the Lord revealed. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a
root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness. When we shall see him
there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He's despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him
He was despised and we esteemed him not
Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted
But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities
The testisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed
All we, like sheep, have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way,
and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth.
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before his shears is dumb,
so he opened it not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
and who shall declare his generation?
If he was cut off out of the land of the living,
for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had
done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him.
He hath put him to grief.
When thou shalt 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.
He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.
By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities."
Therefore, will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death.
And he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bear the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
Let's pray to your legat just thank you for the book of Isaiah Lord and we thank you for these great truths that we find in your
Word Lord and that all points to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Lord
We pray that you bless his service in every aspect of it
Please fill a pastor here with your Holy Spirit Lord and pray that you're with us in the congregation tonight Lord
We pray this all in Jesus name. Amen
Amen. Okay, we're in Isaiah chapter 53 this evening and we're continuing tonight with the servant song and of course this would be the last chapter that falls into that category of being the servant song.
And chapter 53 is an amazing chapter.
It's probably the chapter that most people are familiar with when it comes to the book of Isaiah.
And it's just saturated with prophecies regarding the Lord Jesus Christ.
Essentially, the entire chapter has to do with his suffering.
It's a very powerful chapter here.
And in fact, it's the famous passage,
that Philip the Evangelist used to win the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ in Acts chapter 8.
So it's a powerful passage.
Now look back at chapter 52 if you would, chapter 52 and verse 14.
This is really where the context of chapter 53 comes from.
It says in verse 14,
As many as were astonished at thee,
His visage was so marred more than any man,
And his form more than the sons of men.
So shall he sprinkle many nations, the kings,
shall shut their mouths at him for that which had not been told them shall they see and that which
they had not heard shall they consider." Of course verse 14 and on is addressing the Lord Jesus Christ
and the fact that it says that his visage was so marred more than any man is obviously referring
to the fact that he was beaten, he was smitten, he was scourged, he was bloodied. Of course we know
And it's essentially referring to the fact that his beating was so severe
that you couldn't really recognize him as just being a human being.
That's how severe his punishment that he received for us was this side of eternity.
So that is the context of chapter 53.
Now look at verse number one, if you would, of chapter 53.
We're going to look at the report about the Savior that's continuing here.
It says in verse one, who hath believed our report?
So again, he's talking about the visage being marred,
the fact that he's going to sprinkle his blood upon the nations,
and then it says, who's going to believe this?
Who's going to believe this report,
and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Now, this should come, this should obviously be familiar to you,
because this passage is quoted in the New Testament.
And in fact, the New Testament answers this particular question,
and the answer is the Gentiles.
When it says who hath believed our report, the answer the New Testament provides for us is that it's the Gentiles, the nations are the ones that are going to believe the report of the Prophet Isaiah.
And in fact, he also goes on to say that Israel was the one that didn't obey the Gospel, meaning that did not believe the report that Isaiah gave.
So what we see here when he says who hath believed our report, he's referring to the Gospel.
Because when he talks about the blood being sprinkled upon the nations,
that is the good tidings of great joy.
That is the gospel that's being preached.
And unfortunately, the Israelites of the Old Testament did not believe that.
They didn't hold to it as being true.
And in fact, the Bible tells us that they did not obey the gospels, but the Gentiles did.
Now, hold your place in Isaiah 53 and go to Romans chapter 10.
Romans chapter 10, if you would.
Romans chapter number 10 of course is the famous passage that we use when we're
out soul winning it kind of gives a systematic way of explaining salvation
it talks about the fact that we have to believe with the hearts and confess with
our mouths the Lord Jesus but I want you to notice verse 15 it says in how shall
they preach except they be sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of
them that preached the gospel of peace and that bring glad tidings of good
But I want you to notice verse 16,
but they have not all obeyed the Gospel.
For Isaiah is referring to Isaiah,
sayeth, Lord, who hath believed our report.
So then faith cometh by hearing
and hearing by the word of God.
Now, before I move on here,
I want you to notice that verse 17 is telling us
that the way you get saved is by faith, right?
And it's relating it to what Isaiah has said in the Old Testament showing us that the salvation of the Old Testament is exactly the same as a salvation in the New Testament.
People got saved in the Old Testament by placing their faith in the Christ.
People get saved in the New Testament by placing their faith in the Christ, which is Jesus, okay?
He goes on the same verse 18, but I say, have they not heard?
Yes, verily, their sound.
Referring to the prophets preaching went into all the earth and their words until the ends of the world
Verse 18 is essentially showing us that even the prophets of the Old Testament were scattered throughout the nations preaching the word of God
Getting Gentiles saved so even then the Gentiles were believing the report, right?
Obviously, in a smaller scale than what we have in the New Testament,
but nonetheless, the Gentiles of the Old Testament were also believing the report,
even more so sometimes than even the nation of Israel.
It says in verse 19,
But I say,
Did not Israel know?
From Moses saith,
I will provoke you to jealousy
by them that are no people,
and by a foolish nation,
will I anger you?
But Isaiah's is variable.
And saith,
I was found of them that sought me not,
I was made manifest in them that asked not after me, but to Israel he saith all day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainstain people."
