Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Session 1 - The Life of a Suffering Servant

September 25, 2022

Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Session 1 – The Life of a Suffering Servant

Preacher: Ben Jennings

Series: The Gospel According to Isaiah 53

Passage: Isaiah 52:13-53:4

Service Type: Worship Service

The Life of the Suffering Servant

Scripture:  Isaiah 52:13-53:4

Subject: Gospel

Central Theme: Gospel of Jesus Christ

Objective Statement: We can begin to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ by seeing five fulfilled predictions about his life.

Keyword:

His identity will be a servant. (52:13)

His coming will be notable. (53:1-2)

His appearance will not be notable. (53:2)

His experience will be like ours. (53:4)

His reception will be rejection. (53:3-4)

Introduction:

Connection:

Imagine moving into an old house in Massachusetts.

It’s a very old house that you want to restore.
In the restoration process you find a loose board in the kitchen.
You pull the board up and see a small wooden box that is deteriorating.
You get the box open and find an old parchment and begin to read.
Imagine that it is dated from the 1700’s, but it details the life of John F. Kennedy down to details about his birth, his life, how other people saw him during his presidency, and how he would die. Imagine it describing how other world leaders would respond to these events, and the significance in world history. Also imagine that after taking the document to experts there was undeniable proof that this document was written by people in 1702.

Would that document and that circumstance be incredible to you?

Tension:

I am so excited to begin this new series with you today called “The Gospel According to Isaiah 53”.
The nature of this incredible chapter is exactly like the scenario that I have described to you as a new homeowner in Massachusetts.
Isaiah was a prophet that wrote his prophetic book 700 years before Jesus came.

This incredible book describes predictions that came to pass in the lifetime of Isaiah, and so he was regarded as a prophet of God in his own lifetime.
The reason I have named this series “the Gospel according to Isaiah 53” is because Isaiah 53 has as its subject the life, death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Now every word in the title of this series is important. So let’s define some things before we start into today’s text. The Series is called “The Gospel according to Isaiah 53”. The word Gospel means “good news”. In 1 Corinthians 15 we find the definition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is the Gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:1-5

(1)  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

(2)  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

(3)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

(4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

(5)  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

In this definition of the Gospel you have several words that are critical:

Christ- this means Anointed One, or Messiah.
Died- He was put to death. Why?
For our sins- This is why it is good news. They were our sins.
“According to the scriptures”
Buried

Rose again the third day
According to the scriptures
Seen of Cephas, then of the twelve

When Paul says in this definition that this happened to Christ “according to the scriptures”, which scriptures did he have in mind?
He is referring to the fact that the atoning death of the Messiah for our sins, and the resurrection of the Son of God for our sins was predicted in the Old Testament.

It is not accurate to say that only the New Testament is about Jesus.
Jesus is all over the Old Testament!
The Gospel can be found in the Old Testament, because the Gospel- the good news about how our broken relationship with God can be restored and will be restored by Jesus’s life, death, burial, and resurrection, and our worship of God because of that reality is the point of the Bible.
One of the most beautiful and incredible passages of scripture in this regard is Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
This passage is written as poetry with multiple stanzas.

In this passage we see predictions about the Gospel:

We see predictions about Jesus’s life- this will be the subject of today’s sermon.
We see predictions about his death- we will address this next week.
We will see predictions about his burial and resurrection in week 3.
Finally, we will see predictions about his exaltation and what it means for the mission that God has us on in regard to the neighborhood and the nations in week 4.

Today we will talk about the predictions regarding his life.

Body:

We can begin to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ by seeing five fulfilled predictions about his life.

Prediction #1- His identity will be a servant. (52:13)

Explanation:

Isaiah 53 really starts in Isaiah 52:13 and is the last of 4 “servant songs” in the book of Isaiah.
You can find these 4 songs in :

Isaiah 42:1-9
Isaiah 49:1-13
Isaiah 50:4-11

Here in Isaiah 52:13- 53:12.

It is clear from these servant songs that the Messiah is in view, as we shall see here in Isaiah 53, and some of the other passages in the coming messages.
With that in mind, let’s read the first verse in this section:

(13) Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
Isaiah 52:13

Some of the confusion that the jews had about Jesus many still have to this day.

They understood the Messiah to be a conquering king.
From this passage though, we learn that the Messiah would be a servant. He was a servant of God.
As we look at this verse in particular, the scripture starts out by saying that the servant shall “deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high”.
Why would this servant song start this way? Because he is about to predict his bloody torture, death, and sacrifice.
As you will see from the coming points, the Messiah would be a servant and come to serve.

