The Cross of Christmas
Notes
Transcript
A few moments ago, Pastor Hayden talked about the most celebrated part of the Christmas season, the birth of Jesus Christ. What an amazing account of the birth of the Messiah.
However, without the knowledge of what happened next, there would be no real reason to celebrate. 700 years before Jesus's birth, God, through the prophet Isaiah, proclaimed this prophecy.
In Isaiah 52:13-15 begins a prophecy of the coming messiah.
See, my servant will be successful; he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted.
In the first part of this prophecy, we have these exciting words. The one that comes from God will be successful and exalted.
In the next few verses, Isaiah describes his success.
Just as many were appalled at you— his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form did not resemble a human being—
so he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him, for they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard.
Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.
We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth.
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully.
Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.
I don’t know about you, but if this is a success, I am not sure I’d want it. In this passage, we have a detailed account of the treatment and death of The messiah Jesus Christ. This, by all means, does not sound like success. Until we understand the purpose of his coming, his success was suffering. His success was dying for the sins of the world. His success was submitting to the Father's will.
After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.
You can’t celebrate his birth without understanding his reason for coming. He came to redeem you and me. He came to bear our sins and to justify us before God. He came to die for you and for me that we may be made right. before the Father and redeemed From the penalty of our sins.
His Success was in providing the means of Salvation for you and me.