The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53) Part 2

We continue our examination of this morning, specifically after six. ...going to cause their ears to be deaf and bring judgment upon them. I think it's, even in... I think it's important that we think, in history, not only...

Let's expand upon this just for a moment, for our sake. I don't care where you are, I don't care how old you are. Even when we know that the majority of the people, that maybe even the vast majority of the people to whom we speak, will not only turn a cold shoulder or a deaf ear, they may be violent in response.

We have many brothers and sisters around the world who face this every day. It's called living in an Islamic country. In Pakistan, or places like that, we pray for these people, but what about us? We need to think, not the first one, about him to be faithful to them, in the midst of those...

The Rejected Messiah and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53

And so, it starts off with... To whom has the arm of the Lord? For he grew up before him like a tender shoe, and like a root out of parched ground. He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

Jesus, unlike very many of the popular presentations of him today, did not glow when he walked down the city streets of Jerusalem. There was one time that happened, but it was an unusual situation. It was the Mount of Transfiguration, when the Son was in the presence of the Father, and there were only three witnesses.

But Jesus worked in a carpenter's shop. Jesus grew up in a small little town that has hardly made any mark on history whatsoever. And so, Jesus does not come in the form that many people expected. And this suffering servant, again, shows the contrast between the stately grandeur of the Messiah, who rules over the nations, and yet, now we have this suffering servant.

He is like a tender root, like a root out of parched ground. Now, you and I are seeing roots of noxious chemicals sprayed on my backyard. It's amazing. And I think there are some of the weeds that are coming up back there that like Roundup.

I really think there's a tendency more, they grow bigger and more. But it's just, these things come up. At first, you sort of see this little thing. And it's like, I'm not even going to bother squirting that one.

And three days later, it comes out, and it has eaten the cat. I mean, it's just, it's huge.

It's massive.

Amazing how, but when you first see it, it's like, I won't even give it a second thought. That's what a root out of parched ground, it's a little tender shoot. Nothing, we're not talking about the stately cedars over in California and things like that.

Just a little thing.

He has no stately form or majesty. We should look upon him. It's not like in the Old Testament. Where you have some of the kings that are head and shoulders above the others. You know, Saul is this, everyone, ooh, he's something else.

No, that's not how Jesus came. That's not how this suffering servant came. There was no appearance that we should be attracted to him.

But there is something plain.

The Servant Bears Our Griefs and Sorrows in Our Place

And yet, he was despised and forsaken of man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised and we did not esteem him. Now, in that culture, to treat someone like this means that you were convinced this was a wrongdoer.

This was a person who had done something. He was not worthy of the normal despise. Well, this proves it can't be Jesus because he had many followers. There were great crowds that followed him. Very fickle crowds that wanted to see miracles.

Crowds that wanted to be entertained. But when it came down to crowds that actually understood what he was saying and followed him for what he said. Instead, there would be in this way. Surely our griefs he himself bore and our sorrows he carried.

So there is the suffering servant somehow bears. You've seen this so many times I don't even have to explain it to you. Though I will anyways. In the Hebrew language it's called in fuller color what it is you want to say.

And so you repeat yourself using different terms and different terminology. So as to expand on your point. The reason I say I don't need to explain it to you is if you've heard it so many times. In fact, sometimes we don't pay as close attention to it as we should.

Because of the fact that we've seen it so many times. And so our griefs he bore. Our sorrows he carried. Who would this suffering servant be? How could any one person carry our griefs? There's something substitutionary here.

There's some mechanism whereby this suffering servant is able to enter into our deficit.

The things that we lack.

Again, thinking about what does it mean to bear. That speaks very directly to a settled conclusion on the part of those who are observing him. God's judgment is upon. Has struck him down. He's been smitten of God.

Did they accept him as Messiah? Tree? Cursed of God?

The Jews say he was.

They saw the blind man. Who sinned? This man or his parents? He'd be born blind. What was Jesus' response?

Neither one.

You see, the mindset was. If you experience this. If you experience the rejection of men. You experience these kinds of things. God must be against you.

But he was.

Separate them.

From our New Testament.

There's something substitutionary going on here. These are our. They are our iniquities.

And he is.

There is a substitution. He's pierced. He's crushed. For our transgressions and our iniquities. And then the second half of the verse. The chastening for our well-being.

Fell upon.

The chastening for our. The chastening for our. What happens to him in regards to sin. Second two lines. The positive benefit to us.

Shalom.

The chastening and scourging. Necessary for those things. We can't bear that. The penalty of the law.

What is being said.

About the nature of this suffering servant. That he can undergo these things. In our place. So that his suffering results. In our shalom. And in our healing. Who must the suffering servant be? What must his care?

Sheep always need a shepherd.

Sheep do not have.

Walk together. But each of us is true. It's real iniquity. And yet somehow. Do as so many would.

