His Manifold Sorrows
Isaiah 53 v. 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."
He is a:-
1. Suffering Saviour - "He is despised and rejected of men."
Handels Messiah - head on table weeping
Despised in his:-
(a) Manhood i.e. who he was in his person
(b) Ministry - friend of publicans and sinners -
Luke 15 v. 2 "And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." i.e. what he did
(c) Motives - why he did it John 15 v. 24 "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father."
2. Sorrowing Saviour - "a man of sorrows"
Because of:-
(a) His Sinlessness - John 2 v. 24 "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,"
1 Peter 2 v. 22 & 23 "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:"
(b) His Sympathy - Hebrews 4 v. 15 & 16 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
He is:-
(1) Tender - touched with the feeling of our infirmities
(2) Triumphant - "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin"
(3) Trustworthy - v. 16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
(c) His Solitude - Matthew 27 v. 46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
He was alone in:-
(1) The Garden - Matthew 26 v. 40 "And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?"
(2) The Judgement - Matthew 26 v. 27 & 58 "And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end."
(3) On the Cross - Matthew 27 v. 46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" "Why hath thou forsaken me?"
(d) His Scorn - "he was despised and we esteemed him not"
We rejected:-
(1) His Words
(2) His Works
(3) His Will
(4) His Worth - "we esteemed him not"
Matthew 27 v. 39 - 44 "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth."
3. Sin-bearing Saviour - 2 Corinthians 5 v. 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."
Hebrews 2 v. 9 & 10 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
See his:-
(a) Condescension - "made a little lower than the angels"
(b) Crucifixion - "for the suffering of death"
(c) Coronation - "crowned with glory and honour"
(d) Consecration - "taste death for every man"
Why? v. 10 "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
4. Scorned Saviour - v. 3 "We hid as it were our faces from him." i.e.
Note:-
(a) The Reality of His Death
(b) The Reason for His Death
(c) The Response to His Death i.e. "we hid our faces from him"
Luther - "we estimated him at nothing" i.e.
The shame of:-
(1) Man's Sin
(2) Christ's Suffering
(3) God's Salvation
There was no other way a God of love could find
To reconcile the world and save a lost mankind
It took the death of his own son upon the tree
There was no other way but Calvary
John 1 v. 11 & 12 "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
