Transcription
So what it's telling us is sin has caused your finances to fall apart. Sin has caused your marriage to fall apart, start disintegrating. Sin has caused your family, your children's relationships to fall apart. Yeah, your family. Sin has a way of doing that.
Well, this is the seventh sermon in our series on the book of Isaiah, chapter 53. And if you're a first-time visitor or you've missed a few Sundays and therefore you haven't heard the last few sermons, let me explain a few things about Isaiah chapter 53.
First of all, Isaiah 53 is a double fulfillment prophecy, which simply means it's a prophecy that has two fulfillments, a short-term fulfillment and a long-term fulfillment. In this case, the first fulfillment was the primary fulfillment. You see, Isaiah 53 is a messianic prophecy that explains in detail how and why the Messiah would suffer and die for us. Isaiah specifically prophesied how Jesus would suffer and die. And he specifically prophesied why he would suffer and die. And of course, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in in in in uh great detail all the way down to the last detail, which along with the other messianic prophecies proves that Jesus is and was the true Messiah.
The second fulfillment will take place sometime in the future at the end of the tribulation during that period known as the time of Jacob's trouble. At that time, the Jews are going to recognize that they were wrong and that Jesus truly is and was the Messiah. And they will confess their sin, not plural, singular. They will confess their sin of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. And Isaiah 53 will be their confession. And when that takes place, that will be the second fulfillment of this prophecy.
Secondly, Isaiah 53 is a song about the suffering servant, also known as the Messiah, written in the form of Hebrew poetry. Thirdly, this poetic song contains five stanzas of three verses each. And last but not least, the first line of each stanza is the theme of that stanza.
Now, so far we've covered the first two stanzas, and we just started the third stanza last week, and that's what we're going to look at this morning. If we have time. Yeah, we might not have enough time. The third stanza is verses 4-6. But first, what I want to do is I want to cover a few theological terms that you need to know in order to understand this stanza.
What I've been trying to do as we go along in this series is to introduce certain theological terms. And the reason I do it didn't do it all at once is because I didn't want you to be overwhelmed by all of these theological terms, but at the same time, I wanted you to be able to apply them as they came up. Now, some of you are going to be very familiar with these terms, others of you are not. And I want to make sure that everyone is familiar with them. So, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to explain these theological terms. And then if we have time, we're going to start going through verses 4-6 verse by verse.
So let's start with the word atonement. And let me give you a technical definition and then I'm going to give you a definition in more layman's terms. Here's the technical definition. In other words, the strict or the more academic definition. If you're taking notes, I would write this down. Atonement, that aspect of the work of Christ and particularly his suffering and death which makes possible the restoration of fellowship between individual believers and God.
Now let me explain this term in more layman's terms starting with the base word atone. Atone literally means at one and it expresses the idea or concept of being reconciled after being estranged, alienated or at enmity with someone. I want you to think of it like this. For whatever reason, something happened which caused a split in your relationship with a person. So now you're at enmity with that person. You're alienated and estranged with each other. In fact, if you got in the same room, it would be awkward. Do you say hi? Do you not say hi? Are you cold towards them or you're not cold towards them? But you know when that you're in that room that it ain't happening.
Now, here's what's interesting. People like me, I'm oblivious to that. My wife can walk into a room and she can go and she can actually pinpoint the two people they're in with each other. Not me. And usually I stick my foot in my mouth because of that. But I want you to imagine that someone's done something to you and so now you're estranged from that person. You're in enmity with them. You're adversaries. And that's how we were people with God because of our sin. We are we were at enmity with God, alienated and estranged from him because of our sin. But the word atone means to reconcile or to bring us back together again. Something's that something's been done that allowed us to reconcile. So now we're no longer separated into two adversarial sides. Instead, we're now on the same side. We're reconciled. We're at one with each other. We're not adversaries anymore. So things are good between us. Now we can be in the same room and we're happy. We're talking with each other. Things are good.
Now, the word atonement means something a little bit different than the word atone. Yeah. Believe it or not, the suffix meant m e n t changes the meaning just a little bit. You see, the suffix meant refers to the act of doing something or the means by which something is accomplished. So when you add the suffix meant to the base word atone, it means the act of making us at one with God or the means by which we're made at one with God. So in layman's terms, atonement refers to all that Christ did in order to make us at one with God. Let me say that again because it's very important. If you're taking notes, write that down. Atonement refers to all that Christ did in order to make us at one with God. Or more specifically, it refers to Christ's suffering and death which reconciled us to God.
So now that you know what atonement is in layman's terms, let's look at the technical definition again. Notice what it is. Atonement, that aspect of the work of Christ and particularly his suffering and death which makes possible the restoration of fellowship. We're no longer at enmity with each other. We're no longer adversaries, but we now have restored fellowship with God. That's what atonement is. Makes a lot more sense now, doesn't it?
Now look at Leviticus chapter 17 verse number 11 and let's see how the the word atonement is used in the Old Testament because we want to know how they had atonement in the Old Testament and then we're going to find out how we achieve atonement in the New Testament. So look with me if you would in at uh Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul."
