Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Classroom Goals of this time together: * here to see and meet and learn of Jesus; * to grow TOGETHER in our own personal lives/relationships with Jesus * to grow in our daily day-to-day JOY IN Him * to grow in our vision /understanding of Jesus as our SAVIOR and REDEEMER everyday in the midst of our lives in a pagan world ROE: * all questions are encouraged all the time * TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT OUR TIME TOGETHER, WHETHER WE AGREE OR NOT ON ISSUES OF VARIOUS THEOLOGICAL THOUGHT, WE MOST CERTAINLY MUST AGREE ON THIS: THAT WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF A MOST LOVING SAVIOR AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE MUST LOVE EACH OTHER Today, we will consider the issue of Jesus' death, and some of the things that God has had to say about it for over 2,700 years. The Lord has been telling men about His death long before that, since the beginning of time, in fact, as seen in Gen 3:15, where from the moment of man's fall God has given him a promise of salvation [READ IT]; There are at least 34 prophesies alone about the death of Jesus. [REFER TO HANDOUT]. Today, we are going to look at some of Isaiah's proclamations about our Saviour, and also the fulfilments of those prophetic words. [HAVE THEM READ ISAIAH 52:13-53:12 IN GROUPS OF 3 VSs EACH] We will divide this passage into 5 sections today: 52:13-15 The preeminence of the Servant 53:1-3 The person of the Servant 53:4-6 The passion of the Servant 53:7-9 The passivity of the Servant 53:10-12 The portion of the Servant Traditional Jewish interpretation of this passage had been that Isaiah was referring in this section to the Messiah. Then in the 12th Century a new and different view arose that this passage was instead refering to Israel, and THAT has been the dominant view in Judaism ever since. How strongly Satan strives to blind God's precious Children to His truth! Why does this NOT refer to Israel, as now commonly believed in Judaism? There are 2 reasons found in the text itself; 1st, in 53:8, the Servant is distinguished from the "people"; 2nd, He is described in 53:9 as an innocent victem, something that can NOT be said of the nation (if you don't believe that, just read all the OTHER stuff Isaiah has to say about Israel in this book!); 52:13-15 The preeminence of the Servant In vs13 read "...high and lifted up, greatly exalted...", the same words used to describe God in 6:1; What does "lifted up" refer to? NOT the crucifixion. But rather to His ultimate exaltation at the right hand of the Father (Phil 2:9; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; I Pt 3:22) vs 14 ref to "astonished" also trans as "horrified" by the sight of His disfigurement; One thing you can always say about the Romans is that THEY ARE THOROUGH!! [RELATE STORY FROM HANOI HILTON FILMING]; He was beaten beyond recognition BEFORE HE EVER GOT TO THE CROSS [THE 40 MINUS 1][?CONSIDER TELLING ER STORY ABOUT INTERN AND HIS MOTHER], [READ ALSO ISAIAH 50:6]; These events were LITERALLY fulfilled in Mat 27:26-30; vs15 What is this vs describing?? Sprinking refers to WHAT? To sacrificial CLEANSING as written in Lev 4:6, 8:11, 14:7; Why will the "kings" shut their mouths? He has AND WILL at His Coming Again provide what nations and their Kings need the MOST: Cleansing from SIN; This vs NOT ONLY refers to what is happening EVEN NOW around the world (nations being told of what Jesus did for them), it ALSO refers to that FINAL Time, when ALL nations will see Jesus AS HE REALLY IS: THE EXALTED GLORIOUS SON OF GOD, and in doing so they will finally be ABLE to "see" and "understand" about Him; 53:1-3 The person of the Servant This vs LIT trans as "Who believed what we heard??" as if to express amazement at how completely wrong they had been about God's Servant; compare this to the two men on the Emmaus road, how they marveled and reflected on their former disbelief after Jesus had shown Himself to them in Luk24:13-32; "the arm of the Lord" refers to WHAT?? His power in action, His miracles as Messiah; As one man pointed out, we should compare this vs to Ps 8:3 where David wrote about his awe at God's creative power saying: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers..."; David says it only took the fingers of God to create us, BUT it took his arms to redeem us; vs2 Contrast "tender shoot" with 11:1ff; There was NOTHING about how Jesus LOOKED that would attract us or anyone else to Him; He appeared to Israel as an ORDINARY MAN; Contrast Saul and David: Saul LOOKED like a King and everyone thought so, David however, only looked like a Kid Shepherd, made his credibility TOUGH to establish! Jesus did NOT "look" like a King! And because the rulers placed SO MUCH on EXTERNAL appearances rather than on INTERNAL REALITIES, they failed to recognize their Messiah when He showed up; Ever wonder WHY there is no description of Jesus? Because there was NO NEED for one; He came as the Suffering Servant of God and the only qualification for a servant is that He be able to do the job; He had no "flash" or exuding charisma living a shocking lifestyle; As one man wrote, Jesus never would have been considered by late-night talk show hosts for an interview; What was the "parched ground" referring to here?? Spiritual desolation! vs3 "A man of sorrows..." lit trans "pains"; and "griefs" is also trans to include "sickness"; The prophet 1st says ALL men rejected Him, and then he says "WE did not esteem Him", Lit "WE did not appreciate His worth"; This section was seen fulfilled in Mark 15:29-32. 