all right we're finally up to probably the most famous chapter of the book of
Isaiah for believers and the least read chapter of the Jewish people as well but
as I 53 boy I don't even know how I'm gonna preach through this without
getting choked up and emotional you guys know how I am especially when I think
about the suffering of Christ and what he's done for us and the and look you
know I was brought up in a Christian home it's not like I made these major
errors in life but even though my mistakes may not be as grandiose as
others it still breaks my heart to think that God had to send his son to die for
me like you know to take my pain to take the suffering that I deserve the the
punishment that I deserve that and lay that upon his son but if you look at
verse 11 Isaiah 53 verse 11 it says he shall see the travail of his soul the
title for the sermon tonight is the travail of his soul the travail of his
soul and very clearly this is about Jesus Christ in fact before we read
verse number one just come back to the previous chapter Isaiah 52 and look at
verse number 14 you know because this this leads up to chapter 53 but Isaiah
52 verse 14 says as many were astonished at thee his visage was more mad was so
mad more than any man and his form more than the sons of men and we had spoken
about how Jesus just did not look humane he did not look normal as he hung there
on that cross he was more beaten whipped and destroyed than any other man
you know the book of Psalms you know we know that none of his bones were broken
that was a prophecy that had to be fulfilled but even though his bones were
not broken they were dislocated because in the Psalms he says that he was able
to tell his bones he was able to count his bones he could look down at his body
and just see his bones protruding and he just was not looking like an average
normal human being being crucified on that cross and so then this lead so as I
53 in verse number one who have believed our reports and to whom is the
arm of the Lord revealed there are two parts to this verse and for two
questions that are brought up and you might say well these are kind of a one
of those questions that don't need answering rhetorical rhetorical questions
it might be something somewhat like this who have believed our report in fact
this is such a famous question that gets asked that it gets brought up twice in
the New Testament so if you can come with me quickly come with me to John
chapter 12 keep your finger there in Isaiah 53 but John chapter 12 please
John chapter 12 in John 12 Christ is speaking about his death and he also
speaks essentially of his crucifixion and in John 12 I'll give a moment to
turn there and John 12 32 we know that of course with Christ's death there upon
the cross he was lifted up from the earth right you know you most people
when they pass away when they die they're gonna die with their feet on the
earth all right but Christ was lifted up off the earth and he died in that
position and that's why he says in John 12 32 and I if I be lifted up from the
earth will draw all men unto me see all men you know have been given this
privilege of having Christ to be lifted up from the earth that that would be the
death that Christ will die for all men another 33 this he said signifying what
death he should die so you know if someone just came in and just stabbed
Jesus from the back and he died with his feet on the ground he wouldn't have
fulfilled this prophecy okay so the fact that he was lifted up spoke of the type
of death that he would die verse 134 the people answer him we have heard out of
the law that Christ abided forever and how sayest thou the Son of man must be
lifted up who is this Son of man and so they say look we know that the you know
the Messiah the the Christ he's going to live forever he's everlasting but you're
telling me the Son of man's gonna die like are you the Christ so you are not
because the Christ leaves forever but you're saying you're going to die and of
course Christ fulfilled both you died and he lives forever because he rose
from the dead we understand that it's not just a death that is the gospel news
but also his resurrection now drop down to verse number 37 but though he had
done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him that the same
of Isaiah's the Prophet might be fulfilled which is fake Lord who have
believed our reports and to whom have the arm of the Lord been revealed so
there's the fulfillment of that prophecy that even though Christ spoke of his
death preached amazing words preached with authority performed so many
miracles and great wonders of God still so many people did not believe the
report so that's kind of the question who have believed our report well not
the Christ rejecting Jews they've not believed the report have they well it
continues there in verse number sorry verse number 39 therefore they could not
believe why couldn't they believe this is even more interesting because that
Isaiah said again he have blinded their eyes think about that Christ rejecting
Jews he have blinded their eyes someone blinded their eyes God blinded their
eyes and hardened their hearts God hardened their hearts today should not
see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I
should heal them God says look I don't want to there are certain people that I
just do not want to heal anymore I don't want to see them saved they've rejected
the Christ they rejected his words he's done amazing miracles before them and
they still rejected him so God says I'm not gonna even allow them to understand
I'm gonna blind their eyes I'm gonna harden their hearts I'm going to you
know cause them not to believe on Jesus Christ and of course this is the
condition that we know as a reprobates you know I mean look it's not that God
hated them from the beginning or you know like the Calvinists teach that God
essentially just dams 99% of everybody before they're even born you know they're
they're all reprobate before they're even born they've got no chance to be
saved no no Christ has been preaching great things performing great miracles
you know we saw earlier that Christ said that uh what do you say again in if I
be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me God wants it all men to
be drawn unto Christ but because they rejected him God gets a point was like
what more can I do I've given you God walking on the earth and you still
rejected him and so God hardens their hearts and blinds their eyes that they
would not be converted that they would not be healed this is a reprobate
something we have a difficulty with this this doctrine but it's found all over
the Bible like you don't have to look up the word reprobate you'll find that in
other passages of the Bible for example if someone blasphemes the Holy Ghost the
Bible says they will not be forgiven in this world and all the world to come you
know there are many examples where someone can go just way too far with God
and God is done with them and God will no longer now Christ will die for them
Christ will pay for all of their sins it's not that they've committed a sin
that is greater than the sacrifice of Christ it's that they would not believe
in him you know that they've rejected him outright so where God now hardens
them and rejects them so we see this there in John 12 that one of the
