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William Chatterton Dix lived from 1837 – 1898. He was an English writer. Sadly, at the age of 29, he was struck with a near-fatal illness and suffered months confined to his bed. His physical ailments led to emotional depression and spiritual desperation. Yet, it was during this time of sickness and suffering that he earnestly sought the Lord. And through prayer and Bible reading, God opened his heart to faith and his mind to focus on the rescuing joy in Jesus Christ. So, what started as personal darkness was transformed into a profound deliverance as William Chatterton Dix wrote several hymns that inspired his spiritual awakening. One song that grew prominent and remains popular in the church is the familiar Christmas carol, “What Child Is This?”
Interestingly, this carol is set to a noticeable secular tune, “Greensleeves.” This song is a folk song about with unsavory background. Yet, Christians were known for using secular songs and contemporary melodies to be redeemed with spiritual meaning. It is unfortunate that today’s Christians do not always understand how to redeem culture, and snide at Christians and churches for contextualizing the gospel (not compromising) to reach people. And it’s ironic that the songs they hold up as the standard are ones that a prior church culture would have easily recognized as objectionable.
Nonetheless, the carol “What Child Is This?” was written during a time of the author’s sorrow and pain. His Scripture reading understood Christ’ birth was greeted by both ordinary shepherds and heavenly angels; and eventually the babe, the Son of Mary would have nails and a spear pierced him through. William Chatterton Dix understood Christmas is only merry because Jesus is mighty over death.
Today, we turn to Isaiah 53 to discover more about a man of sorrow and suffering who brings us salvation – and joy from grief.
EXAMINE Joy From Grief (Isaiah 53:3-4)
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 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, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord
to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Adrian Rogers said of Isaiah 53, “Isaiah dipped his pen in golden glory, and it ought to be written on deluxe parchment with diamonds.”[1]
At this point, Isaiah’s prophecy moves from third person (“He”) to first person (“we”) writing. It’s like the famous 17th C. artist: Rembrandt. To some, he is known as the first “Selfie King.” He has almost 100 self-portraits, compared to his peers or other artists mostly in the single digits. Further, in many of his paintings with multiple characters, Rembrandt often found a way to include himself in the event – whether it was a disciple on the boat in the Storm On The Sea At Galilee, a soldier at The Raising Of The Cross, or an executioner at The Stoning of Steven, among others. It’s likely part vanity and part profundity to recognize that we are active participants of doubting or attempting to defeat the work of God. Likewise, when Isaiah is prophesying about the Messiah, he is also telling his and our story too.[2]
Jesus was a man of sorrow (53:3).
Isaiah describes their leaders as despised and deserted. Israel is on the brink of devastation by enemy nations, and they need God’s power and protect. Yet, the nation looked to worldly alliances rather than applying their faith allegiance to Yahweh.
Likewise, God’s Chosen Servant relates to Israel’s rejection of Yahweh. Therefore, the Messiah is prophesied as a man of sorrow (pain).
- Despised and rejected by men
- Same wording of Israel against Moses in wilderness /Eli’s sons / of Saul against David[3]
- Religious leaders sought to discredit, demean, and destroy Jesus
- Many Jews disbelieved
- Even disciples doubted and abandoned Jesus, though they returned after resurrection
- Acquainted with grief
- Jesus grieved the crowds as sheep without a shepherd (Mt 9:36)
- Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus and heartache of his friends (Jn 11:35)
- Jesus lamented Jerusalem’s rejection of the Messiah (Mt 23:37-39; Heb 5:7)
- Undoubtedly, Jesus suffered pain and tears at His crucifixion (Mk 15:34)
hide their faces:
Peter fled / People cursed Jesus while hanging / Mother Mary
God
Ps 22 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me… far from my groaning??”
Today
*People hide behind masks: religiosity / accomplishments / labels / busyness
*People hide behind excuses: church hurt is real but not every church for all time
*People hide w/ guilt & attempt to run away like David & Jonah, but God pursues w/ storms
Jesus understood paramount pain and supreme sorrow. This is what the incarnation is all about, providing identification, understanding, support, and empathy but all without sin.
All emotions are human: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, anxiousness, grief… God gave us emotions to provide us reality and also to protect us from harm. Yet, the key is how we respond to our emotions.
You are in control of your behaviors and choose how to respond after you’ve processed these emotions.
Illus: Chic-Fil-A customer service is renown. They’re trained to handle almost any condition or conflict and solve every problem. They follow the HEARD Model: Hear, Empathize, Apologize, Resolve, Delight.
In a far greater way, God has heard our cry, empathized through incarnation, atoned for our sin through death, then resurrected to resolve sin’s curse, and delights us with an invitation to believe and live forever. Jesus is the greater Chic-Fil-A!
He’s an experienced man of sorrow who can walk us through dark valleys to reach the other side.
Esteem / understand value[4] – – – > understanding we don’t suffer alone begins a sense of hope and joy.
Neither death nor disasters can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus” Rom 8:39
Jesus was a pain-carrying servant (53:4).
Isaiah describes the Messiah was one who carries griefs and sorrows
- griefs (kho-lee’) = sickness or disease, but not intended as medical term / pain or affliction
- sorrow (mah-KOHV) = sorrow / includes physical pain, emotional grief, spiritual anguish
The pain-carrying servant was viewed stricken (plagued), smitten (punished by severe beating), afflicted (humbled).
