Easter-Lifting Weight

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the most important event in human history.

I wanted to take a deep dive into just learning more about Jesus as he approached this event we celebrate at Easter.

Normally, easter stories cover just the two main events - the cross and the resurrection. But I want to expand the story out a bit. I want to start the story before the cross - with Jesus on earth, on his way to his death.

One of the clearest chapters explaining Jesus’ approach to the cross is in Isaiah 53.

See, Isaiah lays out the problem:

Isaiah 53:4–6 NIV

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah lays out this scenario. And it was true then - and it’s true now.

We all have transgressed - that is, broken the laws that God has set out. The way that he designed us to live. And this is both the LAW, but also the moral and ethical laws and patterns that God’s just baked into reality to begin with as well.

And we all have lived in inquity - that word means ‘immoral or grossly unfair behaviour’. It’s synonymous with ‘wickedness’.

And the crux of this behaviour, is when Isaiah calls us sheep - we’ve all gone astray, and turned to our own ways. We gave up God, and took on us. And the result was catastrophic.

We piled up the consequences

Our transgressions - they piereced us, stabbed us.

Our iniquities - they crushed us.

Our pain and suffering - it all just piles up. The weight can be crushing. Sin, sickness, death, pain.

People will say, that’s part of humanity. You can’t know good without bad, you can’t know relief without pain, etc. But the truth is - if bad were so good, we’d be fine with it by now.

We’re not designed for pain. It will always be ‘other’ to our nature. Even if we accept it, it’s not pleasant. Even if we tolerate it, we don’t want it.

But we’re also not designed for sin. Even the best explanations of the human nature account for our bad side by saying, ‘oh, well, we’re not perfect’. We can’t cast our sinfulness in a good light, it doesn’t work. It’s like building a chair and missing some pieces - we can assure ourselves that we did our best, but we still see the holes.

And all of these consequences, all these imperfections, and failures. All the pain and suffering we feel. It adds up, and the weight becomes absolutely unbearable for us by ourselves.

But, In this section in Isaiah, you also see the solution

God’s plan for His servant was to take on our piles for us

Yes, we trasngressed. But this ‘suffering servant’, HE got pierced because of OUR transgression.

HE was crushed because of OUR iniquities.

HE received a punishment - WE were offered peace.

And this goes even beyond our failures. We’re a broken species. We face disease, illness, pain, death. And Isaiah says - even THESE things he bore. He took on our pain and our suffering as well.

Matthew pointed that one out really plainly.

Matthew 8:16–17 NIV

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Jesus ran around and healed. He drove our demons. He fed. He welcomed the outcast, ate with the prostitutes, called the tax collectors to follow Him.

And these are all amazing, but do we recognize what it really is?

Jesus was starting to lighten the load

He saw people who were sick, or dying - or in a couple cases, already dead. Carrying that weight around. (Have you ever felt like that?) And he healed those people.

He saw people who were demon possessed. Whose lives were so far gone they weren’t even their own anymore. And they felt helpless and lost. (Ever felt that way?) And he freed those people.

He saw people like the prostitutes and the tax collectors. Shunned by society, driven out. (Woman at the well - going at a time people normally didn’t. Probably not welcome in town). (Ever felt that way?) And he welcomed them.

on good friday, we’ll talk about the cross as Jesus being punished rather than us. But this different than that, I want you to understand me.

Jesus wants you free from sin and pain - and from the weight of sin and pain

Put yourselves in the shoes of those people He healed, those people he reached. (WOMAN BLEEDING FOR 12 YEARS - probably ceremonially unclean the whole time. All she does his touch his hem - she’s free. She can rejoin her people. MAN WHOSE SON HAD BEEN DEMON POSSESSED - watched him suffer terribly. And now - his son is free.)

They all carried a great weight - and now it was gone. They were free.

John 8:36 NIV

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

What are you carrying?

As we come up to easter, we’re here to help do the same thing Jesus did. To help set people free.

What are you carrying? What weighs on you?

Is it sin? You’ve done something, said something. You’ve broken something or someone.

Is it pain, or suffering?

What is your weight that you carry?

INVITE WORSHIP TEAM We just want to open this space up for a little while for prayer for just that.