fulfillment there in Isaiah who have believed our report was certainly not
the Christ rejecting Jews and certainly not the reprobates now come with me to
Romans 10 come with me to Romans 10 where we have the other reference to
this in Romans 10 Romans 10 verse number 16 Romans and you know for those that
are soul winners you're probably very familiar with Romans 10 and it contains
the famous verse for whoso shall call upon them the Lord shall be saved and
all that so you know again it's all revolving around the gospel so when I
sighs you know as I says who have believed that report what is essentially
saying who has believed the gospel because the report is the death the
burial the resurrection of Christ that's what we go preaching that's what we ask
people to put their trust in their their belief on on what Christ has done in
Christ alone and you know we knock doors and they reject us they don't want to
believe it but every now and again praise God there is someone that says
yes I want to believe that report and so we see that in Romans 10 verse number 16
Romans 10 16 but they have not all obeyed the gospel now the question is
how do you obey the gospel now you know how we teach and obviously the Bible
teaches that salvation not by works I've had someone say well hold on no no it
says that you have to obey the gospel so the only thing you can obey you know is
like commandments all right but that but that says there but they have not
all obeyed the gospel look at this what does it mean to obey the gospel for
Isaiah saith Lord who have believed our reports so how do you obey the gospel
by believing the reports okay so when you believe the gospel you've obeyed the
gospel right you don't have to go keep the ten commandments you don't think
give all the commandments of the Lord I don't know we are not saved by the law
we are saved by Christ and so to be obedient to the gospel is not that
you're going to clean up your life and turn another leaf to obey the gospel is
that you believe the report the report of Christ's suffering and his
resurrection for you let's continue verse number 17 so then faith comes by
hearing and hearing by the Word of God but I say have they not heard yes
verily the sound this and went into all the earth and their words unto the ends
of the world you see this gospel this report of Jesus Christ has gone
throughout all the earth to the ends of the world so when someone says to you
what about the tribal man that lives in the middle of Africa somewhere and
they've never heard no no the gospel's gone out through the entire world okay
now if someone's not heard you know it's the fault of the generations beforehand
where the generations that heard guess what they should do pass that on to the
next generation to the next generation to the next generation you know many of
these generations they curse their generations because they decide to
worship false gods or you know false religion where the Word of God is not
being heard but look God's given the whole earth you know God does not think
well the Australian deserves to hear the gospel more than the man in the tribal
man in Africa now God's made sure that the gospel the report has gone
throughout the whole earth but I'll show you once again Romans 10 is once
again borrowing the teaching there from Isaiah 53 now before we go back to
Isaiah 53 not only was the question asked who have believed our report but
the second question was and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed okay so
we're at chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah what is the 53rd book of the
Bible not brother Daniel and not brother Tim who's doing their homework you go
into the front of the Bible though to have a look oh I'll tell you what it is
it's 2nd Thessalonians so come with me to 2nd Thessalonians please 2nd
Thessalonians in chapter 1 this is the only reference I'm going to turn to from
the from the book of 2nd Thessalonians if you can find some other parallels
with this chapter you know again I'll leave that for your homework but 2nd
Thessalonians chapter 1 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 the question is to
whom is the arm of the Lord revealed to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed
well look at 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse number 7 it says here and to
you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed well we
know the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels we know this is of course you know in the times of the writing of the
scriptures here 2nd Thessalonians and for us it's talking about the second
coming of Christ isn't it now again before we keep talking about that we
understand also that I don't want to remove what we're looking at here in
2nd Thessalonians away from the gospel we know that the report that gets brought up in
Isaiah 53 verse 1 is the gospel of Jesus Christ so let's continue there in
verse number 8 2nd Thessalonians verse 8 inflaming fire taking vengeance on
them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ so
who are those that do not obey the gospel those that do not believe those
that did not believe the report verse number 9 who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of his power to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed you know Jesus Christ is
going to be revealed from heaven and he's not going to just rapture his
believers and that's what I'm looking forward to the most of course being
caught up in the clouds and not in an aeroplane but with Jesus and with you
all of us and you know when I see brother ash oh man you made it praise
God I see brother Tim over there and then next to brother Tim like it's like
what that's the Apostle Paul and that's King David and that's Solomon and it's
gonna be the amazing to be caught up in the clouds with Jesus Christ we've
believers of all time you know and you guys be like that's past Kevin I hope
it's like oh no we're gonna put up with you more again we're gonna put up with
you in heaven as well you know but I just want to show you how you know even
second Thessalonians you know has kind of like the answer to the second
question in that in that verse that the Lord's come in and that's what I'm
looking forward the most to be with Christ and we can be excited about that
because we've believed the report but what about those that have not believed
the report we saw vengeance flaming fire destruction you know being destroyed by
God's wrath and ultimately in the lake of fire but anyway let's go back to
I 53 so you know I I trust that all of you here in the church put in you know
and those listening online I trust you've all believed on the gospel you
all believe the report and if you haven't all the way you need to get that
right ASAP if you don't know if you're saved and I don't think anyone here I
think you all know you're saved but maybe for those that listen online if
you don't know you need to reach out to me this is most this is this is too
important to miss out you've got to believe the report of Jesus Christ need
to trust that and if you don't have the confidence of salvation you don't know
you're going to heaven you don't know you're gonna be there in the rapture I'm
in the clouds of all the believers please reach out to me talk to me but I
was I 52 and verse number two speaking about Christ for he shall grow up before
