Rejection and Acceptance

Isaiah 53:1–12 NIV

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Introduction: Story Joe - Isn’t this passage in the past tense?

I want to look at this passage from non-believers vantage point.

Who is this talking about?

Jewish literature - they don’t really know - The Messiah, not the messiah

The whole nation of Israel - problem - change from referring to the nation to an individual begins in chapter....Isaiah 48:5

An individual - Could be someone from the past, could be someone of the present, could be someone of the future - present and future would both be of the future from the writing of Isaiah.

So, because the way this is written, even Jewish Rabbi’s from before Jesus’ time on have interpreted this passage to be past and future, but no consensus on who it is.

Christians - Ethiopian Eunich and Philip see that Jesus is the person in this passage.

20 - Jesus Was Rejected....

21 - Bible Project Video.

22 - So as Christians we believe this passage points to Jesus.

With all of the Questioning of the Judaism of the day of who this might be, it was the followers of Jesus who met the Risen Jesus who then saw him fulfill this passage. It has to point to Jesus.

God who was outside of time was speaking through the prophet who was in time about what he had done.

The point of the passage is that this suffering servant will bring restoration to Israel and the nations, by means of being rejected by his own people.

This means that for Advent/Christmas - Jesus as the Son of God who entered into our world () knew and came for this purpose of being rejected by his people. Why? and will this make Christians anti-semetic?

The Extreme Makeover house in Gilbert, AZ

Family is given a gift - a second chance, but can not make it work. They were not prepared for that kind of gift, so they went back to their old way of living.

Israel is similar - Great gift to be God’s chosen people. But they are people who tend to be just like us. Unable to fulfill the calling of God’s people and only able to be unfaithful to God. So they are no better or worse than we, and therefore they deserve no recourse from other humans. We all have gone astray, no one has listened to the prophets message.

And so this is the good news. Jesus was rejected...

23 - So We Can Be Accepted.

In it says of this suffering servant that he becomes Israel. Jesus becomes the light that Israel was supposed to be. And that becomes the case on the day he is born when he entered this world.

Jesus is Israel in that his life story is the story of Israel, and the world.

Jesus is Israel in that he takes the punishment that Israel deserved for her unfaithfulness and for our unfaithfulness.

Jesus is Israel in that He alone is faithful and is the light of the world and will therefore save the world.

Why? So that we can be accepted.

How?

vs. 1 no one believes...

vs. 12 those who believe are accepted - align themselves with Jesus.

24 - 28 Read

John 1:9–13 NIV

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 1:9-13

29 - John is going to elaborate more on how someone comes to believe that Jesus will save the world Nicodemus, but this summarizes John’s entire message.

We are accepted did you notice by God’s will. But what about my will.

Summary

Holy Spirit works in our life - Grace

We are then enabled to do what we naturally do not do - Believe, Accept Jesus.

How do you feel when you hear this message?

Maybe it brings you joy - H.S. is confirming you in him.

Maybe it brings conviction - the H.S. is convicting you, but helping you realize you need Jesus.

Maybe it makes you angry - The H.S. is confronting your will that wants to be independent and wants to do things on your own, and your will is putting up a fight to reject Jesus.

Conclusion:

My encouragement, My hope for you is to be accepted by Jesus. Jesus does not force himself on you, but his Holy Spirit is inviting you to receive him. To believe in the one who suffered, who was rejected so you can be accepted.

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis. Heidelberg Catechism: Q&A 1, 15-21, 31, 33, 37, 39-44 Belgic Confession: Articles 10, 19-23 Canons of Dort: Head I, Articles 2-6; Head II, Article 2-5