In these servant songs you see a contrast between being rejected, and being successful.
You see a contrast between being a servant and being worshipped.
You see a contrast between being humble and being exalted.
This is exactly what we saw in the life of Jesus.
Here is what he told his apostles:

Matthew 23:8-11

(8) But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

(9) And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

(10) Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

(11) But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

When some of his apostles wanted to sit on the right hand and left hand at his kingdom, he did not say, “I don’t have a kingdom or a throne”. What did he say?

Matthew 20:25-28

(25) But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

(26) But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

(27) And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

(28) Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus made the statement that His whole reason for coming was to serve.
He backed it up not only with his ministry- doing things like washing the disciples’ feet, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, teaching the Word, and reaching people. He ultimately served by giving his life a ransom for ministry.

Application:

Of course, it is worth stating that to be a Christ follower we must be servants as well.

To be like him is to put others ahead of ourselves.
Our orientation toward each other would be to serve each other.
Even leaders ought to be servant leaders.

Transition Sentence:

The first prediction is that the Messiah would be a servant, and that is what we see in the life of Jesus.

Now someone might say, well that’s not much of a prediction. That could just be imitation. Someone claiming to be Messiah could just act like what is predicted about him. Well, stay tuned for the next prediction about Jesus’ life.

We can begin to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ by seeing five fulfilled predictions about his life.

Prediction #1- His identity will be a servant. (52:13)

Prediction #2- His coming will be notable. (53:1-2)

(1) Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

(2) For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:
Isaiah 53:1-2a

Explanation:

Verse 2 emphasizes both the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ.
What does the expression “tender plant” mean? 
Dr. John Phillips tells a story about a gardener who helped him understand what a “tender plant” is.

The gardener pointed out that “all plants are catalogued in one of three ways: they are hardy, half-hardy or tender. 
A hardy plant is one native to the area.  It will take ready root because it feels at home there. 
A half-hardy plant is not native to the area, but it comes from a place that is similar.  It will readily grow where it is planted because it finds the climate, the type of soil, the temperature, and the weather similar to what it has been used to. 
A tender plant, however, well, that’s another story.  It comes from quite a different place.  It does not find the soil in its new location congenial, nor does it like the climate.  It really belongs somewhere else.  It is an exotic plant from far, far away.” 
Isaiah says our Lord was on earth as a tender plant.  He comes here from far, far away.  He was not a native of this planet of ours.  His nature was not like ours because He was God in flesh.  He had no sin nature, but rather He was absolutely holy.

Isaiah describes Him being like a “root out of a dry ground”.

Imagine walking through the most barren dessert, as parched as anyone you have ever seen in any movie depicting such things, and there right in the middle of a sand dune you see a gigantic, bright green watermelon connected to a vine coming out of the ground.
That would blow your mind. You may even be tempted to consider it a mirage.
In terms of Israel’s history this is exactly what Jesus’ coming was like.

The prediction is that He would be like a “root out of dry ground”.

God had not spoken. There had been no new revelation from God for 400 years.
In terms of God working and revealing like He had, it was a time of desert.
Jesus’ coming, like all that we celebrate with Christmas and Easter, was quite extraordinary.
There was no new Word from God for hundreds of years, and then the Word made flesh, dwelling among us.

Like a watermelon in the desert- like a root out of dry ground- he showed up and changed everything.

Hebrews, which we will be studying in the weeks to come, states it this way:

Hebrews 1:1-2

(1) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Application:

When we get saved God regenerates our hearts.
The Bible says that those who are in Christ are a new creation.
We ought to be different from the world in the way we think, act, and live.
When we get saved our new home and our new, first citizenship is in heaven. We live for a new city and a new country.
That means that like Jesus, we are no longer of this world, though we are in this world.

We are missionaries, realizing that we are still on the earth to proclaim Christ to those around us.

Transition Sentence:

Jesus came as a servant.
His coming was so notable that we are still counting time by it.

We can begin to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ by seeing five fulfilled predictions about his life.

Prediction #1- His identity will be a servant. (52:13)

Prediction #2- His coming will be notable. (53:1-2)

Prediction #3- His appearance will not be notable. (53:2)

(2) 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; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isaiah 53:2

Explanation:

The prophet goes on to talk about what would not be notable about this servant who we know to be Jesus Christ.
What was notable about Jesus was not his physical appearance.
He had two feet, two hands, a nose, armpits and hair.
He grew.
He aged.

