Suffering Saviour
Mrs. Rick Jackson
Let’s begin with our memory verse from last month – Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me, and I will answer
thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
A couple of months ago I had to
teach an impromptu Sunday School lesson – it’s a reminder of the verse, 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that
is in you with meekness and fear.” I said a quick prayer for direction, and then Samantha started
talking about Barabbas – with great confusion, I might add – so we took out our
Bibles, and I walked her through Easter week.
We had a wonderful lesson together and I rejoiced at the reminder of
what Christ did for me! And it made me wonder, how often do I consider and
remember what Jesus suffered for my sins?
Henry stirred this thought in me even more recently in Sunday School
when he said, “How can we enjoy sin that caused my Saviour to suffer?” We read in 1 Peter 2 –
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us
an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self
bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
I thought
tonight we would take some time apart to dwell on what Christ SUFFERED for
us. Turn with me to Isaiah 53.
WHO Suffered
We are told in the eighth chapter of Acts that
the Ethiopian eunuch was reading from this portion of Isaiah when he asked Philip, “I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet
this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and
began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” (v. 34, 35)
So we know these verses are referring to Jesus.
Let’s begin by reading the first four
verses --
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: 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.
This was referred to directly in Romans 10:16-17 which
says, “16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias
saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
And
what do you suppose that phrase, “as a root out of a dry ground” means? Jesus was not what was expected, was he? The Messiah was from a lowly birth. Mary’s family was poor. Joseph, the man chosen to be his earthly
father, was a mere carpenter. The Jews
were enslaved by the Romans. Jesus grew up in Nazareth. John R. Rice put it this way, “You don’t turn out great, mighty men of God,
supernatural, miracle-working men, from such an environment.”[1]
He grew up in Galilee. Remember what
Nathanael said to Philip, “And
Nathanael said unto him, Can there any
good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
(John 1:46) Jesus, God Himself,
became a man. He covered His deity in
flesh for you and me. He became a
Servant and suffered humiliation.
Verse three goes on to say that “He is despised and rejected of men.” I think of His last week before the
crucifixion. Palm Sunday was a jubilant
day when He came into Jerusalem and the people were rejoicing in His presence!!
In just a few short days, many of these same people were shouting “CRUCIFY HIM!
CRUCIFY HIM!” “He is despised and rejected of men.” We remember Peter who declared that he would
never deny Him and yet three times Peter declared he was not one of Jesus’
disciples. Peter left His presence
bitterly weeping. Matthew 26:56 even tells us, “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the
prophets might be fulfilled. Then all
the disciples forsook him, and fled.” And it continues today, doesn’t
it? What name do people use as a curse
word above all other names? What about
you and I – are we guilty of the same thing?
Peter was a saved man when he left Jesus to suffer alone. Do we despise and reject Him? Do we make time for Him in our life EVERY
day? Do we pray? Do we read our Bible
daily? Or do we despise and reject Him?
WHY He Suffered
Jesus took the place of guilty
sinners and paid the price for their salvation. The innocent Servant died in
the place of the guilty – you and me! He did not die because of anything He had
done, but because of what WE had done! Jesus became our Substitute! If you read
carefully, you can find 24 references in these 12 verses to the Saviour’s
suffering.
4 Surely he
hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Oh,
what a miracle, what a wonder that Jesus would die for me!! But why did He “bear our griefs and carry our sorrows” I think the question is answered in the first part of
verse 6, “All
we like sheep have gone astray.” This reminds me of Romans 3:23 – “For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Then, again, the
end of this verse says, “yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Again, we
ask, why? The answer comes in the next
verse --
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.
So
that reminds me of 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.” He died for MY sins. He, “who knew no sin,” became sin for me, shed
His blood on the cross for MY sins, so that I could have eternal life because
of His suffering!
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.
I
was a lost lamb, going my own way. This verse reminds us “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus died for me and my sins!
I
love the hymn that expresses this so well --
Oh,
what a Saviour that He died for me!
From
condemnation He hath made me free;
"He
that believeth on the Son," saith He,
"Hath
everlasting life."
"Verily, verily, I say unto
you,"
"Verily, verily,"
message ever new;
"He that believeth on the
Son," 'tis true,
"Hath everlasting
life."
All my
iniquities on Him were laid,
All my
indebtedness by Him was paid;
All who
believe on Him, the Lord hath said,
Have
"everlasting life."
Though poor and needy, I can
trust my Lord;
Though weak and sinful, I
believe His word;
Oh, blessed message! every child
of God
"Hath everlasting
life."
Though all unworthy, yet I will
not doubt,
For him that cometh He will not
cast out;
"He that
believeth"—oh, the good news shout!
“Hath everlasting life."
WHAT He Suffered
Let’s go back to Isaiah 53:5 --
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.
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.
I cannot read these verses without pausing and
giving a moment of thanks. Thank you, Jesus. I do not begin to fully comprehend what He
suffered for me. He was wounded, he was
bruised, he was covered in MY sins. Isaiah 52:14 tells us, “As many were
astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more
than the sons of men:” There are three
key words in verse 5 – wounded,
bruised, stripes. Think on those -- “he was wounded, he was bruised, with his stripes…” Jesus suffered for me! In John
10:11 Jesus said, “I am
the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
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.
Here are two more descriptive words – oppressed and afflicted. Oppressed means the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust
manner, where afflicted is to distress with mental or bodily
pain.
Now, let me read you a passage from Matthew 27:27-31 –
27 Then the soldiers of the governor
took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of
soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on
him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they spit upon him, and took
the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked
him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led
him away to crucify him.
Doesn’t that say oppressed
and afflicted to you? Verse 7 goes on to say that “he
openeth
not his mouth.” This was
referenced in each of the gospels, that Christ did not defend himself.
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.
Again,
we are reminded that it was for sin that Jesus suffered. These are the exact verses that the Ethiopian
eunuch was reading when the Bible says that Philip preached unto him Jesus!
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.
Now
we come to Christ’s burial. Look at how
specific the prophecy is. He was crucified between two thieves, common
criminals, “with the wicked,”
and His body should have been thrown on the dung heap, yet he was buried in the
tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea, a rich man, “with the rich in his death.” Once again we are reminded that he had died, yet
without sin. I think of the thief on the
cross who said, “…this
man hath done nothing amiss.”
(John
23:41)
WHEN He Suffered
When Jesus suffered for you and me – what did it
ultimately mean?
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.
When Jesus suffered for us, how could it possibly
please God? Romans 8:32 says, “He
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, .
. .” Doesn’t that make you think, too, of
John 3:16? This verse, too, speaks
of Christ’s resurrection, because it says, “he shall see his seed” – that’s me and you, His seed are His spiritual children! Jesus always
pleased His Father, “And he
that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always
those things that please him.” (John
8:29) Then “he
shall prolong his days,” speaks to
His resurrection which Christ foretold, “Therefore doth
my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” (John 10:17)
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.
Not
only was the Father pleased, but Christ was satisfied when He had completed His
sacrifice. On the cross, we are reminded
that He said, “It is
finished.” (John 19:30) Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God.”
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.
When
Jesus suffered for your sins and for my sins, He became the Substitute. He did for us what we could not. He made a way for us to live with God in
Heaven. He made intercession for sinners.
Peter said it this way in his epistle, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.” This is an unconditional salvation for all men. Jesus Himself said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) We became His
spoil. In Psalm 2:8 the Father says
to the Son, “Ask of me, and
I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”
This month let’s memorize Isaiah 53:6 and remember what Jesus
suffered for our sin.
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