ISAIAH 53

THE STORY OF THE CROSS

(This is a Good Friday Message.) 

 

OUR DAILY BREAD - Rene Lacoste, the world’s top tennis player in the late 1920s, won seven major singles titles during his career, including multiple victories at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the French Open. His friends called him “Le Crocodile,” an apt term for his tenacious play on the court.

 

Lacoste accepted the nickname and had a tiny crocodile embroidered on his tennis blazers. When he added it to a line of shirts he designed, the symbol caught on. While thousands of people around the world wore “alligator shirts,” the emblem always had a deeper significance for Lacoste’s friends who knew its origin and meaning.

 

The cross, an emblem of Christianity, holds special meaning for every friend of Christ. Whenever we see a cross, it speaks to us of Christ’s tenacious determination to do His Father’s will by dying for us on Calvary. What a privilege to know Him and be included in His words to His disciples: “No longer do I call you servants,...but I have called you friends” (Jn. 15:15).

 

I can picture a friend of Lacoste seeing the little alligator on someone’s shirt, and saying, “I know the story behind that emblem. Lacoste is my friend.” And I can picture a friend of Jesus seeing a cross and doing the same. - DCM

Our Daily Bread, Sept.-Nov. 1997, page for October 5 http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-156.htm#TopOfPage

 

"I know the story behind the emblem of the cross. Jesus is my friend."

We gather tonight as friends of Jesus.  We know the "story behind the emblem", the cross.  And because we know the story behind the cross, we should love to hear the story over and over again. We should also love to tell that story as well.

 

We have already heard some of the story of the cross tonight through music and Scripture Readings from the Gospels.

Now I want us to go back to the Old Testament and reflect on the prophecy of Isaiah 53, which tells the story of Jesus' atonement for our sins long before it happened. Tonight we will consider the Story of Cross. We will see:

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CROSS - Vs. 2

THE SHAME OF THE CROSS - Vs. 3

THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 4-6

THE SILENCE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 7-9

THE SATISFACTION OF THE CROSS - Vss. 10-12

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CROSS - Vs. 2

 

Vss. 1-2 - A tender plant is a shoot. Just a little wee thing.

               Jesus came simply. He was God, but was born to the

               home of a humble carpenter through the Virgin

               Mary. 

He was of the Kingly line of David, but did not have the benefits of living in a King's house.

 

He was as a root coming out of a dry ground.

Think of Israel at that the time.  The once proud nation was now a desert politically and spiritually.

 

Israel this time was under Roman domination.  Israel really did not control its own affairs. Rome ruled, and what Rome said was the law that superceded all other laws.  Their political system was a desert.

Israel at this time was also a desert spiritually. They worshipped in the temple, but many were entwined in a liberalism that didn't believe in the resurrection or in a conservatism that led to legalism.

 

Not only did the Israel have God's law, but it added many man-made writings that interpreted the law.  They took their man-made ideas and in many ways placed them on equal footing with God's Word.

 

It says here that Jesus had no form nor comeliness. That doesn't mean Jesus was ugly.  Although as the perfect man, I believe Jesus was good looking, but I don't feel that he looked much different than any other Jewish man.  Contrary to some of the classic art works, Jesus did not walk around with a glow or halo on His head.  He simply looked the part of a humble servant.

 

There is another way that Jesus had no form nor comeliness.

It goes along with the last phrase in Vs. 2 - and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

 

When he was on the cross, suffering for our sins, there was no beauty to be found in what people could see.

 

The nails and the wounds they caused were certainly not pretty.

The crown of thorns was not pretty, but ugly.

The spear wound in his side was not pretty.

The way he had to prop himself up so He could breathe was not pretty.

His voice would not have been pretty.

 

Isaiah 52:14 - …So His appearance was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men.  NAS

 

The birth and life of Jesus were in many ways simple.

His appearance on the cross was also simple.

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CROSS - Vs. 2

 

THE SHAME OF THE CROSS - Vs. 3

Why did Jesus go to the cross?

Yes, to die for our sins.

But Jesus was nailed to a cross, because He was despised by the very people he came to save, especially their leadership.

 

I feel that Jesus was despised by the leadership of Israel for the following reasons:

·        Jesus could do things that they could not do.

·        Jesus threatened their leadership.

·        Jesus made them jealous.

·        Jesus convicted them of their own sins and failures.

 

Going along with Jesus being despised, He was also rejected.

John 1:11 - He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

 

We are told here that Jesus was a man of sorrows and aquatinted with grief.   Jesus took upon his shoulders the sins of the world. In order to die for sin he had to bear the sin.

With sin comes sorrow and grief.

And there was the sorrow and grief of the mock trials Jesus received, the false accusations, the beatings, the abuse from the soldiers, the abuse of the nails and spear and the cross itself, and the verbal abuse.

 

…and we hid as it were, our faces from him.

