Sermon Tone Analysis
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Text
Introduction
Some have referred to Isaiah as the 5th gospel
The book has two distinct parts:
First 39 chapters - the prophet’s revelations about God’s judgment on Israel for their rebellion
Chapters 40-66 - the prophet’s revelations of God’s grace and the promise of a Messiah - a man that Isaiah refers to here simply as God’s servant
It is a definite shadow and preview of the gospel
the sin and rebellion of God’s people
the resulting wrath and judgment of God poured out on them
ultimately, the Promise of God to send a Saviour to redeem a people for His glory
And in we see one of the most amazing portraits in the Old Testament of this Servant and Saviour that is to come
Who is He?
What would He come to do?
What is His purpose?
What would He ultimately achieve?
These are some of the questions we will be looking to answer today
But we are not going to begin with - we are actually going to begin in , which is really the introduction of
That is where Isaiah introduces the Servant and what He will do.
Is
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 )
This was when Saul tried to get David killed, and offered him his daughter in marriage as a reward for 100 foreskins (yes, it was a weird time to be alive), thinking he would be killed.
David brought 200 foreskins.
David’s success was emphatic
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
And His name will be high and lifted up, He will be exalted, He will be praised, He will be worshipped, and He will rule supreme.
1. Unthinkable Suffering
Well after that introduction, you’d think that when this Servant comes, He is going to come in with a parade and a big entourage, and just dominate everywhere from beginning to end
Something like an entrance that would put the likes of Connor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather to shame
That’s what Israel expected
But instead, the unthinkable happens to Him.
Instead of being universally adored by everyone who saw Him and met Him, He experienced Unthinkable Suffering
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?”
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 , Jesus is talking to the disciples and he asks them who the people say He is
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 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
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
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 and Redeemer
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 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 He 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 physically impressive
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 today, 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
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
Instead of being the physically impressive and commanding figure that Israel would have expected…
a man who would have had the unquestioning loyalty, respect, love and support of the whole nation
Jesus was hated, rejected, and a man who knew the deepest experience of suffering and grief
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 that person who nobody likes, nobody talks to, and when he walks into the room everybody pretends they don’t see him
hoping to avoid eye contact and avoid him approaching them
Many still treat him that way
As if his humble beginnings as a baby and his unimpressive physical appearance were not enough to turn off the most interested listener…
This is the final straw
A Messiah coming as baby?
A Messiah with an average physical appearance?
A Messiah with an average physical appearance?
A Messiah who will be hated and rejected?
A Messiah who will be hated and rejected?
But most unthinkable than any of that…
A Messiah who would be struck down and killed…
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