Resurrection: How One Man's Sorrow Turned Into Our Hope

2Passage: Isaiah 53:3

Main Idea: God has a way of allowing sorrow as a means of bringing hope, and His greatest declaration of justice is the offering of His Son.

Message Goal: Through the resurrection our sorrows are turned into manifested hope.

Introduction: Sorrow as a Major Theme in the Psalms

The contextual understanding of Isaiah 53: This chapter of Isaiah speaks of the humiliation of the servant who will one day be exalted.

Isaiah 1:1-39:8 is regarding the judgment of God’s people and the nations of the world.

Isaiah 40:1-55:13 is about the restoration and salvation of God’s people, Israel.

Isaiah 56:1-66:24 is about the future of God’s people, Israel.

Isaiah 53 has been seen as the critical chapter in the Book of Isaiah. Scholars have said, Polycarp the Lysian calls this chapter “the golden passional of the Old Testament evangelist.” Delitzsch says of it, “It is the centre of this wonderful book of consolation (ch. 40–66), and is the most central, the deepest, and the loftiest thing that the Old Testament prophecy, outstripping itself, has ever achieved” (‘Commentary on Isaiah,’ vol. ii. p. 303). Mr. Urwick remarks on it, “Here we seem to enter the holy of holies of Old Testament prophecy—that sacred chamber wherein are pictured and foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow” (Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1910). Isaiah (Vol. 2, p. 294). Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

The thing that stands out to me in Isaiah 53:3, however, is the point of pain and sorrow found in Isaiah 53:3. Just this week, in our Bible reading, I was faced with a psalm from David, Psalm 59. Specifically Psalm 59:1-10 tells of the emotional pain David endured when Saul sent orders against him to have him killed. Psalm 59 shows the tremendous pain and agony of David, who had dedicated his life to being integral and humble—no matter the cost.

The experience of sorrow is found throughout the entire Bible. It is a common theme that many Christians wish could be removed, because we recognize the inevitable presence of sorrow in our own lives as it were in the lives of so many that came before us. David faced very difficult forces of opposition, and he is an example of what all of us must endure.

The Psalms are one of the most common places to find writings on the problem of sorrow. Just like the psalm we read earlier, there are several other psalms that express deep sorrow and pain over the things experienced in life. The truth is…Life ain’t easy! Consequently, the psalms become a reference book for those wishing to cope with the reality of sorrow.

Out of the 150 psalms 59 of them are lament psalms.

6 psalms are about trust.

David is the writer of 74 of the psalms.

While one might think David has a lot to say about praise, he actually has more to say about lament and trust.

The Psalms were referred to as the “hymn-book of the Jewish Church.” The book of Psalms are often thought of as a collection of poetry largely consisting of prayers and songs praising God, encouraging faith, or giving voice to human emotions like sorrow, fear, and joy. So, when Jesus faced the sorrow that is common to man, he did what any other Jewish man would have done—He turned to the psalms for comfort. Here’s the astonishing fact: Jesus was a man of sorrow!

Psalm 22:1 “1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning?”

Matthew 27:46 “46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?””

Psalm 69:4 “4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me, are powerful. Though I did not steal, I must repay.”

John 15:25 “25 But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.”

Psalm 41:9 “9 Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.”

John 13:18 “18 “I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats my bread has raised his heel against me.”

Here’s what we learn about the experience of sorrow. There are two manners in which sorrow can be experienced:

Emotional pain- the distress that is a fundamental feeling that humans often try to avoid.

Grief- something that causes great unhappiness.

The interesting thing is God allows both manners of sorrow in the life of His people (Emotional pain: Exodus 3:7; Grief/ Unhappiness: Isaiah 53:3-4) Where’s the justice in this? How is this fair? Why would God allow this to happen to David? Why did God allow sorrow to happen to this Son? Why does God allow this to happen to us?

Why do we suffer, having done nothing wrong (see Psalm 59:3-4)? Why must we give, having nothing to give? Why must we love, having no love returned to us? If David were to speak to us today, he would say, “God’s children are allocated a share of sorrow and the greatest and most impactful human beings of all time were susceptible to sorrow. An example of that is Adoniram Judson.

