Propitiation For Sin

Share story of Pastor who committed suicide? I was reminded this week of how human and vulnerable I am. The reminder came in the form of an article about a pastor in Chino who committed suicide. I read the article with tears streaming down my face because but for the grace of God, that could be me! I think a big part of the problem is that often pastor’s are placed on pedestals and they fear falling off. I want to go on record with all of you, I am just another believer. I have a different spiritual gift that God is using in a more public setting. But I still struggle with sin, with guilt, and pride. Beloved I covet your prayers. Please pray for me. For personal purity and integrity and steadfastness in the faith. Please pray for my family for their health and growth and faithfulness to Jesus. I promise that I will be praying for you.

The second thing that reading this article did was remind me of our desperate need for the gospel. Each and every one of us needs Jesus every moment! And so this morning we will be reminded of what Jesus did.

Communion reminds us that the eternal Son of God underwent a horrific death so that we could have life!

It is my prayer that this reminder would bring us joy in our salvation and strength to do battle in the Christian life.

PRAY

says (S).

1 John 2:2 NKJV

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

What does it mean for Christ to be the propitiation for the sins of the world?

The oxford dictionary defines propitiate as to

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Propitiate

win or regain the favour of; appease.

The Mood Handbook of Theology states that

The Moody Handbook of Theology Propitiation

Propitiation means that the death of Christ fully satisfied all the righteous demands of God toward the sinner. Because God is holy and righteous He cannot overlook sin; through the work of Jesus Christ God is fully satisfied that His righteous standard has been met. Through union with Christ the believer can now be accepted by God and be spared from the wrath of God.

Let me illustrate what this means. ILLUSTRATION: A cup of grape juice symbolizing God’s wrath. This cup has to be drunk. Each of us has one. But it is full of a deadly poison. When you drink it, you die. That is what sin has earned us. We have no escape and no hope. Then Jesus comes along. He drinks this cup of wrath! The poison that would kill us He takes upon Himself. He dies in our place. When Jesus drinks the cup of God’s wrath, that’s it. It’s done. Those who believe in His sacrifice are saved, have eternal life, and spend eternity in perfect fellowship with God. Jesus satisfied the wrath of a holy God.

This final 3 verse section of deals with this topic. Today we will finish our study of . As we begin I want to recap what we have learned.

This final 3 verse section of deals with this topic. Today we will finish our study of . Therefor, as we begin I want to recap what we have learned.

52:13 – Glorified

52:14 – Brutalized

52:15 – Recognized

53:1 – Refused

53:2 – Regular

53:3 – Rejected

53:4 – Bearer

53:5 – Healer

53:6 – Substitute

53:7 – Silent

53:8 – Stricken

53:9 – Spotless

As we finish this powerful section of Scripture, we will learn how

God’s suffering servant satisfied the Father’s wrath.

The satisfaction of God’s wrath enables believers to have a right relationship with Him.

53:11 – Afflicted

The reality that God’s wrath at sin has been satisfied ought to empower us to live in freedom from sin and in joy etc?

A right relationship brings joy and strength to live for Christ.

53:12 – Exalted

We learn about how God’s wrath was satisfied as we see that…

1. The Servant Shall Be Offered v. 10

This word “pleased” means exactly what it sounds like. God the Father took delight in the bruising of His Son. Not because He takes pleasure from pain. We will see the cause of His delight in a moment.

Bruised is the same idea as in v. 5 when it states that He was bruised for our iniquities. It pleased the Father to crush the Son.

And to put Him to grief.

Grief – חלה (ḥalah) to grow weak, tired; to fall sick, be ill; to feel pain. To afflict, to cause physical pain, suffering, or illness.

Grief – חלה (ḥlh)

Soul = life.

Christ was afflicted and suffered as He laid down His life to be the ultimate offering for sin.

This is a particular type of offering. It is a guilt offering made for atonement. Christ atoned, He paid for, sin. Period.

This is the cause of God's delight. Not in the suffering and death of His Son, but in what that suffering and death accomplished.

Christ paid for sin! And He will be blessed.

In the time in which Isaiah wrote these words, seeing your descendants and living a long life were the two most definitive signs of God’s blessing.

Christ’s descendants are all who believe in Him. As eternal God, His days are prolonged.

One commentator makes the point that you have to be alive to see your descendants. This emphasizes that though the servant will be killed, He will be raised as well.

This emphasizes that though the servant will be killed, He will be raised as well.

In this one verse you have Christ dying for sin and rising from the dead!

The final line of the verses communicates that what pleases God will succeed in the hands of His suffering servant.

The death and resurrection of the Messiah will accomplish God’s will!

Why is God the Father pleased with the brutal death of His Son? Because it is accomplishing His purpose and will!

The crushing of God the Son pleased the Father because it permanently dealt with the problem of sin.

Jesus death dealt with sin according to plan, and thus pleased the Father.

Communion is all about celebrating what Jesus accomplished on the Cross! The reality that His life was offered to pay the penalty for sin is a cause for rejoicing! While this is a solemn time, it is also a joyous occasion. Sin was conquered on the Cross! Through faith in Jesus, all who believe are washed in the blood of the lamb!

Hallelujah!

“Praise The Lamb” (v. 1)

Through being an offering for sin, we find also that…

2. The Servant Shall Be Afflicted v. 11

Here we run up against a textual variant. What the NKJV has follows the Masoretic text which I believe is the most accurate Hebrew text. Interestingly enough, the newest translations have returned to that text. NASB has also chosen to follow it here. The NKJV has “labor,” unfortunately that is probably the worst translation of this Hebrew word. I like KJV’s “travail” or ESV and NASB’s “anguish” better.

