Please take your Bibles and turn with me to Isaiah 53, as we continue our consideration of the Lord's servant identified back in chapter 52, verse 13. Behold, my servant is the servant of the Lord God. One thing I would note, I don't know that I've mentioned this as we've gone through the book of Isaiah at this point. This servant figure that we see arising in this section of Isaiah, we identify as actually the second part of Isaiah beginning in chapter 40. And we've had this recurring picture of this servant. These four servant songs, these songs about the servant, these songs, in fact, on some occasions, the servant is actually speaking. We have four of these songs found here. throughout the second part of Isaiah. And the servant is actually one of three Messianic figures that we find in the book of Isaiah. If we were to go back, which we're not going to go back in detail, but if we were to go back to the first part of Isaiah, beginning in chapter 1 through first part, generally chapters 1 through chapter 39, we find there this godlike king that is spoken of. In fact, we reference many of those texts from Isaiah in the first Advent season. We speak of this god-like king, this one whose name is Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. So you have this messianic figure that is spoken of in the first part as this king who is who is God-like in some way, we understand He is God because He is Christ. And we have this second image given to us in the second part. This is the servant that we find in part two. We're also going to actually find there's another part. If we divide the second part of Isaiah into two sections, we could call it part 2B, that there are then four songs, four poems, just as there are in regard to the king and regard to the servant. There are four poems or songs in regard to an anointed conqueror that we'll see in the latter part of Isaiah as we continue to work through the book. So therefore we have in the book of Isaiah these three figures, this godlike king, the servant, and this anointed conqueror. three figures that we recognize as representing one person. They are messianic figures. They are pictures of the Christ. And we find that this Messiah that is described as such in the book of Isaiah is indeed fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, if we We won't turn there, but you're familiar, many of you are in the book of Acts, where there Philip references Isaiah 53 verses 7 and 8, which is part of our text today. These are identified as speaking of Christ. You remember there the account with the Ethiopian eunuch who is reading Isaiah 53 and his question to Philip, who is he speaking of? Himself or someone else? And Philip's response was that the scripture tells us that he preached Jesus to him. So we find this figure throughout the book of Isaiah, and we are in this middle section, this second section, where he is being revealed to us as the servant of the Lord, the servant of God. Previously, two weeks ago, we saw some of the amazing prophetic detail in regard to the nature of the servant's suffering. That was in the previous three verses. Today, we're at seven through nine. And we can conclude from that that it's clearly descriptive of the sufferings experienced by Jesus Christ. In fact, if you have no bias against such a such a prophecy being fulfilled, it's easily seen. And speaking of the experience of Jesus Christ, of course, there are those who are biased against any such interpretation. They say, well, you are imposing something on the Old Testament scriptures that you've no right to do so, to which we reply, well, Jesus does the same thing. I'll follow his example. So I think we're safe as we see this speaking of Christ. Today, our text is going to move on to the trial, to the execution and even to the burial of the Lord's servant as set forth here, but will also give to us a glimpse into his disposition. the attitude of the servant in the midst of his suffering. To help us out, I'm going to go back and begin reading in chapter 52 verse 13. And knowing our text today is 7 through 9, but I think it just helps us to get this larger context in our mind again as we look at these three verses today. So beginning in chapter 52, verse 13, behold, my servant will prosper or he will act wisely. He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, so his appearance was marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men. Thus he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths on account of him. For what had not been told them, they will see. And what they had not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground. He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and like one from whom men hide their face. He was despised and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore and our sorrows he carried. Yet we ourselves esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon him. And by his scourging, we are healed. All of us, like sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers. So He did not open His mouth. 