him as a tender plant you know this is speaking about Christ first come in
that Christ would come as a babe you know it's waddling clothes just a
tender a tender very delicate plants and you know Christ did not knock his second
coming is coming with power and glory but his first coming very humble in
Bethlehem's manger and it says here and as a roots out of a dry ground that's
really interesting because dry grounds don't really produce roots and this is
like weeds or something like that but even weeds like you just pull them out
like that easily you know this is saying that of course Christ is that roots in a
dry ground and this is speaking about the fact when Christ came the spiritual
condition of Israel at that point or of Judea was very dry you know it's a very
place lacking spiritually the religious leaders were pretty much corrupt with
the false religion of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and before Christ came you
know God had to send John the Baptist you know to prepare a way for the Lord
in the Bible tells us if not for John the Baptist God would just come and
smite the earth with the curse you know John the Baptist is the one that got
people's hearts ready for Jesus Christ it says here about him he have no form
nor comeliness and wish when we shall see him there is no beauty that we
should desire him so it says that when Jesus came he wasn't beautiful it says
he had no comeliness come to be commonly is again another word of beauty when
Christ walked this earth he looked like normal Jewish man whatever that is
right now like you know if you just lived in that time and you just walked
through Galilee and you know there's a teacher teaching people you just walk
past you go oh yeah okay just a group of people there'd be nothing about the
teacher physically that would go whoa that's the Son of God right like
everyone's kind of darker skin maybe darker toned you know of that region and
there is blonde blue-eyed Jesus with his flowing blonde hair and a halo behind
his head it's like whoa look at the beauty and that's how people paint Jesus
Christ today you know no look Jesus had no beauty no comeliness he looked like
just like rams in or something right just someone from that region and
expanded region right just walking the earth just just average you know nothing
that is you know drawing people with his beauty and you know it's quite
interesting because when you look at like cult leaders or people that claim
they say I'm the reincarnated Jesus they often try to look very beautiful on the
outward aren't they very handsome and you know Hollywood looks and Jesus was
not like that it's not what made him great what made him great of course was
the words the works his mission that he did by sacrificing himself for us verse
number three he is despised and rejected of men people hated him you've all read
Matthew Mark Luke and John what did Jesus do worthy to be despised you know
he never wronged anybody he never offended anybody never sinned against
anybody he never sinned and people hated him all he did was good all he did was
good and they despised him rejected of men have you ever been rejected maybe
you feel rejected right now maybe if you're rejected by friends family work
colleagues maybe you're rejected just for being a Christian and you know how
much it hurts to be rejected right it hurts it's like someone just stabs you
someone that you care about they reject you Christ was rejected you know by his
nation by most of the Jews of that day the people that he died for they
rejected him a man of sorrows you know Christ's sorrow had sorrow he wept you
know he he he had a hard time on the earth you know he experienced the kind
of sadnesses that we experience it is acquainted with grief there were times
that Christ grieved you know we might mourn and grieve when someone passes
away and you know I mean again if you've lived life long enough and you've had
some disasters you know how sad you can get you can you know how deep and dark
the hole can get for you Christ experienced all of that in his manhood
oh man I'm gonna sorry man
sorry guys it's the next part that hits me and we hid as it were our face from
him so all the Jews the Romans we we hid as it were our faces from him so
like we rejected him we despised him he was despised and we esteemed him not we
esteemed him not you know I praise God that I again I got saved in a in a
Christian home praise God you know early in my life you know where I'm not like
actively just rejecting Christ but you know for those that have been saved
later in life I suppose you can think about your life of sin a life where you
didn't care about the Lord you just weren't preoccupied about what the Lord
did for you you weren't mindful about every sin that you commit is the
punishment was put on Christ and you know if anything kind of drives it to
desire not to sin it's like I don't know how time works with God because I'm
gonna sin tomorrow right even the full foolishness of the foolishness sin but
like I just don't want to sin because I don't want to have added more to the
Lord's suffering but he's paid for that you know and so we we despise him like
yeah we'll just sin and you can you can suffer at Christ you can deal with it
like we esteemed you know we didn't elevate him we're just man if his if we
said boy that's the Lord I'm not gonna sin against him I'm gonna follow his
ways you know every time we've been selfish and we've just done our own
thing we despise the Lord you know we've laid our sins upon him and then
verse 1 4 says surely he have borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we
did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted this is really important
because I I many times again you know I don't think people fully comprehend how
much Christ suffered you know people like well you know yeah it's a gruesome
death to be nailed to the cross and to be whipped and beaten and you know yeah
that's a lot of physical suffering and and all this but it's more than that
okay look at it again look at this and for surely he have borne our griefs
surely this truly happened so we say well he carried our sins he died for our
sins yes yes yes but it's not just the sins it's the consequences of our sins
that he carried so let's say we have a family dispute a family problem and it
causes grief in us and the reason we suffer with grief is because of sin we
understand the consequences of sin in life right well Christ suffered that
grief on his body too he carried our sorrows every tear you ever cried every
you know every time you've had sorrow Christ had that on him he carried it
this is why we can go to Christ we've got a God say God I'm sad God I'm
grieving and Christ is yeah I know I carried that for you on the cross you
know I know what you're going through you know I can help you you know I've
suffered the penalty for that consequence of sin for you so I can go
to the Lord every time and it's so strange because when we're suffering
greatly we're like God where are you and Christ is like yeah yeah I carried it
for you I I'm exactly where you are I've felt all those things not just my own
grief and sorrow but your grief and sorrow and the grief sorrow of all man
Christ knows it all we streak and smear of God and afflicted now just to prove
this a little further this reference gets repeated for us in the New