Now, notice what this is saying. The life of the flesh is in the blood. And people, that is so true. If you lose too much blood, you're going to die because the blood provides the body's cells with oxygen and it it removes the carbon dioxide. It also uh transports nutrients and hormones. It regulates the body's temperature. It takes the body's waste products to the kidneys and liver. And the white blood cells protect the body from pathogens. And I could go on and on, but you get the picture. This is why an infection that gets in your blood or blood disease is so dangerous. It's because the life of the flesh is in the blood. And for that reason, blood represents life. Let me say that again. And you need to write that down because it's going to be on the test. All right? Blood represents life. Why? Because the life of the flesh is in the blood.
Now, when Adam and Eve sinned, it separated them from the presence of God. It alienated them from God. Everyone with me? It created enmity between man and God. And Adam and Eve became estranged from God. Sin also brought forth death, not just for Adam and Eve, but for all men. Notice what Romans 5:12 says. "When Adam sinned, it entered the world. Adam's sin brought death. So death spread to everyone for everyone sinned." So we're estranged from God because of sin and the penalty for sin is death.
So how can man be reconciled to God? In other words, what needs to be done for us to be reconciled with God? Well, according to Leviticus 17 verse number 11, God allowed the Israelites to offer sacrificial animals as a penal substitution to atone for their souls. Now, let me say that again because that's very important. According to Leviticus 17:1, God allowed the Israelites to offer sacrificial animals as a penal substitution to atone for their souls. In other words, God allowed sacrificial animals to bear their sin so that their punishment fell upon the animals rather than upon them. To put it simply, the sacrificial animals died in their place as a substitute so that they could be reconciled to God. That's what Leviticus chap 17 verse number 11 is saying.
Look at that verse again one more time. Notice what it says. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it, what's it? The blood, the life of the animal to you upon the altar." That's where sacrifices are made on the altar to make an atonement for your souls. "For it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul." That's the means by which we are reconciled to God. Blood upon the altar, the sacrificial animals life for their life. People, that is penal substitution. The sacrificial animals life for their life. So the sacrificial animals died in the Israelites place so that they could be reconciled to God.
Now we know that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin permanently. That's why Jesus Christ came. Notice what Hebrews 10:es 4-9 says. "For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. There it is. It's not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why Christ came into the world. He said to God, 'You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings, but you have given me a body to offer.' You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, 'Look, I have come to do your will, oh God, as is written about me in the scriptures.' First Christ said, 'You do not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Nor were you pleased with them, though they are required by the law of Moses.' Then he said, 'Look, I have come to do your will.' He cancels the first covenant, which is what? the Mosaic covenant. In order to put the second covenant into effect, what's the second covenant, the new covenant? In fact, that's why we call it the new testament. Testamentous means covenant. We are now under the new covenant that Jesus Christ established.
The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins permanently. That's why they were always offering them. You sin. You go in. You offer your sin offering. And before you even make it home, you've sinned again. You're in trouble. Deep doodoo. But Jesus came because the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin perfectly. So that he could offer himself. He's infinite. He's God. He can take away all sin for all times.
So the bottom line is this. Jesus did what the animals could not do. Let me say that again. Jesus did what the animals could not do. He paid for our sin once and for all. And he reconciled us to God so that we're no longer alienated from him. We're no longer estranged from him. We're no longer in enmity with him.
So to recap, what does the word atonement mean? What does it refer to? Atonement refers to the work of Christ and particularly his suffering and death which makes possible the restoration of fellowship between individual believers and God. It's what Christ did in order to reconcile us with God. In particular, his suffering and death.
Now, here's what's interesting. As theologians, we study his suffering and death in order to know what's in the atonement. Is healing in the atonement? Is victory over afflictions afflictions in the atonement? Is dominion over the earth in the atonement? Is eternal life in the atonement? Because when we talk about being restored to fellowship with God, we want to know how far did this restoration go back. When Jesus Christ returns, he will consummate the new covenant. He established the new covenant the first time he came. But we're in a dispensation called now, but not yet. In other words, Jesus has done what's necessary to initiate this new covenant. We're in it, but it's not yet being consummated. We don't get the full effect of it. Yeah. But when Jesus Christ returns to this earth, he will restore all things back to the way it was before the fall. How far will that restoration go? And what part did Jesus suffering play in that? So, we study his suffering and death to know what's all in the atonement. Does that make sense?
Now, let's go a little bit deeper. The atoning work of Christ encompasses and fulfills the three needs that we have as sinners. And what are those three needs? If you're taking notes, I want you to write down the three needs that all sinners have. These are the three needs that you have and these are the three needs that I have and these are the three needs that every sinner has.
First of all, we're held accountable for our sin and the penalty of sin is death. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." People, that's our penalty for sin. So, what do we need? Penal substitution. What does penal mean? To pay the penalty. What does substitute? Someone to do it for me. Oo, we need penal substitution.
Secondly, because of our sin, we deserve to bear the wrath of God as punishment. John 3 verse number 36 says, "Whoever believes in the son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the son shall not see life. But listen to this. But the wrath of God remains on him." People, if we die without Jesus, we don't just die and it's over. The doctrine of annihilation is erroneous. If we die without Jesus, we bear the wrath of God. We are punished for our sins. So we need someone to be punished in our place. Penal substitution. Again, number three, last but not least, our sin separates us from God. I've already told you this. We're at enmity with God. We're alienated from God. We're estranged from God. You know, it's kind of interesting. When we give an altar call, I always say a prayer for people if they want to receive Jesus to repeat after me. And how do I start that prayer? "God, I know I'm a sinner and I know that my sin separates me from you." Where do I get that? What scripture says that? Isaiah 59:2. Isaiah 59:2 says, "It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and he will not listen anymore." If you don't have Jesus, you're still alienated from God. You're separated from God. You're estranged from God. You need someone to restore you, reconcile you. You need atonement.
