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Who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? But he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of the dry ground. He has no form no commonness. And when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and We hit as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we did not esteem him. 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 bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by 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 that he was afflicted yet. He opened out his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent.
So we opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation? But he was cut off from the land of the living. Or the transgression of my people he was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked.
But with the rich at his death because he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed.
He shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. He shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. And by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many. But he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the grave and he shall divide the spoiled with the strong. Because he pointed out he poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors.
And he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors and make our bless his word. So again, as I say, this is probably one of the more familiar chapters. In the book of Isaiah and perhaps in throughout the whole Old Testament, but as I said I simply want to speak about Jesus tonight.
I want to write three words on the board just to help us to think through. The reason why I wrote those three words on the board In and the reason why I asked us to read Isaiah 53 to kind of begin to get our thoughts.
So I want us to consider Jesus and I want us to consider it him. And I think rightfully so.
From.
From this whole picture. In other words, I want us to think about Jesus from the time he came. Which would be the major? To where he is now and that everything in between friends everything that took place in between These two.
We need to see that he was Substitute. Let me ask you to think about this. I hope you would all agree with me that Theology matters, right and Certainly theology matters, but I want to ask you to think about this if our theology Does not lead us to the person and work of Jesus and It only leads us to further theology.
Of what real use is it? In other words as we think about the doctrines the great truths the great Theological understandings that could be had from the scriptures if we lose sight that it's all It all has to be that it leads us here.
Then I say we we've kind of missed.
The aim.
And again, I would ask you to consider Because it's so important for us to understand That that his work from up for us on our behalf at least as we see him in the New Testament and through that the whole of his ministry that it starts here and it ends there and that all of this is of essential character that you and I would not just think of atonement as That event of the cross now again, I'm not seeking to undermine the cross what I am seeking to have us Understand is this that he is now seated on the throne.
Amen. Okay, and that Thank you. He's seated on the throne and and the reality of his being seated on the throne Is that the work his? Substitutionary work on our behalf is what? Finished done completed nothing to be added to it.
Matter of fact, the reality is That at the cross When Jesus said it is finished the throne On which he sits and by the way, I think about this. If you think about the priests offering sacrifices in the Old Testament They always were to stand as they offered sacrifices it's interesting that it says that Jesus is Seated on the throne Indicating that the work is finished.
Right. So when you think about that and we think about this this Jesus That we would understand that we are talking about not just.
The the.
Event of Golgotha. But it encompasses all of this and that. So I want to just spend a few minutes asking us to think about some things and and. That as Jesus rose from the grave The grave is the divine proof That he as the substitute has completed the work that you and I have in Jesus nothing to fear nothing to to cause us alarm.
Because again the proof of his resurrection is that the work was already finished. The resurrection doesn't finish the atonement. The cross finished the atonement, but. All that was encompassed between here and here Has to be considered by us and and so let's just think about a few things that the cross and the whole life of Christ really teaches us.
So consider the manger scene. Consider the manger scene how This Jesus and and We understand that Jesus means God with us. That this Jesus Had such an obscure birth. Let's think about born in a manger.
Born in a Place that none of us would want to see any child born in. I would think right you wouldn't want to have To go to the manger for maternity, right? I don't think anybody would. I don't think Mariana is set to go to a barn to have a baby.
But just think about the obscurity of it all that this Jesus who is the the Lord of Glory enters the world in such a a lowly way in such a humble way in such a way that.
That.
It's a remember what it says that there was no room for him at the end and to me. That's a picture of the reality that there was really no room for Jesus in this world. That as he came to his own and his own Would not receive him that his own was not that they were not willing to make room for Jesus.
And so even from the very onset even from the very first Understanding that we have of the coming of the Son of God we see him as one who is to take upon himself Everything that would be Both needed and Necessary for our redemption and that he took it upon himself so freely and so fully and so willingly and.