In Isaiah’s day, treating God’s chosen servant in this way would have only been performed by foreign enemies. Ironically, it was the people of God who treated Jesus in this way. They persecuted him by mocking his royalty with a crown of thorns. They punished him with physical torment of 39 lashes that shredded his flesh and split tendons and muscles. They humbled him to the lowest degree by having him hang on a cross for 3 hours before tormentors and tyrants watched him die.
So, what Isaiah expresses is that the Messiah doesn’t just comprehend our pain, He carries it. Jesus’ understanding of our pain moves beyond sympathy to substitution. Jesus didn’t just feel sad for us, He solves our issue by offering His body. He carries the full weight of our sin on the cross.
*Like a sponge that absorbs the weight of liquid – it’s overwhelmed but not defeated.
Isaiah 53 describes the Messiah as a man of sorrows. The Messiah doesn’t just comprehend our pain, He carries it. Jesus’ understanding of our pain moves beyond sympathy to substitution. Jesus didn’t just feel sad for us, He solves our issue by offering His body, carrying the full weight of our sin on the cross.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Amazingly, Isa53 is not just about God’s Chosen Servant being oppressed but overcoming. The Servant will be crushed/crucified according to the will of the Lord – His soul will be offered in a sacrificial death, YET He shall see offspring / His days will be prolonged / He shall prosper and redeem many to be righteous!!!
Isaiah 53 is not just about God’s Chosen Servant being oppressed but overcoming. The Servant will be crushed and his soul will be offered in sacrificial death. Yet, the Servant will see offspring; His days will be prolonged; He shall prosper and redeem many to be righteous. Through Jesus, God overcomes all our suffering, including death itself.
Jesus carries our sickness/diseases not merely for physical healing then for us to face death, but in a way that is fully redemptive (Mt 8:17; Rev 21:4). Jesus conquers the curse of sin, resulting in a host of afflictions, and reinstates something qualitatively indestructible and quantitatively interminable/infinite. Therefore, for the Christian, our healing for every difficulty / disease / disorder is guaranteed; death has lost its sting.
Christmas is only merry because Jesus is mighty over death.
Christmas is only merry because Jesus is mighty over death.
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We rejoice that
- if you’ve got pain, it’s not permanent and Jesus is the pain-taker
- if you feel lost, it’s not final and Jesus is the way-maker
- If you need freedom, you’re not hopeless and Jesus is the chain-breaker
- If you need rescued, you’re not alone and Jesus is the battle-tested Savior
- Shame can be removed
- Hope restored
- Sin forgiven
- Grief redeemed
- Eternity secured
APPLY/TAKEAWAY
The path from grief to joy starts with inviting the Man of Sorrow as your Savior. And the same hope Christ had through the crucifixion becomes our anchor with all of God’s faithful promises. In that, we can understand that joy is not the absence of groans and grief but the presence of hope in every circumstance.
Ps 16:10-11 The LORD will not abandon my soul to the grave, or let your holy one see corruption. He makes known to me the path of life; in God’s presence is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Ps 18:2 “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation… the LORD who is worthy to be praised.
Ps 23 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for God is with me; His rod and staff comfort me… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Ps 46 God is our refuge & strength, a very present help in trouble. Though the earth gives way, we will not fear; though the mountains be moved; though waters roar in storm – we are still >> and know God is on the throne.
The path from grief to joy starts w/ inviting the Man of Sorrow as your Savior. The same hope Christ had thru the crucifixion becomes our anchor w/ all of God’s faithful promises. So, joy is not the absence of groans & grief but the presence of hope in every circumstance.
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Further, we live in a world that is heavily impacted by grief / holiday blues / depression gripped.
So, as Christians our role is to
- Not Blink.
Jesus said, We must labor for the work of God while it is day; for night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (Jn 9:4-5)
Don’t be shocked at other’s struggles with sadness.
Live on mission and enter people’s lives.
Don’t ignore. See people with God’s eyes & heart.
Your best spiritual hope is practical help.- Cook a meal / Help with childcare / Perform a chore / Be present
- Be patient.
- Grief/Depression has its own pace and layers.
- It’s not about “moving on” but “going forward”
- 2. Breathe.
As Christians, our lifeline and oxygen is prayer. Like the 4 friends of the paralytic, it’s not our job to heal or save someone but to simply lift them to Jesus.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Rom 12:12)
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Php 4:6-7)
“Bear one anothers burdens” (Gal 6:2)
- 3. Believe for others.
To be clear, we cannot replace someone else’s faith. God doesn’t have grandchildren or have friends with benefits. Yet, as Christians, it is our role to model faith and plant seeds so that others can begin to grow roots that will attach to strong trees around it.
“let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel… doing all w/o grumbling, that you may be children of God w/o blemish amid a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”” (Php 1:27; 2:14)
[1] Adrian Rogers “Isaiah 53 – The Messianic Prophecies of Jesus,” Love Worth Finding Ministries.
[2] Paragraph adapted significantly from Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. and R. Kent Hughes, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners, Preaching the Word, 356.
[3] https://biblehub.com/hebrew/959.htm
[4] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 377.
Growing Godly Generations 