Volume. XXIV, No. 40 The Risen Christ: Satisfied with His SufferingsIntroduction: The better you know Jesus Christ, the better you know the roots of his life and ministry in the Old Testament where God was at work to prepare for the coming of his Son into history. And the better you know the Old Testament, the better you know the meaning of Jesus Christ and what God had long been planning for Him to fulfill. There is a need for us to deepen our understanding and strengthen our faith if we fixed our gaze on the resurrection of Jesus as it was described by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before it happened. In Isaiah 53 we will see the content and the confirmation of the resurrection of Christ – content, because the precious meaning of it for our lives is opened to us; and confirmation, because it was predicted 700 years before it happened.
The Promised Servant of the Lord Was to Die
In Isaiah 53, we are told that the promised Servant of the Lord was to die, as well as the reason for this. The death is made explicit in verses 8, 9, and 12. Firstly in verse 8. After verse 7 says he was led "as a lamb to the slaughter," verse 8 says that the slaughter actually was successful: " 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" He was killed. It was execution, not an accidental death. Then verse 9 makes the death clear by referring to his burial: "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" He died and he was buried, and if we had time we could draw out the details of the fulfillment in the life of Jesus here in relation to where and how he was buried. The death of God\'s redeeming Servant is predicted clearly in the book of Isaiah. One more confirmation is found in verse 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"
Ten Statements of Why God Planned for His Holy Servant to Die
Now, why did he die? Why did Jesus die on the cross? Actually, ten times we are told the reason why in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. Before we look at them, notice verse 10, "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief…" This death is not a historical accident—it is the purpose and plan of God! So as we hear these ten statements of why he died, keep in mind: these are God\'s purposes, not human accidents. And if you will receive it, they show God\'s love to you. Here they are. Ten statements why God planned for his holy Servant to die:
1. Verse 4a: "Surely he hath borne our griefs…"
2. Verse 4b: " . . . and carried our sorrows."
3. Verse 5a: But he was wounded for our transgressions…"
4. Verse 5b: "…he was bruised for our iniquities."
5. Verse 5c: "the chastisement of our peace was upon him…”
6. Verse 5d: "…and with his stripes we are healed."
7. Verse 6: "…The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
8. Verse 8c: " …for the transgression of my people was he stricken"
9. Verse 11e: "….he shall bear their iniquities."
10. Verse 12c: "He hath bare the sin of many"
If people ever ask you, “What is the essence of Christianity? What\'s at the heart and centre of it all?” Here is the answer. Let\'s use the words of verse 6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way…”. This is called sin. Turning from God and making ourselves our own master and our own treasure. But God was not willing to leave us in this guilty and condemned condition. He planned from ages past to send a Suffering Servant, not mainly to model love for us, but to bear our sins as a substitute for us. "the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa 53:6b). This is the heart of Christianity—this is the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ came into the world to fulfil this prophecy. Yes, there were many others to be sure, but this one is central and basic. He came to die. He came to die in our place. He came to die for our sins. This is our only hope. And the New Testament is all about how this happened and how it affects our lives now and in the ages to come. Therefore, I urge you to pursue the knowledge of these things with all your heart and all your mind and preach it to those who do not know the gospel!
The Redeeming Servant of the Lord Was to Rise
Now what about the resurrection? Let\'s look at the resurrection of the redeeming Servant of the Lord in these words written 700 years before it happened. At least three times Isaiah tells us that the sacrifice made in the death of the servant results in a resurrection triumph. He does not use the word "resurrection," but the reality is plain. First, we read in verse 10b: "…when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, [which he did] . . ." now three things will result: "(1) He will see His seed, (2) he shall prolong his days, (3) And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." In other words, if he dies for others as a offering for sin – as a substitute – 1) he will live to see his seed – those whom he has saved by dying for them – and 2) he will live for a long time ("prolong his days") which, by implication, is forever, since when death is conquered it can\'t defeat you again (Romans 6:9); and 3) God\'s great purposes will triumph in his hands (“the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand”) – he will take the scroll of history and unroll it as the Lord of heaven and earth (Revelation 5:5). This is a picture of the Messiah who was dead and is alive and victorious forever as the Lord of all those who receive his salvation.
Then we look at verse 11. Again triumph comes from death. "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" Again, there are three outcomes as a result of Jesus dying for sinners: 1) He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied (v.11a). 2) By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many (v.11b) – all those who trust in him! If anyone trust him, he is declared just or righteous before God, as Paul later declared in the book of Romans. That is what "justify" means. A dead Christ does not justify. A living Christ does! 3) "for he shall bear their iniquities." (v.11c) Yes, he bore these iniquities when he died. But he goes on making intercession and bears them forever in the sense that as long as he lives it is plain that his death was utterly sufficient to pay for all your sins. He is satisfied. We are justified. And all our sins are carried by another forever. We will never bear them again! Finally, in verse 12, God speaks: " 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." In other words, after he pours out himself to death, he lives and divides the booty with the strong – as though his death were a great triumph in war with much booty.
He Will See It and Be Satisfied, among His Offspring
Let\'s end on this note. The resurrection of Jesus did not happen for his sake alone. It was also for His sake! And we would not have it any other way. Let him be honoured for his great work of salvation on the cross! Verse 11: "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied…" Christ was raised from the dead for HIS satisfaction! But what is the Son satisfied with? Verse 11 says, literally "He will see [it and] be satisfied." Verse 10 says, "he shall see his seed" May I suggest that Jesus\' satisfaction is based on His looking out on a great assembly of people from every race and tribe and language and nation who have trusted him and been forgiven and justified! Rev 5:9 says, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” And with tremendous joy he walks among them now and in the ages to come – a people "great" and "strong" (verse 12). And he divides the spoil of his triumphs with them all. This is what he loves to do. This is his satisfaction. He delights to save. He loves to bring people from death to life so they can enjoy his majesty forever.
Conclusion:
The question is: Are you his? If you are his, you belong to that great and strong people, even though you feel utterly unworthy. That is the whole point of the death of Christ. He died in our place. And all who trust him as the Saviour and Lord and Treasure of your life will be forgiven and justified and live forever with him. If you are not his, you can be his just by calling upon His name and acknowledge your sin before Him and believe that He has died for your sin on the cross and risen on the third day!
Ps Weng
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