And you just think about that whole scene. Again if a king was to come into town Doubt very much. He would come in such an obscure way. He wouldn't come in a smart car. He'd come in a big limo. Right.
And so this Jesus that you and I are to find in the scriptures and to find in the depths of our hearts. Again as even as we enter the manger scene and and then the things that follow it. It's a picture of him who remember Jesus said that the foxes have holes the birds of the air have their nests.
The Son of God has no place to lay his head. He had no place to lay his head from the very beginning again, it is to. And it's such a contrast right this Jesus who had no place to lay his head born in a manger born in Obscurity is the same Jesus who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the wealth in every mind.
There's Jesus who is the light and the life of all comes into this world to save those that are bound in darkness and Death and again my friends. I'm asking us to simply think about Jesus not excluding all the truths and the doctrines and the and and the Christology and the theology of it all and all the prophetic utterances.
But that you and I would what would really focus just on him. Because you see friends our redemption was our redemption is not because of theology. Our redemption is because of the person and work of Christ in this Jesus who during those Silent years, which again would be Mostly in here, right?
He only began his public ministry at what age of 30 or around 30. So think about it 30 30 years of silence and yet I say to you that it wasn't silence you see because he was the substitute here and that's again where we sometimes miss we think of of the the scene of the Gotha but we lose sight that as the substitute as the sin-bearer as the Servant as the the one who came to give life that that his Substitutionary work continued this whole time and that we ought not to think that it was not part of it.
Because it was. May ask you to think about this and this might really seem overly simple but think about these silent years as he grew and says he grew wisdom and stature and.
Both.
In favor both with God and man. Think about. Jesus as our substitute. Never pulled a little girl's ponytail. Jesus as our substitute. Never stepped on a bug to just squash it. Never hurt an animal. This Jesus never played an evil prank on anybody.
As he was growing up. This Jesus who we Look to he never stole a cookie. He never disobeyed. Never provoked never angered others with evil intent. You see there again as a substitute he had to live a what a perfect sinful a sinless life.
Again, that's why In our theology. Let us never lose sight of this whole thing. Because there is where we see the Son of God who came into this world and that as Jesus was fully and harmless. Yet as he grew and as he headed towards that.
Awful cross.
Remember what they called him. This Jesus who is holy and harmless was called the devil. This Jesus was called by others as a Law breaker, but he never broke the law. And he could not have because if he had he could not.
What? He could not be the substitute. He could not be the Savior. He could not be the Redeemer. He could not be God's servant of which we read in Isaiah that when God bruised him God was pleased In his obedience.
This one who even in as we read here. He had no outward beauty That that would roar and attract. He was not like Saul of Samuel That he was head and shoulders above the rest. There was no outward beauty that we would desire of him.
But this Jesus was the one Who had the inward beauty? Brighter than the Sun. More spectacular than all the stars of heaven in their majesty. That was the beauty that Christ possessed and he didn't just possess it at the cross.
He possessed it from here on. This Jesus who was tortured To save himself. Had come to what. To save his own. This Jesus who lives such a lonely life. And I guarantee you that that in in this.
Time.
He lived a very lonely life. There was no one like-minded to him. Right, and we find that out later on that even his brothers Were great Wow did not believe in him. That he who Came as the sin substitute found Nothing, but loneliness.
Because there were none like him and yet The father never left him. This Jesus who was Reviled. Never reviled back. This Jesus who gave his cheek to the enemies. Is the same Jesus who at any time could have called for legions of angels?
Mm-hmm and even apart from legions of angels by the word of his his mouth and by the very thought of him being the the Lord of Glory could have vanquished all his enemies. Yet he allowed them to smite him.
Says that they Desired and pulled the very beard off his face. You see my friends It is simply Jesus. And we need those those things to help support our understanding of it, but we cannot lose sight that The substitute was a person that it's it's him in which we find Salvation and that all that he did from that very first Day in the manger to as we see him now Seated high above on his rightful throne was the work that he undertook on our behalf.