So what is this telling us? It's telling us the fact that the Gentiles of the New Testament are the ones who had the faith in the Gospel, right?
the gospel profited them being mixed with faith.
They actually believed the report
that those who were saved in the nation of Israel
were giving of the coming Christ
or the one who already came.
Whereas Israel didn't believe.
They were disobedient to the Gospel and they essentially, you know,
went apostate, they weren't willing to listen and in fact it says that there were
gainsayers and a disobedient people.
So when Isaiah talks about who has believed the report, it's essentially saying like,
Lord, I've preached the word of God to the Israelites, but who's going to believe this?
You know, his visage was marred and as we're going to see he's smitten, stricken of God,
who's going to believe this? Well, I'll tell you who won't believe it.
And that is the Israelites, okay?
And we see in the New Testament that it's the Gentiles
who are the believers.
And by the way, we gotta carry this on to Romans 11, right?
Because even though there's chapter breaks in the book,
it doesn't mean that the thought concludes
at the end of the chapter,
it continues to go on to the following chapter.
And in chapter 11 of Romans 11, I don't have it in my notes,
he says, you know, what say I then?
God cast away his people and then he says God forbid for I am also
an Israelite of the seat of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin and
This is the Christian Zionist favorite verse
Right, that's like their life verse
That's their salvation verse. That's like their John 3 16
And they're like, you know God didn't cast away his people because this but can we can we stick to the context though?
Because of the fact that when he says his people, we got to define what his people means based upon the entire context of the book.
And according to Romans chapter 9, his people is referring to the children of the living God.
And who are the children of the living God? Those who are saved!
Which is why when he says had God cast away his people God forbid he uses himself as an example
Because even though Paul is a is of Israel even though he's of the seat of Abraham
Even though he's of the tribe of Benjamin. He's not going to get cast away. Why because he believed on Christ
He's part of the people of God that actually were grandfathered in from the Old Testament because he actually believed the report, okay
And so very important that go back to Isaiah chapter 53
Isaiah chapter 53
So already in the book of Isaiah we already see a foreshadowing of replacement theology
And it's not something you know replacement theology isn't something that in the New Testament
It's just like a brand new thing as if no one knew about it
The prophets of old had already been prophesying about these things long ago
And in fact Jeremiah specifically said that he was gonna make a new covenant with the house of Israel with the house of Judah
So if he's saying in the old covenant that he's going to make a new covenant
That would mean that the old covenant at some point or another would be made null and void
Because you can't have two covenants at the same exact time
One covenant in order to conclude there has to be the death of the mediator and in order for our excuse me
Yeah, the death of the high priest and then in order for another covenant to start
There has also has to be a death of the mediator, which is Jesus Christ the testator
So that new covenant brought in better promises and that was something that was already prophesied in the book of Jeremiah
Now the Jews and the Israelites who were paying attention already knew that that should be a non-controversial point to them
The only ones who are not paying attention is so-called Christians. Okay, but I digress look at verse number two
Going on with the prophecy of Jesus Christ. It says for he
Referring to Jesus shall grow up before him as a tender plant
And as a root out of a dry ground he has no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him
There is no beauty that we should desire him now
This is very powerful if you think about it because what is it saying?
Well, it's telling us that Jesus Christ when he came in the 1st century AD was not going to be an attractive person
That's very important. It's literally telling us that he's not going to have any
Comeliness, what does that mean? He's not going to be good-looking by human standards
He's not going to have any attractiveness, he's not going to be beautiful.
What humans would consider to be a standard of being handsome for a man, he wouldn't actually
possess those qualities.
He wouldn't possess those attributes of a comely, good looking person.
And when it says no form, it means that he didn't have any features that made him distinctly
unique or different.
When it says he has no form nor comeliness, it's referring to the fact that if you lived
You know when he's 30 years of age or whatever later on
When you saw him you wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd and say oh, that's Jesus
Why because he had no form?
Meaning that he looked exactly like every other Jew in that time
Okay, you know, he's looked like a Middle Eastern
dark-skinned
Jew
And the proof of that is the fact that
when the Pharisees were trying to cast them down headlong,
you know, he could just move through the crowd
because he pretty much looked like everyone who was around there.
And when they came to arrest him, right,
you know, Judas had to point out who he was.
You know, why didn't the soldiers come and say,
oh, you know, it's the long-haired dude.
It's the six-foot long-haired blue-eyed,
the real pretty looking, get the pretty looking one.
Now this is important because this actually
flies in the face of what the Roman Catholic Church
depicts Jesus Christ to look like.
You know, the Roman Catholic Church just places
a European there for some reason.
Just a really light skin, tall, lanky, victim weight,
you know, just long hair, brown long hair, you know,
just effeminate looking guy.
And that's not what he looked like at all.
Obviously the Roman Catholic Church did that
because they obviously did not like Jews.
They didn't like Jews because of the curse that came upon Jews throughout the centuries
because of their rejection of Jesus Christ.
And so they didn't want to depict Jesus looking as a Jew
because they had a bias against the Jews,
so that's why they made them look more European,
more comely, more handsome, more attractive.
And so a lot of Protestants even think
that Jesus looks like that.
It's crazy.