Adoniram Judson was a congregationalist and Baptist missionary to Burma, the first Protestant sent from North America to preach there. The first Baptist association in America that supported missionaries was formed because of him. As a member of the Congregational Church, he campaigned effectively for establishing the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, [which was one of the first American Christian missionary organizations] (1810). (Feldmeth, N. P. (2008). In Pocket Dictionary of Church History: Over 300 Terms Clearly and Concisely Defined (p. 83). IVP Academic.) Henry Bosch wrote about his struggles,

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (6152 Fearing His Scars)

Adoniram Judson, the renowned missionary to Burma, endured untold hardships trying to reach the lost for Christ. For 7 heartbreaking years he suffered hunger and privation. During this time he was thrown into Ava Prison, and for 17 months was subjected to almost incredible mistreatment. As a result, for the rest of his life he carried the ugly marks made by the chains and iron shackles which had cruelly bound him. Undaunted, upon his release he asked for permission to enter another province where he might resume preaching the Gospel. The godless ruler indignantly denied his request, saying, “My people are not fools enough to listen to anything a missionary might SAY, but I fear they might be impressed by your SCARS and turn to your religion!”

If a person were to ask the question: Why do we face struggles? Why does God allow unhappiness? One answer would be, God allows struggles so the world may not only hear our words, but see our scars. Anyone can talk, having gone through nothing. Yet, only those who have the scars of life can speak with true conviction the glorious testimony of God.

Is there any among us today that have scars? Battle wombs from struggles that were not of any result of your wrongdoing, but rather a result of the Lord’s permission?

Every battle and feeling of sorrow we have had to experience is simply God’s way of giving us the scars to make our testimony believable. God will use those moments to show the world that we rare not simply talkers, but we have experiences that can help us declare the truth with confidence.

One may not be convinced that the above reason is good enough to justify the tolerance of sorrow among a belief of an absolutely good God. Though there have been several other attempts to demonstrate the justice of God, the greatest example is shown in the fact that the Father not only subjects us to sorrow, but He submitted His own Son to sorrow.

The Justice of God in Giving His Son

Many times when we talk about the resurrection and gift of the Son of God, we hardly stop to think about just how tremendous a gift the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is to us. Let’s take a walk through the week of Jesus:

Sunday

Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19)

Jesus looks at the temple and returns to Bethany for the night (Mark 11:11)

Monday

Jesus curses the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14)

Jesus cleanses the temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46)

Tuesday

Jesus’ authority is questioned as He teaches in the temple (Matthew 21:23-22:14; Mark 11:27-12:12; Luke 20:1-19)

Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and His return (Matthew 24:1-25:46; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-36)

Wednesday

Judas agrees to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6).

Thursday

Jesus eats the Last Supper with His disciples (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:15-20; John 13:1-17:26)

Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12)

Friday

Jesus is questioned by Annas (John 18:13, 19-23)

Jesus is condemned by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71)

Pilate questions Jesus (Matthew 27:2, 11-14; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 23:1-7; John 18:28-38)

Jesus appears before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:7-12)

Pilate condemns Jesus to death (Matthew 27:23-26; Mark 15:14-15; Luke 23:22-25; John 19:12-16)

Jesus is crucified (Matthew 27:35-50; Mark 15:24-39; Luke 23:33-48; John 19:18-30)

Crucifixion was the most painful death ever created by man. It is from this act we get the word excruciating. Crucifixion was reserved for the most vicious criminals of the day, and it is unbelievable that Jesus refused the vinegar, which was a form of anesthesia (Matthew 26:29). Jesus was stripped naked and his clothes divided by the Roman guards (Psalm 22:18).

Crucifixion was a slow and painful death. It required its victims to maintain what is referred to as an “impossible anatomical” position. Jesus’s knees would have been flexed at approximately 45 degrees, while He was required to bear his weight on His thighs. Anatomically, one’s thighs are only positioned to endure such weight for only a few minutes before experiencing severe cramps in the thigh and muscle.