Is that not why the scripture says? Through the prophecies and the psalmist he restored that which what he took not away. Which one of us are going to say that as we grew we never In a sense pull the ponytail.
We never played an evil prank. We never said malicious words to hurt and offend. We never stole a cookie that Jesus never stole a cookie. You see every aspect of his life was substitutionary on our behalf.
He had to. He had to be perfect. He had to be. Remember the one of the accusations that he's a law breaker and yet he fulfilled the law to what it says. Every jot and every tittle this Jesus who was a man of sorrows.
And I submit to you. He was a man of sorrows.
From here.
Across.
He was a man of sorrows yet, he's the Lord of Glory. Jesus who was so mistreated. Is the very same Jesus who was so full of compassion that as he walked by he he Was so desirous to to lift men and women and children from there from their conditions and their diseases and their maladies and their their Their ugliness and raise them in newness of life.
That's why I say my friends we ought not to think only of the cross as the atonement but every moment of his life. Every moment of his life as an act of substitution as an act of obedience as a Willing offering to the father who had sent him that you and I who've offended in so many places Who have broken God's law so many times?
Who deserve nothing but the righteous judgment of God. He comes and in his person and in every moment of his life in every phase of his life. He satisfies the righteousness of God. This Jesus who they said was worthy of death.
Why was he so? Maliciously thought of because he was so different. He was so unlike us and yet he was tempted as we are he was charged. That he was worthy of death and yet they could not could not Make a rightful claim against him.
They had to bring up false witnesses and even their stories couldn't hold together. This Jesus who was The everlasting one and yet it says he did not even bruise or read. As he walked by the you and I would would would truly begin to understand Who this Jesus is?
It's why it's so offensive to me when I hear people talk about God and Christ is the man upstairs in my bud and my and this and that. And lightning comes and God's bowling and all the other foolish things that we say.
If this Jesus took upon himself in his person and.
All the.
Consequences that would come from being a righteous one in an unrighteous world. And he took him to himself. Can we not see the work of the Lamb of God who takes away? The sin of the world. And what's interesting about that if you read that scripture?
He takes away the sin of the world not sins.
Plural.
Sin singular to me. My understanding of that is that he took upon himself the depravity of man and accomplished victory over it by his his perfect righteousness and obedience. Thought of how this Jesus whose Hands were pierced with nails And yet and he could read it in Isaiah 49 it says that our names Are inscribed on the palms of his hands.
The substitute nailed through his his hands and yet Our names are written On the palms of his hands. This Jesus who fulfilled every type and every shadow In his own person as prophet as priest as king as the sacrifice.
This Jesus who was so patient with such a Ruined and rebellious race. How many times have we rebelled against God's truth? How many times have we missed the mark. How many times have we if you will Done things that are in opposition To this Jesus who hung on Calvary's cross that you and I might live forever.
This Jesus who bore our sorrow.
Sorrows.
Carried our shame from the very beginning. And he ever lives now to make intercession for us. You see my friends. That's why I mean when when I say that if if our theology doesn't lead us to Christ throw your theology out.
It's about his great love for us. That even when we were dead in sin Died for us. He bore the very wrath that you and I deserve. And it wasn't one place that you can find in all his ministry here on this earth In which he failed to accomplish What you and I could never accomplish.
That he took upon himself every sin that you and I have ever committed Or will ever commit. If these things don't make us fall in love with Christ is something wrong with us. This Jesus who was smitten by God and afflicted to remove God's righteous Judgment against us.
He was bound to set us free. He was hated that we might be loved. He wore a crown of thorns so we could wear a crown of glory. Can we not spend time? Thinking about our Savior. Ought we not to spend time thinking about Jesus or we not to Seek to come and just fall down before him and worship him.
Worthy is the Lamb. He alone is worthy. Who is worthy to open the seals? Who is it? None other than this one is Jesus. Can we not speak my friends of the endless ways of how this Jesus is worthy of all our praise?