So, number one, we deserve to die. Number two, we deserve to be punished. And number three, we deserve to be separated from God because we're unholy and he's holy. Boy, we need Jesus.
Now, how does the atoning work of Jesus fulfill those three needs? First of all, the penalty of death that we deserve because of our sin was satisfied through Jesus' death on the cross. He was our penal substitute. He paid the penalty for our sin. In other words, Jesus meets our needs through the expiation of our sin. We're going to talk about that word in just a second. Notice what Hebrews 9:26 says. "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Once and for all he put away sin. He expiated our sin.
Secondly, to remove the wrath of God from us and appease anger towards our sin, Christ died for us. Notice what 1 John 4:10 says. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sin." Now the word propitiation is a very important word and I'm going to talk about it in a second. But I want you to understand in the most layman terms I can use, propitiation means God is no longer angry at you.
And last but not least, in order to overcome our separation from God, we needed someone to reconcile us to God so that we could live in harmony with him. And through Christ, God has reconciled us back to God and given us the gift of reconciliation with one another. In fact, this word reconciliation Paul uses all the time. And sometimes I'm thinking, good Lord, Paul, give it a break. But this is such an important concept that we're no longer estranged. We're no longer apart from God. We're no longer at enmity. Notice what Paul wrote. This is 2 Corinthians 5 17-21. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespass unto them, and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ did be ye reconciled to God."
How many times was the word reconciled or reconciliation mentioned in those verses? Well, my opinion too. No, no, I'm just kidding. Not too much because we don't get it. We were estranged from God. And if you don't have Jesus, you're estranged from God right now. Those three needs you have. You want to know why I no longer have those three needs? Jesus met those needs for me. I no longer going to experience eternal death because Jesus was my penal substitute. I'm no longer going to be punished for what I've done because Jesus was punished for me. Penal substitution. I'm no longer estranged from God because Jesus has reconciled me. Atonement through his suffering and death. Yeah. Yeah.
So, as I said, the atoning work of Christ encompasses and fulfills all the needs that we have as sinners. Now, there are two other terms that you need to be familiar with. Expiation and propitiation. Very important words. They are very important words in the field of theology. And depending upon the version of the Bible that you have, you're going to run across them from time to time. So, you really need to know what they mean or it doesn't make any sense at all.
Therefore, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to define these words and then I'm going to explain what they mean. And let's start with expiation. I'll give you a definition, then I'll explain the definition. Here's expiation. Expiation is defined as the act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing. Or here's another way to say it. It's the act or process of making atonement for something. In other words, it's not the reconciliation itself. It's the act or the process that allows reconciliation to happen. It's the penalty that's paid so that our debt has been paid in full. Does that make sense? What Jesus did in order to pay for our sin as a penal substitute is expiation. His suffering and death expiated our sin. Let me say that again. His suffering and death expiated our sin. It paid the penalty for our sin. Now, the price that was paid is the expiation, and it's what's allowed us to be reconciled to God. Is everyone with me? Jesus suffering and death expiated my sin. It paid the penalty for my sin. That's expiation.
Now, let's look at the word propitiation because you'll get a better understanding of what expiation means once I explain propitiation and then show you the difference between the two. Propitiation is defined as the act of appeasing God's wrath. You see, John 3:36 says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." What does it mean remains? It means it's still there, but it also means it was there before. God's wrath was upon us because we're sinners and it remains on us until Jesus Christ becomes our Lord and Savior.
So, here's what I want you to see. God has a righteous anger toward sin. And he wants to punish sin and those who commit sin. He doesn't just want to punish sin, but he also wants to punish those who commit sin. If God didn't want to do that, he would not be just. And God is just. Look back in the last part of verse 36. "For God's wrath remains on them." Them refers to people, those who reject Jesus. Now listen to me because this is very important. People always say Christians, God loves the sinner, but he hates the sin. And I understand what they mean by that. But we also have to understand that it's not just sin that God sends to hell. God sends people to hell. God sends people to hell. So Jesus didn't just pay for our sin. He also satisfied God's demand for justice, thereby appeasing God's wrath. Let me say that again because that would be on the test. Jesus didn't just pay for our sin. He also satisfied God's demand for justice, thereby appeasing his wrath.
Now, as you can see, expiation and propitiation are related, but they're not the same thing. Think of it like this. Expiation is what Christ did on the cross and in hell in order to pay for our sin so that we could be reconciled to God. But as a result of our sin being punished, God's anger has been appeased or satisfied. That's propitiation.
