When we think of the president of the United States we think of a person with power and authority. When we hear of dictators, czars, prime ministers and the like we think of power and authority. When we think of kings, queens, princes and royalty we think of power and authority. But what about when we think of Jesus? What do we think? Do we think of power and authority? Jesus is true God, King and Ruler, and Creator of all. When we think of Jesus do we think of power and authority? As you read through the book of Isaiah you get the idea that the Messiah, the King, the Ruler, the Creator of all is not a person with power and authority, but is one who would be a servant and a suffering servant at that. There is a theme running through Isaiah and that theme is one which prophecies the coming of a Messiah, a Christ, who will be a suffering servant. We have the advantage of being able to look back (hindsight is twenty-twenty) and see that Jesus was that suffering servant Messiah. But if we were around in the days of Jesus we might have been confused as His disciples and as many of the other people were. As we read through the Gospels, we might notice that the apostle Peter recognizes, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus is the Christ, but he does not understand about Jesus dying on the cross. And just as it did not make sense to the people then, it still does not always make sense to too many people still today.
Nine years ago we were hit by hurricane Ike. September 11, 17 years ago tragedy struck the United States of America when we were attacked by terrorist. Last year tragedy struck here at home when hurricane Harvey came through. Today when tragedy happens we may stop and wonder, where is God and why does He allow these things to happen? If God is God, why does He not stop evil? Does God have power and authority? Does He have the power and authority to stop evil?
Getting to our text, we hear the prophet speaking and at the same time we hear the Messiah speaking. We read beginning at verse four, “4The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. 5The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. 6I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting” (v. 4-6).
The Lord God, or as the NIV translates it, the Sovereign Lord, is literally God Yahweh or God the Lord. Isaiah’s words are words of the Messiah. The Messiah speaks the words of the Father who sent Him. The Messiah is a teacher (v.4) and we know that Jesus came as one who taught others.
The Lord God, or again, God the Lord, comes of His own free will. Jesus is true God, born in human flesh. Jesus is true God who was in heaven enjoying all His glory that was His as true God and yet He gave up His glory in order to be born as a human being. As the Messiah Jesus comes willingly (v.5). No one forced Him to give up the glory of heaven and take on human flesh and blood.
The Lord God, or once again, God the Lord, comes to suffer. Jesus does not hold Himself back. The Messiah suffers (v.6). He turns His back so that He might be beaten. He turns His check so that He might be slapped and even worse, He turns His check to those who pull out His beard, which is an even greater insult, especially in His culture. He sits quietly as He is mocked and spat upon. He suffers for the sins of all people of all times of all places. He suffers much of the temporal punishment and all the eternal punishment for our sins.
Continuing on in our text we come to see the source of the Messiah’s strength. The Messiah trusts in God. We continue reading at verse seven, “7But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. 9Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. 10Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (v. 7-10).
We are read again of the Lord God, or God the Lord who sent His Son, Jesus, the Messiah. The Messiah is determined to die. As we are often reminded at Christmas and the celebration of Jesus’ birth, He was born to die. He has set His face like flint, like a rock which is not moved, to do the job that He was sent to do (v.7). Many times in the Gospels Jesus tells His disciples that He must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes and be killed and rise again.
Who will bring charges against the Messiah (v.8)? Satan will bring charges, not against the Messiah, but against us, God’s people. Satan accuses us of sin and he does so rightly. Fortunately for us, those charges against us are what Jesus has taken on Himself, so they are charged against Him.
The Lord God or, God the Lord is the Messiah’s helper. The devil may accuse the Messiah, but he has no case (v.9). Jesus is perfection. Jesus is true God, thus conceived and born perfect. He lived a perfect life, which is God’s demand on us. Yet He took our sins upon Himself and suffered and died for our sins on the cross so that we might have forgiveness, so that there can be no charge against us.
