The Means of God’s Salvation
Isaiah 53
This morning we are here to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
It is the commanded ordinance of the church
Meant to continually bring us back to the cross.
In order to do that we are going to study the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.
However, before we study this chapter,
I want to help you see it in its context.
Isaiah 50 – 66 is all about the salvation of Israel.
It begins with their rejection
And ends with their reconciliation back to God.
Let me give you some of the highlights of the section
TURN BACK TO: ISAIAH 50
Isaiah 50 recounts the separation
That occurred between God and His people.
It actually describes this split as a divorce.
(VS. 1) – God wants to know when the divorce occurred
(VS. 2)
Isaiah 51 is God seeking His people to come back to Him.
Notice the heartfelt pleas to reconcile the relationship.
(Vs. 1) – “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the LORD”
(Vs. 4) – “Pay attention…give ear”
And all throughout the chapter it echoes the cries of Jesus
As He begged Israel to come to Him.
Isaiah 52 – Continues the theme of God pleading for reconciliation.
(Vs. 6) – “Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, “Here I am.”
And then of course is the 53rd chapter
Where God actually makes provision for their forgiveness.
Isaiah 54 Celebrates the fact that forgiveness is possible.
(Vs. 11-17) –announces the good news of salvation.
But because Israel would not listen to Jesus or the apostles,
The next 9 chapters reveal one evangelistic call after another.
(55:1) – (55:6) – “ (56:1) – (58:1) –(59:1-3) (61:1-3) (62:1)
And finally CHAPTER 64 Israel gets saved.
(Vs. 6) – “For all of us have become like one who is unclean…”
(Vs. 8-12) – They actually ask for salvation.
And so you see that these 17 chapters
Are all about the future salvation of Israel.
And the pinnacle of these chapters is clearly the 53rd.
For it was in that chapter
That salvation was actually purchased for God’s elect.
If chapter 53 does not exist then the remainder of the book of Isaiah
Is not possible. It all hinges upon this event.
SALVATION REQUIRES MORE THAN THE MOTIVATION OF MAN
IT REQUIRES THE SATISFACTION OF GOD
There is a sin debt outstanding, and until that debt is paid,
It doesn’t matter how much man wants to be forgiven.
ISAIAH 53 DEALS WITH THE PAYMENT OF THAT DEBT
This text naturally breaks into 4 divisions. (each of 3 verses)
Each division naturally breaks down as well into 3 points.
In each section the 1st verse makes a theological statement.
In each section the 2nd verse makes support of that statement.
In each section the 3rd verse summarizes that main point.
#1 HIS HUMILIATION
Isaiah 53:1-3
We already saw back in the 50th chapter that when God showed up
His people did not receive Him.
And certainly we saw that in the gospels as well.
John 1:5 “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
John 1:9-11 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”
And that is as Isaiah predicted here.
This great chapter begins with two questions.
“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”
Jesus is God’s incarnate word, His literal message.
Jesus is God’s arm, the means of His salvation.
DID ANYBODY SEE THAT WHEN HE CAME?
And the answer is obviously “No”
The Messiah (just as ch. 50 revealed) was not recognized.
WHY?
(2) “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.”
The basic reason brought forth by Isaiah is that He was not recognized
Because He did not fit the profile of what Israel was looking for.
“He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,”
In other words He grew up in relative weakness and obscurity.
The only one who kept an eye on Him was God.
When people saw Him as a young boy,
No one really thought there was anything special about Him.
Contrast Him to a previous deliverer for Israel.
REMEMBER MOSES?
Acts 7:20 “It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home.”
Hebrews 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”
There was something about Moses from the start.
You could just look at this kid and tell he was set apart.
When you saw him you just knew God had big plans for Him.
But not Jesus.
As a kid growing up no one suspected a thing (not even His brothers)
“like a root out of parched ground;”
Roots flourish in wet soil, in fertile soil.
But Jesus certainly wasn’t planted in fertile soil.
He was born to a carpenter, He was raised in Nazareth.
Perhaps you even remember one of His disciples:
John 1:45-46 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
It was clear that Jesus didn’t have the right pedigree.
Even if He had it in Him to be a king (something no one suspected)
Then His hopes were crushed by being born into poverty and oblivion.
And if that was not enough:
“He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”
Remember when Samuel found king Saul?
