Isaiah 53 “A More amazing song”
Proposition: Let Isaiah 53 captivate your mind with how amazing Jesus’s love for you is so
that lesser things (including temptations drop off).
I think that every person at times will struggle with temptations. Whether it is something
apparently minor like a temptation to come home late when the fishing is good or whether
it is something more sinister like a sin the bible has warned us against. We all struggle with
temptations. Now the wages of sin, the consequences of sin is death and we all know that
when we do something wrong you feel good as you do it maybe but then the kicker comes
and there is inevitably consequences and harm.
I have often said to people wrestling with temptation;
Do what Jesus said to do in Matthew 18:8-9 cut off the point of temptation even if it means
cutting off a friendship, shopping elsewhere, throwing away your smart phone or your
internet access. Cut it off, pluck it out, and get rid of it.
Secondly Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:5 take every thought captive and make it obey Christ
so determine not to let those thoughts settle in your mind.
But the most helpful scripture of all is Philippians 4:8 where Paul tells us to dwell on those
things at are pure, holy and worthy of praise.
There was a man who lived in ancient Greece whose name was Homer. Spelt the same way
as Homer Simpson but much more intelligent. Now this ancient poet used to write stories
about the adventures of Ulysses. In one of his poems he writes how there is an island off
Greece occupied by Sirens. These mythical creatures were meant to be very beautiful ladies
with amazing, seductive voices. Every time sailors heard the singing of these Sirens they
would be lured to turn their ships into the reefs where they would inevitably be sunk and
drown. Ulysses had a dream that he wanted to be the first man to ever hear the singing of
the sirens and live and so he came up with a plan. He hired some sailors and asked that they
tie him to the mast of the ship. Then he had them fill their ears with wax. As they
approached the island the sailors couldn’t hear the seductive, beautiful singing and while
Ulysses could and he really wanted to go to them, he couldn’t because he was tied to the
mast and so the sailors sailed right on by.
Shortly after that there was a cleverer man than Ulysses, who had a different approach. His
name was Orpheus and he was the most exceptional musician. The story goes that one day
the ship that Orpheus was on was blown off course close to this island. As the sailors on
board heard the beautiful singing they began to steer their ship towards the submerged
reefs as if under a spell. On seeing this Orpheus the great musician pulled out his flute and
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played the most beautiful, passionate music anyone had ever heard. The sailors then were
distracted from the sound of the sirens and began to focus on the music of Orpheus and
were able then to steer their ship to safety.
When you are temped in life, strapping yourself to the mast, surrounding yourself with rules
and boundaries and self-will is all good but there is a better way. And that is to let your
imagination be captivated by a more amazing song, to think about how great God’s love for
us is and exactly what Jesus has done for you and me.
That is what I am praying will happen this morning as we go through this amazing prophecy
written by the prophet Isaiah 750 years before the birth of Jesus, with amazing accuracy
about what Jesus would go through, to secure our salvation and healing, I pray this song,
this prophetic account will fill our minds and hearts with awe again at the amazing love of
God for each one of us.
There is an old Hymn that we used to sing when I was a little fella, if we can we will sing it in
closing this morning but let me read for you the chorus.
1 O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
2 Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conqu’rors we are!
3 His Word shall not fail you, He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
That’s the more amazing song. That is the message that if you allow it to captivate your
heart and mind will keep you from temptation. It is the ultimate in what is pure and holy
and worthy of praise.
Isaiah 53 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
53 Has anyone believed us or seen the mighty power of the LORD in action?
The prophet begins.
Has anyone believed us?
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I don’t know about you but I find when I tell people that there is nothing that you can do to
earn salvation and a relationship with God it is all based on what Jesus has done and is a
free gift. Often people say; no way. There is no such thing as a free lunch. What you are
telling me sounds too good to be true.
Then most Christians would quote
John 3:16
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God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.
Eternal life: Just by trusting in Jesus? No that sounds way too easy.
My favourite verse
John 10:10
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A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and
have it in its fullest.
Eternal life; a full and satisfying life? Yeah, yeah…naah.
It sounds too good to be true. I don’t get it. Surely I have to be punished. I have to work
hard at some things.
The prophet begins his prophecy.
Who has believed our message?
Wow. It’s really good news but does it work, is it true? I can only say with Jesus I know I am
going to heaven; I do find life satisfying and enjoyable and full. I have experienced His joy
and his help through both good times and bad. The message is amazing, almost
unbelievably good but it’s all true. I and most of you have experienced it.
As Isaiah begins to outline this details, profoundly accurate prophecy he describes Jesus
very, very powerfully.
1. JESUS IS THE SENSITIVE ONE (2a)
Like a young plant or a root that sprouts in dry ground, the servant grew
up obeying the LORD.
Isaiah says that Jesus will be like a young plant or a root. Not an overbearing tree bullying
and pointing out fault and pushing people around, but a young plant; Tender; Sensitive. And
He was; when children saw Him they didn’t wonder can I go and see the Rabbi they just
said, “Its Jesus, we know He loves us, He will want to hug us, and listen to our news…. Jesus.
When Jesus approached lepers, deformed, skin rotting lepers He always touches them.
When He is on the cross in extreme agony He looks down and sees Mother Mary and the
apostle John together and out of compassion for mum says ‘mum, here is your son and son
here is your mum. I.e. John look after her please.
