MOTIVATE
In just a short time, millions of people in the world have been writing notes, sending messages, and talking a lot about a very old man who will drop from the sky and enter our homes to bring us celebratory joy with his extravagant generosity.
- You might be unbelieving and skeptical
- You may be unprepared
- You might feel underserving
- Today’s message is to help you overcome doubts & fears, & to experience the assurance that he is actually coming – – – maybe not this month, or even soon, but He is coming.
Today, I want to talk about the human virus of sin – and how Jesus is the cure to provide a new heart.
EXAMINE Peace From Punishment (Isaiah 53:5-7)
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.
Isaiah recap
- Isaiah name = The Lord Is My Salvation
- Story of Dad who named his child after local pizza shop bc they ran an ad “What would you do for a lifetime supply of free pizza?”
- Story of a Mom who wanted to name daughter after a Disney princess but Dad disliked Disney. She asked about “Aurora” bc Dad didn’t know that was Sleeping Beauty. Later when child was ~5 years old and introducing at school, teacher asked if the child
- My children “A” to “Z”
- Mini Bible with 66 chapters / half doom for Israel’s unfaithfulness & half future hope
- Every story whispers the name of Jesus
Isaiah 53 is a famous chapter
- 1 whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? God is rolling up sleeves to be involved.
God’s salvation is prophesied in a person- with simple beginnings, like a 2 root out of dry ground; he had no attraction or majesty
- Amazing that Christmas is celebrated for 2K+ bc of a child born in a manger in small town Bethlehem.
- SO – > we don’t have to present as extra and free to be ordinary. God doesn’t call us to change before we come – come as you are and then He will change what needs.
- with simple beginnings, like a 2 root out of dry ground; he had no attraction or majesty
- with shunned life – 3 despised and rejected
- Like the Grinch – no one wants to touch him with a 39’ ½ pole; cuddly as a cactus; vile as a seasick crocodile; and a mean monster…
- Jesus was shunned by family; by religious leaders; by crowds – – – John 1:11
- Amazingly – people still shun Jesus by suggesting He never existed /
they mock and block with feverish attempts while every other religion is promoted with tolerance.
- We cannot be neutral with Jesus: either we esteem Him or seek to eliminate Him.
- Amazingly – people still shun Jesus by suggesting He never existed /
- with substitutionary death3-5 a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… pierced for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
- Pierced / Crushed = language of severe beating. The servant experiences punishment for the sake / in the place of others – and for the purpose of bringing about peace and healing.
- Withhold discussing crucifixion but explain its fruit of
at-one-ment. It’s a theme throughout the Bible with primary description at Passover, where a family was instructed to sacrifice a lamb and wipe its blood over the doorpost of their house to protect from a death plague angel. “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin – yet – Christ ransomed us with His precious blood and is our Passover lamb (Heb 9:22; 1Pet 1:18-19; Ro 3:23-25; Heb 2:17; 1Jn 2:2; 4:10). The result is that by grace through faith Jesus takes our punishing guilt and we take His peace gift.
- Withhold discussing crucifixion but explain its fruit of
- with selective burial 9 made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man
- Jesus was crucified among 2 thieves and buried in a wealthy man’s tomb
- Pierced / Crushed = language of severe beating. The servant experiences punishment for the sake / in the place of others – and for the purpose of bringing about peace and healing.
- with singular comeback 10-11 he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand… his soul shall see and be satisfied [and] make many to be accounted righteous
- Jesus was resurrected with over 500 eyewitness of an empty tomb, whom majority of early followers faced harsh persecution and martyrdom. Some will die for what they believe – but not knowingly for a lie. The testimony is more credible than realized.[1]SO – > your life has more purpose than understood. Your work becomes salt and light. Your words and witness become hope to the weary.
- Most of all – your greatest fear becomes a small scar in God’s hand, as He promises the curse of death is but an eye blink into eternity.
APPLY/TAKEAWAY
Christmas is about a baby’s birth… yes, but the Christmas manger only has meaning when we understand God’s purpose for sending Jesus into our world. Jesus came near so that those who are far from God can know God’s love, be forgiven, and be invited into His family.
The Christmas manger only has meaning when we understand God’s purpose for sending Jesus into our world. Jesus came near so that those who are far from God can know God’s love, be forgiven, and be invited into His family.
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we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way
The Bible compares us to sheep. – – – in case you’re wondering, that’s not flattering. In my head I’m a lion but reality is a wild clumsy annoying turkey… // But God calls us sheep not to demean us but to remind us of our dependence. Let me explain about sheep…
- Unremarkable. Nations are known as animals: USA (eagle), Gr8 Brit (lion), China (pandas), Arabia (horse), Australia (kangaroo), Russia (bear) – but none are sheep, that’s ridiculed/insulting. Further, sheep are never in a circus – many animals can be trained but sheep are simply known to be stubborn, unlearned, and easily confused. They even follow each other off a pier or cliff! While humans are smart and learned, we don’t always choose wisdom.
- Unprotected. When alone they are vulnerable to predators. They can’t camouflage; not fierce; not fast – instead they’re clumsy, weak, and flee easily. Likewise, people who isolate from community are vulnerable to temptation and unhealthy choices that spiral into negativity, trouble, or destruction.
- Unruly. They don’t necessarily intentionally rebel, but they casually wander and slowly drift a few steps at a time. Likewise, people rarely rush into sin but they get distracted and then they feed the wrong desires of self-interest and the spiral of disobedience begins to unravel.
While we are sheep, Jesus is described as a Good Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd.
John 10:11, 27 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… My sheep hear my voice.
So often, we are tempted to listen to the voice of our feelings or the loudest criticisms. We need to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. The one who cares most – to the measure of giving His own life.
In our breakfast skit with Santa and Grinch, Santa mixed up the list of names on the nice and naughty lists. He asked Grinch to help identify those who were naughty. After Grinch identified everyone as, “naughty,” Santa remembered that no one earns Christmas cheer. Everyone deserves the curse of coal – BUT Jesus crosses off all the names on the naughty list and writes His own. Jesus received the coal.
Jesus’ heart became broken so that when we have faith in Him, our heart can be mended and remade new.
[1] https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2023/04/06/can-we-believe-the-resurrection-of-jesus/
Growing Godly Generations 