Perversion of Justice

Perversion of Justice

The New King James Version Chapter 52

The Sin-Bearing Servant

13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;

He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.

14 Just as many were astonished at you,

So His visage was marred more than any man,

And His form more than the sons of men;

15 So shall He sprinkle many nations.

Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;

For what had not been told them they shall see,

And what they had not heard they shall consider.

53 Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death,

And He was numbered with the transgressors,

And He bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.

Prayer:Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Word and as we think on these things, open our hearts and our minds to hear you. Amen.

Introduction: Perversion of Justice

What happened in the text that was just read by Sister West was horrible — a perversion, a miscarriage, of justice.

“Perversion of justice.” It’s a troubling phrase because it means someone has been butchered by a system that should’ve provided protection from exactly such a butchering.

Why do wrongful convictions happen?

Eyewitness Misidentification

Misapplication of Forensic Science

False Confessions

Official Misconduct

Coerced Pleas

According to the Innocence Project, which is a nonprofit legal organization that is committed to exonerating individuals who have been wrongly convicted,

CLAY CHABOT

Serves 24 YEARS in Prison

In 1986, Clay Chabot was convicted of rape and murder based largely on his brother-in-law’s testimony. Chabot’s conviction was vacated in 2008 after new DNA test results proved that his brother-in-law had actually committed the crime.

Twenty-nine years. That’s how long Raymond Towler spent in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. On May 5, 2010, the 52-year-old Cleveland native was exonerated by DNA testing and, at long last, released. He’d spent more than half his life behind bars.

If ever there were a case where justice was perverted, it was the case of Jesus Christ. Betrayed by a close friend, arrested on trumped-up charges, accused by lying witnesses, tried by a court whose officers were plotting his death and executed by the consent of a public official who found it politically inconvenient to do the right thing and release him — the whole affair was a perversion of justice. Such corruption always leads to suffering by somebody who doesn’t deserve it, and such was the situation in Jesus’ case.

Background (Book of Isaiah)

The book of Isaiah was a vision given by God and recorded by the prophet Isaiah (1:1), whose name means “Yahweh is salvation.” Isaiah ministered in Judah during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1) from about 740 to 680 bc. He appears to have lived in Jerusalem (7:1–3), was the son of Amoz (1:1), was married to a prophetess (8:3), and had two sons given symbolic names (7:3; 8:3). The central theme of the book is God, who does all things for His “own sake” (48:11). The heart of Isaiah’s message is God’s purpose of grace for sinners, as seen in our passage today and elsewhere.

The Savior’s Suffering, His Atoning Death, 52:13–53:12

1.The Savior came for four very specific purposes (52:13–15).

2.The Savior suffered rejection (53:1–3).

3.The Savior suffered for the penalty of sin (53:4–6).

4.The Savior suffered willingly but unjustly: Was the sinless Son of God (53:7–9).

5.The results of the Savior’s suffering (53:10–12).

Main Verses

The New King James Version Chapter 53

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Takeaway

God’s Servant, the Savior, suffered unjustly, but willingly. As the sinless Son of God, Christ did not have to suffer. He had the foreknowledge (omniscience) and the power (omnipotence) to avoid the cross and all that led up to it. Yet He undertook the mission of His own free will, not only out of obedience to God the Father but also out of love for the human race. He died for the sins of the world, to save mankind from the penalty of sin, which is death, eternal separation from God. Christ’s self-sacrificing and humility are now emphasized by stressing three facts: although He was the sinless Son of God …

He willingly suffered harsh treatment (v. 7)

He willingly endured an illegal arrest, trial, and execution (v. 8)

He willingly subjected to being buried with the wicked (v. 9)

My First Point:

He willingly suffered harsh treatment (v. 7)

Verse 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.”

What is this verse saying? You take a little lamb: to kill that little lamb, that little lamb will lie down and yield its neck to the knife; its blood will be poured out without even a bleat. A sheep before a shearer will not make a sound as that sheep has the wool sheared from it. And this is the Lord Jesus Christ as He came into the judgment (Perverted Justice) . Jesus was lied about. Jesus was criticized. Jesus was framed. Jesus was blasphemed. And they said all kinds of terrible things about the Lord Jesus. And Jesus never said a word. That Old Negro spiritual says, “He never said a mumblin’ (what) word.” Not a word!

Christ was silent as He endured the cruel punishment (perverted Justice) of His enemies. He was silent …

At the mock trial in the middle of the night at Caiaphas’ house when Jesus was accused by false witnesses, the high priest said, “Do you make no answer, what is this that these men are testifying against you?” And Jesus was silent (Matthew 26:62–63).

Then later, early in the morning, Pilate said to Jesus in the Roman headquarters, “Do you make no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed (Mark 15:4–5).

Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, and Luke tells us that Herod “questioned him at some length, but he answered him nothing” (Luke 23:9).