But that is a man-made doctrine.
That is a man-made depiction of Jesus Christ.
And let me just be honest with you.
At the second coming of Christ,
I guarantee you a lot of unsaved Christians,
I'm saying Christians, not because they're saved,
just because they think that they're Christians,
they're probably gonna be disappointed
when they see Jesus.
You know, they're gonna be like, who's this, you know?
But I'm sure they'll be,
that's probably one of the reasons
why they'll accept the Antichrist though,
because the Antichrist will probably fit this bill
of being comely, attractive, having physical prowess,
you know, having that form,
whereas Jesus Christ will not look like that
physically speaking.
Obviously we know he's gonna come with power
and great glory.
And obviously we know that to us he's beautiful
because he's God, right?
He's wonderful.
He's powerful, he's glorious,
but from a human standpoint,
he did not have those physical attributes.
So this teaches us that Jesus Christ
humbled himself to become a man in more ways than one.
because he humbled himself by being born
in Bethlehem's manger.
There was no room for him in the inn.
He was despised, people did not esteem him,
but even in his physical form, he was not attractive.
He had a humble disposition, a humble form.
He looked like every other person.
And the reason that's important is because
he could have chosen to just look like.
you know, a hunk or something, you know?
Just like, he's like, you know, he's God,
he could probably choose whatever features that he wanted,
but he chose to forego those cumbly physical attributes
because he was humbling himself to do so.
And so, you know, if you have a picture of Jesus
at your house, number one, what do you do
with idolatry in your house, amen?
Number two, burn it!
Well, isn't that sacrilegious?
No, because it's not Jesus.
First and foremost that's Caesar Borgia
Some European that the Roman Catholics or the Orthodox came up with
You know, it's not Jesus Christ. It doesn't depict him and it's causing people to become
Desensitized and have a standard of what they think Jesus Christ looked like and look nowhere in the Bible
Does it give any descriptions of how he looks like all it said all it says here is that he wasn't comely
And all we can surmise, they probably just look like a Middle Eastern person of the desert, right?
The only detailed description that we get of him is of his glorified state in the Book of Revelation
that has a lot of symbolic representation.
And by the way, you know, Jesus was not black either.
Oh, it says his hair was of wool.
It means he had nappy hair and therefore he was black.
Hair likened to wool.
Okay, like means it's it looks like that or it has a particular appearance of that
But it doesn't mean that he had nappy hair
Okay
You know obviously it's referring to his wisdom that he has and so it's very important to note that that
According to the Bible. He was not physically attractive. He was not comely and
Let me continue reading here. So he says in verse 2 that he has no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him
There is no beauty that we should desire him. I mean, that's powerful
So essentially when people saw Jesus Christ, they were like, oh, man, who's this guy?
You know. Oh, yeah, this has to be because obviously this is like in stark contrast to David
David is described as being comely.
You know, Saul's described as being head,
shoulders above everyone else.
They are a choice young man.
They have those physical attributes.
Whereas Jesus, when he came,
you would just look right through him.
You just see him and wouldn't even think,
oh, this is the Christ.
Very powerful.
Look at verse three.
He is despised and rejected of men.
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid as it were our faces from him.
Now I don't necessarily know exactly what that means.
I can surmise and guess that maybe this is referring
to the fact that not only was he not comely,
but even by human standards,
he would be considered quote unquote ugly.
Because it's saying here,
we hid as it were our faces from him.
Like they didn't even want to look upon him.
It's one of the reasons they despised and rejected him.
We don't know, but this is saying here
that people hid their faces from him.
He was despised and we esteemed him not.
So this kind of lends more veracity to the fact
that people literally by faith had to believe
that this was the Christ.
Right?
People literally have to walk by faith and not by sight because he did not have or possess the physical attributes
That people would think all this is the Christ
It would literally have to be based upon the word of God his preaching like okay
This is the Christ not because of what he looks like not because of his height
Not because of this color of skin, but rather because the gracious words that proceed from him
They would have to have faith in that. Okay
So he was the complete opposite of these prominent kings that we read about in the Old Testament such as David
It's not a steam Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 verse 7
But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of
men and
So this might be one of the reasons why the Israelites didn't want to believe on it
Because they placed a heavy emphasis on the outward appearance, right?
You know you see this commonly throughout the New Testament where even Nathaniel for example when he was told hey
Come see the Christ. He's like can there any good thing come out of Nazareth though?
You know and Phillips saying to him come and see you have you know the Pharisees that are saying
You know no prophet can arise from Galilee and just people despising him not esteeming him as being the word of God
That was made flesh
So we see that he's despised. He's rejected now
One of the reasons is telling us this obviously is to kind of show the extent of his humility the extent of his lowliness that he came
To this earth with but it's also showing us that we should not esteem these things as being important either
And we should not be surprised when we are rejected when we are despised
We should not it should not come as a surprise when we become a people of sorrow when we become acquainted with grief
Why because our Savior was as well. Okay, so when we are despised
We are not esteemed in this world when people hate us
Hey, we are in good company if they call the master of the house be Elzebub how much more shall they call day of his household?
