NEHCC Sermon - 8-31-08 -Jesus Paid It All

NORTHEAST HOUSTON COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sermon – Jesus Paid It All

Scripture – Isaiah 53:1-6

8-31-08

                                    Encourage then to take notes

Isaiah 53:1-6 (NKJV)
1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

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You have often heard me say how much I admire the prophets Elijah and Elisha, but my admiration for them is not to diminish the respect and importance of other prophets. All of the prophets of God had to be strong and convinced of God’s power and majesty for them to undergo the persecutions and hardships presented to them. Isaiah is no exception.

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The book of Isaiah is a very rich book in our Bible and I plan to spend the next few Sundays acquainting you with many of these riches. I am sure you will find it interesting and I now it will help strengthen your faith and determination in the Lord.

Let’s begin with a little background and foundation.

The Book of Isaiah — consists of prophecies delivered (1) in the reign of four kings from 762 B.C. to 698 B.C., 64 years. Like the Bible consists of 66 books, the book of Isaiah consists of 66 chapters. It is probably the most prophetic book of all the prophets and surely the one that has the strongest prophetic verses concerning the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Isaiah’s writings express a deep awareness of God’s majesty and holiness.

More than any other book its prophecies are quoted in the New Testament (Matt. 3:3; Luke 3:4–6; 4:16–41; John 12:38; Acts 8:28; Rom. 10:16–21). Of the OT books it is one of the most quoted. The book of Isaiah is to the OT as the book of Romans is to the NT—a book filled with rich theological truth. Like Romans, Isaiah unveils the sinfulness of God’s rebellious people and his gracious provision of salvation.

Instead of beginning at the beginning of the book of Isaiah, we will begin at our memory verse for this month. This passage is probably the clearest prophecy about Jesus and salvation in the scriptures. It is truly a foundation passage for our faith

About Isaiah -  His name means Salvation of the LORD; Jehovah is helper; salvation is of the LORD.

Isaiah is usually regarded as the greatest of the writing prophets. He is Consider very high among the Major Prophets. The difference between major and Minor Prophets has only to do with the size of their books.

Growing up in Jerusalem, Isaiah received the best education the capital could supply. He was also deeply knowledgeable about people, and he became the political and religious counselor of the nation.

Isaiah was married and his wife is referred to as a prophetess (Is 8:3). The Bible does not say that she had prophetic powers and the title of a “prophetess was often given to the wife of a prophet.

They had at least two sons, Shear-jashub (7:3) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (8:3). Isaiah’s customary attire was a prophet’s clothing, that is, sandals and a garment of goat’s hair or sackcloth. Very much unlike self proclaimed prophets of today.

When Isaiah saw the Lord in the famous temple vision described in chapter 6, he was willing to go wherever God sent him, even though he would face strong opposition (6:9–10). An up close personal relationship will make you do that too.

Let’s begin

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V1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

The prophet is looking ahead into the future and asks the question, “Who will believe our report (prophetic revelation)?” I believe that the “our” is referring to the reports of all the prophets concerning Jesus. Jesus (the arm of God) will not be revealed to everyone for it will take faith to see him.

If a report is given you will either believe it or reject it. The Prophets gave a prophetic report about Jesus, Israel and the world has rejected Jesus and many still do they rejected the prophecies, his announcements, His words, “report,” His work and His authority (arm) of God.

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V2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant (little bush)

The image of a tender plant is one that in vulnerable to its surroundings as Jesus was. A tender plant needs protection and care and God was His protector. God’s angel directed them to Egypt until Herod died.

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V2b     And as a root out of dry ground. – I believe this refers to the spiritual environment being dry, a condition unlikely to produce a great spiritual leader as the Messiah. People had an idea as to the way the Messiah would come, the type of personality He would be. God will do His will His way.

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V2c     He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

The word comeliness was translated from a word that has been translated 7 times as majesty and five times as comeliness. All of the multiple translations refer to a lacking of something that we would expect a king to have. The outward appearance of Jesus would not meet our image of a king of glory. He came first lacking majesty and beauty but when He comes again He will be full of Majesty and glory.

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V3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

We mentioned before about his being rejected but Isaiah now adds the word despised (regarded with contempt) and rejected. The word despised is used twice in this verse. We see evidence of it many times.

Matthew 26:3-4 (NKJV)          3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.

John 11:53-54 (NKJV)            53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, …

Definition – Contempt - willful disobedience to or open disrespect. Are we ever guilty of despising our lord with willful disobedience?