Testament so come with me to Matthew 8 please Matthew 8 sorry about getting
choked up guys just this is what Christianity is all about like the one
most important above all doctrine above all things is the cross is the stuff
enough Christ you know this is what you know who cares if we get every other
doctrine right and this one wrong this is the most important thing this is the
most important thing in the Bible this is what everything in the Bible is
leading up to Christ's sacrifice for us
Matthew 8 please Matthew 8 in verse 14 Matthew 8 14 now you know to understand
this a little bit further how did he carry our griefs and carry our sorrows
bore our griefs this isn't just on the cross you need to understand this is
happening years before he gets to the cross he's suffering for years before he
gets to the cross is my point Matthew 8 14 and when Jesus was coming to Peter's
house he saw his wife's mother laid and sick of a fever and he touched her hand
and the fever left her and she arose and ministered unto them so you can see here
that Christ heals the sick right he's healed Peter's mother-in-law let's
continue when the even was come they brought unto him now look at this many
many that were possessed with Devils and he cast out the spirits with his word
and he healed all that were sick so he heals Peter's mother-in-law he casts out
Devils doing these miracles he's killing all that are sick and we know you know
by examples other other stories that when someone's possessed by the devil
you know many times that Devils trying to destroy that person's body you know
he had physical you know it created physical ailments in them as well you
know a physical pain in these people as well and you know sometimes when you
read these stories you're like okay yeah Christ healed it he's God you know the
sickness went away the the pain went away you know but look at verse 17 this
is where it gets really amazing that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Isaiah the prophet saying himself took our infirmities and bear our sickness
sicknesses so when Christ I don't know well let's say he put his hand on
Peter's mother-in-law and she's healed from a sickness it didn't disappear her
sickness came on Christ like he's saying this is how it's been fulfilled this is
long before the crucifixion as Christ is healing all these people as it's
causing the blind to see you know the the the corruption or the you know the
so what I'm looking for though to see the the the pain the the the suffering
that the corruption of human flesh you know of course in a blind man to see but
that blindness that condition comes on Christ you know now obviously he can see
he's not I'm not saying that he's walking around with leprosy and blind
and and can't walk like a heel he was lepers and all this I'm not saying that
but his body is filling up with these consequences these pains and suffering
these sicknesses he's carrying this in his flesh okay so you know in case you
think I'm going you know I'm out for lunch or something I'm like none the
Bible confirms that for us there okay in that reference so come back with me
to Isaiah 53 now Isaiah 53 so it's not like okay yeah you know it was on the
cross for a few hours died you know that's his man he Christ was on a
mission and even though he was suffering he's still preaching the gospel still
getting people saved he's still healing the sick you know it's like oh man what
a savior you know verse number five it says 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 his stripes there are his his
wit gave his wits his back was whips before he was crucified he was bruised
so you know his body was bloody and bruised not just blood everywhere but
blueness of the bruises he was beaten we know that okay spat on his face and you
know they put a crown of thorns upon him and look at verse number six it says all
we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way so yeah
when we sin against the Lord we do what we want we just we go our own way right
we're doing our own thing we're like sheep that have gone astray and then it
says and the Lord have laid on him the iniquity of us all so every time we go
straight away from the Lord every time you walk away from him every time we
walk in darkness every time we sin against the Lord God says well all those
sins every time you've done that every time you've offended me I'm gonna put
that iniquity on Jesus Jesus is going to be wounded or he was wounded for our
transgressions so I just bogus my mind I said how can that be you know and then I
think about every human being you know Christ died for my wife all her sins on
him and my children all their sins on him my church members all their sins on
Christ and then my community all their sins on Christ and my nation all the
sins of Australians on Christ then the world how many is it eight billion now
roughly and this is now in 2025 whatever we are and what about all the billions
that have gone before and all the billions that are still good to come how
much did Christ suffer I just you know we we can barely carry our own griefs
and sorrows right I mean people commit suicide because they can't even carry
their own griefs they just so we just can't bear their pain and suffering and
Christ says you know what I'm gonna do it for everybody though I'm gonna bear
it all it's just amazing amazing the sacrifice of Christ
verse number seven is important he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he
opened not his mouth Christ did not defend himself
Pilate found him innocent Christ say look I'm not worthy of death let me get
my lawyer if Christ could get his lawyer he'd easily be let go wouldn't he he had
done nothing wrong but he decided not to open his mouth he is brought as a lamb
to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not
his mouth that word dumb is one who can't speak and so Christ decided not to
speak against his accusers he didn't speak against those that whipped him he
didn't speak against those that beat him up he didn't speak against those
that crucified him didn't speak against those that spat in his face he didn't
speak against those that put a crown of thorns on his head you know he didn't
speak against those that nailed him to the cross and I mean he's he remained
quiet and like we say okay well pastor the reason for that and it is the reason
for it you could say the primary reason of that is that's what why Christ came
came to die he wasn't coming to defend himself his whole mission was to die and
not to put a defense of his righteousness but that he would just
pay for the sins of mankind and that's true obviously that's the primary reason
he did not open his mouth but did you know there's a lesson for us in this
example that Christ gave okay come with me to first Peter come me to first Peter
chapter 2 first Peter chapter 2 please first Peter chapter 2 because you know
if it was you and me and we're brought before judges and we know we're innocent
and they find us guilty and not just guilty worthy of death you and I know
we're gonna get all every single lawyer that money can buy right and we're gonna
make a big loud scene and we're gonna put our trial on livestream all over the
internet so everybody can can see the injustices of the world that would be
our desire that would be what we would do and this is what makes first Peter
