Good Friday 2024: Suffering and Joy
The Passage
Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, 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 esteemed 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. But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 52:13-53:12
What is your best, most loved, and enjoyable memory? Was it a family trip? Christmas? Wedding? We have moments of joy, love, and peace. For all eternity past God the father, God the Son, and God the Spirit completely enjoyed one another.
Consider the Suffering of the Savior
His appearance marred (52:14), without form, majesty, or attractions (53:2). The spirit of those watching Christ was indifference. Herod and Pilate wanted to forget him. Peter denied knowing him. He was crushed by the soldiers like an empty coke can you’re about to throw away.
He was despised, forsaken of men (53:3). His friends and followers ran away. Even though all eyes were on him, he was alone.
He bore our griefs/sickness, sorrows/pains (53:4). The shame of our sin he carried. Everything you’ve done. The worst thoughts you’ve ever entertained that if people saw, they’d run away. Jesus bore those. The worst things you ever said or done that if was recorded and played on screen for all to see your good reputation would be ruined. Jesus bore that shame.
He was pierced for our transgressions. . . (53:5). His face became a punching bag. His head became a pin cushion. His back went through a meat grinder. Then, what was left of his body was hanged high on a billboard for all to see.
He was smitten/struck down by God (53:4). The Lord put our iniquities on Him (53:6). The Lord was pleased to crush Him (53:10). The worst judgment of Christ on the cross was the spiritual darkness he endured. For all eternity past Jesus only knew the love of God. He loved God His father and Spirit. And God the Father and spirit loved Him. But on the cross, Jesus became the object God’s wrath. Like Isaac centuries earlier, looked up from the altar to see his father holding a knife in the air, Jesus Christ looked up in heaven to see the sword of divine wrath ready to strike him. But unlike Isaac, there was no God in a higher heaven to stay His father’s hand. Why endure such mockery, shame, pain, and abandonment?
Consider the Joy of the Savior
Hebrews tells us that Christ endured the shame of the cross for the joy before him when we sat down at God’s right hand (Heb 12:2). Isaiah says He will prosper (52:13), He will sprinkle the nations (52:15) he will justify many (53:11) and He will receive a reward (53:12). Jesus endured the cross for the salvation of the whole world and the healing of the nations. In verse 12, Jesus divides the booty/plunder/spoils of war. We are prisoners of war who become children of the king.
Consider the Joy of the Father
God the father was pleased to crush His son (53:10) because of the joy of the resurrection. Only the blood of the son can purify a bride for the son. The father was pleased to crush His son because the father was pleased to give His son a bride. He was pleased to bless the “offspring”, the generations of this world, with a savior and Lord.
Consider the Joy of the Holy Spirit
The joy of the holy spirit is so apparent that we usually miss it. The ministry of God the holy spirit unifies and grows us all. He shares His fruit of joy with us. You that spirit of fellowship we have on Sundays right after worship? That’s the work of the spirit! But you see, He could only come down and do this work in us if God the Son ascended into heaven. And the son could only ascend unto heaven after defeating death at His resurrection.
So, the unity of the spirit, the bonds of pease, the fellowship of the saints, the worship through son and word, the ministry of hospitality, the salvation of sinners, the repentance of stubborn sinners, and the faith of children are all possible by the gifts of the spirit, the commands of the father, and the cross of the son.
In closing, let us stand and pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray.