Who Hath Believed Our
Report?
Isaiah 53
I. It was an Unbelievable Report – vs. 1 Who hath believed our report?
A. An Unbelievable Manifestation - …and to whom is the arm of the LORD
revealed?
TURN TO JOHN 12:37-43
The Bible says that Jesus did “so many miracles
B. An Unbelievable Miracle
– vs. 2 For he shall grow up before him
as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:
II. It was an Unappealing Report
In a world
where man is drawn to a fancy and a beautiful religion; Isaiah’s report was of
one with “no beauty”.
In a world
where the validity of a church is based on its size, its buildings, its net
worth, its popularity, Isaiah’s report was of a Redeemer who would be “despised
and rejected of men.”
Man likes
liturgy and ceremony and pomp and circumstance.
Man likes to
be entertained and impressed with show and religious performance.
Man likes to
DO and SEE and FEEL.
God is all
about DONE rather than DO, and BELIEVE rather than SEE and FAITH rather than
FEEL.
2a …he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we
shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces
from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
III. It was an Unprecedented Report
A. Unprecedented in its
Sacrifice – it was unprecedented for an innocent man to die for the guilty
Capital
punishment was instituted in Exodus 21:12 He
that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
But it was
unprecedented for an innocent man to die in the place of the guilty
· Romans 5:7
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a
good man some would even dare to die. Vs. 8 But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted.
5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we
are healed.
NOTE: NOTICE
THE WORDING:
HE WAS
WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS
HE WAS
BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES
·
TRANSGRESSION -The act of
passing over or beyond any law or rule of moral duty; the violation of a law or
known principle of rectitude; breach of command. (OUTWARD
SIN)
·
INIQUITY- Original want of holiness or depravity. “I
was shapen in iniquity...” Psalms 51:5 (INWARD SIN)
·
A WOUND – A breach of the
skin and flesh
·
A BRUISE - a bruise is
a contusion that impairs the natural solidity and texture of the part, but
often without breaking the skin
I don’t think
it is an accident that this verse tells me that my redeemer would suffer
outwardly for my outward sins.
And he would
suffer inwardly for my inward sins.
6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own
way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
B. Unprecedented in its
Suffering
7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he
is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his
generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the
transgression of my people was he stricken.
9
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death;
because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
C. Unprecedented in its
Solution
NOTHING ever
has or ever will satisfy God’s demand except the blood of His Son.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise
him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the
LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my
righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