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 for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men. Yet he was with a rich man in his death, because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth." It's been captured to some degree in thinking about this text, not just today, but this larger text of what a joy and what a privilege it is to set before you this servant. To call you, as Isaiah calls all of us, to behold My servant. To rightly consider Him. To consider Him in light of who He is. To consider Him in light of what He accomplishes. This One who is His preeminent servant. Who is the servant of servants. This One who exemplifies servanthood. such a name be given to our Lord and Savior's servant. Speaks volumes, doesn't it? It's very worth to be that of a servant, serving his Lord and his God, and even serving his people. So we are today looking and considering, as we've gone through this text, taking to heart the words of Isaiah, to behold my servant, to behold the servant of the Lord as he is set here. And today we will hold him, first of all, as one who voluntarily suffers. One who voluntarily suffers. Verse seven. The picture here that we have of the servant we keep in mind in our text here is he is not a weak helpless victim, unable to do anything, unable to even preserve his own life. That's not the picture here. Rather, we see he is one who humbly accepts his suffering. And he accepts his suffering because it is necessary that he suffer. It is a part of a greater plan, a greater purpose. And that is indeed the plan and purpose of the triune God. Verse seven, he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers. So he did not open his mouth." So we see in regard to his voluntarily suffering, that he indeed suffered sorely. He suffered greatly. He was oppressed, the writer says here, verse 7. He was oppressed. The word simply means that He was one who was ill-treated. But the word here is a taskmaster's verb, and it signifies a physical brutality. In other words, this was not just being oppressed, being treated in something of a harsh way. There was a brutality to the treatment that He received here. He was oppressed and He was afflicted. Described in verse 4 as well as being smitten of God and afflicted here. The word here used, being afflicted, is used in its reflexive form. And what's conveyed here is that there is a humble acceptance of the inflicted pain that is brought against Him. Some have translated it, and for his part, he humbled himself. Or he kept himself in a state of submissiveness. The New English Bible translates it, he submitted to be struck down. see here the reality of the sufferings of Christ, and you cannot read that, I think, without your minds being drawn to the text of Philippians 2, can you? But particularly the verse that applies to this verse, chapter 2 of Philippians, verse 8, but being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself. He humbled himself. by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." So indeed, He suffered and His sufferings were great. He suffered sorely. But also we see in our text here that He suffered silently. He suffered silently. Twice here in verse 7, notes that He did not open his mouth. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet he did not open his mouth like a sheep that is silent before its shears. So he did not open his mouth. It's quite amazing, isn't it? In spite of the measure of suffering that Christ is called to endure in spite of the injustice of His suffering. He remains silent. He is not looking for a way of escape. He did not open His mouth. There was no word of protest against God or men. Of course, no word of protest against God because He knew He did the will of the Father. But no protest even against the evil deeds of men. We have here silence from the One who is in fact the eternal Word of God. We have here silence from the One who has the ability at any given moment to silence any and all of His foes. And there were those occasions that Jesus did that, didn't He? Silenced His foes. caused them to stop in their tracks. But what's conveyed here, that He did not open His mouth. There was no word of protest. No word of objection. And the picture that's given here in this verse, He's like a lamb. that is led to slaughter, like a sheep that is silent before his shearers." There is a comparison here to be noted that as a sheep or a lamb, the lamb goes to be slaughtered as the sheep goes to be shorn, to be sheared of its coat. It is without protest. It is simply accepting an appointed direction for it. But there's also a contrast to be noted here. He is like the lamb. He is like the sheep in that he is silent. He is going without protest. But the lamb and the sheep, they go to their place in ignorance. The lamb goes to his slaughter in ignorance, without understanding. And even the sheep who goes to be sheared, he goes with ignorance, without understanding, just simply accepting that which is appointed for him. But that's not so of the Lord's servant here. God's servant here, he proceeds with full comprehension of what awaits him. He knows the path. He speaks of, in the garden, the cup. The cup of suffering that He knows that it is His to take. But there was in Christ no physical resistance. Dalich writes in his commentary on this text that he was speaking of the servant. He was ill-treated. while He bowed Himself. He gave Himself willingly to this suffering, to this treatment. But what's the importance here of Jesus' voluntary suffering? What's the importance that He volunteered? He willfully did these things. Well, ultimately, it shows to us the submission of the servant to the will of God, which is the very issue that the first man, Adam, rejected. Adam rejected being under the will of God, submitting himself to the will of God. Sin is, in fact, a willful rebellion against God's rule. In contrast to our own rebellious will as descendants of Adam, of the first Adam, in verse 6, we are like sheep that have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. You