Now, let me go a little bit further and I'm going to give you an example to illustrate the difference between the two because it's very important that you understand the difference between expiation and propitiation. And I'm going to explain why it's important in just a second. Hang on. Here's the example. Let's suppose that an employee was seriously injured while he was at work. And after an investigation was done, it was revealed that the company was at fault because it didn't provide a safe work environment for its employees. In fact, what they required for their employees and the environment they required them to work in was very dangerous. Therefore, the company was liable for the injuries that occurred while the man was at work. After a lawsuit was filed, the court awarded the man a great sum of money for his pain, his mental anguish, and also for his permanent disability that he suffered from his injury. When the company paid the man, it expiated its wrongdoing. Let me say that again. When the company paid the man, it expiated its wrongdoing. They had to pay for their negligence and disregard for their employee safety. However, that did not appease the man's anger towards the company. It did not change the way the man felt about the company for putting him in danger. He was still angry. He was still hurt. And he was still full of resentment for the fact that the company had put him in great danger. And if the truth be told, no amount of money in the world could or would appease him. So the settlement expiated the company's wrongdoing, but it did not propitiate the man's anger towards the company. Do you see the difference? Do you see the difference? In other words, the physical pain and permanent disability that the man had incurred had been expiated or paid for in the settlement, but the anger and resentment the man had towards the company had not yet been propitiated. He was still angry.
Now, in our case, Christ's suffering and death did two things. First of all, it paid for the debt of our sin, expiation, thereby reconciling us to God, atonement. But secondly, it appeased or satisfied God's righteous anger, propitiation. So Jesus was both the expiation for our sin and the propitiation for God's wrath. Listen to me. To be reconciled to God, atonement requires both expiation and propitiation. Let me say this again. To be reconciled to God, atonement requires both expiation and propitiation. If my sin is paid for, but God is still angry with me, we're not reconciled. There's no atonement. You put us in the same room and we're estranged. It's awkward. We're at enmity. He's still mad. Do you get that? So atonement to have complete reconciliation with God, there has to be two things. Expiation, the sin must be paid for. And propitiation. God can't still be mad at me because if God says, "Well, your sins paid for, but I'm still angry." We're not reconciled. There's no atonement, people. Does everyone get that?
Now, why is it so important to know the difference between expiation and propitiation? Well, I'll tell you why. Some of you know that Jesus paid for your sin, expiation, but you think that God's still mad at you for what you've done. Yeah. You think that God is still angry at you. Notice what First John chapter 2:2 says. "And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
Now, we're going to make some application, and I don't want to offend you, but I want to be real. You know why I hate abortion? I hate abortion. Number one, because it kills a child, a person, a living soul. But the other reason I hate abortion is because I know the mental anguish and turmoil that it causes the mothers who do that. I know the guilt they carry. I've talked to them and the number one thing they say to me is, "Don't think God can forgive me." Some of you have had abortions. I'm not naive to believe that you haven't. You've hidden it. Well, you were hiding it from your parents. That's why you had it. And you know, because you've been taught that Jesus died for that sin, but you just can't get over the feeling that God still holds it against you. You can't get over the feeling that he's still angry with you over what you've done. Let me tell you something. God is not angry with you. Jesus is the propitiation for your sin. And not just for your sin and my sin, but for the sins of the whole world. If I could tell you one thing, I would tell you this. Jesus died for you. He died to expiate your sin, but he also propitiated God's wrath. And God is no longer mad at you.
Some of you done things you don't want anyone to know about. Now, mentally, you know that Jesus died for your sins, but you just can't get over the feeling that God still holds it against you. You can't get over the feeling that he's still angry with you over what you've done. People, that's not true. Jesus didn't just expiate your sin when he suffered and died. He also propitiated God's righteous anger towards you.
I know a man who's on his fourth wife and he's had a family with all of his exes. He had several children with his first wife. He left that person for another woman who had children and they had children. He left her for another woman who had children. Left her for another he had children. And I invite him to church all the time, but he never comes. And I know he thinks God is angry with him. That God is mad at him. He thinks he screwed up too much. And even if God forgave him, he still deserves to be punished. God's still angry people. That's not true.
So when we go through verses four, five, and six, we're going to have to talk about the atonement and what Jesus suffered and died. And what it's going to tell us is Jesus expiated or the Messiah who Jesus is and was is going to expiate our sins, but he's also going to propitiate God's wrath so that we're truly reconciled with God. So that when I stand in front of God, I don't have to worry if he's mad at me because God's no longer mad at me because Jesus satisfied his wrath. We're one if you understand the mechanics of salvation.
God, we just thank you for your goodness. Lord, I'm just in awe of how good you are all the time. And Father, I look forward to the day when Christ comes to get us. I look forward to the rapture. I'm so expecting it and believing in it. Father, I just pray that you would anoint me this morning to be able to teach your word in such a way that it becomes alive in everyone's heart. And Father, you anoint them with ears to hear so that they do listen to the spirit. And Father, open up their spiritual eyes. I ask and I pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
Well, this is the eighth sermon in our series on the book of Isaiah, chapter 53. And if you're a first-time visitor, you've been gone and missed a few sermons. Let me explain a few things about Isaiah chapter 53.
