Ancient Prophecy, Present Application
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There is a passage of scripture that is often used to draw the attention of people to Jesus Christ. In fact, there are Youtube channels where young men take this particular scripture and present it without telling people where it comes from, and asking them questions about it. They will ask people who the passage refers to. They will ask whether this comes from the New Testament or the Old Testament. They even ask rabbis these questions, and very often the answers are about the same. Who is the passage about? They will say it is about Jesus. Is this passage from the Old Testament or the New? It must be from the New Testament, because it is clearly about Jesus.
The passage we are going to look at, the one these questions are asked about, is about Jesus. However, it is not from the New Testament. It is from the old. In fact, it is from the prophet Isaiah, and these words were written around 700 years before Jesus walked the earth. Isaiah 53 is what is called a Messianic Prophecy. It is a prophecy that told the people of Israel something about the Messiah they should be looking for. In this prophecy, we see a suffering servant, one who will die to bring atonement, or forgiveness of sins. There are many Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, and all of them point to Jesus, who fulfilled them all. But perhaps there is none so clear as this one. So I want to read the whole passage to you, and then explain to you some of what it means, and how it applies to this Resurrection Sunday celebration and the baptisms we are going to observe.
Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.
As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
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.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
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, stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
You can see why many people would read this or hear it and believe it speaks of Jesus. It describes the passion of Jesus, that is, the events leading to the cross and resurrection; It describes them so well that it may well have been written after these events rather than 700 years before. Let’s break it down together:
Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.
The Lord’s servant would act wisely, or in the original Hebrew the passage was written, he would have success. Success was evidence of wise living in that culture. The Lord’s servant would also be high and lifted up and exalted. This three times repetition indicates what we call the superlative. He would be raised to the highest level. And certainly Jesus, after His resurrection, and in His Kingdom, is high and lifted up, exalted.
However, before this would happen;
As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
There would be a low point. The servant of the Lord would suffer greatly. His body would be beaten so badly that he would not even look human. This is exactly what happened with Jesus. Beaten, lashed, punched, bloodied, His appearance was hideous to look at, as He hung on that cross after all day being mistreated by His afflicters.
But that low point would lead to a blessing that would impact all nations:
so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.
Kings and leaders will be floored by the news of what Jesus has done! Even heads of state will be silenced by what Jesus has done. This indicates that far beyond the people of Israel, the whole earth would be blessed by the work of Jesus on the cross and his victory over death. Scripture tells us that His Kingdom will include people from every tribe and tongue, worshipping Him together in awe of His great design of salvation for the world.
For centuries, wise and men and prophets had tried to understand what it was that God was going to do. This thing that Jesus did, scripture tells us, is so marvelous that even angels long to look into it. 1Pet1.10-12
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
So the prophets wanted to know! The Angels longed to look into it, and for us who believe, God has revealed it to us, that this is what He had intended all along! His plan for our salvation was to send Jesus, the once and for all perfect sacrifice. No more bringing lambs to the priests for slaughter, because Jesus became the Passover Lamb for all who believe in Him.
So the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is the suffering Servant foretold. Isaiah continues: Isai53.1
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Indeed, who has believed? Who has God revealed it to? Well, you heard from our Baptism candidates this morning. They believed! God revealed it to them! There are many here who believe! I know we also have many guests this morning, and not all believe. I pray that through the hearing of God’s Word this morning that God’s Spirit would draw you to himself, so that when we ask who believes, that all here present may be able to say “I believe”!
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
Jesus didn’t come on the scene to make the scene in the ways a lot of people would have liked. He wasn’t here to be noticed for his physical features. He was a perfect man in attitude, in thought, in action, and in words. He never sinned. He needed to be perfect in order to be a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of man. As one commentator put it, “Only innocent sufferings can atone for guilty sufferings”. For any of us to be saved, one perfect sacrifice had to be made.
