Summary: The Savior was oppressed for us1

INTRODUCTION

 SLIDE #1

 Raise your hand if you have ever been unjustly accused of something?

 Raise you hand if you have ever been punished for something you did not do?

 If you had what was your natural reaction to what happened to you? Did you just sit idly by and let it happen?

 If you are like me, you would have been screaming out at the top of your lungs about the injustice behind what was happening to you.

 It seems like we are hearing more and more people who are found guilty in our court systems that later DNA evidence finds them to be innocent. Some people have been within days or hours of receiving the death penalty.

 People who have been unjustly put into prison are victims of failures in the system.

 As we close in on Resurrection Sunday next week, Isaiah is going to tell us about a savior who fell victim to a failed system.

 Over 700 years before Jesus came to save mankind; Isaiah is going to tell us about the oppression that our savior would face at the hands of His own countrymen.

 The dictionary tells us that the word “oppression” means, “the act of subjecting to cruel and unjust hardships.”

 A person is not being oppressed if they are being justly punished for something they did.

 When you look in the bible, one example of a person who was oppressed was Joseph. His brothers who did not like him sold Joseph into slavery and he was later put into prison for something he did not do. Joseph was oppressed.

 As you follow the story of Joseph you see that Joseph did not get angry with God, but instead he did all he could to serve God in the midst of terrible circumstances.

 Later Joseph was placed under Pharaoh and because of his position; he was able to help keep the nation of Israel alive.

 In a stirring scene in Genesis 50:13-21 when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they thought that Joseph would now pay them back for the evil they had done to him.

 SLIDE #2

 Instead he responds in Genesis 50:20 by saying,

 Genesis 50:20 (ESV)As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

 The evil that the oppressors of Jesus meant for Him was going to benefit mankind because of the love that God has for us.

 As we have been looking at the Suffering Servant Poems in Isaiah 53, I hope that one of the things that you are starting to grasp is the love that God has for you. I hope that today’s text will deepen that understanding even more.

 As we close in on Resurrection Sunday, let us never forget what God has done for us!

 SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. HIS OPPRESSION WAS SUFFERED SILENTLY V7

• Look at verse 7

• SLIDE #4

• Isaiah 53:7 (ESV) 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.

• There are many ways in which we can deal with oppression. Jesus chose to deal with it with silence.

• SLIDE #5

A. He was oppressed.

 As we look at verse 7, the first thing that jumps out at me is the fact that Jesus was oppressed. Verse 8 also speaks of oppression.

 The interesting thing about this is that Jesus did not have to allow Himself to be oppressed?

 Why didn’t He do anything to stop the oppression? Why did Jesus allow Judas to betray Him? He knew what Judas was going to do. (Matt 26:22-ff)

 Why did Jesus allow Himself to be arrested? Why did He allow Himself to be mocked by the religious leaders? He could have wiped them all out or just a few of them to make a point?

 Why did He allow the soldiers to beat Him and hang Him on a cross? Why did He allow the religious leaders to falsely accuse Him? Why did He let Pilate condemn Him?

 None of this was something that Jesus was looking forward to. Listen to the anguish He was struggling with before His arrest.

 SLIDE #6

 Matthew 26:36-38 (ESV) Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.

 He allowed Himself to be oppressed so our sins could be forgiven! Matthew 26:26-28.

 He allowed Himself to undergo all He did because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life! (John 3:16)

 We spoke of many of the terrible things that happened to Jesus so that we could have eternal life.

 SLIDE #7

B. He was afflicted.

 Verse 7 also tells us that He was afflicted. This word in the original text means that HE VOLUNTARILY allowed Himself to be oppressed.

 SLIDE #8

 Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 Jesus humbled Himself so that He could take the punishment that we deserved.

 SLIDE #9

C. Jesus went down without a fight.

 Isaiah tells us in verse 7 that Jesus endured this horrible treatment as a lamb lead to slaughter. He did not put up a fight; He did not call on the Father to kill everyone.

 In Matthew 26:51-54 while Jesus was being arrested, Jesus told His disciples the He could call on twelve legions of angels to stoop what was happening.

