy that tension that middle place

Is where we are we're being pulled between the crushing and the bruising and the chastisement of the past of his past and the

Spoil of the future our future the everything new with the resurrection

That's that's the tension of the present the tense present

Notice that last phrase in this disturbance on He makes This is that one and only as far as I can tell one and only present tense

Everything else is what he did or what he will do This is what he is now doing he makes

Intercession for the transgressors, that's us. We're the transgressors.

That's where we're at We're between his cross and his resurrection In the past and our resurrection our spoil in the future.

We're still transgressors now We're like sheep who would go astray If he if we were left to ourselves if he were not interceding for us

But now after having born the sin of many before before getting all that spoil seeing all that offspring being fully satisfied and All those that he's made right with God now

So that we'll make it to the new heaven in the Europe new earth, you know, so that we'll make it to the resurrection

So we'll be safe. So we don't Stray again like the sheep that dumb sheep that we are

So that won't happen He prays for us So that we'll get that spoil the servant intercedes for us

So that we'll make it so that will prosper in this through this tense present

But Who is he this sermon, I know I've given it away already But still you could ask who is it?

That's what the Ethiopian eunuch asked. Remember he asked who was the author Isaiah writing about? Was he writing about himself or someone else?

So I asked Philip in the chariot and from this passage this very passage Philip told about the suffering servant who now in the present

Prays for us his people And he prays for his people from all nations even Ethiopia.

So we have we have something to look forward to So we'll know we'll make it because he's praying for us

Who is he? Romans chapter 8 verse 34 says Christ. Jesus is the one he's the servant who died more than that He was raised who is at the right hand of God who indeed is

Interceding for us That's where we are We're in the tense present between him bearing our sorrows bringing us peace in the past and in the future

With that with that that spoiled these as waiting for us with everything new to look forward to that's where we are

That's where you are If he was wounded for your transgressions if he bore your sins

That's what you have to look back on in faith now now