1 Samuel 9:1-2 “Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.”
Remember later when Samuel found king David?
1 Samuel 16:12 “So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”
Well Jesus didn’t have any of that.
There was nothing remarkable about His childhood…
There was nothing beneficial about His pedigree…
There was nothing exceptional about His stature…
And because of that, the people failed to recognize Him.
• They wanted a savior from Rome…
• They wanted a general with power and persuasion…
• They wanted a warrior with conviction…
But that was not Jesus:
Matthew 12:18-21 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM IHAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.”HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. “A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. “AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”
He wasn’t a bully.
He wasn’t a motivational speaker.
He didn’t create mobs and start riots.
His greatest tool was compassion and
His attitude was best described by submission.
If you wanted someone to overthrow Rome, this was not your guy.
And so Israel failed to recognize Him.
And therefore:
(3) “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.”
They despised Him because of His humility.
What they failed to realize was that
His humility was to help Him identify with us.
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.”
He came in humiliation because
He desired to understand our pain and our suffering.
And because of this people failed to see Him.
In fact He associated so well, that people often rejected Him for it.
Matthew 9:11 “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”
Matthew 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Jesus was a man of sorrows and pain
And because of that people were not interested in following Him.
First – His Humiliation
#2 HIS PROPITIATION
Isaiah 53:4-6
Propitiation is a word that means “appeasement”.
It means to satisfy someone’s wrath, or to make amends.
And that is why Jesus came.
Romans 3:21-25a “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.”
1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Jesus came to satisfy the wrath of God on sin.
And that is what He did.
(4) “Surely our griefs He himself bore, and our sorrows He carried;”
And I hope you will allow me to do a little
Defending of the truth here for just a moment.
This statement, along with the one in
verse 5, “and by His scourging we are healed.”
Are commonly quoted by those in the charismatic movement
To prove that physical healing is a part of the atonement
And that believers should no longer be sick.
Please listen to me for a moment.
God is Healer, and God does heal.
(you wouldn’t recover from anything if God didn’t heal you.)
And in a sense healing is part of the atonement,
For sickness is a consequence of sin.
(Coming as a part of the curse at the fall of man)
But the fulfillment of that won’t be until glory.
Sin was also defeated and yet Christians still sin.
Death was also defeated and yet Christians still die.
But this verse is used to support that no Christians should get sick.
The reason is because of the word study.
The Hebrew word for “griefs” literally means sickness
The Hebrew word for “sorrows” literally means pain
And therefore the conclusion is made that
The healing mentioned in verse 5 is a physical healing
And that through the atonement believers should never be sick.
BUT LISTEN
That misses the point of the text,
For Isaiah is not talking about actual sickness,
But rather is speaking of sin as a disease that is plaguing mankind.
Jesus did the same:
Matthew 9:12-13 “But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. “But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Furthermore the remainder of the chapter makes it clear
That deliverance from sin and not sickness is in view.
(5) “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities…”
(6) “the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
(11) “as He will bear their iniquities.”
(12) “Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.”
Is sickness a sin, or is sin a sickness?
Isaiah sees sin as a sickness that requires a healer.
WHY DOES IT MATTER IF THEY VIEW THE ATONEMENT LIKE THAT?
Because run the risk of making the same mistake Israel made
Which is failing to see your biggest problem.
If you come to Jesus for the wrong reason you will not last.
There were thousands who came to Jesus to be healed,
And nearly all defected from Him eventually, some even yelling crucify in Jerusalem. (Read John 6 if you want proof)
There were thousands who came to Jesus to make Him king,
Supposing He had the power to give earthly prominence and power, and they fell away eventually as well. (see Judas)
Those all misdiagnosed their main problem and therefore went to Jesus for the wrong cure, and they did not last.
That was Israel’s downfall.
They didn’t see sin as their biggest enemy,
And so they failed to see the Savior.
And so I want you to see that Jesus is the Savior from sin.
(His healing ministry was proof of His power to save from sin)
Matthew 9:5-7 “Which is easier, to say, ‘ Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” And he got up and went home.”
Jesus came to pay the sin debt of God’s people, and if you see that,
Then you are reading the chapter correctly.
“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried;”
But because men did not think they needed His services,
They excused His sacrifice.
“Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.”