But we see that this is probably the reason why the Israelites when he first came
Did not esteem him they thought that the Messiah should probably possess the physical attributes and prowess
that some of these Old Testament monarchs had and
So again, I think a lot of these unsafe Christians of the end times are probably gonna be disappointed like I can't be the Christ
This is the Christ is this Jew, you know, this guy is the one. I mean he looks like a
Savior he looks like the Christ look at verse 4
It is as surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray
We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all
So here we see the prophet is highlighting the propitiation that Jesus Christ was the Bible tells us if any man sin
We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the perpetuation for our sin, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Perpetuation meaning that he's the one who received the wrath of God for us. He's being stricken and smitten of God. He's being punished for our transgressions.
Now go with me if you would to 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. Hold your place there in Isaiah.
because one of the most famous passages
in this particular verse here,
these verses here in Isaiah 53,
is when it says that by his stripes, we are healed.
And you have a lot of prosperity preachers,
fake healers that try to use this to, you know,
claim that you can heal individuals,
by his stripes, we are healed, walk again.
You know, they think they have these
Apostolic gifts, and many of them don't even, they know they don't have them.
There's just a bunch of charlatans who are acting like, you know, or trying to
portray themselves to be man of God in order to take advantage of the flock of
God, to fleece the flock of God. You know, what is this referring to? Well, by his
stripes we are healed is actually, was fulfilled when Jesus first came in a
physical manner, but it's also fulfilled throughout, you know, from the time that
through a spiritual manner, which is salvation, okay?
Look at Matthew chapter eight.
Where'd I have you turn?
First Peter and Matthew.
Okay, you stay in 1 Peter, I'm going to read to you from Matthew chapter 8 verse 16, it says,
So, when it says by stripes we are healed, you know, it's obviously referring to the
fact that when he first came he was able to perform these miracles that healed the deaf,
the blind, the sick, those who were maimed, those who were hurting, those who had physical
ailments, he was able to actually heal them in a physical manner.
But here's the thing, many of those instances where he healed people were done with the
of kind of showing us a symbolic representation of salvation, right?
How salvation can heal us.
You think about the fact that he healed the blind, right?
Physically healing the blind.
Well, what's the spiritual significance to that?
Well, the Bible tells us that, you know, the unsaved of this world are blinded.
Satan had blinded the minds of them which believed not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
Who is the image of God should shine into them so we're blind
But once we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, it's like Jesus Christ touches those spiritual eyes and we can see now
I once was blind, but now I see right
Same thing with the fact that he heals people who are deaf
You know, he heals the deaf and they can hear again and the spiritual significance to that is the fact that prior to salvation
We can read the Word of God and hear the Word of God, but if we're not saved we don't understand it
We can't really discern what's being stated through those verses, but now that we're saved we understand
We can hear our faith can be increased
You know, we can be taught of the Holy Ghost because Jesus Christ took us from being deaf to now hearing
He that hath an ear let him hear
So, obviously, these people were physically healed,
their miracles were actually performed,
but the most important thing is the fact
that it pictures salvation, okay?
And look, let me just say that I do believe in miracles today.
I believe people can be healed,
that they can be healed of their being deaf and blind,
the sicknesses.
What I don't believe is that I can do it.
I don't believe that you can do it.
You know, I don't believe you can smack someone
on the forehead.
And then boom, it's just, you know, oh, I'm healed or whatever, you know
It doesn't exist and
Namely the people who actually practice this are the Charismatics right the Pentecostals I
Remember years ago when I was when I was younger, maybe about 11 or 12
I went to a Pentecostal church with that Pentecostal aunt
That we all have right and you know she's like oh you're gonna see some demon
Exorcisms and some healings and I'm just like well and it was a circus right?
It's really scary and she's like go up there so you can get exercised of your demons or something
And I'm just like excuse me
All right, so I went up there and you know the guy puts his palm on my forehead
And I'm like 11 or 12 years old, you know and he's like pushing it and then he's like praying
He's saying all the stuff and then he kind of whispers in my ear like you need to fall back
And I'm just like I'm not gonna fall back, you know, that's kind of weird
And then he's just like just let yourself just let yourself, you know, and I'm thinking of myself. I don't feel different
You know, it felt weird. It's felt nonsensical and it didn't feel genuine and a lot of that stuff is like that
Now I'm not saying that people don't get possessed with demons because there are definitely demon possessed people out there
But I don't think you can exercise a demon the way these people would or the way the Roman Catholic Church claims to do it
You know, I believe demons are exercised through the gospel
Because the Holy Spirit and a demon cannot possess the same vessel at the same time. Amen
Once you believe on Jesus Christ, you receive the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
He's permanently there. You're sealed until the day of redemption.
All demons have to vacate.
And let me also say that just because a person is demon-possessed doesn't mean they're reprobate.
Because the Bible teaches that there are certain people
like Susanna who is possessed, Mary who is possessed with seven demons.
When she got saved she was healed with those seven demons and that never happened again.
But I will say that reprobates are permanently sealed with demons though.
