Unbelievable!

Why the Gospel is Such Good News!

Isaiah 52,53

October 23rd 2011 AM

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

I. Introduction (Isaiah 1:18)

A. There is a reason why the Gospel is such GOOD news

1. It is because what is wrong with us deep down in our heart of hearts, can be fixed

2. It is because even the STAINS of our sins, can be washed and made white as snow!

3. No religion, no church, no religious order has ever been able to offer such good news as the Gospel offers!

4. Most people believe that the Gospel is just a nice story to tell children

a. That the cross was just a mistake

b. That it was all just a big misunderstanding!

c. That it never really changes anybody!

d. That sins don’t really need to be forgiven – just accepted!

5. Oh you couldn’t be more wrong!

B. Take a good look at what is in your hearts – not what is on the outside, but in that part of you that you are most ashamed of

C. Begin to ask yourself these questions:

1. Is it possible that sinful, selfish, wicked men can become right, and forgiven, and converted, and changed for the better (Job 14:4; 15:4; 25:4; Psalm 30:3)?

a. The world says, people don’t change! Most women discover this truth after marriage!

b. But God says, He can fix anyone!

2. Is it possible that people are wrong about forgiveness? We will never fool God with all our religious fakery, and we are doomed unless GOD steps in and saves sinful men!

D. This morning, I want to persuade you that the Gospel is true, and that it is GOOD news! Unbelievably good news!

E. And it is described in a book called Isaiah

1. Written as a prophecy 700 years BEFORE it would perfectly come to pass

2. Written about a Man who perfectly satisfy the righteous wrath of almighty God

II. Message

A. The Gospel is Hard to Believe (Isaiah 53:1)

1. The Gospel means, “Good News!” God’s News!

a. God has got some very good news for people

b. And it is almost unbelievable! It is HARD to accept as really, totally, absolutely true!

2. What is this good news?

a. That there is a perfect place called heaven, with no more tears, or sorrow, or pain. No more death, no more graves, no more hospitals or surgeries, no more doctors or medicines. No more night, and no more devil!

1) It is impossible to be perfect enough to go there! That is for certain!

2) But God says He has made a way!

3) That is what is so unbelievable! Not through some “back door” but right through the front door to the very throne of God!

4) There IS a place called heaven – it is where God lives!

5) And as unbelievable as it sounds, I am going there! By God’s GRACE!

b. That there is a horrible place of eternal punishment called the lake of fire!

1) Every sinner, no matter how hard they try to be good, will stand before God and will have to pay for all their sins… forever!

2) But God says, He has not dropped the temperature of hell one degree, but instead has paid for our sins HIMSELF so that we can live forever!

3) As unbelievable as it sounds, I am NOT going there! I have been SAVED from the eternal punishment of my sin!

c. That there is a God in heaven who cares – really cares!

1) Not like a politician “cares”

2) Not a distant, too busy kind of God

3) But like Someone who knows how to work everything out!

4) A kind of God that cares enough to saves sinners from such a place as hell!

d. Oh, it’s all hard to believe – but it is TRUE!

3. Who would have believed:

a. That sin is serious enough to condemn a man to hell forever!? Even just ONE sin! Not purgatory, or to reincarnation, but a devil’s hell!

b. That none of us could save ourselves, but are all guilty before God!

c. That GOD would become a mortal man, live in flesh and blood, and actually dwell on this dust ball of a sin-cursed planet for 33 ½ years?

d. That THAT God-Man would willingly yield to wicked hands and allow them to crucify Him?

e. That Son of God would die in the place of sinners like US so that we could live forever?

f. That’s pretty hard to believe!

4. Well, The apostle Paul spent most of his time when he preached and taught, reasoning and opening the eyes of his hearers to just how true the Gospel is (Acts 17:1-5)!

a. Paul taught straight out of the Scriptures – straight from places like Isaiah 53! Almost ALL of the Gospel is built upon THIS one chapter in Isaiah!!!

b. Paul proved that this amazing, meek, kind, gentle Messiah would be able to save a sin-cursed world from the wrath to come!

1) We expect a maverick, an Army, a Super-Soldier to come

2) But we find Jesus, the adopted son of a carpenter, suffering FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS!

a) WE are the WRONG… And yet we are the REASON for Jesus suffering!

b) You see, Jesus was not being punished for any sin HE ever did

c) He is suffering for OTHER people’s sins!

d) I call that UNJUST! If someone tried to punish my son for something he didn’t do, I would fight to defend him!

e) Well, NO ONE defended Jesus, even though he was perfectly innocent!

c. This BIBLE ought to cause people to stop and think – not just accept things they have always been taught!

d. Even if it is hard to believe, we need to believe it – because GOD wrote it!