The very people he came to save hid their faces from Jesus.

That's a shame! And yet today, people who Jesus came to save our still turning their backs on Him by failing to believe in him as their Savior.

 

It says, he was despised and we esteemed him not.

 

Luke 23:35-37 - And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. [36] And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, [37] And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

 

Luke 23:39 - And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CROSS - Vs. 2

THE SHAME OF THE CROSS - Vs. 3

THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 4-6

Now Isaiah fills us in on the truth.

 

Vs. 4 - The Jews thought of Jesus as being judged by God, that is, stricken and smitten by God.

 

But that is not what was truly happening.

What was really happening was that Jesus was bearing on the cross the griefs and sorrows caused by our sin. The words griefs and sorrows mean pain and sickness.  He was taking the pain and sickness of our sins upon His own shoulders.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 - For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

Vs. 5 - Jesus was wounded and bruised for our transgressions and iniquities.

 

Jesus was chastised so we could have peace with God.

Somebody had to appease God for our sins.

This is what Jesus did. 

There are two great verses in Romans 5 that tell us how we can have peace with God.

 

Romans 5:9 - Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 

Jesus shed his blood so we can be declared righteous before God. God can look down on us and see that His Son's blood is covering our sins. God does not need to show the wrath of judgment towards us because our sins are already paid for.

 

Romans 5:1 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

When our faith is in the blood of Christ to pay for our sins, God declares us righteous or justifies us.  That means God no longer has an issue with us over sin and there is peace.

 

And don't forget, it is with his stripes that we are healed.

We are healed from sin sickness because of the work of Christ. 

 

Vs. 6 - Like sheep every one of us have gone astray.

 

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 

Everyone one of us has done our own sinful thing and gone our own sinful way.

 

In love God laid our sins on to His Son. It is with His stripes, His beatings, His wounds that we are healed.   

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CROSS - Vs. 2

THE SHAME OF THE CROSS - Vs. 3

THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 4-6

 

THE SILENCE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 7-9

 

I see two kinds of silence here.

·        Silence of Words - Vs. 7

 

When Jesus was asked concerning his identity, He answered.

When Jesus was falsely accused, mocked, and beaten, he remained silent.

He took it quietly.

It is often hard for us to take abuse quietly.

Jesus took the most abuse of all, and took it quietly.

 

·        Silence of Death - Vss. 8-9

 

Jesus was cut off from the land of the living. His voice was now silent.

God allowed Jesus to be buried in a rich man's tomb.

He had earned it.

 

"He could have called ten thousand angels

To destroy the world and to set Him free.

He could have called ten thousand angels

But He died alone for you and me."

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CROSS - Vs. 2

THE SHAME OF THE CROSS - Vs. 3

THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 4-6

THE SILENCE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 7-9

 

THE SATISFACTION OF THE CROSS - Vss. 10-12

 

There is not just sorrow in Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53 ends on a high note.

For all the grief found in Isaiah 53, there is much satisfaction.

I see satisfaction here in three ways:

·        Satisfaction of Resurrection - Vs. 10

 

Vs. 10 - God was certainly satisfied with the work of Jesus on the cross.

Notice, that because God was satisfied, "he shall prolong his days."

Jesus' Days were prolonged by His resurrection from the dead.

 

Revelation 1:18 - I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

 

Also notice it says that Jesus shall see his seed.

That would be his descendents.

Jesus had no physical descendents.

But Jesus has plenty of descendents.

Every person who places their faith and trust in Christ is a descendant of Jesus who has the same hope of eternal life.

 

John 14:1-3 - Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 

John 14:19 - Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

 

And the neat thing is that there is still room for more descendents. Revelation 22:17 says, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

 

Notice also in verse 10 that the pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.   

I am sure that there are many ways to interpret this phrase, but I want to suggest one specific idea.

 

Where is Jesus right now?

He's in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God.

He is prospering at the right hand of God.   

 

Romans 8:34 - Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

 

Psalm 110:1 - The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

 

There is the satisfaction of resurrection.  

 

·        Satisfaction of Justification - Vs. 11

 

Vs. 11 - May I remind you again of Romans 5:1- Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

Because of what Jesus did on the cross, whoever has placed their faith in Christ has eternal life.  

Jesus has justified millions of people, including most, if not all in this room.

 

Jesus has every reason to be satisfied with the wonderful redemption He has wrought for so many.

 

·        Satisfaction of Glory - Vs. 12, Philippians 2:9-11

 

Jesus has a portion with the great.

He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

Philippians 2:5-11 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; [11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CROSS - Vs. 2

THE SHAME OF THE CROSS - Vs. 3

THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 4-6

THE SILENCE OF THE CROSS - Vss. 7-9

THE SATISFACTION OF THE CROSS - Vss. 10-12

Satisfaction of Resurrection

Satisfaction of Justification

Satisfaction of Glory