Just as like we're sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise for our faith in Christ
There are those who become reprobate who are permanently sealed with that demon until the day of damnation
But I'm not gonna continue with that. So
Physical healing is the first fulfillment spiritual healing is the second look at 1st Peter 2 verse 24
Quoting Isaiah 53 it says who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree
Meaning the cross that we being dead to sins should live into righteousness by whose stripes you were healed
For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishops of your soul
The Bible says so the Bible views unsafe people even as sheep
However, once they get saved
It's almost as if God depicts it as returning unto the bishop of their souls referring to Jesus Christ
So through the stripes that Jesus Christ received through the scourgings and the beatings you got to keep in mind that Jesus Christ
allowed that
upon himself to forgive you of your sins
To take the punishment that you and I deserve and obviously the scourging we would say like that's what I deserve
But quite frankly biblically speaking we deserve more than that, right?
Discourgings that Jesus Christ received would be like an eternal scourging for us in hell
And he took that scourging for us. Let me read to you from 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 19
It says to wit that God was in Christ
Reconciling the world into himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and that's committed unto us the word of reconciliation
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ said be reconciled to God
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God and him."
Essentially referring to that replacement, right, that substitute.
Jesus Christ became our substitute, took the punishment that we deserve, so that we would not receive that eternal damnation through his rejection, or the rejection of the gospel, should I say.
Go back to Isaiah 53, if you wouldn't. Isaiah chapter 53.
So he bore our griefs, carried our sorrows.
And look, these are great verses to think about
when you're going through a hard time of depression
and grief and sorrow.
Just remember, like the Lord carried those griefs for you.
Remember that he bore those sorrows.
He's acquainted, listen to this, with your grief.
There's only so much we, there's only so much I,
or any other Christian can be acquainted
with your pain and your sorrow.
We can try.
We can condescend to men of low estate.
We can have apathy and even empathy towards you.
We can weep with those that weep,
but we're very limited in our acquaintance with your grief.
There's certain people in this world that have griefs that some of you myself included will never understand
We will never experience will never have that emotion or that pain
We will never go through that trial or tribulation that difficulty and we can pray unto the Lord and ask God to help
us to be acquainted with that and
Maybe he can provide us with some empathy for people like that
But quite frankly none of us in this world can really empathize with everyone a hundred percent
Right, whereas Jesus Christ can't
You know, whatever pain you you've experienced whatever sorrows trauma that you've had and you think like no one knows what I'm going through
Well, Jesus Christ us
He experienced the depths of sorrow and grief
He knows exactly what you've gone through
He knows the pain. He knows the sorrow
He knows the inner recesses of your heart and the pain of you and in fact his pain and his sorrow and his grief exceeds
the most grievous pain that you've experienced because quite frankly no matter how hard we have at this side of eternity
We'll never be forsaken of God
Like he'll never leave us nor forsake us
There'll never be a time when God ever turns his face from us, right?
There'll never be a time where we can say my God my God why is that forsaken me and have it be true?
Right because God will never leave us nor forsake us. Oh, but what Jesus Christ though
He was forsaken of the father when he died
When he said my God my God why I stopped forsaken me he was telling the truth that actually had happened
You know God the father turned from Jesus Christ because he became sin
and so he experienced the
Lowest depths of pain sorrow and grief more than any human being has ever experienced and so we need to remember that
Because sometimes we you know we can maybe grow resentful bitter and thinking that you know man
No one knows what I'm going through and to a certain degree that might be true
With humans here on this earth, but it's not true with God. He's acquainted with your grief
He's acquainted with your sorrow, and so that's important to remember. Don't forget that
Look at verse seven. It says he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet. He opened not his mouth
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shears is dumb so he opened not his mouth
Now go go with me if you went to the New Testament and let's go to Matthew chapter 26
By the way, this is very timely for us to go through this chapter of course because you know in a couple weeks
We're gonna have Easter and so it's good to kind of refresh ourselves on some of these things
Now, what is verse 7 telling us about Jesus Christ?
It's saying that, you know, he was wrongfully punished,
he was wrongfully beaten and oppressed and afflicted,
and really he had every right to defend himself.
Like, he could have just opened his mouth
and made the most eloquent argument
and just destroyed everyone, right?
But the Bible says he opened not his mouth.
As a sheep before sheers is dumb, meaning, you know, mute, not speaking, he opened not his mouth.
Now look at Matthew 26 and verse 59.
It says here, now the chief priests and elders and all the counsel sought false, excuse me, false witness against Jesus to put him to death.
But found none, yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none.
At the last came two false witnesses and said, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple and to build it in three days.
The high priest arose and sent him to him, answer is thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee?
But Jesus held his peace.
Now, obviously later on he begins to answer some of these things,
but even in spite, you know, I just think about myself.
If I was in that position, I'd be like, oh, you're done.
Because everyone here heard that sermon
and they know that I didn't say that, right?
But he held this peace and partly one of the reasons why he held this piece is it's a twofold reason
One of them is because of the fact that prophecy just needs to be fulfilled, right? He's gonna die
But secondly, he's showing us how to suffer as well
The even when you're justified, there's times when you should hold your peace
He says in the high priest answered and sent it to him. I adjure thee by the living God
What are you talking about? That is the living God
That thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus says unto him, thou hast said.
So obviously when false accusations are coming to him, he's not going to answer that.
But when someone testifies of the truth, he's going to answer that.