First of all, Isaiah 53 is a double fulfillment prophecy, which simply means it's a prophecy that has two fulfillments, a short-term fulfillment and a long-term fulfillment. In this case, the first fulfillment is the primary fulfillment. You see, Isaiah 53 is a messianic prophecy that explains in detail how and why the Messiah would suffer and die for us. Let me say that again because that's very important. Isaiah 53 is a messianic prophecy that explains in detail how and why the Messiah would suffer and die for us. Isaiah specifically prophesied how Jesus would suffer and die. And he specifically prophesied why Jesus would suffer and die. And of course, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy down to the very last detail, which along with the other messianic prophecies proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is and was the true Messiah.
The second fulfillment will take place sometime in the future at the end of the tribulation during the period known as the time of Jacob's trouble. At that time, the Jews are going to recognize that they were wrong and that Jesus truly was and is the Messiah. And they will confess their sin of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. And Isaiah chapter 53 is going to be their confession. And when that takes place, that will be the second fulfillment of this prophecy.
Secondly, Isaiah 53 is also a song about the suffering servant aka the Messiah written in the form of Hebrew poetry. Thirdly, this poetic song consists of five stanzas of three verses each. And last but not least, the first line of each stanza is the theme of each stanza.
Now, so far we've covered the first two stanzas, so we're ready to go through the third stanza verse by verse. So turn with me if you would to Isaiah 53. We're going to read verses 4-6. Here's what it says out of the American Standard Version. "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Now again, don't forget that the first line of each stanza is the theme of that stanza. So verse four is a very important verse, and I covered it three weeks ago, but I ran out of time before I got the chance to get to verses five and six. So let me briefly review what I covered in verse four and then we'll look at verses five and six.
So let's read verse four again. And I want you to notice that it begins with the word surely. "Surely he hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, spitten of God, and afflicted." Now the word surely is translated from the Hebrew word oca. And it can mean one of three things. It can mean surely or truly. It can mean nevertheless or it can combine both of those meanings to indicate a dramatic change from a previous perception. And people that's how it's used in this context. It's meant to indicate a total reversal of Israel's attitude towards Jesus. A complete reversal of how they view Jesus. You see, for almost 2,000 years, the Jews have adamantly adamantly declared that Jesus was a false messiah who led people astray. He was a fraud. But at the end of the tribulation, they're going to completely reverse their perception of him. And that's what this word surely conveys. It expresses shock and surprise because they're about to make a 180-degree turnabout. "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." In other words, 2,000 year or for 2,000 years, the Jews have believed and taught that Jesus died on the cross as a just punishment for his sins. They believe that he was put to death because he was a wicked sinner. But they're going to realize that they were wrong. They're going to realize that he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, not his griefs and sorrows, ours.
Now look back at verse four and I want you to notice the word borne and the word carried. "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." Now the word borne is translated from the Hebrew word nasa and the word carried is translated from the Hebrew word sabal. They're both interesting words in that they illustrate penal substitutionary atonement. And let me explain what I mean by that. The word borne is used in the book of Leviticus in reference to the great day of atonement. The high priest on that great day of of the of atonement would get two or two goats and he would cast lots over those two goats. One goat was offered to the Lord as a sin offering. The other goat was a scapegoat. After the high priest offered the first goat as a sin offering, he would then lay his hands on the head of the scapegoat and he would confess the sins of Israel which symbolized the transference of Israel's sins to the scapegoat who then bore the sins of Israel. Of course, the scapegoat then carried Israel's sins away. In fact, when the word carried was used metaphorically, it was in reference to bearing the sins of others or carrying the sins of others.
Now, according to the first part of verse number four, Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. And this is interesting because griefs and sorrows are the result of sin. You see, sin is what has caused our lives to be in this constant struggle with sickness, disease, and calamity of every kind. We just come through a pandemic, the Coronavirus. You know what? That's the result of sin. As a result of that mishandling of it, look at our very inflation. Look at what's taking place in there. Look at the gas prices. What's it the result of sin? Truthfully, you think it's going to be like this when Jesus gets back? No, not at all. But I want you to understand something. Sin is what's caused our lives to be in a constant struggle with sickness, disease, and calamity of every kind. So rather than just say that Jesus bore our sin, Isaiah wants us to know that Jesus also bore and carried the effects that our sin produces. In other words, he bore not only our sin, but also the consequences of our sin. The griefs and the sorrow that are caused by sin so that we might be redeemed. Not just from sin but also from the consequences of our sin. That's why people Jesus didn't just die for us. Jesus also suffered for us. Think about it. Jesus was scourged so that we might be healed. He was stripped of his possessions so that we might have prosperity. He was crowned with thorns so that we might have dominion over God's creation. He was pierced in the side so that we might have victory over afflictions. He was nailed to the cross, becoming a man that's cursed, so that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law.
Now look at the second part of verse number four. "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, spitten of God, and afflicted." The implication of verse number four is that the Jews assumed that Jesus suffering and death was fully justified. In fact, they assumed that God was the one who was smiting him. And the reason that God was smiting him was because he was a blasphemer who falsely claimed that he was the Messiah. And that's what the Jewish leaders have always taught from the time of Jesus to the present day. But according to verse number four, one day in the near future at the end of the tribulation, the Jews are going to realize they were wrong and they will completely reverse their opinion of Jesus. They're going to realize that he is and was the true Messiah and that his suffering and death was for us, not himself. He suffered and died so that we might be saved and reconciled to God.