Finally, the Messiah encourages trust in the Lord (v.10). We are not to trust in ourselves, as if we would be able to save ourselves, but we are to trust in the Lord who saves us. We talked about this before, our help does not come from within us. We cannot look deep down inside ourselves for the answer to our struggles, problems and pain. Our help comes from the Lord. As we confess, our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
What does this text mean for us? As we come to this text we come with the understanding that we are the ones who deserve death. We deserve the eternal spiritual death penalty sentenced in the Garden of Eden. We are poor miserable sinners. One quick look at the Ten Commandments reminds us of just how sinful we are. We have not always, do not always and will not always give God first place in our lives. We have, do and will misuse His name. We have not always, do not always and will not always be faithful in divine service attendance, in Bible class attendance, in Bible study and Bible reading, we have not always, do not always and will not always obey our parents and those in authority over us. We have, we do and we will kill in thought, by thinking evil of others, in word, by name calling, and in deed. We have not, do not and will not lead chaste and decent lives in word and deed. We have, do and will continue to steal in thought, begrudging others, in word speaking evil of others and in deed. We have not always, do not always and will not always think or say the best about others. We have, we do and we will continue to sinfully covet. We are sinners and we deserve eternal spiritual death which is eternal life in hell. We might even imagine that we deserved what happened on Sept. 11, 2001 or the hurricane last year or nine years ago. We might well imagine that we deserve any and all bad things that happens to us especially any temporal punishment.
But we also believe that Jesus is the Messiah, true God and true Man, that Isaiah said was coming. Jesus fulfills all the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. Jesus is the Christ of God. We believe, not blindly, but because the facts speak for themselves. We believe because all the evidence points to the fact that Jesus is true God and that Jesus gave up all the glory that was His in heaven. We believe that Jesus took on human flesh and blood, that He was born of a woman, that He lived a perfect life, and that He fulfilled all the works of the Law, perfectly.
We believe Jesus gave His life on the cross willingly, for all people of all time of all places. And specifically, we believe that Jesus gave His life for ours, for yours and for mine. Jesus did not come because He had to. He came because He wanted to, because of His great love for us, His creatures. Jesus was not coerced into giving His life. Freely He gave His life for ours. Freely, because of His great love for you, He gave His life for you.
We believe Jesus gave His life on the cross willingly, for us personally. Jesus died for all people of all times of all places and that fact is a joy to know and it gives us something to proclaim to others, but there is something more important. The more important thing is that Jesus gave His life for you personally and for me. Jesus died for each one of us personally. Even if you or I were the only person on earth, Jesus would have given His life for you or for me.
We believe that Jesus death was enough. This fact is important. Let me say it again, we believe that Jesus death was enough. We do not have to do anything to add to what Jesus did to save us, as if there would be something we could do. Jesus gave His life for ours and that was enough. Heaven is ours as a free gift. We can do nothing to earn it nor do we deserve it. It is ours free because of Jesus’ death for us in our place.
Yes, we still live in a world filled with sin. Yes, we still sin. And, although God may allow temporal judgement to be imposed on us, that is, although we may suffer temporal suffering from time to time, such as terrorist attack, hurricanes, earth quakes, tornadoes and the like, by faith in Jesus, God will never impose eternal judgement on us. By His power and authority He imposed His eternal judgement on Jesus, for us, in our place. Thanks be to God.
In the Gospel lesson for today it is again demonstrated that Jesus is the Messiah of whom Isaiah was speaking. The Epistle lesson reminds us of the importance of our words and action. Because of what Jesus has done for us, gave His life for us, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us, we are moved to live lives of faith, to live our lives as living sacrifice to the Lord to His glory. We do that by loving others as we love ourselves. We do that, we love others as we love ourselves when we see someone we think is not so lovable, and then remember that if God loved them so much that He gave His life for them, who are we to love them any less. In so doing, we are live our lives to the glory of the Lord. Yes, Jesus has all power and all authority and He uses His power and authority to save us and He does that, He saves us by giving us forgiveness of sins and faith by the Holy Spirit working through the means of grace so that we do rejoice and say, to Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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