In My Place Condemned He Stood
Notes
Transcript
The Consequence of Sin (v.1-3,7-9)
The Consequence of Sin (v.1-3,7-9)
The Seriousness of our Sin can Be Seen in the Suffering of Christ.
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Why would God do this? Why would Jesus do this? Why would the prince of heaven, the second member of the Holy Trinity subject himself to torture, and beating, to mocking and pain?
Because sin is serious and serious sin demands a serious payment.
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
He will render to each one according to his works:
to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
If the cross is the result of white lies and ugly words then it is serious overkill. But sin is more than just bad things, bad words, and bad thoughts. Sin is rebellion against that God who created us, who loves us, and who provides for us each and every day. Sin demands such a high price because it is such great evil.
Think about what sin does.
Sin mars God’s creation.
Sin damages God’s relationship with his creation.
Sin kills the people that God loves.
God’s hatred of sin is righteous and just and good.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
The Love of Jesus (v. 4-6; 10-12)
The Love of Jesus (v. 4-6; 10-12)
The seriousness of sin can be seen in the sacrifice of Christ, but also the great love for us can be seen in the cross of Christ.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
You see, the reality of Easter is that we are sinners before a living God, but while he is righteous he is also loving and because he is loving he would not allow sin to be the final word. His Son Jesus came, and lived the life we could not live and became our substitute on the cross.
“Jesus Christ our Lord, moved by a love that was determined to do everything necessary to save us, endured and exhausted the destructive divine judgment for which we were otherwise inescapably destined, and so won us forgiveness, adoption and glory” - J. I. Packer
In our text today, we see the beauty of Jesus’ life and death on the cross.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
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.
On the cross, Jesus took our penalty. He bore our sins. He paid our price.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
The promise of Easter is that the enmity we once had with God has been swallowed up in death on the cross.
But paying our price, though helpful is not the whole story. Because Christ did not simply kill death. He did not simply put death in his grave, but he rose again 3 days later; and in rising again he reconciled us to God and gave us eternal life.
The Apostles Creed has been a reminder to the saints for Centuries of what we believe as Christians.
The Creed says:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Notice what the Creed says, “The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God almight.”
This is the truth of the resurrection and it’s because of his resurrection that “I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting”
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Today, we stand in victory this Resurrection Morning. This is a day of victory, a day of joy, a day of hope because of the truth of God’s word.
Today, if you are a believer in Christ, then this should be a day of victorious celebration of the grace of God and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who the scripture notes:
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Today, if you have repented of your sins and placed your trust in Christ, then you should shout with joy because of God’s great salvation.
But also, if you have not put your faith in Christ, let me urge you to trust in this “Man of Sorrows” that Isaiah 53 speaks of. The same Jesus who lived a perfect life and died a sinners death to be the atoning sacrifice for all who believe can be your atoning sacrifice today. Would you repent today and be saved? If so, then today can be a day of victory for you too!