see, the only suitable substitute for a rebellious will is a submissive will. So Jesus comes as one fully submissive to the will of God, fully obedient to God's purpose for Him, a dimension of His righteousness, voluntarily submitting, free submitting to God's purpose, God's plan of suffering. So this is the servant that here God Himself calls us through Isaiah to behold. Behold this servant. Behold this servant who loves the Father and who loves His people. He loves His Father submitting to the will of God and He loves His people because the will of the Father was that He suffer to redeem a people. To save a people. This is the love of this servant. He loves the father. He loves his people. And he willingly submits to the will of the father for the sake of his people. The right of Hebrews, Hebrews, chapter 12, verse three, causes that he says, for consider him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself. To what end? So that you may not grow weary and lose heart. See, we have a Redeemer, we have a Savior who did not grow weary and did not lose heart. He did not go most of the way, but couldn't go to the end. He carried through God's purpose, God's will for him to the very end, even into death itself. For us, it is an example for us to consider that in the day of the difficult battle, in the day of the struggles that we are experiencing, that we do not lose heart, but rather we do as we are called upon by the right of Hebrews to consider Him. Consider him who has endured such hostilities by sinners. He endured great sufferings at the hands of evil men. There will be occasions when we will be called upon to do the same. Consider him. will only hear submitting to his appointed cup of suffering and loving obedience to the father. Again, there is no protest, no protest, because this was necessary in order to save his people. It is a submission unto redemption. But again, it is also an example to us in the heart and the mind of Christ Himself. What? Taking us back to Philippians 2. Where there we are called upon in verse 5, have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus. Though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. But emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant, being made in the likeness of men, being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. What is the attitude? What is the attitude here? that's conveyed by Christ. He empties Himself. In other words, He does not see the things that are rightfully His in this fullness of His glory as those things which He must hold to at all costs. But rather, to come to a place of having His glory veiled, by His humanity for the sake of His people. He empties Himself. He who is the King and the Lord of glory takes the form of a bond servant. Verse 8, He humbles Himself by coming obedient to the point of death. He humbles Himself. He empties Himself. What a Savior. He suffers because He wants to for us. He must do it if we would be saved. So we behold this servant also vicariously sacrificed. The word vicarious conveys the idea of substitution, something done in the place of another. We noted the emphasis in verses four through six, and that's another reason I wanted to go ahead and read this part of this chapter again. As we were reminded in verses four through six, we talked about if there were a key word or a key thought of verses four through six, it is the idea of substitution. our griefs He bore, our sorrows He carried, pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, chastened for our well-being. And by His scourging, we are healed. Verse 6, the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. So that idea of substitution is dominant, particularly in those three verses, verses 4 through 6. But it's an idea that we find to some degree throughout this poem, and we find it in part of our text here today. The last part of verse 8, let's read in verse 8. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut out of the land of the living? Why? For the transgression of My people. To whom the stroke was due. And we see this same idea of substitution. In verse 11, the last phrase of verse 11, he will bear their iniquities. And even in verse 12, the last two lines, yet he himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors. So again, this idea of Jesus' work being a substitutionary work is a prominent theme throughout this song or this poem. But to what length here does God's servant, to what length does Christ carry this vicarious work? What we see here in verse eight, first of all, he was mistreated. by oppression and judgment, He was taken away. He was taken away. He was taken out to die. He was taken to his death by oppression and judgment. There is a diversity of meaning for each of these two words of oppression and judgment. But it seems to hear that is used as a formula for the due process of law when it speaks of oppression and judgment. And it's speaking of his arrest. His trial and His condemnation. And it continues here that He was cut off, verse 8, He was cut off out of the land of the living. And what's conveyed here by the word He was cut off, it is a violent treatment. A violent treatment to his death. He was horribly mistreated. Because he was one who was hated. And evil men treated this servant according to the dictates of their own hearts. They oppressed him. They took him away to death. He was cut off vitally from the land of the living. But not only was He mistreated, but He was also misunderstood. He was misunderstood in what