U-turn (Day 9) Old Testament prophecy of Jesus as our Saviour | Eld Terence Atkinson

Good morning, brothers and sisters in the Lord. I'm Terence Atkinson, one

of the leaders in ex Church, and I am privileged to bring this morning's

devotion to you from Isaiah fifty three, verses one through twelve. If I

had to give this devotion a title, it would simply be Jesus or verses

quoted to DAA from the New King James version, reading from Isaiah fifty three,

verses one and two. Who has believed a report? And to whom

has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he shall grow up before

him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form of comeliness, And when we see him, there is

no beauty that we should desire him. Here we see that the prophet Isaiah

gives a sense of what man was about to see. God was about to

roll up his sleeves as some do when they are ready to get down to

work, down to business, getting down to the work of saving us.

He was sending Jesus, his only begotten son, to save us. It

was a hard time, not the most convenient. Israel was ruled by the

Romans. His birth conditions were tough. It wasn't going to be easy.

A lonely stable instead of a palace was to receive the birth of a heavenly

king, Jesus. Did you know that Jesus was a very ordinary looking individual.

He was not like King Saul, who was ahead and shoulders taller than

everybody else. He wasn't even handsome that women would swoon over him. We

would not have paid much attention just by looking at him physically. You see.

It was not Jesus's looks that were going to make a change in the

world, but his words and his actions. He was the word of God

made flesh, and nothing about him outwardly would make anyone want to get to

know him. Yet, like a tender plant on dry ground, there would

be something very special about him. Quite the contrary, Jesus was actually looked

upon with contempt for the words that he spoke. The people rejected him because

of it. In fact, worse three says, he is despised and rejected

by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, And we hid,

as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and

we did not esteem him. Jesus understood sorrows, he experienced mental and physical

pain. He knows grief. The word grief actually means sickness, illnesses,

diseases, and afflictions. He knows and has experienced what we go through.

Isaiah is speaking about Jesus time here on earth in physical form, all he

would experience so much horror on our behalf. His people, who should have

known him, who should have acknowledged and worshiped him, turned a blind eye

to him, and yet hated him instead. Although he was our creator,

the people hid from him and did not consider him to be of value to

them. They considered it right and just that he should be struck down,

just as we would today, or we might even today if we reject him.

Verse four says, surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,

yet we esteemed him strickened, smitten by God, and afflicted. Surely

means nevertheless, in all actuality, in truth, he has borne all those

sicknesses, illnesses, diseases, and afflictions by taking it on him. But

his people are the ones who should have known, felt he deserved it,

and that his suffering was God's punishment on him. It was his fault,

he deserved it. They were right and yet wrong. God was exacting punishment

for sins and wrong doings on Jesus. But it wasn't for Jesus sin,

for he was sinless, but it was for our sins and wrong doings.

ISAA fifty three was five says, but he was wounded. He was pierced

for our transgressions, for our rebellion against God. He was bruised. He

was crushed for our iniquities, for our punishment and sin. The chastisement for

our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Jesus

had to receive and endure terrible brutality actually reserved for us to receive peace.

And this word means peace, welfare, health, and prosperity. The punishment

which we actually deserve for rebelling against God should have been brutal against us,

but Jesus took it instead so that we are healed. The word healed means

we can become new, completely healed, purified, and repaired. God had

restored us in Jesus, Praise God. Verse six. All we like sheep,

have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and

the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of his all, every single one

of us like animals, and easily wandered away. All of us, all

mankind have wilfully wandered off in our own directions, doing things our own way.

Without God is rebellion. But God did not hold our rebellion against us,

and placed all ardue punishment on Jesus. He laid it all on Jesus

instead, the only sickness one able to endure it for our sis verse seven.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his

mouth. He was led as a land to the slaughter, and as a

sheep before its sheerers in silence, so he opened not his mouth. Jesus

was mentally and physically violated, but did not lose control over his mouth.

He did not speak as we would normally do, but he kept quiet.