Are thou the Christ the Son of God? He's like thou I said he's bearing witness to the truth that's being spoken
Nevertheless, I say to you hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven
Then the high priest rent his clothes saying he had spoken blasphemy. What further need we need have we of witness?
Witnesses behold now you have heard his blasphemy. What think ye they answered and said he is guilty of death
Then, did they spit in his face and buffeted him, meaning they beat him, and others smote
him with the palms of their hands saying, prophesy unto us thou Christ, who is he that
smote thee?
What a wicked, wicked trial.
After he tells them the truth, they begin to beat him, they're smiting him.
We see in the other account that they cover his face and beat him and say, try to prophesy
What is it showing us?
It's showing us that he undeservedly received these things for us.
He suffered shame, sorrow, pain, beatings, buffettings.
Spitting in someone's face is probably the most shameful thing that you could ever experience.
Getting spit on your face is super disgusting.
Having someone spit in your face.
is probably the most reviling thing
another human being can do to a human being
in an argument, right?
I had a kid spit in my face one time
when I was younger.
It was a friend of mine, actually.
And we're getting an argument or something and I won.
And he was just like, pfft,
and he just spit in my face.
And I wanted to kill him.
Because it's such a disgusting gesture
to spit in someone's face.
And by the way, they still do that
They just don't do it to his face because he's not present, but they'll do it when they when his name is said in
Order to blaspheme him in order to revile him. So they're still doing this
Go back if you would
Go to 1st Peter chapter 2 1st Peter chapter 2
I'm gonna continue reading from Isaiah 53 it says he was taken from prison and from judgment and who shall declare his generation
for he was cut off out of the land of the living
for the transgression of my people, was he stricken."
So it's specifically telling us in Isaiah chapter 53
that he's taken from the prison,
he's taken from judgment, referring to that judgment
night prior to his crucifixion.
He's cut out from the land of the living meaning that he was killed. He was crucified and it says that it was for the transgression
Of my people was he stricken now?
This is very similar to what we see in John chapter 11
You don't have to turn there verse 49 it says in one of them named Caiaphas being the high priest that same year
Said unto them you know nothing at all nor consider that it is expedient for us
That one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not
Essentially implying that this one man has to die
for the sins of the nation, the transgressions of the nation,
just as Isaiah 53 prophesied.
It goes on to say in verse 9,
and he made his grave with the wicked
and with the rich in his death
because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Now, what does it mean when it says that he made his grave
with the wicked?
Well, obviously he's dying a criminal's death.
His crucifixion is implying that he is dying as a criminal and in fact he was crucified amongst criminals, right?
So he his grave is with the wicked and it says that with the rich in
His death this is referring to the fact that Joseph of Armathea
You know gave his tomb to Jesus Christ, right?
He said she gave it to him so they can bury his body there
So he made his grave with the wicked meaning he died amongst criminals and with the rich in his death
Meaning that he possessed the tomb of a rich man. It was a borrowed tomb as the Bible says
I look at 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 20. It says for what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults
Ye shall take it patiently
But if when you do well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God
So part of the reason why Jesus Christ allowed himself to be buffeted to hurt be afflicted and not do anything about it
We have to see that he's fulfilling prophecy, but it's also to give you and I an example
Why because if you're buffeted because it's your fault there's no glory in that
You know you have these guys who go to these government buildings with the camera
And they're like, sir, what are you doing?
They're like, oh, this is my right.
And they start quoting off all these penal codes or whatever
the law says.
And I have the right to do this, my Constitutional right.
And they're just bringing controversy upon themselves.
It's the stupidest thing ever.
And all they want to do, and I think we actually
had a guy like that one time come here.
And this is, I think we were going to Mexico.
Barstow is where we're going, were you with us?
So there's like a guy, he was walking around,
he had all kinds of cameras, right?
He had one on his shoulder, he had his phone out,
he had like three or four different cameras on him, right?
And he just looked real suspicious, he had a mask on,
and we're just kind of like, what's this guy doing?
We're already heading out to go zoning in Barstow.
So then, you know
He's he's coming to the building. He's filming. He's just like looking for I don't know trouble or whatever
So then we pull out and he's what he walks right in front of us and he's like filming us and
He goes around to the driver's seat. I'm the one driving and I roll down the window. I was like, what's up?
And he's not saying he just doesn't say anything
So he's just kind of filming me, you know, and you know hindsight is 2020
I'm thinking the read what he wanted was for me to say hey, you can't be here
Or to say, like, hey, you can't film me.
But Bro doesn't know that I'm always before a camera,
though.
It's just like, you know.
And I'm like, what?
And he just like, he's just kind of standing there.
And I'm like, that was boring.
So I'm like, all right, see you.
And I just roll up the window and I leave.
So then he goes and he films some more.
And we drive around to see you.
And he just doesn't do anything.
But what he was probably waiting for
is some sort of controversy where I'm like, sir,
I don't care if people film me.
People film me all the time.
You know, in fact, what I should have done
is just preach the gospel to the camera
and have him upload that.
Look, if someone ever does that to you,
and they're just like, you're on camera,
be like, how's it going?
I'm a Christian.
Let me show you how to be 100% sure
that if you die today, you go down
and just start preaching the gospel.