Jesus knew his prophecy. He knew his calling. He was the Servant of the Lord. He was the Messiah. He was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Therefore when he was reviled, he did not revile in return and when he suffered, he did not threaten (2 Peter 2:23).

My Second Point

He willingly endured an illegal arrest, trial, and execution (v. 8)

Verse 8: Unjustly condemned,

he was led away.

No one cared that he died without descendants,

that his life was cut short in midstream.

But he was struck down

for the rebellion of my people.

Christ willingly suffered an illegal arrest, trial, and execution (v. 8). After being unjustly seized in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ was illegally tried before all the officials I mentioned earlier (Caiaphas, the chief priest and elders, Pilate, Herod Antipas). False witnesses even testified against Him (Mt. 26:60–61 ). He was then unjustly executed. Perverted Justice

This is the heart of the gospel of God: Jesus the Servant of God was cut off out of the land of the living NOT for his own transgressions, but for the transgressions of his people. It runs all through this chapter. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement that made us whole was on him and by his stripes we are healed. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. And now verse 8 makes it crystal clear Huber: he died!

This is why 1 Corinthians 15:3 sums up the gospel with these simple words: “Christ died for us according to the scriptures.” “Christ died”—“he was cut off out the land of the living.” “

The telling statement in this verse is found in the second line, “As for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living?” Who considered it? Who considered that He was violently executed? Who stepped up and protested?

Where were His disciples? Well, they were living out Zechariah 13:7 “strike the shepherd and the sheep will be” … What?… “scattered.” They were long gone. They had fled. Matthew says that they fled and Mark says the same thing that the Shepherd was struck and the sheep were scattered. Who was there to speak in His behalf?

In spite of all that Jesus was, in spite of all that He did, all that He said, the most horrendous injustice in human history is done to Him, Jesus is executed.

My Third Point

He willingly subjected to being buried with the wicked (v. 9)

Verse 9: His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet he was with a rich man in his death, because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth.

“His grave was assigned with wicked men.” WOW !This is an astonishing set of details here. Why was His grave assigned with wicked men? Well because He died with criminals. Had one on each side of Him.

And if you died a disgraceful death because of a wretched life, according to Jeremiah 25:33, you would be treated in a degraded way and not given a proper burial. But God wasn’t going to let that happen. Psalm 16 says that He would not allow His Holy One to see corruption. “His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.” How did that happen?

Matthew 27:57, tell us “In the evening there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate, asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered it to be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out in the rock and he rolled a large stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.” Jesus should have been road kill; He should have been in the dump and He ends up in a brand new tomb owned by a rich man. Just exactly what the Holy Spirit reveals to Isaiah was going to happen.

Now why is that significant? Why did God plan it that way? Perhaps the reason is this: When Jesus died, the work of redemption was done. He had cried, “It is finished.” The work of redemption was done. There was no more need for humiliation. It’s as low as He can go, to give Himself to death, even the death of the cross, and that’s where the humiliation ends. And this is the first small step up. God honors Jesus in His burial because there was no sin inside, no sin outside of Him.

Thought 1. Christ’s death was voluntary. He willingly died for the sins of people that they might become acceptable to God.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13).

Thought 2. Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Co. 5:21).

Let me sum everything up that I have been try to convey this morning with a story that has been repeated many of times.

Tony Campolo recalls one Sunday when he had a little preaching competition with the head pastor of a church in Philadelphia he regularly attends. As Campolo tells it, he preached the perfect sermon in every way. As he sat down next to the lead pastor, he patted him on the knee and said, “Top that.” The older black pastor replied, “Boy, watch the master.” Tony Campolo recalls that the older preacher got up and preached what he feels was the best sermon he has ever heard. The message was simple and repetitious. The preacher started softly, building in volume and intensity until the entire congregation was completely involved, repeating the phrases in unison. He went on for more than an hour and a half but kept the whole congregation engaged. The gist of the sermon went something like this: “It’s Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where he was praying. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. The disciples are hiding, and Peter’s denying that he knows the Lord. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked and spit upon. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. Those Roman soldiers are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of bones and glass and metal, tearing at his flesh. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. The Son of Man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into his brow. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. See him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from his body. See the cross crashing down on his back as he stumbles beneath the load. It’s Friday; but Sunday’s a coming. “It’s Friday. See those Roman soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my Jesus cry, ‘Father, forgive them.’ It’s Friday; but Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. The sky grows dark, the earth begins to tremble and he who knew no sin became sin for us. Holy God, who will not abide with sin, pours out his wrath on that perfect sacrificial lamb who cries out, ‘My God, My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?’ What a horrible cry. But Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. And at the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of the temple that separates sinful man from holy God was torn from the top to the bottom because Sunday’s coming. “It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But that’s because it’s Friday, and they don’t know it, but Sunday’s a coming.”

Huber,

The perversion of justice Jesus endured during Holy Week sets the standard for us. He faced injustice and did the right thing anyway. So should we.