He was being delivered not just to death, but to slaughter. Jesus was

obedient, even unto death. In Isaiah fifty two was fourteen, it says

that his visage or face was marred more than any man, in his body

or form, more than the sons of man. He was brutalized, and

he endured vicious torture. His face and body was so torn. He was

physically destroyed, yet twice Scripture says he kept quiet. Can we do the

same if affliction comes our way? Or would be lash out with our tongues?

Perhaps he was showing us how to handle the chastisement from God in silence.

For Scripture does say in Hebrews twelve, verse six, for whom the

Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives Isaya fifty three.

Verse eight says he was taken from prison and from judgment, and who

will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the

living for the transgressions of my people. He was stricken. Jesus was arrested

and held without any charge being preferred against him. His trial was riddled with

lies, and there was no evidence of proof. Pronounced upon Jesus was the

verdict of guilty. He had no defense called upon, and his charm.

Jesus was railroaded to death. He was to die unnaturally for the sins of

the world. Verse nine. They made his grave with the wicked, but

with the rich, and his death because he had done no violence, nor

was any deceit in his mouth. Verse nine prophesied that he would receive a

criminal's death. He was hung on a cross in between two thieves. He

would also have something in common with the death of a rich man. He

was buried in a rich man's tomb. Jesus was buried in the tomb of

Joseph of Arimathea, hewn now for Joseph himself, but given to Jesus instead.

This was because Joseph was a disciple of Jesus. This we can find

in Matthew twenty seven. He was a respected member of the council looking for

the Kingdom of God. You find this in Mark fifteen. And he had

not consented to what was done to Jesus. Reading that in Luke twenty three,

verse ten, just blows my mind. Yet it pleased the Lord to

bruising. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an

offering for sin, he shall see his seed, and he shall prolong his

days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Did

you know that God was pleased? In fact, the word fore pleased in

Hebrew is chaffetz, which means to delight in have pleasure, in meaning God

was delighted to bruise Jesus and to put him to grief. Scripture is actually

saying God was enjoying doing this. Remember the word grief is translated as sicknesses,

illnesses, diseases, and afflictions. Why because it was a guilt offering

for our sin mankind's sin slate would be white clean. We will be restored,

And for Jesus, God would raise him from the dead. God had

been waiting for this for a long time. His plan for our redemption would

be completed with the sacrificial obedience of Christ. It was all good. Verse

eleven. Is why God was so very pleased. He shall see the labor

of his soul and miss satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous sermon shall justify

many, for he shall bear their iniquities. This cannot be any clearer.

The full debt is paid. No more to do. After Jesus would once

and for all satisfy sins dus all penalties. All penalties have been met,

and believers are justified. True faith are sins are forgiven. Verse twelve.

Therefore, I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall

divide the spoil with the strong. Because he poured out his soul and to

death. He was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of

many and made intercession for the transgressors. I also want to read Hebrews twelve,

verse two, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith,

who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising

the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of

God. God delights in the redemptive work of Christ and our reunion with Him

after centuries and centuries of separation because of sin. We are back in God's

good books, or rather in the Lamb's book of life. If we called

Jesus our savior. The brutality that Jesus received, both mentally and physically,

would save us from those horrors. Lastly, Isaiah makes it clear that our

sin is taken by Jesus and that Jesus stands in the gap for us.

Verse twelve says that God will reward Jesus with a great portion. What is

that portion? Philippines two eleven gives us an idea, and being found in

appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of

death. Even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted

him and given him the name which is above every name. That at the

name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and

of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every

tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

In all these scripture the key learning point. We are saved. The

debt for our sins is paid, We are free. God is pleased and

overjoyed. Jesus is exalted. Let's let the people know. Lord, you

want to thank and praise you for everything that you've done for us. You

loved us so much that you died in the cross for us. Bible tells

us you did this in obedience to the plan and will of God. And

we ask you, in the name of Jesus, help us live like saved

people. Help us live like people who have been redeemed from sin, and

help us to share this great, great testimony with others around, so that

all we know the plan God had for us has been fulfilled in you.

In Jesus Mighty, Nay, we pray Amen.