"The Suffering Servant" Sunday, March 25, 2018 - 9 AM

 The Suffering Servant – Isaiah 50:4-9a Bascomb UMC / March 25, 2018 – Palm Sunday / 9AM & 11AM Focus: The effort of redemption cost God in pain and suffering. Function: To challenge believers to sacrifice before our resurrection 5 Purpose Outcomes of the Church: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Evangelism, Service Isaiah 50:4–9 (CEB) - God’s faithful servant 4 The LORD God gave me an educated tongue to know how to respond to the weary with a word that will awaken them in the morning. God awakens my ear in the morning to listen, as educated people do. 5 The LORD God opened my ear; I didn’t rebel; I didn’t turn my back. 6 Instead, I gave my body to attackers, and my cheeks to beard pluckers. I didn’t hide my face from insults and spitting. 7 The LORD God will help me; therefore, I haven’t been insulted. Therefore, I set my face like flint, and knew I wouldn’t be ashamed. 8 The one who will declare me innocent is near. Who will argue with me? Let’s stand up together. Who will bring judgment against me? Let him approach me. 9 Look! the LORD God will help me. Who will condemn me? The first hearers of Isaiah had been, or still were, in EXILE – still in a spiritual crisis because they thought, as God’s chosen people, that invasion and oppression were things OTHER people endured – not God’s precious Jerusalem! They remind me (a little) of Americans. We ARE spoiled, aren’t we? There’s a whole “THING” on the internet called “1st World Problems” - "Weird Al" Yankovic did a parody song about it, there are sub groups like “white girl problems” that get even more shallow – look at these examples…. Page 1 of 5 That’s the context: Isaiah first spoke to a previously spoiled, entitled people who are now in exile, under judgement, and being punished for their unfaithful relationship with God. They are hearing the hard truth that they were not so special after all. What they didn’t know was how their experience would serve future believers like you and me. They are setting an example for all humans to come! They show us a desperate, broken humanity struggling to get back to Eden – they reveal a desire to get back into a close, intimate relationship with God and with creation. I believe their journey is useful and necessary for OUR instruction. In Isaiah 40–55 there are four so-called “songs of the suffering servant” passages. These four passages include #1 - 42:1–4, #2 - 49:1–6, #3 - 50:4–9, and #4 - 52:13–53:12. Chapter 40 and following is called Second Isaiah: a series of poems and oracles that hope to persuade this downtrodden community of Jewish exiles in Babylon. Isaiah says “come on guys” have hope in God’s promise, you will, one day, return home to Jerusalem. Yeah….it was a tough sell. They saw themselves as the suffering servant. So look at the text, it says this person (or people) would be educated – taken to SCHOOL so that they could teach us! And I say thanks guys, may I learn from this. For instance: I don’t want to develop and sense of entitlement. I don’t believe God calls us to that. It’s called “triumphalism” – an excessive exultation over one's success or achievements. What part do we play in God’s salvation story? I remember the night the Bulldogs won the Rose Bowl – it was Magnificent! Wonderful! We were going to play for the national championship in Atlanta – we did it, we did it, we – we – we. Maybe the coach would look at me and say: “who’s this WE you’re talking about? Did WE start drills and practice back in the Page 2 of 5 spring? Did WE spend hours in the gym on the machines?” It is kinda funny how I take ownership of a victory in which I had little (nothing) true involvement. Consider the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the grand celebration to come on Easter – how much real involvement to we have? In the prayer video it said: They wanted a King – not a Cross They want it their way – not God’s way They wanted a hero on a white stallion – they got a humble servant on a donkey They wanted Israel to be saved from the Romans - God wanted to save all creation from sin and death! They wanted someone to live as David’s royalty - God chose to suffer and die for our atonement. They were prepared to be judged by how well they kept the LAW - Jesus took our judgement so we could benefit from His GRACE! Only two ways to live our lives: by our will or by God’s will – we cannot know the JOY of a CROWN unless we walk the way of the CROSS. So one last time, I want to invite you to spend the time this week to walk the way of the cross. Bring your family this Thursday evening and walk “The Meditation Stations” together – the stations are very tactile – attempting to engage all of your senses but without an “over emphasis” on violence and gore – very age appropriate. Friday night’s “Solemn Reproaches” and “Passion Mime” is a humble time of confession and music that will lead us deep into the heart of the Suffering Servant. Please come before we celebrate Easter. The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was as a humble servant. Pilate would ride in to Jerusalem proud and on a stallion with all the military force available to intimidate the Page 3 of 5 populace because it was Passover and the city was full of Jews and rebels – so watch it folks! But at the Eastern gate, a humble ragman rode in on a donkey. God’s plan was to take our rags – the ragman offered new rags for old! In the story the ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch. Her shoulders shook. Her heart was breaking. The ragman slipped the handkerchief from her eyes and he laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined. He put her stained handkerchief to his own face; and HE began to weep, to sob as she had cried. He took her grief – the definition of redemption. The Ragman came upon one whose head was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage. “Give me your rag, and I’ll give you mine.” And with the bandage went the wound! Against his brow it ran a darker, more substantial blood – it was his own! The process went on and on - a man who had no arm. The Ragman exchanged jackets and when the other put it on he had two good arms, but the Ragman had only one. On and on the ragman went, with the addicted and the sick – physically, mentally, emotionally, we would weep to see the change in the ragman; it hurt to see his sorrow. He finished at a landfill. He came to the garbage pits. He climbed a hill. With tormented labor he cleared a little space on that hill. Then he sighed. He lay down. He pillowed his head on a handkerchief and a jacket. He covered his bones with an army blanket. And he died. Creation cried to witness that death! Heaven wailed and mourned as every face looking on faded in the wonder of this human gift. Through Friday night and Saturday night, the vigil was kept until the 1st day of the week on Sunday morning God would do something amazing! But wait on the Lord, travel this journey first – before Page 4 of 5 resurrection, there must be the way of the cross – may we accept for ourselves the role of a suffering servant. Let us pray………………… Page 5 of 5