He was accomplishing through this work. The second part of verse 8, As for His generation, who considered Those among his contemporaries. Who among his contemporaries pondered, and they rightly grasped the meaning and the purpose of his death? Rest assured, and the answer that's implied even with this question is that there were none. that there were none who grasped the meaning, there were none who rightfully considered what was going on here, why He was dying as He did. The human conclusion was simply this, that He's at the mercy of hostile men at best. Anyone who's looking on at what's taking place, that would be their natural human conclusion. He's at their mercies. And they're hostile and they're evil in their actions against him. At best, he is at their mercies. At worse, he is stricken by God himself. Which was the conclusion is stated in verse four, wasn't it? we ourselves esteem him stricken, smitten of God." That's what human conclusions would see in this. He's at the mercies of hostile men at best. He is being stricken. He is being rightly judged by God Himself. He's getting what he deserves from God. That's the human conclusion. He is seen as weak, He is seen as pitiful in the eyes of those who mock Him, mock Him even as He is crucified. Mocking Him, even in the words of Scripture, He trusted in God. He trusted in God. Let Him deliver Him. Thinking, God's not going to deliver him. It's by God's purposes and design. He's where He is. That's the human conclusion. But for the spiritually enlightened, for those who have by the grace of God been given eyes to see, given hearts to understand, We see here, this is not merely a case of a man who's at the mercy of hostile men, nor is this a man who is being stricken by God because he's done evil things and he deserves this from God. Rather, what we see here by God's kindness is that this is a substitution for the guilty. And that's the next part of verse 8. As for this generation, who considered this? That he was cut off out of the land of the living. Why? For the transgression of my people. Who came to that conclusion? And the answer is, only those who by the grace of God have been enabled to see. Do you understand, dear child of God, why you understand, why you see Jesus' suffering as being for you? You understand it's because God has opened your eyes to see. Otherwise, we would come to the same conclusion as anyone else in the world. He must be getting what he deserves either from the hand of man or from God himself. And that's where the prophet even says there in verse 4, We ourselves esteem him stricken and smitten of God and afflicted. That's our conclusion. For the transgressions of my people, we have a substitute. And note here what he says in regard to that, to whom the stroke was due. There was a due penalty upon these people. It was appropriate. It was a just penalty for those who are guilty in all of their offenses against God. It was right that the stroke of God's wrath would fall upon them. And that stroke of wrath instead was placed upon the Lord's servant. So he was misunderstood. Because the world has no eyes to see, the world has no ability to comprehend what's taking place here, this marvelous, this divine transaction. So there are here, no army of defenders to plead his case or even to explain his work. You ever thought, think about when Christ came in the advent, in his birth, what did we have that took place? There was an angelic proclamation, wasn't there? To the shepherds in the field, an angelic proclamation of who this person is. Why is there no angelic proclamation at the crucifixion of Christ? This is what He is doing. This is what is being accomplished here. There's none who come to defend. There's none who come to plead his case. None who come to explain his work. We have here simply a despicable death of crucifixion. And Jesus, our Lord and our Savior, is deemed undeserving of any better. He said, Behold this servant, shamefully humiliated. And who understood it? How many were there saying, we're with you. We know this has got to happen. We've got it. He spoke not a word to clarify his purpose, to explain his work, but to those for whom his work was done, no explanation was necessary. Somehow, we know. Somehow the people of God know that this was for our sin. Last we see here in verse 9, we see this one who is vindicated slightly. servants executed as a common criminal, then there's actually a surprising turn of events. His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet he was with a rich man in his death. His burial is in an unexpected place for one who is of such perceived character that criminals who were crucified, those who were put to death, typically they were left unburied or they were disgraced by burial in an unclean place. That was what would have been deemed fitting for the servant. He is a common criminal. He will not have the decency of a burial. In fact, he will be disgraced even further by putting his body in an unclean place. But even in the midst of this humiliating death here, there was a work of revelation to some. Dalek says in his commentary in regard to this verse. He says that without the commentary supplied by the fulfillment, it would be impossible to understand verse 9 at all. In other words, if we didn't have the fulfillment in the New Testament Scripture, we wouldn't have a clue what's being conveyed here in verse 9. Grave assigned with a wicked man, yet he was with a rich man in his death. Huh? What does that mean? Well, we have the record, the New Testament record