2 21 very hard to live by look at first Peter 2 21 for even here unto were ye
called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should
follow his steps so one reason Christ is not open his mouth to leave us an
example that we should follow his steps now I know we that's hard for us and
look verse number 22 who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who
when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but
committed himself to him that judgeth righteously verse number 24 who his own
self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins
should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed you saw that in
53 this is amazing so we've Christ not open his mouth when he was reviled
reviled not again neither was God found in his mouth Christ did not begin to
curse these people speak against them in fact he's done across his father forgive
them what and first Peter is telling us this is our example we are to follow in
his steps I don't even know how to apply this I mean you know I guess in the
scenario where like I gave you know you caught before judges and you're you know
you're being found guilty for something you never did I can understand but we
understand we're not going to die for the sins of mankind we understand that
we're not going to be brought before pilot and you know being called the king
of the Jews or something like this that's not going to happen to us but
this has to do the fact that we as believers are often hated we as believe
and as often reviled we often things are said negatively against us and we may
fuel the desire to talk back and fight back and when that happens you need to
remember the example that Christ left you say Christ wants me to follow in
your steps I'm not going to render evil for evil I'm not going to revile because
I've been reviled I'm just going to stay dumb like a sheep with its shearers and
I'm just going to what did it say you know first Peter 2 I'm going to do what
Christ did he threatened not verse I'm 23 but committed himself to him that
judgeth righteously Christ says I'm going to commit myself not to pilot but to God
he judged righteously and boy when things don't seem fair I often tell the
kids look life is not fair it isn't but it is I don't care about making the life
like the world fair but God judges righteously he makes sure that it's
always the he always makes sure the books are balanced let's put it that way
vengeance is the Lord's and the Lord's going to judge that situation I know
that if I just follow in the steps of Christ and I don't let my flesh get the
better of me and I just say no Christ did not open his mouth he died for me he
suffered he took my griefs and my sorrows and my sins then I'm not going to
fight back against this wicked person here and I'll just I'll do that and I
know the Lord's gonna bless me and I know the Lord's gonna judge that person
and you just that gives you great peace in life and I'm just going to commit
myself to what that one that judges righteously come back with me to Isaiah
53 verse number 8 Isaiah 53 verse 8 by the way this is a chapter that the
Ethiopian eunuch you know that story the Ethiopian eunuch coming back from
Jerusalem read a portion of Isaiah he's reading this and he asks Philip the
evangelist what am I read about who is this is it is the writer or some other
man and Phillips able to preach from Isaiah 53 I hope I'm doing as good of a
job as Philip did and that Ethiopian eunuch was able to get saved and and
then afterwards get baptized praise God verse 8 says he was taken from prison
and from judgments who and who shall declare his generation for he was cut
off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he
stricken and it says there who shall declare his generation it's saying that
he's got no that Christ did not leave any physical lineage Christ did not
leave any children okay the idea there for he was cut off from the land living
the idea of that we know that Christ was never gonna get married anyway and have
kids all this right we understand he came to fulfill a mission but the idea
is like his life was cut off early that's the kind of the concept you know
he was he was you know often when we hear about someone passing away we say
well how old were they and they're like I was 40 years old and like oh boy he
just went too early you know it's kind of like that idea you know that Christ
who would declare his generation he would not have generations that would
follow after him you know he would never get married and never have kids not that
that was his goal but the idea there is that you know he his life was cut off
early okay verse number nine 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 this is an amazing prophecy of Christ he made his
grave with the wicked we know that he died with two malefactors two thieves on
the cross so he died with them but even though he died with wicked and you know
people that are thieving like stealing so they're probably poor but he was also
in death with the rich and if you don't know what that's about
come with me to Matthew 27 come with me to Matthew 27 Matthew 27 Matthew 27 now
you know if most of us I would say pretty much middle class you know maybe
lower middle class upper middle class somewhere in the middle class rate I
don't think anyone here is like excessively wealthy or something like
that and if you are please give more to the church if that's you like most of us
when we die we're just gonna like have a humble grave you know but you know if
you've gone through grave sites you've seen certain areas there are some places
where there's just like this massive you know monuments of someone who passed
away and often when you see something massive or you know I don't know if it's
still true that the pyramids were like tombs or the pharaohs or something like
that and I don't know people debate that all the time but you know often when
someone who is very rich and they die you know they given something grandiose
we have their tomb and when you look at Matthew 27 this is after Christ died on
the cross Matthew 27 verse 57 Matthew 27 57 it says here when the even was come
there came a what a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph who also himself
was Jesus's disciple so this was a rich man who followed after Christ verse 58 he
went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus then Pilate commanded the body to
be delivered and when Joseph had taken the body he wrapped it in a clean linen
cloth and laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out in the rock and he
wrote a great stone to the door of the sepulchre and departed so Christ's
burial the burial of the body was actually of the rich it was a tomb it
wasn't just a graveyard all right he had an actual tomb with a huge rock that was
wrote about upon it right it was something that was newly created for for
Joseph for this rich man Joseph but the rich man loved Jesus Christ as a fellow
of Christ look I want that my tomb to go to Jesus I want him to be buried you
know in this monument that was originally for him and it's amazing that
Isaiah prophesied this like hundreds of years before it even happened like just
it's like wow how did this all come together this is certainly the Christ
that was prophesied from the Old Testament now come back with me to
Isaiah 53 verse number 10. Isaiah 53 and verse number 10.
You know this isn't like our God's like like just enjoying like there's my son's
suffering whoo-hoo that's so great this is pleasing it's pleasing him that sin
is being judged right and that there's a substitute lamb that will deliver or
that will pay for the sins of the whole world that's what pleases the Lord that
this is how sin will be dealt with you know you put him to grief when thou
shall 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 this is
amazing it says he shall prolong his days gonna know he's dead yeah cuz he's
gonna rise from the dead his days are gonna be prolonged and the and the you
know those that have trusted in Christ our days will be prolonged as well we
know that we're going to die a natural death but the days coming when we have a
new resurrected body we're gonna reign with Christ for a thousand years and
then for eternity in the new heaven and the new earth I'm going to expand on
verse number 10 verse number 11 at the end of the chapter verse number 11 says
he shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied like this is the
payment for sin this satisfies God okay you keeping the commandments does not
satisfy God you trying to be righteous does not satisfy God the only thing
that satisfies God regarding our iniquities and our sins is the death of
his son by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he
shall bear their iniquities isn't that amazing that Christ has justified many
I'm part of the many so are you Christ has justified us in the eyes of God
praise God for that then it says verse number 12 I'm gonna come back to 10 11
12 therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the
spoil with a strong because he have 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 and this is just like an accept a powerful
chapter an amazing chapter you know as I said most Jews have not read it it's
like the forbidden chapter of the you know Jewish religion and when they're
confronted with this chapter they don't know what to do with it because they
know they recognize it sounds a lot like Christ it sounds a lot like it doesn't
just sound like it is Christ that's why you know but they just refuse to believe
the report you know and praise God that you have made the decision to believe
the report now verse number 12 also has a fulfillment and it's interesting you
know I want to clarify a lot like 10 11 and 12 I want to clarify these verses a
lot because I get a lot like as a pass I get a lot of questions and sometimes
questions are relating to life and life decisions and then I get a lot of
biblical questions and if I gave you like a top ten I don't even know what my
top ten questions would be but I would put this one this question I'm about to
share with you like within the top five questions that I get like it's it's a
very common question that I get and I didn't understand why for a long time I
got this question because sometimes I get questions and I can I relate to it
because I'm like yeah when I got saved and I was growing and reading my bubble
I had those questions too so you know you can relate to questions that people
have that are the same as yours you kind of but then there are some questions I
just like I don't know where they come in from like why is that being asked and
and then later on you find out why okay but before I get to and that's why I
want to cover 10 verses 10 11 shortly but when did this take place he was
numbered with the transgressors and he bear the sin of many and made
intercession for the transgressors we can see that before that it says because
they have poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the
transgressors and he bear the sin of many made in session with transgressors
a lot of people have asked me this question said to me pastor is this not
like when he was numbered with transgressors is that not saying that
Christ was numbered with sinners in hellfire because everybody in hell are
transgressors and there we have Christ amongst the transgressors in hell
because there we have his soul unto death now the thing about that is I
don't have to answer that the Bible answers that okay so keep your finger
then come with me to Matthew sorry mark 15 come with me to mark 15 mark 15 mark
15 and verse number 27 mark 15 like I always wonder when the Bible's got a
clear verse something that is just black and white I always wonder why do I get
questions when well I get it when the Bible's quite great or cryptic passages
I get that but when the Bible already has verses that are just like so clear
and transparent that even like a beginner can read it I don't really I
struggle to put myself in the shoes of the person and if you've asked me that
question here I'm not having to go you you know it's just something I had to
learn over time you know and recognize why the question gets asked but mark 15
mark 15 verse number 27 it says and with him they crucify two thieves the one on
his right hand and the other on his left so this is on the cross verse number 28
and the scripture was fulfilled which saith and he was numbered with the
transgressors that's black and white isn't it so when was he numbered the
transgressors in hellfire no on the cross because he was on one side was one
thief on the other side was another thief now this is why I want to focus
now on verses 10 and 11 okay and I'm not sure but a lot of my church members kind
of see things differently to me in this passage and so I want to be able to
explain this to you and I now understand why I get this question so often but
let's go back to verse number 10 let's go back to verse number 10 it says here
in verse number 10 yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he have put him to
grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin and so the question is
well see pass because I I teach that Christ paid for our sins on the cross
like that's my teaching that the payment for sins was his blood so I had a lot of
it say no no pastor that's wrong his soul was an offering for sin like it
says here that shall make his soul and often for sin so this is actually about
his soul burning in hellfire now that's verse number 10 but you get to verse 11
and 12 and 12 he's on the cross still being numbered amongst the transgressors
so I didn't understand these questions coming from until I realized are there
are certain sermons that teach this that this is hellfire okay so the idea there
is that this soul is an offering for sin in hellfire does that make sense and if
someone's got that view like that's okay I'm just I want to answer this because I
get it so often right so you see a pattern especially because people have