And be like, yeah, hey, tag me on that one.
When you upload that, they'll hate that.
Because they want people to kind of like lose their mind lose their temper. I don't care if people feel me
You know just another opportunity to preach the word of God
and so
The point that I'm making here is that a lot of people feel like it's glorious to be buffeted, but it's actually their own fault
Oh, I'm being persecuted. Yeah, because you're not working at your job. You're giving the gospel while you're on the clock
You're being buffeted for your fault and there's no glory in that according to the Bible
The difference is that if you do well, the Bible says
You know and take it patiently that's acceptable with God look at verse 21
For even here unto where you called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example
That you should follow in his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth
Meaning deceit lies
Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that
Judged righteously and let's just be honest. You know if these high priests were saying stuff to Jesus
He could have cooked them like right then and there. He's the word of God
But the Bible says that he didn't he didn't revive and this is important for me
Personally, I'm applying this to myself because I like to defend myself
You know and so do you we all do
But according to the Bible, the biblical model is that when we are reviled for doing well, we should not revile back.
You know, when we suffer, we should threaten not.
Commit ourselves unto him that judgment righteously so we see that he suffered to leave us an example
Jesus Christ being the word of God who's made flesh
He didn't cause the angels to come and destroy them
He didn't send him straight to hell. He actually as a sheep before his shears is done
He opened not his mouth
He allowed himself to be reviled to be defrauded to leave us an example go back to Isaiah. We're almost done here
Look at verse 10 in Isaiah 53 it says yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him
He hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul and offering for sin
He shall see a seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand
He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant
Justify many for he shall bear their iniquity. So this chapter is just saturated with the sufferings of Christ
Because prior prior to this we saw the sufferings in that people despised him when they saw him
We see his suffering in the fact that he was lied about
Reviled born false witness against he suffered in that manner, but we also see that he also suffered in hell
Because it said that his soul was an offering for sin
Pointing to the fact that when he was crucified his soul went to hell for three days and three nights
and of course the Bible tells us in Acts chapter 2 that his soul was not left in hell neither that his flesh see corruption and
We see that Jesus Christ by dying on the cross and going to hell
To burn in hell for those three days and three nights. He was fulfilling the Old Testament burn offerings
And a lot of people have a hard time
reconciling that in their minds.
They think it's like blasphemous to say that.
But, you know, they need to just kind of concede
and just be humble and read the Bible
and, you know, believe the King James Bible.
And read Acts chapter two, and read Jonah chapter two,
and read the words of Jesus Christ that said,
for as Jonah was three days and three nights
in the well's belly, so shall the Son of man
be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
And read Ephesians chapter four that says,
what is it that he ascended, but that he first descended
into the lower parts of the earth?
You know, they need to read Isaiah 53
that his soul was made an offering for sin.
He went to hell for three days and three nights.
And it's crazy to think that a lot of these people,
by the way, the majority of them are dispensationalists,
they hate the fact that we teach
that Jesus Christ went to hell
and they're willing to say all manner of evil against us
because we teach that, what the Bible says.
But why don't you go ahead and focus some of that energy
on these Christ-rejecting Jews
who teach that Jesus Christ is currently in hell?
That's way more blasphemous.
We're teaching that he went to hell for three days and three nights
It's literally colonized with what the Bible says
But then you just turn a blind eye to the fact that their beloved Jews teach that he's currently in hell
for practicing sorcery
causing Israel to commit idolatry an
all manner of wickedness
And then he has this Lazarus, or should I say, excuse me,
rich man moment where he's given permission
to speak out of hell and say, oh yeah,
the Jews are the people, the apple of his eye,
and anybody who curses the Jews is gonna suffer
the same fate that I have.
It's literally what it says in the Talmud.
Oh yeah, but you wanna get on us
for teaching what Jesus said that he was in the heart
of the earth for three days and three nights.
You know, why don't you go ahead and focus on what the Talmud says and go ahead and remove the star of remfemme from your platform there and
Actually be a Bible-believing Christian
Very important his soul was made an offering for sin, you know, I'm thankful for that and in fact when I preach the gospel
I tell people that
You know, I tell him, you know, he was crucified on the cross.
He himself bore our own sins on his own body in the tree.
And when he died, after I explained that,
when he died, his soul went to hell for three days and three nights.
And the Bible says that his soul was not left in hell,
neither did his flesh see corruption,
and on the third day, what happened?
They're like, he rose again from the grave.
And you say, how do they react when you say that he went to hell
for three days and three nights?
Let me look, this is what they do.
That's what they do
Now this is what dispensational is do
The only people who freak out about that are dipsticks
Anybody else who has not been brainwashed or are brain-dirtied
By Zionism and dispensationalism
It's just they don't bat an eye at it. You know why because it makes perfect sense
I can't even tell you how many,
like I've preached the gospel for many years
and of course within the last maybe 10 years,
I've included the fact that Jesus went to hell
for three days and three nights
because I didn't always believe that.
But once I understood that I was with the Bible,
teaches I would implement that,
integrate that into my gospel presentation
and I'll be honest with you,
the vast majority of people don't bat an eye on it
and in fact it essentially reinforces
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
People appreciate it more they recognize it and here's the thing is that you tell them like because where would you go if you went?