B. It is Unbelievable that God Would Accept a Substitute! (Isaiah 52:13; 53:1-3)

1. Simple fact: WE are sinners! WE break God’s laws! WE deserve to reap what we have sown

2. Yet it pleased God to bruise HIM (53:10)! The Gospel is all about the Work of a SUBSTITUTE

a. The just, in the place of the unjust!

b. The lamb for the loser

c. The innocent, in the place of the guilty!

3. Listen to how God refers to this Substitute…

a. God calls Him “my SERVANT” and gets excited! Says, “BEHOLD!”

b. Here is Someone who is the STRENGTH of the Lord – the “ARM of the Lord”. He came in strength so that he could do something great!

c. He is mighty, yet He is SIMPLE. He came down to the lowest level!

1) Gentle – a tender, fragile plant

2) Plain – no beauty, no fashion statement

3) He walked everywhere, touched people’s problems, hungered, grew tired, gave and gave and gave of Himself

4) Had no certain place to lay His head from day to day

5) Could have been carried everywhere by angels, or slept in heaven every night

6) Yet he lived a simple life, HERE – He lived down at OUR level

4. The Messiah, the Christ came to be a SUBSTITUTE – to actually take all our place!

a. This is why Isaiah said NO ONE would believe any of this! It is just way too crazy to believe that an Almighty, all holy, all righteous, all wise God would actually waste His time down here where WE live! And yet that is just what He did!

b. Listen to what Jesus did:

1) He took upon Himself OUR griefs, and gave us joy

2) He carried OUR sorrows, and left us with peace

3) He took OUR punishments, and gave us forgiveness

4) He was even REJECTED (Ps 22:1) – none of us know the rejection that Jesus experienced! But He experienced it in our place, so that we could be ACCEPTED!

c. When did He do all this?

1) When He was wounded

2) Bruised

3) Chastised – whipped (Luke 23:20-25)!

4) It is simply describing the horribleness of what happened on the cross!

d. He took upon Himself what was intended for US as a human race!

e. And he did it not as a KING, but as a Servant!

5. But this was so that GOD in the flesh, in the form of a servant could be our Saviour (Isaiah 43:11; 45:21)!

6. That’s pretty good news if you ask me! Unbelievably good news!

7. That God wanted to save the likes of a sinner like ME!

C. It is Unbelievable that OUR Sins are the Blame (Isaiah 53:5,6)

1. We love to blame everyone else

a. Like the dictators and tyrants of the world – the Ghadaffi’s of the world

b. Like our rotten home lives

c. Like the economy

d. Like our bad friends

2. Example: Several months ago, a man was sitting at an air traffic controller station, monitoring hundreds of airplanes in flight. He was tired, and he was bored. It was late at night, and he decided to play a DVD on a portable device, and watch a movie. Every few seconds he would glance over at his radar, and then back to his movie. Nothing bad happened that night, but what if two planes collided? That’s man’s disregard for his responsibilities could have cost the lives of hundreds of passengers! Who would be to blame? He could have tried to blame his boss for not giving him enough breaks, or the pilots for not seeing each other. But obviously, HIS boredom would be the blame for the death of hundreds of others!

3. And let’s be clear! The reason why the crucifixion happened at all was because of your and my sins! WE are to blame!

a. There was no sin or even a fault in Jesus (John 18:38) “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.”

b. Yet there He is – hanging alone, on a murderous cross, bleeding, dying!

4. Why would any man allow himself to be whipped and beaten and abused and murdered on a cross? WHY?

a. Because of love – no other reason!

b. “ALL we like sheep have gone astray” – gotten off track

1) Don’t tell me you are a pretty good person!

2) YOU KNOW you are wicked, and have wicked thoughts, and desires, wicked attitudes, and are rebellious towards God

3) There is not ONE person in this room that doesn’t start off right, and try and do right, and not end up doing wrong, and sinning – no matter how hard we try!!!

4) We have ALL gone astray!

c. We have turned every one to his own way!” – our PRIDE, stubbornness, arrogance! We really don’t want to do things GOD’S way – we want things OUR way

1) We want to marry who WE want

2) We want to drink what WE want

3) We want to watch what WE want to watch on TV

4) We don’t like ANYONE telling us what to do or not to do

5) We go to a church that WE want to go to – that WE like

6) It’s OUR way, or no way at all!

7) That’s why some of you are so unhappy – because you have to have everything YOUR way!

d. It’s OUR transgressions that have to be paid for – another word for wicked sin!

1) Breaking God’s laws – they are still in effect

2) Ignoring God’s commandments

e. It’s OUR iniquities that have us in so much trouble!

f. Over and over, Isaiah is repeating that what happened to Jesus was because of US!

g. And so, God acts! “I” would have abandoned this planet a long time ago, but God didn’t

5. Now you know why Isaiah said all this was so unbelievable – because he is shocked that it was US who did all this to Jesus! Not the Roman soldiers, or just the Jewish religious leaders!

