#1031 Isaiah 53 Part 15 Results Oriented

 

Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53 ESV

Isaiah 53:11-12 Anguish of His soul

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 3By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.… 1 John 2: 1-3

10Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.12When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts?… Isaiah 1: 10-12

Out of the anguish of His soul - Hematohidrosis  is a condition where people, seemingly healthy otherwise, sweat blood, and it is most often associated with extreme stress. For anyone to know even the physical aspects of what lay ahead and yet go willingly, it baffles the mind. To substitute yourself in the place of those deserving God's wrath, and to not only have their abuse to look forward to, but to remain silent at the most undignified of trials; it's immense. All of human history hangs upon Your shoulders, the weight of every sin, and there is that most holy part, outside the grasp of human intellect, the infinitely just Father, pouring out His Holy wrath against sin, and You being the altar and sacrifice. There is also that moment where He, Who not only knew no sin, but also and always, eternally had known perfect love and communion with the Father, He now cries out, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me? We understand physical pain, and some of us understand varying degrees of mental anguish, but try to wrap your head around God forsaken by God, so that those who understand so little will not be. He looks through and past all of this to the result, and His righteousness not only satisfies but is satisfied. 

6At that time Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray. 37He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.…

…38Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” 39 Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will. 40Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.… Matthew 26: 36-40

…43Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. 44And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45When Jesus rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.… Luke 22: 43-45

As the last lines to the hymn by Maltbie Babcock put it:

This is my Father’s world:

The battle is not done;

Jesus who died shall be satisfied,

And earth and heaven be one.

…23But Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.… John 12: 23-25

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.… Hebrews 12: 1-3

By His knowledge - Or by knowledge of Him, that He came according to Scripture, suffered according to Scripture, was righteous, died in our place and rose again on the third day, according to the predetermined will of God. God offers no other way, He is the truth and eternal life is in Him. 

…67So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?” 68Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”… John 6: 67-69

…2For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only TRUE God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.… John 17: 2-4

For He shall bear their iniquities - Do you believe that?

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the many - In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.

“It is a strange fact that I am going to declare, but it is not less true than strange: according to our text the extraordinary glories of Christ, as Savior, have all been earned by his connection with human sin. He has gotten his most illustrious splendor, his brightest jewels, his divinest crowns, out of coming into contact with this poor fallen race.” (Spurgeon)

iii. In the end, the sufferings and humiliation of Jesus only bring Him more glory and majesty! “I do see that out of this dunghill of sin Christ has brought this diamond of his glory by our salvation. If there had been no sinners, there could not have been a Savior. If no sin, no pouring out of the soul unto death; and if no pouring out of the soul unto death, no dividing a portion with the great. If there had been no guilt, there had been no act of expiation. In the wondrous act of expiation by our great Substitute, the Godhead is more gloriously revealed than in all the creations and providences of the divine power and wisdom.” (Spurgeon)

And makes intercession for the transgressors - We have a High Priest, a Mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ.

…4who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.… 1 Timothy 2: 4-6