In fact, not only was Jesus not looked upon because of his physical qualities, he was rejected and known for suffering and sorrows:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Who is despised and rejected more than the one sent to the cross? And Jesus is God! He is King of kings and Lord of lords, and yet sent to a criminal’s death! It is scandalous! How could it be that a perfect innocent be sent to the punishment for all the evil doers who He came to save! And yet he did so willingly. He temporarily gave up His majesty to represent men who were sinners as their substitute.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
He has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows. Yet how was He seen by people? Stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. And this is true. Yet we will see further down that this was indeed God’s will. It was His plan. It was His intention all along. Remember we are looking at a prophecy made 700 years before it happened, but in fact God had designed this way of Salvation, which is the only way, from the very beginning. From eternity past, God knew that He was sending Jesus to the cross to die for the sins of the world.
He did it because of our sins:
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
He was there for us! He didn’t sin, we did. We were not pierced, he was. We were not crushed, he was. He took it all on our behalf. On him was the chastisement that brought us peace. You see, we were at war with God. Every sin, which all of us have stacked up many, is cosmic treason against a creator God, who is storing up his wrath to be unleashed on all sinners for all eternity, but for those who put faith in Jesus, His wrath was directed at Jesus on our behalf, so that we will never have to bear it, and because of Jesus, we can have peace with God through the cross of Jesus Christ.
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.
Sinners have gone off the path God has commanded them to be on. In fact, without Jesus we are dead in our sins:
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
The gospels record that Jesus did not fight against those who were falsely accusing him. He willingly went to his death, having submitted to Father God’s plan.
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
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, stricken for the transgression of my people?
Again, not stricken for his own transgressions, but for the transgressions of others. A willing substitute for those who put faith in Him.
And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
He died between two criminals, and was buried in a rich man’s tomb. Joseph of Arimethea put Jesus’ body in his own tomb. Once again, the details that are recorded in the gospels astonishingly line up with this ancient prophecy.
Next we see in this ancient prophecy the death and resurrection of Jesus:
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
It was God’s will that this should happen. People have, in history, blamed the Jews for Jesus’ death. Some have blamed the Romans. On Good Friday I preached about the blood being on our hands. Yet, the true instigator of the death of Jesus on the cross was God himself. It was his will being done. Who sent Jesus to the cross? He willingly went as part of God’s plan to save many.
God’s plans never fail, so the Servant of the Lord will have success. All who Jesus set out to save will be saved. He shall prolong his days; this is a look to the resurrection. And the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
From anguish to satisfaction. He makes many to be accounted righteous. This is one of the many beautiful results of the cross. Jesus takes our sin onto himself, and in return, we receive His righteousness.
Finally, this section of scripture ends with:
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus goes from being counted a transgressor, a criminal, to receiving his reward. Scripture tells us that Jesus’ spoil of victory is those he saves. Not only that, but he makes intercession for the transgressors. He pleads the case of those he saves, even though they are often against him. He even forgave his tormentors from the cross itself.
So those who come to faith in Jesus are saved, and they are the prize he receives for his obedience to God’s salvation plan, even to death on the cross. But today we celebrate His resurrection, and that marks His victory over death.
In a moment, we are going to sing one final hymn, “Amazing Love” before we invite everyone outside to witness the baptism of those you heard from earlier. This hymn is one of my favorites, but I realize that some of the verses will not be clear to those who have not grown up with the doctrines of the church that are covered in this song. So I want to give some explanation for the verses:
VERSE 1
And can it be, that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
The song starts with the song writer contemplating the wonder of being one of those whom God has chosen to save, and this is a marvelous thing.
Died he for me, who caused his pain? Jesus died for the sins of those he saved. His pain was a direct result of those sins.
For me, who him to death pursued? This pictures the saved sinner as sort of chasing Jesus all the way to the cross and his death.
Amazing love! how can it be
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Again, contemplating how amazing this love is
VERSE 2
’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design? That God would die for his creation. It is a mystery.