Now verse four is the first line of the third stanza. And remember the first line of each stanza is the theme of the stanza. So what is the theme of this stanza? What's the theme of verses four, five, and six? Well, the theme is this. One day in the future, the Jews will come to the realization that Jesus suffered and died for us as a penal substitute and that he's the true Messiah. That's verse four and the theme of the stanza.
Now, let's move on to verse five. And this is where it gets really good. "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, or we could say, 'And by his stripes we are healed.'"
Now in verse number five, Isaiah turns his focus to the Messiah's substitutionary death and he prophesies that the servant must suffer in four specific ways. First of all, the servant must be wounded for our transgressions. Secondly, the servant must be bruised for our iniquities. Thirdly, the servant must be chastised for our peace. And last but not least, the servant must be scourged for our healing.
Now, let's take a look at the four ways in which the servant suffered because they each serve a different purpose. Yeah. Everything that Jesus suffered was a payment for our sins, but the different ways in which he suffered were all for a specific purpose. Let me say that again because most Christians don't get this. Everything that Jesus suffered was in payment for our sins, but the different ways in which he suffered were all for a specific purpose. Think of it like this. Isaiah used four different terms to describe four different things that happened to Jesus. He was wounded. He was bruised. He was chastised. And he was scourged. So Jesus didn't just die for us. He also suffered for us. And each thing he suffered was for a specific purpose. Let me say that again. Each thing that Jesus suffered was for a different purpose. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. He was chastised for our peace. He was scourged for our healing.
So, let's look at each thing that he suffered and the purpose for each thing he suffered. And we're just going to go right down the list. So, look back at verse number five and let's start with the first thing on the list. "But he was wounded for our transgressions." Now the word wounded is translated from the Hebrew word kalal which in this context means to pierce but more specifically it conveys the idea of being pierced all the way through a body, a part of your body. So people this is not just a flesh wound but it's a wound that was caused by some type of instrument being driven completely through a part of your body. In fact it was usually the cause of death. Normally, it was a sword, a spear, or a dagger. But in Jesus' case, it referred to the nails that were used to secure him to the cross. And the cross was the cause of Jesus' death. But it was the nails piercing his hands and feet that secured him to the cross. But why was he pierced? Well, look back at verse five. "But he was wounded or pierced for our transgressions." Now the word transgressions is translated from the Hebrew word pesa and it refers to rebellion but more specifically it refers to a resistance to God's authority in his word. Now as a result of being rebellious and resisting God's authority in his word people were cursed. Yeah. I want you to notice what Deuteronomy 28:15 says. If you remember the book of Deuteronomy, the whole purpose that God gave this to Moses is because he's reestablishing the covenant. They're getting ready to go in the promised land, and he wants to remind them of the covenant. So, in Deuteronomy 28, he tells them, "Here's what's going to happen if you keep the covenant. Here's what's going to happen if you don't." Now, listen to Deuteronomy 28:15. Notice what it says. "But it shall come about if you will not obey the Lord your God, you resist his authority. In other words, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes, you resist his word with which I charge you today that all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you." So Jesus was crucified, pierced if you will, so that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law. Look at Galatians chapter 3 verse number 13. The apostles pick up on what Isaiah was prophesying. It says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hung or nailed to a pole.'" Yeah. You want to know why Jesus had to be crucified? Because the law says that anyone who's nailed to a cross is cursed. So Jesus was pierced. He was nailed to a cross so that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law. Yeah. Jesus was pierced for our transgressions. In other words, he was crucified, pierced by nails to a cross to redeem us from the curse of the law. Galatians 3:13. Why? Because all who resist God's authority and his word are under the curse of the law. Deuteronomy 28:15. And I can promise you, there's not a person here that at one time or another did not resist God's authority or his word. Yeah. Is everyone with me? Good.
So, let's move on. Look back at verse five. We're going right down the line. "But he was wounded or pierced for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities." Now, the word bruised is translated from the Hebrew word dhaka and it means to be crushed or to be broken. Now the reason the ASV and the King James version and the New King James Version translated as bruised is because in this context it means to beat to pieces or to pummel. Yeah. And people that's exactly what happened to Jesus. He was pummeled, beat to pieces first by the Sanhedrin. Look at Matthew chap 26 65-67. "Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror. And he said, 'Blasphemy? Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?' 'Guilty!' they shouted. 'He deserves to die.' Then they begin to spit in Jesus' face and beat him with their fist and some slapped him." So he was hit with closed fist and open fist. He was punched and he was slapped. Secondly, he was pummeled by the Romans. Look at Matthew chap 27:es 19-30. "They wove thorn branches into a crown and they put it on his head and they placed a stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and they taunted, 'Hail, king of the Jews.' And they spit on him and they grabbed the stick from his hand and they struck him on the head with it." And people, that was just the beginning. After that, they got vicious. Look at John 19:3. "And they begin to come up to Jesus and say, 'Hail, King of the Jews.' And to give him blows in the face, punches." But why? Why was Jesus pummeled? Well, look back at verse five. "But he was wounded or pierced for our transgressions. He was bruised, pummeled for our iniquities." Now the word iniquities is translated from the Hebrew word aone and it refers to sins of depravity or perversity. You see we all have an atomic nature which means all of us are a little bit depraved whether we want to admit it or not. And we all have a side of us that's perverse. There's a part of every one of us. Maybe you're like my wife and she doesn't show it, but every one of us, there's a part of us that can be mean and deviant. We can be immoral and a little bit twisted. And we can and we do hurt people from time to time physically, mentally, and emotionally. And what does the the law require when we hurt people? Not the gospel. What does the law require when we hurt people? The
law of Moses. Oh, come on people. An eye for an eye. Am I right? Yeah.
