The Suffering Servant

Introduction

Good evening all and thank you for joining us at Berean Bible Church for our Good Friday service. George Waller is with his wife Judy and they would covet your prayers for healing and relief as Judy is struggling with chronic pain. These are dear saints that need our prayers and they are trusting Jesus.

This actually serves as a good segway for our short time together this evening. It always is amazing to me that we call this day “good friday” yet it is the day that we focus on the suffering of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Yes I understand we call it good because we know the ending, but that still doesnt change the fact that we call it good.

For example. We know Judy and george love Jesus and they will live an eternity with Jesus regardless of what happens here. But I would in know way look at her suffering and say that it is good. I remember taking tripp in for surgery on his hand. I knew he would probably be ok and everything would be fine. But I would never call those moments good. We all have horrible and tough situations in our life that we would certainly reflect on them, but not call them, Good. We would call them horrible or horrific memories, and I would submit to you tonight that what took place on Calvary was nothing short of horrific. As Jesus’ own mother and best friends watched him crucified.

And if this was my son that was offered on the cross and beaten bruised and punished for crimes he did not commit then there would be nothing good about it. If your sins were to be covered by me offering up my son then you would all be out of luck.

.......But God’s goodness is different. The reason we call it good friday is different. He is the epitome of Good. He defines all that is good. So who are we to tell him what is good and what isnt good.

You see we only call good what makes us “feel” good. God calls good what IS good.

In order to see that God is good our perspective must change.

Turn with me to Isaiah 53. This is the fourth poem that isaiah has written about this mysterious servant. This fourth poem is what Warren Weirsbe has always said as the Mt Everest of prophecy. It is indeed that because it shows us the picture of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Our expectancy changes

look starting in verse 13 of 52.

Isaiah 52:13–53:3 NIV

13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness— 15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. 1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 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. 3 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.

The Jews were not expecting what had been promised. Jews believed this to be a prophecy about the Messaiah for over 400 years and then changed their tune about this when the actual Messiah wasnt what they expected. They made this prophecy to be about Israel, but how can Israel die for israel’s sins and many other reasons that this is wrong. Make no mistake this prophecy was indeed about Jesus.

It is certainly easy for us to look on this side and say DUH! How could you have missed it. God’s goodness, his own son was right before their eyes. Yet we do this.

We always think we have God pegged. We know what God’s best is and what we should expect and if it aligns then it is good? right? Wrong.

For example. I spent years crying out, as believers should, God bring me close to you, make me like you. What was it in my life that did that. It was years of doubt and anxiety and depression. Struggle that i cannot described tat helped me see Him in a way that I never could. Now when that came I was not like. OH THIS is good. No it was indeed me screaming out before the Lord many nights. Please God deliver me. Thank God he did deliver me but in his timing and his way. A way that brought me closer to him.

Let me ask you something? What in your life right now do you need to change your perspective and your expectations. Are we looking for God to show his goodness in a way that 1. isnt promised and too isnt really for our Good.

Our theology changes

Isaiah 53:4–6 NIV

4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 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. 6 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.

People shut down so quickly when they hear the word Theology. They equate it with this ivory tower subject that only theologians and seminarians study. But guess what, have you ever thought about God..... you are a theologian and every you think and say about God is your theology.

Now having that said, our theology matters. What we think and say about God matters. And we cannot have a proper theology with a flawed perspective. Isaiah says that we looked at the cross as if God was punishing Him, but that was not what was happening.

Many of us have sung a song and said a phrase for years and it is a phrase I hope we stop sayinig as a church. Tonight is not where I want to go into a long debate about this but it is oh so important to understanding the perspective of the cross.

We have sung and said the words “ the father turned his face away” . We have used phrases like God could not bear being with Jesus because of the sin that was upon him and at his greatest time of need. To quote another theologian Rita Brock, this is nothing more than cosmic child abuse.

How is it that we tell each other like Paul did they we must suffer as Jesus did But that God will never forsake us?

How is that we can believe in a trinity that is united except for the cross we change our ideas on the trinity?

How can we preach a loving God that is pleased by His children suffering for His glory but when His own Holy Son does it, he cant bear to watch?

The answer is we can’t .

Yes Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1

Bu the issue is that many people in those days would quote a passage to reflect the whole meaning. What does Psalm 22 teach us? it doesnt teach us that Jesus forskaes us , it does teach that he feels far away in our perspective of suffering but ends with this before the 23rd Psalm

Psalm 22:24 NIV

24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

Guys, to see it as Good friday and to see the suffering and affliction in your life as good, you can be comforted that God has not turned his face from you. He is with you. He hears you. He loves you.

Our response changes

Isaiah 53:7–9 NIV

7 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. 8 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. 9 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.

One of the hardest parts of the suffering of Jesus and what makes it so Good and indeed unique. There is no argument from Jesus. There was no case against him.His suffering was not right and he deserved none of it. Pilot and others were perplexed because they known he had done nothing wrong. Yet facing the worst punishment anyone could bear, he is silent and argues for the salvation of man rather than his own comfort and release.

I couldnt have done it. The first rip of the beard, the first spit in my face. I am done. Yet he bore it all because he had the proper response and perspective. he knew what he was looking at.

Not my will but thy will be done

What has you response been even in light of a recent sufferings. Is our first reaction a perspective centered around us or a perspective centered around the goodness of God.

look with me as we end on how Isaiah 53 ends

Isaiah 53:10–12 NIV

10 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. 11 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. 12 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.

this has changed from the perspective of Isaiah to the Lords perspective of the suffering servant.

There are different translation of verse 10 but the word will or pleased is actually ho fates in hebrew which means to take delight in. How in the world can got look at this brutal picture this “good friday” and be delighted

God’s perspective will help you see past the suffering and to our reward.

God is in and out of time and sees all and knows all. He knew as well did Jesus. This was the plan before the foundation of the world. This was not plan B but this was the beautiful picture God laid out before us. And he sees what is after this picture. Its the defeat of death. Cancer. divorce. sadness. poverty. COVID-19. anxiety. abortion. infertility. depression. family drama. hate. war. pride. its all gone and God knows it.

and guess what. Because God has revealed that to us… we know it to. and we must change our perspective to that in order to know God is good. That Good friday is good. That your suffering is good. Because we know the end. Just like the cross. These various trials do not have the final word. Rather it is victory. Wiped away by the blood of Jesus.

Good Friday is good because of a great Sunday.

Let’s change our perspective to what God has revealed to us.

Let’s pray

God is Good ALL THE TIME and all the time GOD IS GOOD