probably watched one sermon online somewhere and the pastor preached that
and it sounds good but I just don't think it's good to teach a doctrine and
using scriptures that aren't actually saying that let me explain to you why
when his soul was made an offering for sin in this verse what was happening to him
okay look again verse number 10 yet it pleased the Lord to what bruise him now
I know what a bruise is it's broken capillaries and because it's broken
blood vessels in your body so then to say well no the Lord is bruising his
soul but the soul it doesn't have blood or a body like we have a body so this
bruise in I mean unless there's some type of dead spiritual body in the in
hell or something I'm I'm gonna take this literally to bruise him means a
physical you know what do you call this bruise a physical something happened to
on his body when his soul is being offered for sin now people say well
that's another pastor you're saying that a bit literally though yeah you know the
Bible many times is figurative and symbolic and you know even though he
doesn't have a physical body in hell but you know just using language that we're
familiar with that he's being bruised in hell but here's the thing about that if
you go back to verse number five but he was wounded for our transgressions he
was bruised for our iniquities so if like verse number ten is like symbolic
or something well I guess some verse number five is symbolic too like we got
bruising and bruising and like I think I think everybody that I've ever come
across would look at verse number five and we'll take that literally he was
bruised for our iniquities like physically on his body I don't know
anyone that would say no that that's not physical but then why did we get to
verse number ten and say well the bruising now is not physical now it's
now we've just changed the rules when we get to verse number ten I don't understand
that procedure I don't understand that process so there's that there's the
bruising no number one you get bruises on a physical body and number two we
have another verse before that that everybody agrees is physical so why do
we change the rules now I don't have I don't have a problem with people saying
Christ suffered in Hellfire you know for three days and three nights his soul was
not left in hell I believe his soul went to hell I don't know exactly what
happened I'll be honest with you I don't know I don't have a Bible that tells me
but I'm what I'm trying to demonstrate to you guys is that we don't want to use
scriptures that aren't actually saying that to say that something happened we're
putting like words in God's mouth and like you know what you often find is if
you just read the whole chapter things are clear if you just take a verse here
and there it sounds good it sounds like it supports a doctrine but when you put
it in conjunction with everything there it's not even about that so the
question will be well it says here that his soul is an offering for sin and I
had someone say to me see pastor Kevin it's not his it's not his body that's
the offering it's his soul that was the offering and his soul was offered there
in Hellfire so the understanding there is that it's a disembodied soul okay
but here's the thing again if you've read your Bible cover to cover the
Bible used the word soul many many times and I would say I don't know I've not
looked at every reference to soul but I would say 95 percent of the time I feel
like saying 99.9 percent of the time when the Bible speaks of the soul it's
not talking about a dis disembodied soul for example Genesis 2 7 and the Lord God
forms man of the dust of the earth of the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul so we read that we
don't think okay soul was somewhere else and his body was somewhere else you
know when we read first Peter 3 20 I'll just read it to you first Peter 3 20
with some time with disobedience when once the longsuffering of God waited in
the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing wearing a few that is eight
souls were saved by water when we read that we know that's about Noah his wife
and his children and their married partners eight souls were saved by water
we don't go oh those must be disembodied souls we know that they're
in the body you see 99.9 percent of the time or 95 percent of the time in the
Bible the vast majority time when God speaks of the word soul he's just
talking about life life in the body you know I again I'm not even that I can't
even remember a verse where we're talking about a distant like where God
actually uses that language to speak of a disembodied soul now I do believe that
if our sinner dies their soul goes is disembodied you know death is the soul
departs and the spirit departs and the soul of the unbeliever will go to hell I
believe all that of course but I'm trying to say that when God uses this
language in the Bible it's not it's more often than not and maybe almost maybe
all the time I don't want to say that all the time because I could be wrong
all right but it's about the soul in the body it's life as a general term okay
the second part of this is the offering his soul is an offering so can you come
with me to Hebrews 10 please come with me to Hebrews 10 so again I'm just going
by comments and questions that I've been asked and again it's not questions that
I had growing up as a believer but it's a lot of questions I get as a pastor and
again I didn't know where they were coming from until I found a sermon it's
coming from that sermon and everyone's listening to that sermon and you know so
if I don't say what that sermon says then you know there's a problem there
somewhere right but our Hebrews 10 please Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 and verse
number 5 verse Hebrews 10 and verse number 5 it says here where for when he
cometh into the world he saith so that's when Christ came into the world
sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not but a body has thou prepared me now drop
turn to verse number 10 by the which by the which will sorry by the which will
we are sanctified for the offering of the soul offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all that's what the Bible says I believe the Bible so his
body is the offering once for all okay so when we read Isaiah about his soul
being the offering should we think disembodied soul I would say the soul in
the body like when he was on the cross his soul was on the cross too right when
he went and healed and cast out the devil's and healed the sick his soul
was in his body when he was suffering grief and sorrow all that process when
it's whipped and beaten all right his soul was in his body his soul was
