The Righteous Sacrifice (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

Introduction

Things aren't always what they seem. Have you ever driven across country for many hours without many stops? I have. When we travel to my in-laws, we usually take that 16 hour trip in a single day – a very long day. Toward the end of the day, I begin to see things crossing the road in front of me. I know that what I am seeing is not really anything, it is just my eyes playing tricks on me (or perhaps my mind) due to fatigue. (Or maybe there are things crossing the road in front of me and it is my mind playing tricks and telling me it is an illusion)

The natural state of man doesn't always see reality as it really is. This is especially true when we have certain expectations of the way God will do something and He doesn't live up to those expectations. Not that God would ever try to deceive. It is just that man's natural fallen state often has incorrect preconceptions about the way God should do something. But the way God does anything is always the way it should be done. Our study today is no exception.

Before we go into the text, consider what Paul says in I Corinthians 1:18-31. He tells us that what God does often appears to be foolish in the eyes of sinful man. In fact, God's salvation plan even seems foolish to those who are perishing. But to those to whom the message of the Gospel has made a life-changing effect, God's plan of salvation is a beautiful plan bringing hope for an eternity in His presence.

Perceptual Distortion (Isaiah 52:13-53:3)

1)Wisdom and Exaltation (Isaiah 52:13)

Wisdom is having knowledge and the capacity to make good use of it. To take what one has learned and apply it is the correct way.

We have already looked at the fact that this servant learns and communicates what he hears from God.

And here we see that he also learns and applies that knowledge wisely.

He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

There has never been a time when the Son of God has not been highly exalted. He always has been, in reality, exalted by nature.

But this points to being exalted in his human nature.

This concept of being lifted up and raised and highly exalted, receives varied understanding in the commentary world.

Some take these words to refer to being raised on the cross, resurrected, and then ascended. Others say it refers to his resurrection, ascension, and his position at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Others view it in a less sequential fashion and see it as everything he has done is realized in his fulfilled work on behalf of his church. He is the exalted head of his body the church.

Whatever the actual complete meaning (and it may be a combination of these), he is unmatched and above all. And as such, this makes the remainder of the chapter and the next even more surprising.

2)Many Appalled and Many Silenced (Isaiah 52:14-15a)

I don't think we can really comprehend the extreme nature of what Jesus went through. The synoptic gospels present some of the details of what went on: crown of thorns, beatings, hitting in the face, spitting, mocking, scourging, and ultimately, crucifixion.

The language here, in just a few words, points to the fact that the suffering he endured was inhumane. It was over the top. And it was something that would be appalling to look at.

Could this be someone who is exalted? Someone of high standing?

Not many would think so.

Startle or Sprinkle.

3)His Reality Will Surprise: Mystery (Isaiah 52:15b)

The last part of verse 15 talks about understanding.

Some commentators see this as referring to coming to faith in this servant. Coming to a realization of who he is when finally they are made aware of the reality of who he is.

Others believe this refers to his second coming when many who rejected him will understand that this was Jesus. Their mouths will be silenced and they will have come to an understanding too late.

Either case, there appears to be some degree of mystery in who this coming servant is. A type of confounding of man's wisdom by the way he appears on the scene.

4)The Arm of the Lord Revealed (Isaiah 53:1)

Nothing in the history of time, since the beginning when God created everything out of nothing, has the arm (or strength) of the Lord been revealed in such a mighty way.

No tsunami, or earthquake, no solar flare or super nova has ever revealed the strength of God is such a vivid way as the way revealed through the coming of this servant, Jesus.

The separation between God and man, due to sin, is infinite and impassable.

Nothing could be more opposite to the character and divine nature of God than sin. It is in complete opposition to everything that God is.

Words cannot describe the inconceivable divide between God and man due to our wickedness.

But in Jesus coming, the divine identified with the lowest of humanity – he achieved the greatest disparity between who He is and what He became. He bore what his perfection could not bear, namely our sin.

Much more could be said about this if I had the ability to articulate. But the bottom line is this, no matter how powerful you can conceive of God's power at work in creation or wherever, it has never been demonstrated so vastly as in the work of Jesus.