Medical experts conclude that within a few minutes of being on the cross Jesus’s shoulders, wrists, and elbows would have been dislocated and his arms would have been 9 inches longer than normal (Psalm 22:14). After these limbs being dislocated, his rib cage, due to the traction forces in his chest would have caused His rib cage to be pulled upwards and outwards in an unnatural state. To exhale, Jesus would have to force His body to do so physiologically. Rather than staying still, Jesus would have to remain active in order to breathe, which caused even more pain and exhaustion.

Being covered with blood and sweat, Jesus was previously scourged which intensified the experience of the cross. The lack of oxygen and the excess of carbon dioxide, Jesus’s heart would beat as much as 220 beats per minute. He probably experienced heart failure, suffocation and cardiac rupture.

The length of time that it was taking for Jesus’s death is evident, because the soldiers arrived to break the legs of Jesus. This was a practice used to expedite the death. However, after six hours of excruciating pain, he had already died. (https://beresolute.org/the-anatomical-and-physiological-details-of-death-by-crucifixion/)

The most interesting thing about all of this is that God was pleased by it all!

Isaiah 53:10-11 “10 Yet the Lord was pleased to crush [hurt, beat, oppress] him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. 11 After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities.”

The beautiful thing about the cross is that the Father willingly and gladly gave His Son for the sins of man.

Reasons God gave His Son:

No one else could do what He did.

The Father had us in mind—to save us!

God had a plan to save all of us through the new creation that would be started with His Son.

The Father had plans to glorify His Son.

Philippians 2:7-11 “7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Always remember that you can never be exalted without being crucified and submitted to death.

Jesus is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:60-61; Mark 15:46-47; Luke 23:53-56; John 19:39-42)

Saturday

The Romans wanted Jesus to suffer. However, they wanted more than anything for Him to die!

Sunday

Resurrection! (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10)

Conclusion: Something Beyond NOW!

Jesus is an example for all humans what sorrow can bring. God does not allow sorrow in our life for nought. For the believer, sorrow is our way of being crucified. Sorrow is God’s way of reminding us that the things of this life are worth giving up for the things of eternity. The fact that Jesus got up removes the idea that there’s nothing beyond now. The interesting thing about the Israelite religion was that there was no Old Covenant doctrine of resurrection, which means there was no hope beyond now. Israelite religion was a “this-worldly religion.” The resurrection is proof that there is hope beyond what happens right now. It delivers us from temporary releases of inevitable destruction and removes the exceptions from receiving revival.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised A. Absence of a Doctrine of Resurrection

Israelite religion had two profound ethical foci: individual and corporate. Individuals lived out their lives under the law, in faith, seeking the guidance and protection of Yahweh, conducting their households and rearing their children with the promise and the law of Yahweh closely in view (Dt. 6:4–15). Promises that referred to the future were generally applied to the descendants of the righteous (threats were applied to the descendants of the wicked) or to the corporate destiny of the Israelite nation. The profound emphasis upon Yahweh as the God of life and upon the perishing existence of the wicked before the power of Yahweh (Pss. 1, 73; Prov. 14–15) tended to make Judaism a this-worldly religion and to suppress speculation concerning the realm of the dead. The future was interpreted as a national future, under the guidance of Yahweh.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised A. Absence of a Doctrine of Resurrection

But the paucity of statements and the lack of theological reflection indicate an absence of doctrine: translation from this life to another realm is an exception, not applicable to people in general, and revivification implies no more than a temporary release from the inevitable.

In Philippians 3:3-11, Paul describes how his view of the resurrection changed his entire view on life. He once held a view that earthly success was the extent of God’s blessings. Yet, he soon discovered that accepting sorrow and suffering is the way to God’s eternal blessings. Paul concludes, I don’t want the blessings that a comfortable life without sorrow brings. I want the blessings that sorrow brings, because the road to resurrection is death.

Philippians 3:3–11 CSB

3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh— 4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. 7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

INVITATION: God wants to give you hope on this resurrection Sunday. He wants this Easter Sunday to be different from any other Easter Sunday. Let this Sunday be the start of a new life filled with hope!