When we hurt people, the law requires an eye for an eye. Being pummeled for pummeling others physically, mentally, and emotionally. An eye for an eye. So Jesus was bruised for our iniquities. He was pummeled physically, mentally, and emotionally for our sins of depravity and perversity. He was crowned with thorns. He was spit on. He was mocked and physically beaten. He was rejected. He was ridiculed. He was bullied so that we might have favor with God and man.
Notice what Proverbs 3:es 1-3 says. My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. I'm going to stop right there. I'm going to read that again. That's important. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your hearts so you will find favor and good success in the sight of God.
But our deva depravity and and per uh perversity keeps us from having steadfast love and from being faithful. Some of you have cheated on your spouse or your cha spouse has cheated on you. Some of you have lied to your spouse or your spouse has lied to you. You didn't have steadfast love. There have been times when you've acted horrible to your spouse. boy, you felt bad when and and apologized to them. But I want you to understand something. You didn't have steadfast love. And neither have you remained faithful.
Some of you have stabbed your best friend in the back, shot them out of the saddle, done things, and you hope they never find out. Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes we're mean to others and we hurt them. And what does the law require? an eye for an eye. So Jesus endured what we deserve so that we might find favor and success, not only with God, but also with man.
Now you're saying, "But pastor, when do we get that?" Sometimes we get it here on the earth because of what Jesus has done. But I'll tell you where we're going to get it. During the millennium. In the millennium, we will have favor with God and with man. It won't be made of because made fun of because you're a Christian. Uh-uh. Not at all. You'll be respected for that. You have an extradimensional body. But here's what's interesting. You won't have that success and favor with God and man because of what you've done or deserved. You'll have it because of what Jesus did. He was pummeled an eye for an eye for the pummeling you did to others.
Now, now let's move on. Look back at verse five. But he was wounded or pierced for our transgressions, our rebelliousness. He was bruised or pummeled for our iniquities, our sins of depravity and perversity. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. Now the word chastisement is translated from the Hebrew word mousar and it means punishment. It refers to physical correction or being disciplined. You know when I was growing up it meant spankings. But what verse five is saying is that Jesus was punished so that we can have peace. Shalom. That's the Hebrew word for peace.
Now does everyone know what shalom means? We use that all the time. It's the Jewish word for peace. But what does it mean? Well, shalom means wholeness or completeness in the sense of health, prosperity, well-being, contentment, and no separation or estrangement from God. In fact, that's the way you greet people in Israel. If you see a person, it's a man, you will say, which ma means what? Shalom, peace. And because it's a male, it's I can't really do it. It's a female, it's easier. There's mashk. What's your peace? In other words, are you experiencing this health? Are you experiencing prosperity, well-being, contentment? That's what you're asking them. Our way of saying is, "How are you doing?" But it comes from this word shalom.
Now, here's what's interesting. Sin screws everything up. It's almost as if sin brings its own punishment with itself, but it's really simply the law of sowing and reaping. Notice what Galatians chapter 6 7 and 8 says. Don't be deceived. God is not mocked. This applies to everyone. You might get by with a few things, but eventually it's going to catch up with you because God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man sws, that will he also reap.
Now notice what else it says. For he that sws to his flesh, how many of you have sowed to the flesh? The rest of you are liars. Everyone has sowed to the flesh. But notice what it says. For he who sws to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption. Let me explain what corruption means. Corruption is translated from the Greek word fthora and fthora refers to a state of ruin or destruction with the implication of disintegration. So basically what thora means it means disintegrating. So what it's telling us is sin has caused your finances to fall apart. Sin has caused your marriage to fall apart, start disintegrating. Sin has caused your family, your children's relationships to fall apart. Yeah. Your family. Sin has a way of doing that. It disintegrates things. And when we sow of the flesh, it reaps corruption's disintegration. We're the ones that cause it.
You have problems in your marriage. Let me tell you, marriage is not an intangible thing that we pull it out and start working on your marriage. No. Marriage is two people. If your marriage is screwed up, it's because either one or both of you are screwed up. You've done things. You don't know how to be married and what it requires to be married and how you should act if you're married. You've sinned and as a result of that, it disintegrates your marriage. Yeah, that's what it's saying. And the reason I bring that up is I want you to understand something. Sin has its own builtin punishment. If you're taking notes, write that down. Sin has its own built-in punishment. It's called sowing and reaping. We reap what we sow. You sin, you reap the consequences of your sin. I kick Lisa off enough, she's not nice to me. Does that make sense? Yeah. Is it Lisa's fault she's not nice to me? No. I should have been nice to her. I want you to understand that.
