“Man of Sorrows”

1. Read: Isaiah 53:1-3

2. About the Text:

1) Some 800 years or so before the coming of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah wrote these words.

2) These were the words that the Ethiopian nobleman was reading when Philip found him.

3) A suffering Savior did not fit into the common Jewish understanding of the Messiah.

4) To the Jews, this was a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness (1 Cor.1:23).

5) To the called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor.1:24).

6) Isaiah describes this suffering Savior as a “man of sorrows.”

7) “Man of sorrows, what a name, for the Son of God who came.”

8) Why did the prophet describe the Savior as a “man of sorrows?”

9) How is it that God chose to describe His Son in this way?

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. What did it mean to be a servant?

1) Servants were thought of as the lowest denominator of society (Luke 15:11-32).

2) No one desired to be a servant, not even the servants themselves.

3) They owned no property.

4) If they had a family, their family were slaves also.

5) They had no legal rights under Roman law.

6) They simply did their masters will.

7) The Romans had severe penalties for slaves that got out of line—death by crucifixion.

8) Servants were men and women of sorrow due to their social place.

2. We note second that Jesus was the Son of God and the creator of all things.

1) He made them: John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

2) They were made for him: Col.1:16-17 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

3. Jesus chose to live as a servant.

1) He had no worldly possessions (Matthew 8:20, Luke 9:58 “Foxes have holes….”).

2) He pursued no personal earthly relationships so as to have an earthly family. “And there come his mother and his brethren; and, standing without, they sent unto him, calling him. And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35)

3) He chose to do his master’s will. John 8:29 “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

4. Jesus was a man of sorrows because he was a servant.

1) “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil.2:5-8).

2) Matthew 26:53, 54 “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”

3) What mental anguish he must have borne knowing….

a. That He had left glory to suffer as a slave.

b. That He slaved to his own creation.

c. That He had the power to destroy them, yet would not.

5. Jesus was the man of sorrows because He was the Creator slaving to his creation. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb.5:8).

1. When we know the truth…

1) It is discouraging to know the truth, yet few, if any, want to believe that truth.

2) We consider those who tell truth in the face of insurmountable unbelief to be heroes.

3) History remembers Diogenes who walked around the streets of Athens with a lantern seeking for an honest man, though, in life he was a pauper.

4) To know that one has the truth, yet to be rejected, is difficult for any man to take.

2. Jesus knew the truth and proved it was true.

1) Jesus knew the truth about God, heaven, and eternal life.

a. John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

b. John 8:31, 32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2) Jesus proved His words to be true.

a. John 3:2 “. . . Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

b. John 5:36 “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.”

c. See also John 10:37-38.

3. Yet many rejected Jesus.

1) John 1:11 states, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

2) John 6:60-69 “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

3) Ultimately, Jesus was rejected by his own people and hung on the cross, because of the message that he brought them. Matthew 27:20-23 “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.”

4. Jesus was a man of sorrows because the souls of men were dying around Him.

1) “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24).

2) John 5:39, 40 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and these are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

3) John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

5. How could one not be sorrowful when those around him chose death instead of life.

1. We understand the awful injustice of the innocent suffering for the guilty.

1) No one wants to suffer for someone else’s mistakes.

2) We would never want to allow the innocent to suffer for the guilty.

3) When we discover the innocent have suffered, we do everything to make things right.

4) State of Texas compensates $80k per year for wrongful conviction and gives lifetime annuities of up to $50k per year.

2. Jesus was innocent.

1) 1 John 3:5 “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

2) 1 Peter 2:22, 23 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”

3) Heb.4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

3. Jesus bore the sins of others.

1) Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

2) 2 Cor.5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

3) 1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

4. He was a man of sorrows because He, the innocent, suffered and died for those who were guilty.

1) Romans 5:6-8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

2) 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

1. Read Isaiah 53

2. Jesus is the “Man of Sorrows” because . . .

1) though He was the Son of God, yet He chose to live as a servant.

2) though He proved his message to be true, many rejected it.

3) though He was innocent, yet He bore the sins of many.

3. Invitation

1) Nobody likes to suffer, but when we contemplate what can be accomplished through suffering, it is heartening.

2) Today Jesus ever lives to make intercession for those who come to him. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25).

3) John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

4) He lived and died for you; Oh do not reject his message today!

5) If you are a wayward Christian . . .

6) If you are not a Christian . . .

a. Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”

b. Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”

c. Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).

d. Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matt.16:16).

e. Be Baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15,16).