5)Unexpected: Humble, No Beauty or Majesty (Isaiah 53:2)

[Prince and the Pauper]

The novel begins with Tom Canty, an impoverished boy living with his abusive family in London. One day Tom Canty and Prince Edward, the son of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour meet and as a jest, switch clothes. While dressed in the pauper's rags, the Prince leaves the palace to punish the guard who knocked Tom down. However, the boys look remarkably alike and because they switch clothes, the palace guards throw the prince out into the street. The Prince fares poorly in London because he insists on proclaiming his identity as the true Prince of Wales. Meanwhile despite Tom's repeated denial of his birthright, the court and the King insist that he is the true prince gone mad. Edward eventually runs into Tom's family and a gang of thieves and Twain illustrates England's unfair and barbaric justice system. After the death of Henry VIII, Edward interrupts Tom's coronation and the boys explain, switch places, and Edward is crowned King of England. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince_and_the_Pauper)

Isn't that like God? He understands that our fallen nature tends to judge on outward appearances.

The same was true in the days of King Saul. The people wanted Saul since he stood head and shoulders above the rest. He was a good looking strong man. He would be a great leader. But he turned out to be a failure.

His replacement was selected by Samuel, under the Holy Spirit's direction. But each time one of Jesse's sons came forward – all strong and good looking by the way – they were passed over. It didn't occur to Jesse that God might have his youngest in mind.

6)A Life of Rejection, Sorrow, and Suffering (Isaiah 53:3)

Esteem – consider valuable

All through this beginning section, we are confronted with the reality of who this servant is and the disparity between who he is and what humanity thinks of him.

This word esteemed in it's form, esteemed him not, shows that he was of infinite worth, but no one saw any value in him.

Instead of valuing him, we have men despising him. Looking down on him with disdain.

He is rejected by men. The claims he made about himself were rejected. You claim to be the Son of God, then do what we expect you to do. Prove it to us.

A man of sorrows. He saw the lost condition of those he had created. He knew the souls that would reject him and bear the consequences eternally.

And he lived no sheltered life. He was tempted in all points like we are yet without sin. Suffering was in the extreme for Jesus. Be it days (45 one time) without food. Or non-stop crushing by crowds vying for his attention. To sleeplessness.

He suffered as no other has ever suffered (but we will look more closely at that in the next divisions).

7)Principle:

Apart from Divine intervention, fallen man always misunderstands God's plans.

8)Applications:

What misconceptions about Jesus are you fostering?

Esteem means value. To what extent do you value Jesus?

Jesus is exalted whether man acknowledges it or not. What are you doing ensure that he holds a place of exaltation in your own life?

Penal Substitution (Isaiah 53:4-9)

1)Our Infirmities and Sorrows, Him Stricken and Afflicted (Isaiah 53:4)

What were our infirmities?

What were our sorrows?

How are these related to him being stricken, smitten, and afflicted?

2)What He Took Belonged To Us (Me)(Isaiah 53:5-6)

He was...

pierced, crushed, punished, wounded...

Replace our and we with my and I (or me).

My...

transgressions, iniquities, punishment, peace...

4 Surely he took up my infirmities
and carried my sorrows,
yet I considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for my transgressions,
he was crushed for my iniquities;
the punishment that brought me peace was upon him,
and by his wounds I am healed.
6 I, like a sheep, have gone astray,
I have turned to my own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
all of my iniquity.

What kind of exchange is this? He received everything bad that I deserved and had earned. He offered me everything good that I could never earn.

v6- we are the wayward sheep...

...He is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

The language at the end of 6 brings up the image of the sacrifices under the old covenant. The died for the sin of the people. And many of them, the priest or person bringing the sacrifice confessed their sin over the head of the animal. Even the scapegoat bore the people's sin out of the camp to its certain death.

3)Silently Led to Slaughter Like a Lamb (Isaiah 53:7-8)

Note: Act 8:26-40 – Philip and Ethiopian eunuch.

Oppressed – to impose an excessive and unjust burden.

Afflicted – to inflict some great injury or hurt upon causing pain or mental distress

Jesus was on trial, not for his own sin but because of sinful men. The very sins of his accusers was the types of sins he would bear.

But his defense was silence. Any and every accusation against him was unjustified.

Sometimes the words one uses in order to refute the folly of an oppressor actually does more to validate (at least in the mind) the accusations. But the wisdom of Jesus was realized in the silence before the human courts.

He had nothing to confess – his life was an open book and it read perfection.

He was on trial, as we see at the end of the chapter, on behalf of sinners. He was intercessor before the eternal courtroom of God. And his defense is sure!

