Sermon Tone Analysis
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Text
Isaiah 53
Introduction
This passage in chapter 52 should really have been included with chapter 53
It is the introduction to ch 53, the summary of its content, and reveals the purpose of it all
BEHOLD - a word that tells us to sit up and take notice of what is about to be said
it goes before almost every other mention of the Messiah in the OT
My Servant will act wisely...
a statement that can also be translated as “my servant will prosper in what he has been sent to do”
He will accomplish his purpose in full
The same word is used in - that “David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that His name was highly esteemed” (see the rest of )
The same word is used in
- that “David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that His name was highly esteemed” (see the rest of
)
This was when Saul tried to get David killed, and offered him his daughter in marriage as a reward for 100 foreskins, thinking he would be killed.
David brought 200 foreskins.
This was when Saul tried to get David killed, and offered him his daughter in marriage as a reward for 100 foreskins, thinking he would be killed.
David brought 200 foreskins.
When the Philistines came after David in battle, he defeated them every time.
When the Philistines came after David in battle, he defeated them every time.
The introduction gives the assurance that the Messiah will prosper and succeed in absolute fullness the purpose for which He is sent
The introduction gives assurance that the Messiah will prosper and succeed absolutely in what he will come to do.
The introduction gives assurance that the Messiah will prosper and succeed absolutely in what he will come to do.
And His name will be high and lifted up, He will be exalted, He will be praised, He will be worshipped, He will receive all glory
When he comes the first time, men will be astonished
That is in summary the message which Isaiah brings to us in chapter 53
That is the content of
Isaiah is pronouncing a revelation of the Messiah to Israel and telling them of the coming of a Suffering Servant
He is announcing good news - news that results in a song of praise and rejoicing in chapter 54
Good news that...
But it doesn’t begin they way
1.
Unthinkable Suffering
Hard to Believe
Is 53:1-
Some have referred to Isaiah as the 5th gospel - and that’s because it carries so much resemblance to the gospel books
The book has 2 distinct parts
the first 39 chapters deal with the prophet’s revelations about God’s judgment on Israel for the wickedness of their kings and the rebellion of the people
He predicts that they will be taken into captivity and sure enough, around 70 years later they were taken by Babylon
Then chapters 40-66 show the prophet’s revelations of God’s grace, and the promise of a Messiah, a man who is referred to as the Servant of God
There is a definite shadow of the gospel present in Isaiah - the sin and rebellion of the people, the resulting wrath and judgement of God, and ultimately the Promise of God to redeem a people for his glory
The prophet begins to explain his revelation of the Servant that is coming here in ch 53 by asking 2 questions: “Who has believed what he has heard from us?
To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Who is going to believe this revelation?
More specifically… to whom will it be revealed?
Its like Isaiah expects that his revelation is so radical, so far fetched, so left field that he wonders who is ever going to believe it
In fact, its so radical that he expects that the only way that anybody will believe it, is if it is revealed to him
To believe this message is going to take more than logical thought, or an act of the will.
It has to be supernaturally revealed to him by the Lord… his eyes need to be opened so that he can see
In the first chapter of John, we are told that this is true of the gospel.
It is not something that is accepted by human will but by the working of the Holy Spirit
In , Jesus is talking to the disciples and he asks them who the people say He is
drgr
They say, “Elijah… Jeremiah… one of the prophets...”
But Jesus asks them “who do you say that I am?”
and Simon Peter says “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”
Because its Radical
The gospel is a radical message that cannot be understood or believed by human intuition, but must be revealed by the Father.
We are reliant on the grace of God to open our blind eyes to it, and to change our stubborn hearts so that we will believe it.
Because it is a radical message.
A shocking message.
If we look at the rest of the passage its not hard to see why
Is 53:2
You will remember that God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation from his descendants, and that through that nation the whole world would be blessed
This comparably small and insignificant nation of Israel would be raised up by God to become the most important nation in the world
Samuel was the first prophet to speak of a coming Messiah
He said that this comparably small and insignificant nation of Israel would be raised up by God to become the most important nation in the world
That through Israel the whole world would be blessed
That a Messiah would be sent by God to lead Israel to the fulfillment of that promise
But as Isaiah begins to paint a picture of the Messiah, he begins to look the opposite of what Israel would expect of a victorious conqueror sent to redeem and raise them up as a mighty nation
He is described as a young plant out of dry ground
vulnerable, delicate, humble...
that doesn’t sound at all like the arrival of a victorious conqueror
And yet that is exactly how the Christ arrived...
Not on Chariots of Fire supported by armies of angels with Eye of the Tiger playing as a theme song…
But as a baby…
born to humble parents
in a stable reserved for the owners’ animals
sent by God to a nation that was as dry and unfruitful as a desert… it had been 400 years since Israel heard from God through any prophet
and yet in the middle of that spiritually dead ground… the Messiah was born
When Israel wanted a king, they chose Saul as their first king.
Why?
Because he was the tallest.
The most handsome.
The most physically appealing
He was the very picture of what they thought a victorious Messiah should look like
But the true Messiah was nothing like that
In most paintings and artist impressions of Jesus, he is portrayed as a beautiful man
Long, beautiful hair ideal for Pantene shampoo adverts
Handsome and striking good looks and a perfectly trimmed beard
But Jesus was nothing like that
When he came, he was nothing special to look at
his physical form was not at all the sort of physique that would intimidate any man
For all we know, he might have been the last guy you would pick on your tug-of-war team
Not quite what Israel would expect from their victorious Messiah
Insead of being the physically impressive and commanding figure that Israel would have expected…
a man who would have the unquestioning loyalty, respect, love and support of a whole nation
Jesus was hated, rejected, and a man who knew the deepest experience of suffering and grief
A man who instead of receiving the adoration of His people…
Was instead held in such low esteem that men would hide their faces from him
Like the 8th grade nerd who nobody likes, nobody talks to, and when he walks into the room everybody pretends he doesn’t exist and they turn their backs to him to talk to someone else…
hoping to avoid eye contact and avoid him approaching them
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