This prediction tells us that he was not particularly attractive.
As we read the accounts of Jesus in the New Testament this is substantiated.
When he was being betrayed, he had to be pointed out by Judas through a kiss. He looked to those guards like every other man there.
When the woman at the well met him, she wasn’t struck that He was the Messiah by his appearance.
He had to tell her that He was the Messiah.

John 4:25-26

(25) The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

(26) Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

What was notable about Jesus to this woman?

John 4:28-30

(28) The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

(29) Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

(30) Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

The Word He revealed to her, the truth that He gave to her, and the way that He treated her was what impacted her, not his appearance.

Application:

A principle in scripture that helps us understand how God views things is expressed in 1 Samuel 16:7.

1 Samuel 16:7

(7) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Jesus did not emphasize the external over the internal and neither should we.
Who we are on the inside should be primary, and it should affect the outside.

As God regenerates us, and begins to change us it is always from the inside out.

Transition Sentence:

Continuing with these predictions….

We can begin to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ by seeing five fulfilled predictions about his life.

Prediction #1- His identity will be a servant. (52:13)

Prediction #2- His coming will be notable. (53:1-2)

Prediction #3- His appearance will not be notable. (53:2)

Prediction #4- His experience will be like ours. (53:4)

(4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:4

Explanation:

Each one of these predictions could be a sermon in themselves in regard to how Jesus fulfilled them.
In the first part of verse 4 we are told that he would bear our griefs, and carry our sorrows.
Certainly this applies to the sin that He would bare on the cross at some level.
It also speaks to His human experience.
We see Jesus humbling Himself and experiencing all that we face as humans ourselves.

As we already noted he lived in a body.
He had relationships.
He was betrayed.
He felt pain, joy, sickness, and the transcendent.
The writer of Hebrews put it this way:

Hebrews 4:15

(15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

The world was cursed by sin and the effects of sin. Sin when it is finished brings forth death.
Because Jesus lived in a sin cursed world He dealt with all the effects of sin that you and I deal with as well.
Do you remember when Jesus went to see Lazarus after he died? He stood near the tomb knowing He was about to raise him from the dead, and seeing the weeping and wailing of the family and the mourners He wept as well.

Application:

What a privilege to know that there is nothing that I can take to Jesus in prayer that He hasn’t experienced.
He knows what you are going through.
He cares about what we go through.
He died so that the sin of curse could be broken, and we can be redeemed.

Transition Sentence:

That leads us to the last prediction that we will look at today.

We can begin to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ by seeing five fulfilled predictions about his life.

Prediction #1- His identity will be a servant. (52:13)

Prediction #2- His coming will be notable. (53:1-2)

Prediction #3- His appearance will not be notable. (53:2)

Prediction #4- His experience will be like ours. (53:4)

Prediction #5- His reception will be rejection. (53:3-4)

(4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:4

Explanation:

Isaiah did write that the Messiah would experience the griefs and sorrows of life.
He predicted that those who he would come to would see him as an ordinary person- not particularly physically attractive, subject to everything in life that we endure.
And what that would mean is that he would be assessed as someone that endured the punishment of God, and subject to the curse just like everyone else.
He was esteemed as “stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
What was the case that the rules of Israel made against Jesus?

John 19:4-7

(4) Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

(5) Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

(6) When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

(7) The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

They thought He was just another man who was claiming to be God.
They thought that His punishment was just and brought about by God through them as God’s servants because they were “keeping the law”.
Jesus was not punished by God for claiming to be God.
Jesus was punished by God, as we shall see, but not for His own sin.
God the Father declared multiple times, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

The resurrection is God’s final answer as to the acceptability of Jesus Christs identity and His sacrifice for sins.

Application:

Jesus told his followers that just like he would be rejected we would be, too.

John 15:18-20

(18) If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

(19) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

(20) Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

John 16:33

(33) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

We can count it an honor to be rejected for proclaiming the name of Jesus because He was rejected for us.

Transition Sentence:

Conclusion:

5 Predictions about Jesus life.
The predictions were made:
He would be a servant. He came not be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.
His coming would be notable. He is that root out of dry ground, that life in the dessert. He is the way, the truth and the life.
His appearance was not notable, but He is beautiful to all that know Him. He has the beautiful feet of the one who brings good news.
His experience was like ours, and we can know that He has dealt with all of the grief and sorrows of life that we do. He loves us and cares for us.
He was rejected, and as a result of His rejection and substitutionary death on the cross, you and I can be accepted into the family of God, and be forgiven of all of our sin.