Where would you go to pay for your sins if you didn't get it and it'll be like oh to hell so that makes perfect sense
Like I never get someone who's just like whoa whoa whoa. Oh, slow your role there
soul winner
What do you mean he went to hell for three days and three none of them say that to them makes perfect sense
Because it's biblical
So his soul was made an offering for sin just as the Old Testament sacrifices were as well. Look at verse 12. We're almost done
He says therefore will I divide him a portion with the grade?
This is his reward that he receives and he shall divide the spoil with the strong
Because he had poured out his soul into death and he was numbered with the transgressor
So it's referring to the fact that his name shall be the name above every name, right?
That at his name every knee shall bow in heaven and earth
New Testament believers
Obviously along with Old Testament believers who are serving God
He's gonna he's gonna divide the spoils in the millennial reign with the strong and it says that he was numbered with the transgressors
And he bear the sin of many and made intercessions for the transgressors
So here's the last passage we're gonna go to go with me if you would to Luke chapter 23 Luke 23 and we're done there
Because the latter portion of verse 12 is quoted in the New Testament.
Let me read you from Mark chapter 15, as you're going to Luke 23.
It says in Mark 15 verse 27, and with him they crucified two thieves,
the one in his right hand and the other on his left.
And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth, and he was numbered with the transgressors.
So it's essentially referring to the fact that when he was crucified,
he was crucified in the midst of two criminals.
He was numbered among them essentially saying that he died a criminal's death. He died a transgressor's death
Look what it says in Luke 23 verse 32
It says and there were also two other male factors led with him to be put to death
It says that when they were come to the place, which is Calvary, which is called Calvary
There they crucified him in the male factors one on the right hand the other on the left
Then said Jesus father forgive them for they know not what they do and they parted his raiment and cast lots
So in Isaiah 53 when it says that he was numbered with the transgressors is referring to those thieves
And it says that he bear the sins of many and made
Intercessions for the transgressors
So as he's dying a transgressors death. He is likewise praying for the transgressors. How's he doing it? Father forgive them
For they know not what they do
Now I believe that that prayer was answered
Because look at verse 39
It says in one of the male factors which were hanged railed on him saying if that would be the Christ saved I self and us
But the other answering rebuking rebuked him saying does that not fear God?
Seeing thou are in the same condemnation
We indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man had done nothing amiss
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom, and Jesus said unto them, verily, I say unto thee, today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Man, that guy dodged.
He dodged it.
Because you gotta think about this.
He's on the cross.
It's not about the thief.
His buddy in just a couple hours is gonna go to hell.
He's about to go to hell.
But in humility, you know, he basically asked the Lord to be a savior
He said well, I don't see like the exact wordings. Yeah, but Jesus Christ knew what he meant though
Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. He's like today thou shall be with me in paradise. Oh
You think people could just get saved at the last moment
Yeah
For sure, and you know obviously the stupid example that people give so someone's just a mass murderer
Well first of all back it up here a mass murder is probably a reprobate. So that's a different category
But you know what someone who just made a lot of bad decisions like this thief
Suffering the the the earthly consequences of their actions and
Has no idea of the gospel
But then sees the gospel. Here's the gospel they get saved. Yeah
they can for sure
They will go to heaven
Well, that's not fair. Well, guess what you're not God
You know what's fair is that that guy goes to hell and so do you that's what's fair
What's fair is that you deserve to split hell wide open. How about that?
But you know in faith this man asked to be saved
He says today thou shalt be with me in paradise and you know what this thief
One of us or someone throughout history is going to rule over him
Probably
Because he didn't do any works
Although there's a possibility that because we use them as an example for so many
You know thousands for like 2,000 years. He might have gotten some good rewards from that, you know
That's a possibility too. I don't know
But you know if all he got was salvation aim into that
So this prayer was definitely answered.
When he said, Father, forgive him for they know not what they do,
this man ended up coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
He got saved, and of course we know that means that he was forgiven of his sins.
Isaiah 53 is a powerful chapter that really delves deep into the sufferings of Christ.
And we may not be like the thief on the cross, but we all shared that same salvation though.
We got saved and you know what the Lord saved us and thank God for that
And so let's pray father. We thank you so much for Isaiah 53 and the powerful powerful imagery that we get here
Thank you for our Savior Jesus Christ
And for everything that he took upon himself to save us Lord and
It just never gets old and never gets old the message of the sufferings of Christ never gets old
And I pray that Lord you help us as your people to just
Ruminate upon those things
May you create within us a swelling joy of the fact that we're saved Lord. Sometimes we just don't think about it enough
The fact that our sins were forgiven. Any one of us could have just slipped into hell
Before we heard the gospel and believed it
Lord thank you because many of them many people today went to hell. There's a lot of people today that just died and went to hell
Maybe they never got a clear presentation of the gospel.
Maybe they didn't and they rejected it.
But yet here we stand as people who believe the gospel.
Someone came to us and I pray that you'd help us
as your people out of a heart of gratitude.
May we glorify you, but we also take the responsibility
to go out there and tell someone else about it.
We love you, we thank you.
Pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.