Sermon # 157             Series: Isaiah

 

Title:  The Determination of Christ to Suffer for His People

Text:  Isaiah 50:7

Subject:  The Determination Of Christ As Our Substitute

Date: Sunday Evening – July 25, 1993

 

Introduction:

 

Let’s read Isaiah 50:4-9 together…These verses are prophetic of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one speaking here is our great Savior.  Everything in these five verses is about him.  Here our Savior is described in all three of his mediatorial offices…

 

Notice how the character of our Redeemer is set forth in this passage of Holy Scripture.  Every word should be mediated upon thoughtfully and carefully.

 

vv. 4-5 – The Willing Servant.

v. 6 - The Humble Sufferer.

v. 7 – The Determined Substitute.

vv. 8-9 – The Successful Savior.

 

Tonight, I want us to focus our attention on verse 7.  The title of my message is – The Determination Of Christ To Suffer For His People.  Luke seems to have had this very text in mind when he wrote, “It came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

 

Proposition:  From old eternity the Son of God determined to save his people by the sacrifice of himself; and nothing could keep him from the accomplishment of his determined purpose.

 

1.  Having pledged himself as our Surety in the covenant of grace, he never went back on his word, or even thought about doing so- (Pro. 8:23-32).

 

2.  Though men fell in the garden, our Lord’s purpose was not changed.

 

3.  Often the Angel of the Covenant visited fallen sinners in the earth in anticipation of what he would do.

 

 

4.  At Last the Appointed Time Came and the Son of God Assumed Our Nature that He Might Die In Our Stead upon the Cursed Tree (Rom. 5:6-8; Gal. 4:4-6).

 

 

He had set his face like a flint upon the accomplishment of the great work he had undertaken for us and refused to be hindered.  With the Son of God, there was no turning back.  Though there were none to help and many who tried to hinder him, he would not be deterred from his great work.

 

NOTE:  We are saved by the faith or faithfulness of Jesus Christ- (Rom. 3:22; Gal. 2:16).

 

Divisions:

 

    I want to do two things in this message.

  1. I want to show you your Redeemer’s commitment to you.
  2. I want to challenge you to imitate your Redeemer in your commitment to him.

 

I.  First, I want to Show You Your Redeemer’s Commitment To You.

 

In our text the Lord Jesus Christ expresses the resolution and commitment of his very Being to the redemption and salvation of our souls, knowing full well that the price of our ransom must be his own death.

 

A.  This Commitment, This Resolution, This Determination of Christ To Suffer And Die As Our Substitute At Calvary Was Greatly Tested.

 

Remember now, I am talking about the man Christ Jesus, The God-man, our Savior.  His determination to fulfill his covenant engagements as our Surety was put to the test.

 

1.  Our Savior was tempted to turn aside from his purpose by the offers of worldly advantage (John 6:15).

 

a.       For awhile his miracles made him famous.

b.       The Jews would have taken him by force and made him a king.

c.       His triumphal entry into Jerusalem made it obvious that the masses were ready to follow him on their terms – A Political King and Kingdom!

d.       In the wilderness satan offered him the kingdoms of this world (Matt. 4).

 

NOTE:  Many a man has been turned aside from good purposes by the bauble of worldly advantage – But not our Savior!

 

2.  Our Lord’s Determination To Redeem Us Was Also Tested By The Persuasion of His Closest Friends.

 

a.       The disciples tried to dissuade him (John 11:8, 16).

b.       Peter rebuked him (Matt. 16:22-23).

c.       His family would have chosen other things for him.

 

NOTE:  If we would do the will of God, we must not consult with flesh and blood (Gal. 1:15).

 

3.  Certainly the unworthiness of those for whom he was determined to die might be considered a great hindrance to him.

 

a.       Peter denied him.

b.       All forsook him.

c.       Some for whom he died were among his murderers.  (I John 3:16).  The Son of God died for a people…

 

4.  Our Savior’s determination was tested again by the bitterness he tasted in Gethsemane.

 

“If anything could have broken our Savior’s resolution it would have been the agony and bloody sweat of Gethsemane.” (Spurgeon).

 

5.  Certainly the case with which he could have avoided his ignominious death was a temptation to do so.

 

·         His Arrest in the Garden – “Whom seek ye?”

 

Our Lord was not compelled to go to Calvary by any lack of ability, but only by his love, which is strong as death.   When he said, “If it be possible, let this cup p[ass from me,”  The only thing that made that impossible was his determination to redeem and save us.

 

6.  The taunts and jeers of the people who scoffed at him tested his determination too.

 

·         “If thou be the King!”

NOTE:  Many a strong man is turned aside from his good purposes by the jeers of others.

 

7.  Our dear Redeemer must have been tempted to turn back from his determination to save us when he felt in his soul the full agony of his sufferings (Lam. 1:12).

 

B.  Yet, inspite of all these temptations, Our Savior Was Sustained In His Determination to Redeem And Save Us.

 

1.  By His Divine Learning (v. 4; Heb. 2:10-18).

2.  By His Conscious Innocence (v. 5).

3.  By the Joy set Before Him (v. 8) – (Heb. 12:2).

4.  By the Confidence of Success (v. 9).

 

II.  I Challenge you and myself to Imitate Our Redeemed In Our Commitment to Him (Rom. 12:1-2).

 

A.  Consecrate yourself to Do The Will of God for the Glory of God.

B.  Seek to be taught of God – (4).

C.  Ever Be Obedient To Your Father – (5-6).

D.  Ever live by Faith – Trust God (9-10).

 

Application:

 

“Whatsoever he saith unto you, Do it” – (John 2:5).

 

“There is nothing so hard that it cannot be cut by that which is harder” – (Thomas Brooke).  Against hard work, temptation, and trouble, our Savior set his-