Isaiah’s Incarnate One
Isaiah 50:4-9
December 25, 2023
When I finally sat down this past week to start putting the sermon for this Christmas service down on paper, I was immediately drawn to Isaiah 50.
• I started reading it over and over and thinking on it,
• And really just trying to soak it all in.
• It is one of my favorite chapters.
• The gospel just gushes out of it like a soaked wash rag.
But then I thought, wait, I hope I didn’t preach this chapter last year at Christmas.
My records tell me Isaiah 50 was our passage on Christmas day in 2020
Since that was only 3 years ago
I know that it is still perfectly etched in your minds.
3 years ago we looked at THE ENTIRE CHAPTER
As sort of an OVERVIEW of all that Isaiah reveals here.
We talked about: THE REJECTION (1-3)
Where you see that Christ ask the question, “Why was there no man when I came?”
• And we see again how Jesus was the true light which came into the world,
• But how He was not recognized or received by His own.
• They rejected Him.
We talked about: THE REDEEMER (4-9)
We talked about how you can clearly see the major elements of the gospel in these verses.
• His Incarnation (4-5)
• His Suffering (6)
• His Resurrection (7-9)
We talked about: THE REQUIREMENT (10-11)
Which very simply is that you should “trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
And our point was that Jesus is the true light.
Isaiah saw Him in chapter 9 and again here.
He is the Light of the world that enlightens every man.
But we hit the whole chapter in an abbreviated Christmas Day sermon
What I want to do this morning is go back
And look a little closer at verses 4-9 and examine it a little more.
I WANT TO LOOK AT THIS REDEEMER A LITTLE CLOSER.
Isaiah 50:4-9 is the Old Testament equivalent of Philippians 2:5-11
Philippians 2:5-11 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
That’s the passage our kids did such a wonderful job illustrating for us two weeks ago.
In many ways, the things we learned there from the apostle Paul
Are things that Isaiah told us about years earlier.
The difference would be:
• Where Philippians 2:5-11 focuses on the DEGREE of His humiliation.
• Isaiah 50:4-9 focuses on the BENEFIT of His humiliation.
IN PHILIPPIANS WE SEE:
• No one ever started higher and then came lower than Jesus.
• The degree of humiliation He endured
• To one moment be regarded as God in heaven
• And in the next moment to be a crucified slave on earth.
Paul shows us that great humiliation
Because he has A SPIRITUAL APPLICATION for us.
Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”
Paul shows us the humility of Jesus
Because he wants us to show the same.
Remember how that chapter started.
Philippians 2:1-4 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
The entire point was for you to understand that
The calling is for you to lay down your life for your brother.
We are to do nothing out of selfishness but do all things out of love.
We are to regard one another as more important than ourselves.
And the ultimate example of such humility is Jesus
Who humbled Himself to a degree that we will never get close to equaling.
None of us will ever start so high. None of us will ever sink so low.
So that passage focuses on the degree of Christ’s humiliation.
Isaiah’s passage also focuses on His humiliation
But more so the BENEFITS we receive from it.
And when Isaiah applies the humiliation of Christ
It is NOT MERELY as an example to follow
(though that is implied).
ISAIAH SHOWS US THE BENEFITS OF HIS HUMILIATION
SO THAT WE WILL TRUST IN HIM.
(10) “Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
In this chapter Isaiah addresses two distinct groups.
ONE is found in verse 11
• They are those who are filled with self-confidence
• They don’t need someone to be their light
• They have accumulated their own light.
• Isaiah will tell them that they are headed for destruction.
But THE OTHER group, (the one we are interested in) is the one in verse 10
• Who “fears the LORD”
• Who “walks in darkness and has no light”.
That is to say, they know they have no light on their own.
• They know they have no righteousness of any value.
• They know they have no wisdom to save themselves.
• They are poor in spirit.
• They are mourning spiritual beggars.
Isaiah wants them to know about this Suffering Servant.
And he tells them to “trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
The One Isaiah is going to tell you about is One you can trust in.
The One Isaiah is going to tell you about is One you can rely on.
It is all about the benefits of this Incarnate Savior.
So let’s look at the benefits Isaiah lays out for us this morning.
There are 5
#1 SYMPATHETIC SUPPORTER
Isaiah 50:4a
Perhaps you would prefer the term advocate or mediator or even priest.
By reason of His incarnation
Jesus has become to us a sympathetic advocate,
A sympathetic priest, a sympathetic supporter.