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V3b A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

I can imagine the sorrow and grief of our Lord when seeing the disregard of mankind for the things of God. To see those that were to be spiritual leaders abusing their authority taking advantage of the people and to enrich themselves. He saw how far the people have turned away from God to follow the commands of men.

Matt 15:8-9 8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' NIV

Sorrow and grief are often demonstrated in tears. Most Christians know the shortest verse in the bible to be John 11:35 (NKJV) 35 Jesus wept. But not many know that this is not the only time the scriptures recorded Jesus shedding tears. He did so over Jerusalem.

Luke 19:41-42 (NKJV)            41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

This does not mean that Jesus never smiled or even laughed, but that Jesus as the Son of man was acquainted with grief and sorrow just like us.

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V3C And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

I believe Isaiah is referring to Israel who should have been the ones to receive Him with open arms but were the main ones that hid from Him, not wanting to be counted as belonging to Him, not wanting to receive Him as king.

Even his disciple ran and denied Him.

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V3D    He was despised and we did not esteem Him.         Esteem - to hold in high regard.

Truly there were those that despised Him but there should have been more to esteem Him.

I believe that because Jesus did not look like a conquering king, because He did not come in pomp and majesty, because He did not overthrow Rome as they expected the Messiah to do they did not think He was important. Yet He was and is the most important Person in the world, for He is the Servant of the Lord.

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V4 Surely He has borne our grief  And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

Here is where it gets personal. The above verse says that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

The words grief and sorrow were translated from the words meaning “Grief” – sickness, diseases and grief; and “Sorrow – sorrow and pain; all in that order.

It is our sorrows and our grief that He was carrying. Soon he would be carrying our sins as well and the sin of the world. Jesus was not a distant savior, He left heaven to become a man to experience more than we ever experienced, to suffer more than we ever suffered, to carry burdens more than we could ever carry and He did it for us.

Although I believe that the prophet is applying the pronouns to the nation Israel, but they also apply to all mankind for Jesus died for the world and all those that might believe.

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V4b     Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

Israel thought Jesus to be worthy (deserved) to be stricken and smitten by God. Many thought He was guilty of blasphemy.

Mark 14:63-64      63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. NKJV

Actually He was bearing the judgment that theirs and our sin required. 

Stricken - 1     : afflicted or overwhelmed by or as if by disease, misfortune, or sorrow.

      2     : hit or wounded by something

            Smitten - to strike sharply or heavily with the hand or an implement held in the hand

Afflicted - to distress so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish

Our Savior endured all of these. Yet there was no wrong in Him. Isaiah wrote this prophecy over 600 years before the birth of Christ and they are recorded as happening. That is the test of a true prophet of God.   

Deut 18:22      22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, KJV

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V5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

This is foundational verse inside of a foundational passage as they all are, but this one speaks directly to you and to me. His wounds and His burses were for our transgressions (sins) and for our iniquities (wickedness). The chastisement He received was for our peace with God. Notice the prophet did not use the term punishment or sentence but the word chastisement. God chastens out of love. 

Heb 12:6         6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."*   NKJV

  It is true that the degree and level of chastening should match the wrong. Jesus was chastening undeservingly for every sin of every one that believes and receives Him as savior and Lord.

I can remember when my brother would get a beating for doing wrong. It would bother me and I could hardly stand it even though I knew he deserved it.  I couldn’t stand mine either even though I often deserved it.

But when I think of Jesus, the one who took my beating, and the one who took my death I still can’t stand it when I see it or think of it. He did not deserve to be chastised or to die but He did so for me and for you. How can I not serve Him?

The non-believer does not receive God’s chastisement but the awaiting of punishment.

2 Peter 2:9-10 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. NKJV

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V5 C And by His stripes we are healed.

Do not misapply this statement. The prophet Isaiah is not talking about physical healing but spiritual healing. Although His wounds were physical, the spitting in His face was literal, the stripes on his back was physically real, it was all for our spiritual healing back to the presences and favor of God.

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V6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

We close today’s message with the month’s memory verse. Those of you that shared with us your understanding of this verse did a very good job.

Isaiah sums up what has already been said. We all (he was referring to Israel but the verse applies to us all) have gone astray. Meaning we have gone wrong, gone off the path of righteousness. Israel had turned away from God seeking other gods and seeking their own way. Their way that seems right in their own eyes but not God’s.       

Prov 21:2        2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.KJV

Prov 16:25      25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. NKJV.

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Because of our waywardness and sinfulness and wickedness the Lord God placed on Jesus the iniquity (load) of us all. He surly bore our grief (diseases) and our sorrows (pains) but thank God now I am healed.

End

Responsive Reading

Isaiah 53:7-12

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (NKJV)