53:4-6 The passion of the Servant vs 4: the Heb word for "borne" is used in connection with the sacrificies of "expiation" or payment for sin (cf Lev 5:1, 17; 16:22) WHAT is the Prophet predicting here? Men would think He was being punished by God for His OWN sins; vs5 BUT HE WAS NOT! He suffered VICARIOUSLY for THEIR sin (and OURS!); the KJV "wounded" is better trans as "pierced through"; HOW APPROPRIATE for One who was to be pierced in His hands and feet and then pierced again in the side; The "griefs" and "sorrows" in vs 4 refer to MORE than just physical ailments, they speak to the "pains" and "sickness" of our spirits; WHY? Because He suffered for OUR "transgressions" and "iniquities"; OUR "well-being" came from HIS "chastening" and "scourging"; vs 6 re-read this vs! In just a few sad and bitterly true words, Isaiah has captured the ESSENSE of OUR lives apart from Jesus, the very root of our lost condition before a Living God: SELFISHNESS; But even MORE, he has revealed almost 800 yrs before Jesus came what God's remarkable plan of salvation for us all would require: the PENALTY for our selfishness "falling" upon HIM; One man called this the "all" verse; He pointed out that Jesus took our hell that we might partake of His heaven; The precious Son of God became the Son of Man that sons of men might become the sons of God. 53:7-9 The passivity of the Servant Jesus did NOT "open His mouth" during the 7 unfair trials before Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Pilat, Herod, Pilate again, and the Roman soldiers who beat and mocked Him; An example is noted in Mat 27:13-14, All He DID do was to affirm His diety in Mat 26:63-64 when placed under oath; Note also that the Servant was to be a WILLING sacrifice; He voluntarily went to His slaughter, as noted in John 10:11; 19:30; HERE is where He is called a "lamb", a reference that John the Baptist 800 yrs later RECOGNIZED and then used when he cried out to the world that THE "Lamb of God" had arrived to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29); vs 8 might be rendered: "By oppression and an unjust sentence he was taken away; and as to His fate, who gave it any thought?" vs9 Jesus, executed a commoners death for rebellion and blasphemy, would normally have been buried along with the two thieves in an unmarked grave, and as noted HERE (800 yrs BEFORE), such was the plan for Him, where the KJV text "he made his grave..." is better trans as "He was assigned a grave with the wicked..."; HOWEVER, here we see that He was NOT to be so buried, but rather "with the rich", a prophecy we see fulfilled by God through Joseph of Arimathea (Mat 27:56-60; and John 19:38-42) when he made the remarkable step of PUBLICALLY associating himself with this slaughtered criminal by asking for Jesus body, and then burying it in his OWN "rich man's" tomb; 53:10-12 The portion of the Servant vs10: the Heb word trans as "offering" in the KJV was used in Lev 6-7 for the "trespass"offering, which required 120% restitution (Lev 6:5); WHO are His "offspring"?? There is only ONE way that He "will" be able to see His "offspring" and enjoy "prolonged" days AFTER He is sacrificed, and THAT is by BODILY resurrection; vs11 His suffering (which included His death) led to LIFE (His resurrection and OUR salvation BASED on that resurrection); This prophecy of His "satisfaction" was seen fulfilled in John 19:30, when Jesus cried "It is finished" He used a verb tense that indicated a present completion WITH CONSEQUENCES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO ENDURE; ie "It is finished and will always be so"; He was NOT speaking of His life, but rather of the completion of His work of salvation; KJV says "...by His knowledge...", this could be better trans "...by knowledge of Him shall my righteous servant justify many"; vs12 Because of His obedience even unto an unjust death, He is to be exalted like a triumphant general who shares in the spoils of the victory again we see that He is to be "numbered with the transgressors" as fulfilled in Mat 27:38, and also in Mk 15:27-28; WHAT is "intercession"?? It is offering prayer on behalf of others; Luke 23:34 recorded His making intercession for those who wronged Him, and for the thief who sought Him even in his death throes; AND EVEN NOW JESUS MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US ALL (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25, 9:24; I Jn 2:1); Jesus pleads before God the merit and virtue of His atoning work in order to secure acceptance for the sinner for whom He died; Intercession is a powerful and remakable topic deserving it's OWN separate study;