He died for us, and yet we thought He died because He deserved it.
What a tragedy.
(5-6) “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.”
DID YOU NOTICE ALL THE “OUR” AND “WE” AND “US” STATEMENT?
His death was not because He was at fault.
He died because we had a sin problem we could not solve.
• He came to this earth in humiliation identifying with our weakness…
• He took our sin upon Himself and paid the penalty for it…
• And all along we thought He deserved what He was getting.
He came to defeat our biggest enemy and that was sin.
He did so by paying the debt we owed against it.
1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
His Humiliation
His Propitiation
#3 HIS AUTHENTICATION
Isaiah 53:7-9
Many would ask: “HOW DO YOU KNOW HE DIDN’T DESERVE WHAT HE GOT?”
You can talk about Him paying our penalty,
But how do we know He didn’t just pay His own penalty.
Well the greatest proof of that point is that He rose from the dead, But beyond that, even the atonement itself proves He was innocent.
Look at His attitude when He died.
(7) “He was oppressed and he was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.”
Nothing He did was done in selfishness,
All that He did was done in submission.
This even perplexed those around Him.
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.”
Pilate had seen many a man on death row and none acted like Jesus.
This man was at peace, this man was submissive,
He was not your common criminal.
I especially like verse 8
“By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?”
Did you catch the question?
“Who considered that He died because of the sin of the people?”
DID ANYBODY RECOGNIZE THAT HE DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE?
YES
• The Judge who condemned Him first declared Him innocent.
• Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man.”
• The Centurion who nailed Him to the cross later declared Him to be the Son of God.
• The Thief who died beside Him declared to all who were present that while his death was deserved, “This man has done nothing wrong.”
But if that wasn’t enough, notice how God intervened.
(9) ‘His grave was assigned with wicked men,”
And that was true.
They would have buried Him with all the other criminals,
But God intervened.
“Yet He was with a rich man in His death”
You will remember that instead He was buried in Joseph’s tomb,
This all by the determination of God.
WHY?
Because Psalms 116:15 says:
Psalms 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones.”
And even though His stay in the grave would not be long,
God would have it be an honorable one.
“Because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”
In other words He was the real deal.
• Pilate knew it…
• The Centurion knew it…
• The thief knew it…
• God knew it…
He really did not die for His own sin, but for the sin of the people.
His Humiliation His Propitiation His Authentication
#4 HIS GLORIFICATION
Isaiah 53:10-12
Some would ask.
If God was so pleased with Him, then why would God kill Him?
And so the answer is spelled out again.
(10) “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief;”
God was actually pleased to kill Jesus.
WHY?
“If He will render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”
God was pleased to crush this righteous man
Because this righteous man was paying the sin debt for God’s people.
God was pleased to crush Him because in Him salvation was possible.
Jesus actually could fulfill the plan of God.
And as a result of the obedience of Jesus, God highly magnified Him for it.
(11-12) “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”
Jesus was righteous, yet He died a humiliating death
In order to fulfill God’s plan of redemption for His people.
And because Jesus did that God highly glorified Him.
In fact God made Him the absolute preeminent one.
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.”
Because of the faithfulness of Jesus, God has made Him Lord.
He is the One that you and I must submit to.
You see Jesus didn’t come to save you from poverty, or government oppression, or even hardship and pain.
Jesus came to save you from sin.
He did so by taking sin upon Himself and paying it’s penalty in full.
This morning we return to the table of the Lord to remember that fact.
The body that was broken, the blood that was spilled
Are symbols of the crucifixion and atonement of Jesus.
We partake in thanksgiving, we partake in submission.
But this morning if you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, I want to first give you a chance to do so.
After this great chapter in Isaiah,
Isaiah gave some of the greatest invitations of all time.
Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
And that promise is for you as well.
We are about to have a time of preparation, you respond to Jesus.
THE LORD’S SUPPER
• Deacons come forward
• Deacons fold blanket
Isaiah 53:4-6 “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.”
• Give Bread to Deacons
• Deacon Prayer
• Deacons pass out bread
Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
• Take Bread
Isaiah 53:10-12 “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”
• Give Juice to Deacons
• Deacon Prayer
• Deacons pass out juice
Matthew 26:27-28 “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”
• Deacon Prayer
• Parting Hymn