All our honor.
All our obedience all our commitment. All odd he ought to be. All our desire. They pleased the Lord to bruise him. Jesus who was abandoned by all his so-called friends and followers. And yet this Jesus is the one who sticks closer to us than a brother.
You cannot can you not see the contrast of this all? Is it not glorious? Is it not? Magnificent that this this one would would care for us. Worms. Not only worms rebellious worms. Is Jesus who was surrounded by lions and bees and Yet for all that he Willingly gave himself as a lamb.
Full of slaughter.
Pleased the Lord to bruise when he's put him to grief. When you make his soul and offering for sin He shall see his seed. He shall prolong the days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
You shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied by His knowledge. My righteous servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities. He bore my iniquity. He bore my rebellion. He bore my stubbornness in my hard-heartedness.
He bore my coldness of heart. Jesus bore it all and he did it out of Love for me. There's Jesus who came to suffer and die. So we could live in rain. Friends, it don't get any better. And if there's anything else that you think is better, you're wrong.
Jesus is the all-in-all. When I hear people that say that they are Believers and I I hear very little of the name of Jesus I begin to wonder what they believe that this substitute who is Seated on his rightful throne we will always see him as our substitute as The one who went to seeds on our behalf as the one who? because of his righteousness Imputed to us by God shall shall forever Enjoy the presence of the one who's brighter than the Sun the one who shall as he says cause us forever and ever.
I Guess that's the one thing. You know, that's the one thing that troubles me so much. How could God love me forever and ever? Why me? I'm not worthy. You are not worthy. How was it even willing? He made me willing and yet of all the people have ever walked the face of this earth billions upon billions upon billions upon billions for some reason which Escapes me.
He loves me and not only did he love me. He came to save me.
Between.
Those Two thieves as a picture of the one who came to save sinners like us and as they cursed him as They reviled him. He said to the one today. You shall be with me in paradise. Can we not sing my friends of his love forever?
I Like that song. I also like the song that says Oh For a thousand tongues to sing my great redeems praise. Glories of my God in King. My friends I don't have much more to add to the thoughts but I want to just ask us to think about.
How much do you think about Jesus. Not how much do you think about Christianity and how much do you think about about This thing and nothing. But how much do you think about the person of Christ as the substitute as as the one who came and and Never faulted, excuse me.
Because I want you to just see this as we close. And it goes back into Isaiah in 53 verse 12. It says therefore the therefore is all that we have said and 10 ,000 times more things. And then it says therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong.
Because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors bore the sin of many. He made intercession for the transgressors. Friends, there won't be no Baptist in heaven. I won't be no Presbyterians.
There might be a few Methodists there. I don't know. There won't be no denominations. They'll be the children of God. And everything that offends. Everything that offends and everything that makes a lie.
And all that don't believe and all the murderers and all the adulterers and all the the liars and all the idolaters. They shall not once enter into the presence Of either the lamb or his people. It will be an immaculate place.
Consider your future. We all like to consider our future. We all make plans for our future.
Well, guess what?
He's already finished. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. My friends may again. Maybe get off the ology straight.
And.
May we grow in great net. Listen, maybe that's what it says grow in grace and What and the knowledge of? The Son of God Who loved us and gave himself for us? May God bless us. Let's just close with a word of prayer our Father and God.
Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the altogether lovely one. Thank you for the one Who came To restore that which he did not take away to stand in the gap on our behalf. To bear the judgment of God that we would not need to Haven't inflicted on us.
Thank you Lord that when you see us you see him. Help us Lord to see you high and lifted up. Help us to see you for all your beauty and all your majesty. Help us to see you for all your tenderness and all your care to us.
Help us to set aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us. No spirit. Help us to run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our fate. And now Lord keep us safe.
May we again? As we lay our heads down tonight. May we consider the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.