“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.”
Back up in verse 2
• Isaiah first broke the news that God had become flesh and dwelled among us.
Isaiah 50:2 “Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water And die of thirst.”
• Isaiah revealed that He came to earth to dwell among us.
• Isaiah addressed why no one was enthused about it.
Through Isaiah God asked, “Was it because you thought I couldn’t save?”
Do you not know whom I am?
• The Red Sea Splitter
• The Jordan River Divider
BUT THE REALITY IS Israel rejected Christ in part because:
The thought that God would become man
Was TOO FAR-FETCHED for them to concede.
• Surely the God whose glory drove priests out of the temple…
• Surely the God who made Sinai quake at His presence…
• Surely the God who struck Uzza for disrespect…
• Surely the God who devoured Aaron’s sons for blasphemy…
THERE IS NO WAY that God would become human
And subject Himself to ridicule and shame.
That was too much for them to handle
And part of the reason why they rejected Him.
In verse 4 Isaiah is revealing
WHY He would subject Himself to such treatment.
WHY? “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples” (made human)
And there are many reasons,
BUT THE ONE ISAIAH FOCUSES ON HERE IS SO THAT:
“That I may know how to sustain the weary on with a word.”
IN OTHER WORDS, “So that I will know how to answer you.”
• So that I will know how to encourage you.
• So that I can sympathize with your weaknesses.
• So that I can understand your temptations.
Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
Hebrews 5:7-8 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”
THAT IS TO SAY, He learned the difficulty of obedience in His suffering.
Isaiah speaks of a God who is NOT distant and aloof.
• He speaks of a God who came near,
• Who entered your race,
• Who tasted this bitter life,
• Who embraced your pain and suffering.
In reality, this is ALWAYS WHO HE WAS.
• We saw Him in the lions den with Daniel.
• We saw Him in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego
• We saw Him in the pillar of fire and the cloud.
He has always been a “God In Our Midst” kind of God.
But the INCARNATION took it to A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
He became like the ultimate support group.
No matter your temptation…
No matter your suffering…
No matter your toil…
You can cry to Him and He can say, “I know exactly what you mean.”
This is one of the benefits of His incarnation.
He is a Sympathetic Supporter – SO CALL ON HIM
I watched a video this week of a man who put salon wax on his cheeks and nose and two bunches of wax covered Q-tips up his nose so he would know what his wife goes through at the salon.
The screaming and tears in his eyes indicate he is now a sympathizer.
Jesus did far more than that. CALL ON HIM
A Sympathetic Supporter
#2 SUBMISSIVE STANDARD
Isaiah 53:4b-5
That is to say He came and gave us an example.
• He certainly came to enter our hardships,
• But He also came to guide us how to walk through them correctly.
(4b-5) “He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back.”
We see true obedience when we look at the life of Jesus.
John 5:19 “Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
John 8:28-29 “So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
We have one in Jesus Christ
Who perfectly did the Father’s will in every situation.
Such obedience inspired the fad several years ago entitled: WWJD
(What Would Jesus Do) recognizing Him as the perfect example of obedience.
“And I was not disobedient” – He never REBELLED
“Nor did I turn back” – He never RETREATED
He always perfectly obeyed the Father in every possible way.
And certainly this is a TREMENDOUS EXAMPLE for us.
He said:
John 13:15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”
Peter said:
1 Peter 2:21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”
He is an example: FOLLOW HIM
And not only so that you can do what He did, though that is the goal.
Follow Him because in His perfect obedience
He fulfilled God’s righteous requirement
And will impute that righteousness to all His followers.
He is A Sympathetic Supporter – Call on Him
He is A Submissive Standard – Follow Him
#3 SEASONED SUFFERER
Isaiah 50:6
What tremendous examples of suffering does Isaiah lay out for us.
(6) “I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.”
• We think certainly of His beatings before the Roman soldiers.
• We think of His trials before the Sanhedrin.
• We think of the mocking and scorn heaped upon Him on the cross.
HE SUFFERED.
Not just physically; but emotionally and more than that spiritually.
He bore the full humiliation of humanity and the full wrath of God.
This suffering is given by Isaiah in MORE DETAIL and with MORE PURPOSE 3 chapters later in Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:1-6 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, 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. He was despised and forsaken of men, 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. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
That was the passage the Ethiopian Eunuch was reading
• When Philip approached him
• He was mesmerized at one who would willingly suffer so greatly for someone
else.