The Father sees the Son’s anguish and is satisfied.

Satisfied – שׂבע (śavaʿ) to satisfy; to eat or drink one’s fill; to satisfy oneself, have enough. To be in a state of satisfaction.

Satisfied – שׂבע (śbʿ)

“Praise The Lamb” (v. 1)

The point is that the suffering, the agony, the trial endured by Jesus satisfied God the Father.

The Messiah’s sacrifice filled up the demands of God’s justice enabling Him to forgive and justify sinners.

God declares the believer righteous, not based on their own merit but based on the infinite merit of Christ! He took our place! He paid our penalty! He bore our sins on the Cross.

There are at least three ways of understanding this second line.

By the Servants knowledge of His suffering He will justify.

By the Father’s knowledge of His suffering He will justify.

By the sinners knowledge of His suffering He will justify.

After some study, I land on option A. The Servants knowledge brings justification. Knowledge of what? The knowledge that the Father is satisfied with His sacrifice.

Through the satisfaction of the Father’s justice, Jesus Christ is able to declare sinners righteous! How? By bearing their iniquity!

Iniquity = sin.

What is in view here is precisely what speaks of (S).

1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Christ bore our sins! This is how He justifies us. This is why God the Father is satisfied. This is the only way we can have a right relationship with God.

The sinless, spotless, Lamb of God took our sin on Himself and suffered for it.

Jesus death for sin allows a Holy God to declare sinners righteous.

This is where we find strength to live for Christ in a sin-darkened world. We have been declared righteous by God! The righteousness of Christ Himself has been credited to our account! The Holy Spirit, God Himself, has taken up residence within us! We have everything we need to walk in victory!

We are righteous because we have received the righteousness of Christ! It is not by works, not by might, not by power, and not by merit. The only way to be made righteous is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! When we do, we become His.

“Praise The Lamb” (v. 2)

Though offered as a sacrifice for sin, though tormented and afflicted…

3. The Servant Shall Be Exalted v. 12

Therefore. Because Christ will suffer and die for sin, because in Him sinners can be righteous, because the Father is satisfied with His sacrifice; because of all these things. Christ will be exalted.

Christ will have a place among those thought of as great, and among those who are strong He will have a portion.

It is this exaltation that is pictured in (p. 1349) turn there please.

(p. 1349)

Philippians 2:8–11 NKJV

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Our Savior, the Messiah, the promised deliverer of Israel, He is our Master! One day every single person that ever has been and ever will be is going to bow the knee to Jesus.

Beloved, this is a cause for rejoicing! No matter what we face in this life, how difficult things get, Jesus is going to come back He is going to set everything right, and we will worship Him for eternity!

Isaiah goes on to give us a because.

The exaltation of Christ is because He poured His life out. He allowed Himself to be counted as a sinner and lawbreaker. He bore the sins of the whole world. He intercedes for the sinner.

Intercession – פגע (pagaʿ) to meet; to fall upon; to go pleading to; to press someone. To act between parties with a view to reconciliation.

Intercession – פגע (pgʿ)

Christ is our intercessor. Two passages that bear on this. ; (S).

Romans 8:34 NKJV

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Christ is our mediator. He stands in the gap between us and the Father and He pleads our case! His blood has payed for our sins and therefore we will not face condemnation! We have passed from death to life!

The measureless sacrifice of Christ assures His glorious exaltation.

He is exalted. His name is above every name.

He satisfied God’s wrath. He paid the penalty. He is preparing us a place and when He returns we will join Him.

Here we find cause for rejoicing. Here we find strength to live for Him. He is going to return! May He find us faithfully serving Him.

“Praise The Lamb” (v. 3)

Turn with me to . This is a time for believers to remember the price that was paid. To be reminded of the penalty of sin. Taking part of communion does not save you. This is simply a way for us to be reminded of what Christ has done. If you know the Lord as savior this morning, please join us in bread and juice as we remember Jesus Christ. These are only symbols, they represent the body and blood of our Savior. Examination – verses 26-32

OBSERVANCE OF COMMUNION

The Bread (His Body) vv. 23-24 #190 “Are You Washed In The Blood?” (chorus)

Are you washed in the blood In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb Are your garments spotless are they white as snow Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb

The Cup (His Blood) v. 25 #191 “There Is Power In The Blood” (chorus)

There is power power Wonder working power In the blood of the Lamb There is power power Wonder working power In the precious blood of the Lamb

Conclusion

53:10 – Offered

52:14 – Brutalized

52:15 – Recognized

53:1 – Refused

53:2 – Regular

53:3 – Rejected

53:4 – Bearer

53:5 – Healer

53:6 – Substitute

53:7 – Silent

53:8 – Stricken

53:9 – Spotless

53:10 – Offered

53:11 – Afflicted

53:12 – Exalted

The sinless spotless Lamb of God poured His life out to pay the penalty for sin.

Are we living with sin in our lives? This is the time to make it right. God has provided all we need to live in victory!

Do we have the joy of the Lord? Believers ought to be the happiest people. We should be joyful and excited because Jesus is coming back! This world is not our home! Everything will be made right in the end.

The suffering and death of Christ satisfied God’s wrath.

The satisfaction of God’s wrath enables sinners to become saints.

As those redeemed by the blood of Christ, may we live to bring Him glory.

“You Are My King (Amazing Love)”?

Related Media

Related Sermons