The Crucifixion

Consider the sentence. When Isaiah says he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, a slaughter it was.

[talk briefly about Roman crucifixion]

Verse 8 points out that he was taken away, he was left with no progeny, and he was cut off from the land of the living.

This, from a human perspective is the end of a tragic story. Verses 7-8 point out that all of this was unwarranted and unjust.

Some might say, with smugness, “Well, we live in a fallen world. We all come to our end eventually.”

But Jesus chose to come into the world, no other human ever has. He plotted his course and always had in sight the destiny he was sent for. He always looked to the end result and reason for his coming and that was to die.

This tragedy, if you will – this truncated life – was for a purpose. It was not to point out the ills of man and how low and unjust human systems of government can be.

Instead, as the end of verse 8 points out, if was “for the transgression of my people he was stricken.”

This goes all the way back to verse 1, the Arm of the Lord being revealed. The paradoxical nature of Jesus' life and seemingly unjust end.

And to top it all off, let's look at verse 9...

4)His Identity and His Reality (Isaiah 53:9)

It's tragic to see someone falsely accused and serve time for something they never did. Especially if you find out their was negligence on the part of the prosecutors. Or perhaps there was prejudice involved.

But never has a falsely convicted person ever been able to be released and say I never deserved any mistreatment. I have always been completely without guilt of any sort and should not have to suffer the ills of any type of abuse, let alone any type of malady typical of human existence in a fallen world.

But Jesus was one who could have stood up and said that nothing he ever endured was deserved. Down to the very core of who he was, he was perfect. Certainly he was not worthy of a murderer or thief’s death – that was what crucifixion was generally reserved for.

But his identity was with the wicked and the rich in his death. He was crucified with thieves. But his burial was not like a common thief – he was buried in an unused tomb of a wealthy religious leader named Joseph.

5)Principle

Jesus' suffering offers the only solution for the human sin problem.

6)Applications

Have you ever 'owned up' to what your sin really deserves? How did it feel?

Perfect Justification (Isaiah 53:10-12)

1)He Fulfilled God's Will (Isaiah 53:10a, 10b)

It was the Lord's will or It pleased the Lord.

This is not to say that God receives some sort of pleasure out of inflicting pain. Not at all.

Instead, it means that it was his will, it was what He desired to be done.

Note: consider who this was done to and who it was done for. This was God's will.

What does this act of God's will tell you about God?

What should your response be to that knowledge of God?

2)The Results of His Suffering (Isaiah 53:10c-11)

“he will see his offspring” – the suffering resulted in the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that through his seed, all nations would be blessed. And that family of Abraham includes all who are offspring in Jesus Christ.

“and prolong his days” – after the resurrection, Jesus was the firstborn from the dead. He will never again taste death. Those who are his offspring receive that promise as well. The second death cannot touch any who belong to him.

“the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand” – through his suffering, he has established his church. Those who belong to him are indwelt by his Spirit and able to live lives that are obedient to the will of God.

“he will see the light of life and be satisfied” – the light of the gospel message continues to shine into the darkness of this lost world, even 2000 years after his life on earth.

“my righteous servant will justify many” – a judicial term meaning that the penalty for the charges have been paid and there is no more obligation on the guilty. Jesus did this by paying the penalty for sin and bearing the wrath of God on behalf of the sinner. He is righteous in himself and those he justifies are given a foreign righteousness. We are made his righteousness and the very standard by which God judges all humanity is realized in us by faith in Jesus the righteous redeemer.

3)He Is Great and Exalted (Isaiah 53:12)

God is satisfied with everything his servant did. The 'I' spoken here is God.

Jesus is given a portion with the great and a division of the spoils. This is a military type expression often used when the enemy was conquered and the conquerors were dividing up the plunder. It was generally proportionally allocated, but not always.

But the conquering Jesus did was in his identification with sinful man – he did that without being tainted by sin. He lived in absolute perfection in the middle of the worst possible conditions – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

And he bore the sin of many, interceding on their behalf. Doing what they could never do, even if given all of eternity.

This is what satisfied God's will, God's justice, and God's wrath against sin. It was done completely and perfectly.

4)Principle

Jesus' death was a victory according to the will of God on behalf of sinners.

5)Illustration

The Few, the Proud, the Marines.

Jesus died for the many – Jesus, the One, the Humble, died for the Many.

6)Applications

Are you One of the many?