In vain the first-born seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine! I read from 1 Peter earlier. The angels are fascinated by the redemption God offers to mankind, and they want to look into it.
’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel-minds inquire no more.
VERSE 3
He left his Father’s throne above, Phil2.5-11
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(So free, so infinite his grace!)
Emptied himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me!
VERSE 4
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night; Before the light of the truth of God’s plan of salvation comes into a life, our spirit is dead and bound by our sin.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; This pictures the light of the gospel illuminating the soul of the believer
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee. The chains that bound us, the chains of sin and death, are broken by faith in Jesus. We are free to follow him.
VERSE 5
No condemnation now I dread,
Jesus, and all in him, is mine! We do not need to fear the judgement of God on our sin, because Jesus took it for us.
Alive in him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine, We receive his righteousness through faith alone
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own. We who believe will live and reign with Christ in his kingdom
CHORUS
Amazing Love!
How can is be
That Thou,
My God, Shouldst die for me!
The message of the cross seems foolish to the one who doesn’t believe, but to the one who comes to faith it is life itself. The bad news comes before the good news. Every person has violated God’s laws. Each of us deserves eternal damnation because of this. Each sin is cosmic treason towards a Holy God. His wrath is being stored up for sinners and will be unleashed for all eternity against those who remain unrepentant in their sins. They will experience eternal, conscious torment under his wrath because of their sins against Him. God in His first covenant granted his people an opportunity through faith to be made right with him through a system of sacrifices.
This system of sacrifices pointed forward to a time when God Himself would provide a once for all sacrifice through His Son, Jesus. God had pointed ahead to this sacrifice through the prophetic writings, such as we have examined in Isaiah this morning. Those prophecies looked ahead to give the people an object for their faith, referred to as the Messiah, or as the Christ. When the Messiah Jesus came to be with Man, he was called Immanuel, God with us, which was also foretold. He lived among people, keeping every law of God perfectly as an example and as a proof to His deity he performed many miracles and taught the people the truth. He predicted his own death, when He became the Passover Lamb for all who would put faith in Him, both Jews and Gentiles.
He went to the cross to take the penalty for the sins of those He came to save, to bear the wrath of God we all deserve, and to appease that wrath. He was put in a grave for a time, but rose again by the power of God as a proof and as a sign to those who would believe that He had defeated death and because He defeated death, those who put faith in Him can have everlasting life with Him in HIs Kingdom. Because His death was sufficient for all, we need do nothing more to make our peace with God than to repent of our sins, believe in Him, and confess that He is Lord.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
This is a mysterious thing, it won’t make sense to many. It will seem too good to be true to others. But God takes the worst of sinners and cleanses them through the blood of Jesus Christ to make them as pure as white wool. You cannot cleanse yourself. There is only one way to be saved, and that is faith in Jesus Christ. No church can save you, no religion can save you. Only Jesus can save you, so put your faith in Him today.
When one of the first groups in history following Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven heard this good news, the bible says:
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
And many that day believed. You have heard the message today. Do you believe? Are you cut to the heart? Do you ask what to do next? The answer is the same today as it was then: Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
I have taught you this morning using Isaiah 53 as our starting point. There is a famous convert in the history of the early church that was brought to faith by an explanation of this same passage. He is only known as the Ethiopian Eunuch. God miraculously brought a man named Philip to explain this same passage to him as he was reading it. He believed that Jesus was the Savior, and he was immediately baptized: Acts8.34-39
And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
So scripture does not say you have to wait for months or years of teaching before being baptized. If you have come to sincere belief and are ready to answer those same questions we posed to our baptism candidates earlier, you can be baptized right now! We have the pool outside and the water should be warm. If you have come to faith today, take action! Now is the time for salvation!
Our church elders will be pleased to talk with and pray with anyone if you have come to faith today. So after we have our hymn, please come outside and celebrate with us as we baptize these believers who are ready to commit their life to Jesus.