That passage led the Ethiopian Eunuch to yield his life to Jesus Christ.
Isaiah reveals that suffering to you too.
• He wasn’t held and arrested against His will.
• He gave Himself to those soldiers.
• He gave Himself to their scorn.
• He gave His body to their brutality.
Why?
FOR YOU!
He bore the scorn and humiliation and shame
That you deserve; that I deserve.
COULD YOU IMAGINE how humiliated you would be:
• If all at once every sinful thing you did was POSTED on the internet?
• If your thought light was PUBLISHED for all to read?
• If videos of your behavior were PLAYED on the nightly news?
WOULD YOU BE HUMILIATED?
Of course you would – sin brings humiliation.
He was humiliated in your stead!
And He volunteered: LOVE HIM
• Love Him for what He has done for you.
• Love Him for taking on flesh and dwelling among us.
• Love Him for taking off His outer garment and for girding Himself with a towel and for washing your feet.
Love Him for identifying with you at your worst!
1 John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.”
A Sympathetic Supporter – Call on Him
A Submissive Standard – Follow Him
A Seasoned Sufferer – Love Him
#4 STEADFAST SOLDIER
Isaiah 50:7-9
Do you see Him in those passages
• Squaring off with those who rejected Him?
• Standing strong against Chief Priests and Pharisees.
This was not to defend His integrity,
We already saw that He embraced humiliation.
This was to defend His gospel!
And He wouldn’t yield on it for a second!
• (7) “Therefore, I have set My face like flint”
• (8) “Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other;”
• (8) “Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me;”
He would not back down.
John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
Go listen to Him
• Humiliate the Pharisees in Matthew 23 calling them hypocrites repeatedly.
• While eating at the Pharisees house when that woman washes His feat with her tears and how He calls out the Pharisee for not understanding mercy.
• Listen to Him ask, “Let He who is without sin cast the first stone”.
He won’t yield for a second on the gospel He came to preach.
Or how about when He stood trial to face death?
John 19:8-11 “Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
He is a steadfast soldier – ADMIRE HIM
In our world of people to look up to, where is a better one than Jesus?
• The perfect example of justice and mercy.
• The perfect example of holiness and compassion.
• The perfect example of meekness and strength.
• He never gets it wrong.
• He never says the wrong thing.
• He never compromises or yields to heresy.
He is the ultimate One to study and examine and be inspired by.
• Study Him
• Gaze upon Him
• Listen to Him
• Watch Him
• And be totally captivated in awe of Him.
A Sympathetic Supporter – Call on Him
A Submissive Standard – Follow Him
A Seasoned Sufferer – Love Him
A Steadfast Soldier – Admire Him
#5 SUCCESSFUL SAVIOR
Isaiah 50:7-9
Here we read those same verses but we focus on the fact that
Though man was against Him GOD WAS EVER ON HIS SIDE.
(7) “For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore I am not disgraced;”
(8) “Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me;”
We hear Isaiah speak of the vindication of the LORD for Him.
• We’ve heard the Father speak about Him from heaven.
• We know the ultimate vindication came in His resurrection from the dead.
Psalms 16:10 “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”
Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Man may have attacked Him, but God vindicated Him.
WHAT IS THAT TO US?
Namely that He is THE SAVIOR WHOM GOD ACCEPTS.
• What good is it to have a sympathetic priest if God won’t listen to Him?
• What good is it to have a submissive standard if God wasn’t pleased?
• What good is it to have a seasoned sufferer if God wasn’t impressed?
• What good is it to have a steadfast soldier if God is His enemy?
It matters that God chose a side.
It matters that God vindicated Him!
He is the Savior whom God accepts.
• He is a sympathizer with direct access to the Father.
• He is a standard which earned the Father’s approval.
• He is a sufferer who bore all the wrath the Father required.
• He is the soldier who won the battle the Father commissioned Him for.
And now God has exalted Him.
God has made Him both Lord and Christ.
He succeeded in His saving incarnation – TRUST HIM
Don’t rest on your own abilities.
Don’t rest on your own wisdom.
Don’t rest on your own goodness.
TRUST HIM
(10) “Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
These are the benefits of the incarnation.
WHAT DID YOU GET FOR CHRISTMAS?
• You got a PRIEST to call upon.
• You got an EXAMPLE to follow.
• You got a SUFFERER to love.
• You got a SOLDIER to admire.
• You got a SAVIOR to trust.
Merry Christmas!