He was the sensitive one that sprouted out of dry ground. Did you know that the driest
time spiritually for the nation of Israel was the 400 years prior to John the Baptist and then
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Jesus? No miracles. No prophets, no prophecies it had been for 400 years as if God was
silent.
2. HE WAS ALSO THE SCARED ONE 2b
He wasn’t some handsome king. Nothing about the way he looked made him
attractive to us.
Isaiah 45:2,3 describe the messiah as good looking and I think that Jesus was. He was very
muscular, very fit, never worried, never got anxious about anything,and never did anything
sinful or regrettable. People who live holy lives look awesome. But Isaiah is describing here
what I believe Jesus looks like now.
Revelation 5:6
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Then I looked and saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne that was surrounded
by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb looked as if it had once been killed
A couple of weeks ago I described for you in possibly too much detail what Jesus would have
looked like after the punching and flagellum and thorns and spitting. When we see Jesus
one day He will look like a lamb that looked as if it had been beaten to death.
This is how Isaiah described how Jesus would look one day in the previous chapter
Many were horrified at what happened to him.But everyone who saw him was even more
horrified because he suffered until he no longer looked human.15 My servant will make
nations worthy to worship me; kings will be silent as they bow in wonder.They will see and
think about things they have never seen or thought about before.
Jesus is going to be the sensitive one, the scared one and
3. THE SORROWFUL ONE vs3
He was hated and rejected;his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering.No one
wanted to look at him.We despised him and said, “He is a nobody!”
When Jesus was growing up and beginning His ministry He found favour with everyone.
People loved and respected Him. But when He started saying things like you have heard
it said that it is wrong to sleep with some one that you are not married to but I tell you,
if you lust after someone else you have committed adultery with them. You have heard
it said do not murder someone but I tell you if you hate your brother you are guilty of
the sin of murder. And when He said that in order to enter God’s kingdom you need to
eat my flesh and drink my blood, the tide totally turned against him to such an extent
that he turned to his small band of disciples and said “are you guys going to leave me
to?”
A man who spoke the truth and for that He was often rejected, despised, not
understood.
Listen if in your marriage you don’t feel understood, or maybe even rejected, if in your
work place you don’t feel appreciated by your boss, I know someone you should talk to
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because he has been through everything that we are likely to face and yet He didn’t sin
(Heb 4).
4. HE IS THE STRICKEN ONE vs4
He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was
punishment from God.
What does that mean? It means that the punishment we deserved was given to Jesus by
the Father. Now just imagine how hard it would have been for Father God to punish God
the Son who He had already spent an eternity with and who was totally innocent of any
sin. When my kids were little I sometimes growled at the wrong kid and that made me
feel bad enough. God the Father dealt out our punishment to His beloved, perfect Son.
5. HE IS THE SUFFERING ONE vs 5
He was wounded and crushed because of our sins;by taking our punishment, he
made us completely well.
1 Peter 2:24,25 says that by his wounds or by His stripes, those giant gashes from the
Flagellum whip, we were healed.
Jesus could have just died a horrific death on the cross for our salvation but scripture says
that divine healing was released from Jesus’ scared body to heal our bodies because of
the whipping. The apostle Peter says by His stripes we were healed.
Now I believe that His healing covers every aspect of our lives; physical healing,
psychological healing and emotional healing.
6. HE IS THE SIN BEARING ONE vs 6
All of us were like sheep that had wandered off. We had each gone our own way,
but the LORD gave him the punishment we deserved.
ALL, all of us: The sin of the whole of humanity was heaped on Him and He took our
punishment. Not only our sins of selfishness or apathy or exaggeration or dodgy
thoughts but also the sins of the beast of Blenheim and the sins of Hitler in fact the sins
of around 77 Billion people were put on Him. Being less of a man than I used to be when
I went swimming at the beginning of spring last year I felt the shock of the cold water.
But can you imagine the shock to Jesus body when all the rubbish of humanity for all
time was dumped on Him: He that knew no sin.
7. HE IS THE SILENT ONE vs 7
He was painfully abused, but he did not complain.He was silent like a lamb being led
to the butcher, as quiet as a sheep having its wool cut off.
When the officials and the guards are beating Jesus and mocking Jesus when the
Pharisees are accusing him of a whole range of hideous crimes not once does Jesus try
to defend himself against all the lies. Not once does he speak up or get a little angry. I
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believe He could have called down legions of angels or he could have spoken a word, a
single word and all humanity could have been wiped out. But like a lamb being led to the
butcher, He never spoke a word.
Why?
Could it be that by not speaking, by not standing up for Himself and putting them
straight, could it be that by not speaking He avoided the greatest temptation to sin and
therefore not be able to save us?
I think that most of us find that when we are trying to defend ourselves against some
crazy , clearly false accusation, that if we speak at that moment we are most likely to sin.
And when you start defending and justifying yourself, when and where do you stop?
Jesus was the silent one.
If you read the rest of this chapter at home you will discover that
Vs 9 that he is the sincere One
Vs10 that He is the submitted One
Vs11 He is the satisfied One (He gets YOU as His reward)
Vs12 He is the successful One ( He gains us and then helps us succeed)
My friends, as you do life, as you face trials and temptations. My prayer is this. That you
would look at this picture of Jesus from Isaiah 53 and go wow, for me? That much love?
And the song of salvation will fill your mind and the things of earth will grow strangely
dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Lets stand…
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