of what took place, don't we? We know of a man named Joseph, Joseph of Arimathea. We have accounts in regard to him in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all four of the gospels speak of Joseph of Arimathea. He is described by Matthew as one who is rich. He is described in Mark and in Luke. as a prominent member of the council. And he is described in John's gospel as being joined by Nicodemus. So he's a rich, prominent member of the council who acts with Nicodemus. And so what happens here? Jesus, who dies the death of a common criminal, in fact receives a customary Jewish burial in a rich man's grave. What do we see here? We see here something of a vindication, a slight vindicating. of this one who would be deemed as accursed by God, by the Jews. Cursed is the man who hangs upon a tree. As far as they were concerned, this was a man who was cursed by God, and yet what happens? He receives a customary Jewish burial. Somewhat honored. But we say, and I use the word here that it is a slight vindication, because the reality is it is still a grave. The full vindication is coming. The slight vindication is found in this act, showing us that God's God is accomplishing His will. His purpose is here. Had it been left into the hands of men, you think, of the men who crucified Him, you think they would have had this type of burial for Him? Of course not, if He would have been buried at all. But we see here God overruling, God accomplishing His purpose here. So there is this slight vindication for one that is deemed, again, a vindication to some degree because it is Jesus is vindicated as the Messiah by fulfilling this very text. Where else would you see this text fulfilled? It doesn't fit anything else. His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet he was with a rich man in his death. Actually, the word here that is translated death is plural. It's in his deaths, literally, which is something of an unusual use of the plural. But some have suggested what's being conveyed here, it is a plural of amplification or a plural of majesty that we do find such uses of in the Old Testament scriptures. And what is being conveyed here that his death is a supreme, it is a magnificent death. that his death, though veiled as that of a common criminal, was indeed a supremely noble work of substitutionary sacrifice declared to be such by God Himself, by His Word. It wasn't what it appeared to be to the natural eye. very noble, supremely noble work. His death was with a rich man at his death because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit. in his mouth. The word because there can have the idea and some use it as even though. Even though he had done no violence. Emphasizing the injustice of what he experienced. But the word because can be rightfully left there. And it's used there as an explanation for the unexpected honor in his burial. His grave is signed with wicked men, yet he was with a rich man in his death, because he done no violence." In other words, he had been mistreated. It's going no further than this. It's not going to include his burial. So we have here through human agency of Joseph and Nicodemus, Only this slight vindication. But it's a vindication. It is showing here, ultimately, God's purpose being accomplished. It is showing here that God is in control, not the evil deeds of men. And it is a foretaste. A foretaste. of the vindication that is to come. The immediate vindication is His resurrection. Beyond that, His ascension. And the full vindication with His exaltation to the right hand of God the Father. Give Him the name that is above every name. There's the full vindication of Christ. Slightly, slightly vindicated just by this act that he was not cast into a shallow grave or cast into a grave in an unclean place. Vindicated because he drank all of our cup. He was all of our cup. He was not forgotten. He was not abandoned. He was in the middle of God's purposes for him. And then we do have that mystery of, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? But we know that God was pleased that God was satisfied, His wrath upon sin fully paid. We know that to be the case by the fact that God raised Him from the grave. See, our sins are paid in full. What a Savior. You know, I can't help as I prepare these sermons week to week and go through this text, I can't help but think something of the irony that we're going through this text in Advent season. But I think it helps us to keep the Advent season in perspective. This is why this child was born. might be our Savior, that He might bear upon Himself our sin. This morning in Sunday School we listened to R.C. Sproul and just the marvel of the two natures in one person, the dual natures of Christ. How does that happen? You understand that that doesn't happen by the will of man. Do you have a recipe for that? It's the work of God. And He does it to redeem a people. He does it to redeem you, dear child of God. This is the servant that we are called to behold. The one who suffers voluntarily. This one who is sacrificed vicariously. It is in our place. And this one at this point who is only slightly vindicated, but it is a foretaste of that which was to come. Let's pray. Father, we give thanks to You for Your Son, our Lord, our Savior. Lord, we can't begin to plunge the depths of what we need to consider here. But we would look to Your Spirit Lord, teach us. Lord, humble us. And may we marvel more and more. May we marvel anew and afresh in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray in His name. Amen.