What you're doing is wrong.

Stop this.

Bring judgment to bear.

Angels but.

Seven hundred years before Christ. Can we talk about substitution? Question of judgment. Question of judgment. The abuse. Found amongst the Jewish leaders.

And amongst the Romans.

Who considered that he was cut.

Keep that in mind.

Some element of.

He was cut off.

Somehow.

His being cut off. This is obviously a singular individual. The suffering servant. This suffering servant's death. And so we see. In his fullness. Spoken and think about. It's easy for us to stand back.

And look backwards.

And go.

Oh they should have seen this.

You know.

Reactions of.

Creatures.

Take this. You say. Seven hundred years. He was assigned with wicked men. Yet he was with a rich man.

Think about.

All the different decisions. That came together. To have Jesus dying. With wicked men. On either side of him. And yet Joseph of Arimathea.

Comes along.

And they use his.

His tomb. A sovereign decree.

Anything.

Not exhaustive in its detail.

How do you get this?

His grave was assigned.

With wicked men.

One of the objections. In this sense. So he's done no violence. Deceit in his mouth.

Himself as an asham. There's something about.

He will see his offspring. He will prolong his days.

Wait a minute.

He will see his offspring. He renders him. Means he has borne. Our iniquities. Our griefs. Our sorrows. Our transgressions. Given life. He sees.

It's lit.

Gethsemane and Calvary.

Fully satisfied. He will see it.

My best job.

Too bad he couldn't get that done. That's normally how we. He will bear their iniquities. What you don't see in that is. Partly because of the way we translate English.

It doesn't come out.

His knowledge.

Zadik. Zadik.

Zedekah.

So it is the.

Zadik.

Servant.

Who will.

Justify.

Make righteous.

So my righteous servant.

Will make righteous.

Different words.

And so we sort of.

Miss the play on words.

That is there.

By his knowledge. The righteous servant. My righteous one. Will righteous.

Make righteous.

Many.

All the suffering servant. The righteous one. Justify. Make righteous.

Many.

He will bear.

There is a major.

Movement of.

Quasi evangelical groups. To question.

The validity.

And reality.

Of substitutionary.

Atonement.

Categories.

In the Bible.

Does. Justification.

Take place.

Scriptures.

Announcing.

The coming work.

Of Christ.

The righteous one. Not simply.

Make justification.

A possibility.

He is the one.

Who will justify.

What do we see in the New Testament?

Because he humbled himself. Became obedient to death. Death on a cross. Therefore.

Also God.

Highly exalted him. That is always the pathway.

Humility.

Because he poured out.

Himself.

To death. For the transgressors.

Yet.

He himself.

For the sin of many. And interceded.

For the transgressors.

I said this morning. It's like.

One of the apostles.

Sat down.

Correction.

In the outpouring. Of the Holy Spirit.

There.

In that first year.

Looking back.

With the.

With the vivid. Memory.

Of the crucifixion.

Is mine. This.

Exalted position.

Why?

Because he poured.

Out himself.

To death. Humble. Himself. He.

Did not consider. Equality.

With God.

Something to be held on.

To at all costs.

But.

Made himself.

Of no reputation. He humbled.

Himself.

He poured.

Out himself. To death.

He was numbered. With the transgressors.

Crucified.

Between two thieves.

Crucifixion.

Only for the worst.

Of transgressors.

He was hung. Upon a tree.

Yet.

He himself. For the sin of many. Of the full work of Christ. Even in the sense of the intercession. That we've been seeing the fullness of.

In Hebrews.

The scriptures could have. Concluded forever.

The issue of the.

Extent of the atonement. The specific purpose. Of God the Father. God the Son. God the Holy Spirit. In the death of Christ. In regards to the specific. Redemption. Of sins.

He himself.

Bore.

The sin.

Have we not seen.

The high priest. Together.

Same audience.

Same audience.

Here it is.

Seven. Hundred.

Years.

But to me.

There is something so. On the other side.

Of the earth.

I do so. Thousands.

Of years.

Later.

And yet. I possess.

The very words.

That were written down. Almost three thousand.

Years ago.

About twenty seven hundred. Years ago. I possess them.

Not only.

In my language. I possess them.

In the original language.

I possess these words. And I have the rest.

Of scripture.

Which allows me. To see the fulfillment.

Of these things.

And all of this.

Is brought right down.

And applied.

What I'm told. In the new testament. Yes it's true. His disciples. In the reality.

That the law.

And the prophets. Had all.

While that would have been.

Peace. That he.

By his work. He brought about.

My justification.

He brought about.

He bore.

My transgressions.

He bore.

My iniquities.

He brought.

The peace.

The sovereignty.

Of God.

To display. Your choice. In a few words.

I wish. Christ.

It was.

And serve you heartily.