suffering through this as well okay so the Bible is very clear that because
again that comment it's not his body that's the offering it's his soul that's
the offering it's like well you're getting that from his I 53 but Hebrews
says it is his body and again it demonstrates me that I don't want to
offend anybody because I know I know everyone's growing everyone's trying to
learn but when you make when someone makes a comment it's not the body it's
like you have to read the Bible like watching one sermon is not sufficient
for your mature maturity and growth as a believer you got to get into God's Word
and like it doesn't matter who's preaching even if it's me breath it
doesn't matter who is preaching whatever we teach whatever doctrines we proclaim
we can't take it as gospel truth just because the pastor said it it's
important for us to go to God's Word right we learn something all right God I
heard it preach I want to go to your word now I'm gonna read Isaiah 53 I'm
going to read Hebrews 10 I'm going to look at these passages and I'm going to
decide for myself if these things are true you know every pastor can make some
mistake and every pastor can exaggerate a little bit and I can do it too I try
not to so I got a fear I got a fear breathing I tell you all the time you
know when I get up here I'm not just going to parrot some sermon to you I'm
not just going to give you an answer that most of my church members want to
hear it's like God's Word said the body is the offering and it's been bruised
and in context of everything else it's the physical suffering of Christ that
is being emphasized in his passages
also so in that reference in Hebrews sorry in Isaiah 53 10 it says he pleased
the Lord to bruise him he have put into grief here put into grief when thou
shall make his soul an offering for sin so it's talking about the Lord bruising
him put into grief now if you can come with me please to 1st Peter chapter 2
again 1st Peter chapter 2 1st Peter chapter 2 because again that idea of
being bruised in verse number 5 Isaiah 53 5 it says but he was wounded for our
transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities so we know our iniquities are
our sins and 1st Peter chapter 2 we already read this passage but I wasn't
focused on this so much but now I want to show it to you 1st Peter 2 24 1st
Peter 2 24 it says here who his own self bear our sins where did he bear our sins
in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto
righteousness by whose stripes we were healed so again I've had to say no no
his soul bore our sins his soul bore our sins in hell no no the Bible says that
he bore our sins in his own body on the tree on the cross the black and white a
clear passage not like a logical argument for trying to defend a doctrine
but just the clear teaching of God's Word his body is what bore our sins all
right and lastly like I said to you because if we go back to Isaiah 53 I
kind of understand where it's coming from again if you go back to Isaiah 53
and Isaiah 53 and so if you look at verse number 9 Isaiah 53 verse number 9
we're not going to read it all but it says here and he made his grave with the
wicked so know that after he was crucified he went to the grave okay then
he was buried he was gone for three days and three nights buried right for three
days and three nights so with that in mind we get to verse number 10 yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise him and have put him to grief and that shall make his soul
an offering for sin so it's like see if you just follow the the process he was
buried he was really crucified then he was buried then his soul went to hell
and so that must be talking about his soul going to hell again I can kind of
understand that logic but then you get to verse number 12 again where he was
numbered with the transgressors we're back to the cross so it's not like he
was crucified buried went to hell and went back to the cross so to make the
argument well that's the process that is following well the last verse destroys
the argument because he's back on the cross so like God's not given us a
chronological event of what happened in his death okay but what we definitely
see from verse 1 to verse 12 is his physical suffering and in light of all
the scriptures in light of just reading the word soul in your Bible you know and
seeing that his body is the offering and his sins were born on our sins were born
on his body and that bodies are what can be bruised and not a soul and if we take
bruised literally in verse number 5 then we should take it literally in verse
number 10 if you put all these things together this chapter is not about
Christ suffering hellfire it's about him suffering on the cross you know and I
don't say that to I'm not trying to debunk a doctor I'm not trying to you
know hurt a pastor I just want my church members to be I want I want us to be
students of God's Word like I want you to test everything in the scriptures and
you know doesn't matter how influential or how much I convince you about a
doctrine I and even tonight I strongly encourage you go back and read Isaiah
53 again and and and look at those argument every argument that I made was
from the scriptures and not just me deciding these are the scripture the
scripture themselves are saying yeah that's about Isaiah 53 like it's black
and white it's clear I'm not trying to you know put thoughts into your
imagination something like that those things are already black and white and
you know crystal clear in scriptures so that's why I told this sermon the
travail of his soul the travail of his soul and of course it was his body and
this is why when you know Christ says to remember his death how do we remember
his death by the bread and by the juice the grape juice you know the broken body
of Christ and his blood and this is how we remember the eyes first Corinthians
11 I don't know what word for word but it says this this is how you show the
Lord's death till he come something like that okay so when we focus on his death
God wants us to be focused on his broken body and he shed blood that is what was
the offering for the sins that we've all committed the travail of his soul
what a Savior what a great God what a great God that we worship and serve and
brethren those times that you're going through grief and sorrow and you're like
God you must be so far away why don't you come and help me you need to
remember Christ actually carried that sorrow for you Christ carried that grief
he knows how much you're hurting he suffered he felt those pains in himself
and so he's the best is the best person is the best Savior we can go to and run
to in our time of need all right let's pray