But here's the good news. Jesus reaped in his suffering what I sowed. In other words, Jesus was punished by suffering the consequences of my sin so I could have shalom. So I could have wholeness or completeness in the sense of health, prosperity, well-being, contentment, and no separation or arangement from God. to me be more specific. The disciples start giving us examples. Jesus became poor that I might be made what? Rich. Where'd you find that, Pastor Allan? 2 Corinthians chapter 8:9. Jesus was crowned with thorns so that I could have dominion over God's creation. Where'd you find that, Pastor Allen? Genesis 3:18. I could go on and on, but I want you to understand Jesus reaped what I sowed so that in the next life I won't have to reap it. Now, these things might not happen in this life, but they will in the next life. But the bottom line is this. Jesus suffered the consequences of my sin so I wouldn't have to. He reaped what I sowed.
Now, let's move on. Look back at verse 5. But he was wounded or pierced for our transgressions, our rebelliousness. He was bruised or pummeled for our iniquities, our sins of depravity, and I for an eye. The chastisement punishment of sin, for our peace, shalom was upon him.
Now notice this. And with his stripes, we're healed. and by his stripes we're healed. Now, the word stripes is translated from the Hebrew word kabura and it refers to the cuts, stripes, welts, welts, not welts, welts, and swellings of the skin due to a whipping or a flogging. Now, according to Isaiah's prophecy, Jesus being flagged with a cat and tales was for our healing. In fact, the word healed is translated from the Hebrew word rafa, which means to physically heal. Physically. Physically.
Now, does the Hebrew word rafa sound familiar? Does it? It ought to. One of God's names is Jehovah Rafa. And what does it mean? It means the Lord our healer. Yeah. So verse 5 tells us that by Jesus stripes were healed. Now what does this tell us? It tells us that healing is in the atonement. Remember what the word atonement means? We covered this last week. Is it last week? Yeah. In layman's terms, atonement refers to Christ's suffering and death which reconciled us to God. So if I asked you what is the atonement, you would say it's Christ's suffering and death which re which reconciled us to God.
Now I want you to notice that suffering is part of the atonement. It's not just Christ's death reconciling us to God. No, the technical definition of atonement is Christ's suffering and death that reconciled us to God. So suffering is part of the atonement. In other words, Jesus didn't just die for us. He also suffered for us. And everything that Jesus suffered was for a specific purpose. He was pierced for our transgressions, our rebelliousness. In other words, he was nailed to the cross so that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law. That's part of the atonement. So being redeemed from the curse of the law is in the atonement. Yeah, he was bruised or pummeled for our iniquities, for our sins of depravity and perversity. In other words, Jesus was crowned with thorns, spit upon, mocked, physically beaten, rejected, ridiculed, and bullied so that we might have favor with God and man. People, that's part of the atonement. So having favor with God and man is in the atonement. He was chastised or punished for our peace. Shalom. In other words, Jesus was punished so I could have shalom. Shalom means wholeness or completeness in the sense of health, prosperity, well-being, contentment, and best of all, no separation or estrangement from God. The bottom line is Jesus suffered the consequences of my sin so I wouldn't have to. That's part of the atonement. So listen to me. Prosperity, well-being, contentment, all of that is in the atonement. Yeah. And he was scourged so that we might be what? Healed. People, that's part of the atonement. So healing is in the atonement. Listen to me. Jesus did not just die for us. He also suffered for us. And everything he suffered was for a purpose. And that's verse five.
Now, we're going to have to stop right here because of time. I don't want to go on to the next one and then not be able to finish. But next week, we're going to finish this stanza. And here's what I'm going to explain. I'm going to explain why I might not experience shalom in this life even though it's in the atonement. You see, most of us mistakenly believe that if something's in the atonement, that means that we can have it right now. But that's not necessarily true. And I'll explain why next week. I'll explain why I might not be healed in this life. Even though healing is in the atonement, if it wasn't in the atonement, well, I'll explain what would happen if it wasn't in the atonement. I'll explain why I might not experience victory, victory over afflictions in this life, but I will experience in the next life for sure. And I'll explain why.
You see, most of us grow up and we hear hear two sides of the coin or we hear two different views and usually both of them are wrong. Pentecostals will tell you healing is in the atonement so everyone should be healed. The faith movement taught that. And Billy Joe Dhy died. And when he was really sick, they kept it a secret because they didn't want anyone to know. And when he died, it was like, "What can we do now?" But it didn't mean that healing is not in the atonement. People of healing is not in the atonement. Well, I'll explain the problems with that. Kenneth Hagen died at 86. Well, if he'd had a little more faith, why didn't he make it to 90? And if he had even more faith, why would he do the promised 120? Well, I'll explain why. Yeah, but I want you to understand something. Jesus had to suffer in order for us to receive the things we're going to receive at the resurrection. If Jesus is going to restore all things back to the way it was before the fall, he had to suffer these things and it's part of the atonement. So Pentecostals come along and they say it's in the atonement. Therefore, you should have it now. And it's like, yeah, but that person didn't get healed. That person's not experiencing shalom. that person's not experiencing. He's reaping all the consequences of a sin. And then the other side will go, "See, it's not in the atonement." Honey, read Isaiah 53. Jesus suffered these things for us. And it tells us what each thing he suffered, what purpose he did it for. And we get to the New Testament and they make specific application to this. And you know what they teach us? These things are in the atonement. Thank you, Jesus. But I'll explain next week why sometimes we don't get it in this life, but we will in the life to come.