 When Jesus was taken before Pilate in Matthew 27, He did not respond to any of the false claims made by the religious leaders.

 Jesus allowed the terrible things to happen to Him so that they would not have to happen to us. I want you to think about what kind of love that took!

 Jesus was perfectly quiet, meek, submissive, patient, He did not open his mouth to complain to God on account of the great sorrows, which he had appointed to him; nor did He complain to God on account of his being ill-treated by man.

 He did not use the language of reviling when he was reviled, nor return upon people the evils which they were inflicting on him (compare Ps. 39:9).

 What did Jesus say? Father for give them for they know not what they do! (Luke 23:34)

 SLIDE #10

 Luke 23:34 (ESV) And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

 As a sheep submits quietly to the operation of shearing Jesus never opened his mouth to revile or complain.

 Jesus suffered for us and He did so in part to be a example for us. 1 Peter 2:20-23!

 SLIDE #11

II. HIS OPPRESSION WAS UNWARRANTED V8

 Let us look at verse 8.

 SLIDE #12

 Isaiah 53:8 (ESV) 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?

 Verse 8 tells us that Jesus was unjustly tried and punished.

 Verse 8 is hard to interpret from the original, but what the first part basically says is Jesus was violently taken and was not permitted to have justice. His trial was rigged.

 In Matthew 27, when Pilate wanted to release Jesus, He decided to give the people a choice between Jesus and a criminal named Barabbas.

 SLIDE #13

 Matthew 27:15-23 (ESV) 15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

 When you think about this, Jesus took the punishment this criminal deserved. The crowd when given the choice of releasing a man who done no wrong, took the evil one. How many times do we reject Jesus for evil?

 Isaiah tells us that Jesus was cut off from the land of the living (He was killed) for the transgressions of the people to whom the punishment (stroke) was due.

 Once again we need to understand that Jesus did not die for any sins He committed (since He did not commit any), but for us.

 Jesus had seemingly lost everything, His few possessions, His life and most of His friends left Him.

 Jesus was mocked, can you imaging joining in with the crowd as they wagged their fingers at Jesus, hurled insults at Him?

 I would imagine that Satan was beaming from ear to ear about this time. It looked like he had won and God had lost.

 Here is God, sending His perfect Son to save mankind, and here is mankind rejecting Him.

 On October 19, 1987 the stock market declined in a sudden, surprising plunge that left many investors much poorer. The day was quickly named Black Friday. It has always seemed to us that Good Friday should be called Black Friday.

 It looked pretty hopeless to those few who still loved Jesus; it looked hopeless to His disciples.

 It was Friday, but Sunday was coming.

 SLIDE #14

III. HIS OPPRESSION WAS TEMPORARY V 9

 If we did not know any better, it looked at that point like God lost. It was Friday, but Sunday was coming.

 Look at verse 9.

 SLIDE #15

 Isaiah 53:9 (ESV) 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.

 When a criminal was put to death, their body was more or less dumped. The sense is that it was not only intended to put him to death, but also to heap the highest indignity on him.

 They intended to deny him an honorable burial, and to consign him to the same ignominious (or embarrassing) grave with the violators of the laws of God and man.

 One part of a humiliating punishment has often been to deny to him who has been known to be guilty an honorable burial.

 Had it not been for Joseph of Arimathea who requested the body Jesus and gave Him in his own grave (Lk 23:50-53, Matt 27:57-60), He would have been humiliated even further.

 Jesus was oppressed, but Isaiah tells us again that He had done nothing wrong nor did He deceive anyone!

 Jesus submitted Himself to what He did for you and me. He did it because of the great love that He has for us!

 Jesus was not going to be defeated by death. It was Friday, but Sunday was coming.

 Exit PowerPoint go to VIDEO.

 AFTER VIDEO CLICK TO NEXT FILLER SLIDE.

CONCLUSION

 Next week we will finish up our mini-series on the Suffering Servant. On Resurrection Sunday we will look at the Victorious Savior! Satan thought he won on Friday, but Sunday was coming.

 Today is the day for you to come to Jesus, to show Satan that he cannot have victory in your life.