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.
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-