6. WE deserve what we get from God (Cf Luke 23:39-41) – NO ONE can shake their fist at God and say the He is unfair!

7. There is not one person who didn’t have a part in putting Jesus on that cross!

8. Just remember that is GOOD NEWS!

9. Because The LORD God hath laid on Him (His Servant) the iniquity OF US ALL.

D. It is Unbelievable that Everything Worked Out Perfectly (Isaiah 52:13-14; 53:7-9)

1. Jesus lived perfectly – ONLY JESUS DID!

a. Jesus was careful – prudent – did everything right – everything!

b. Never was violent, never lied (53:9)

c. Never sinned. Never broke a single commandment of God

d. Obeyed God every moment of His life

e. Obeyed His earthly parents for the first 20 years

2. Jesus loved perfectly – without preference. Always sacrificially

3. Jesus suffered perfectly (53:7,8; 52:13,14)

a. Oppressed (abused), afflicted (tortured)

b. Yet He opened not His mouth in defence

c. No one spoke up for Him in His defence either (53:8)

d. He was “cut off” – killed, murdered!

e. Even to the point of being raised very high – on the cross, for all to see – all according to plan

f. His visage – what was visible

g. Was marred – destroyed – more than any other human has ever experienced!

h. ALL according to God’s plan and will!

4. Jesus died perfectly (53:9)

a. Died with wicked men – between two

b. Placed in a rich man’s tomb – Joseph of Arimathaea

5. Unbelievable! That He accepted such death – even the death of the cross! Though he was mistreated and oppressed he never objected to the treatment he received. He even said "father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

6. Again! Why was he so willing to suffer and die? Because of love!

a. There is no greater love than the love of God

b. Especially for the ungodly, for sinners, for harlots and drunkards

c. Remind yourself that Jesus died for SINNERS – not good people (1Tim 1:15)

7. Will you finally realise that there is NOTHING more for any of us to do but to just believe it? Accept it as a perfect gift!

a. Our best efforts aren’t good enough (Isaiah 64:6)

b. None of us could ever even HOPE of keeping the law like Jesus did (Gal 2:16)

c. Nothing more than to follow Jesus now, by faith (John 6:28,29)!!!

d. Because all that is required of us, is already finished!

E. Jesus Pleased God (Isaiah 53:10,11a)

1. It gets even better! The Gospel didn’t stop with Christ’s death!

2. You see, the Gospel is not ONLY about US

3. It is about GOD, and satisfying justice!

a. You see, we are in trouble with GOD!

b. We all deserve the righteous wrath of God

c. Yet… When the Roman soldiers whipped and beat Jesus… when they ripped His beard (50:6), God was whipping and beating Him as if He were US!

d. Wow! Unbelievable!

4. Jesus was NOT some angel being beat up, or some prophet, or just some sinner off the street – He was GOD HIMSELF in the form of a Man!

5. GOD was taking OUR punishment upon HIMSELF!

a. God’s justice bruised Himself

b. God put Jesus to grief and sorrow

c. Remember, Jesus was a sacrifice for SIN

d. The death of Jesus was justice for sin – equal justice – and it satisfied the Judge of all the earth!

6. It was the only way!

7. There is nothing more amazing than the fact that Jesus’ death made it possible for God to be pleased with me

8. You see…

a. You and I can and will never please God!

b. God was angry with the wicked (Psalm 7:11)!!!

c. Only Jesus pleased God (Isa 42:1; Mt 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; John 8:29)

9. Yet now, BECAUSE of Jesus, I please God! And any of His children can go straight to God the Father, not because of Mary, or because of some penance that you have done, or because of your own goodness… but because of Jesus making a way (John 14:6)!

F. Unbelievably, the Cross Justifies the Ungodly (53:11,12)

1. Something BIG happened when Jesus died on that cross, and rose again…

a. He forgave the worst of us

b. He pardoned the unpardonable

c. He made righteous those that were by nature, UNGODLY

2. Notice two phrases (53:5)

a. “The chastisement of OUR peace was upon him”

b. “With his stripes we are healed!” – not health healing, but HEART healing!

3. To justify means to make someone who is guilty, righteous now! As if he or she had never sinned!

4. How did Jesus do it?

a. By fulfilling God’s plan

1) It is not a religious belief, or pie-in-the-sky hope

2) It has always been God’s plan from the very start when Adam and Eve disobeyed God

b. By pouring out His soul unto death – what a way to describe the cross

c. By carrying on HIS back all our iniquities – and being whipped for every sin!

d. By interceding for SINNERS – not for good people, or religious people: “Father forgive THEM…!”

e. By dying AS a wicked man, in the place of all wicked, ungodly men everywhere (Romans 5:6-8)

f. That’s why JESUS’ name is the greatest name – because of what He did for the whole world – for you and me! That’s why Paul says in Philp 2 that God has honoured Jesus with the name that is above every name!

5. How can someone experience such forgiveness?

a. By just knowing Him (Isa 53:11; Mt 7:21-23) – knowing HIM not intellectually, but personally, intimately, desperately!

b. By just asking for such forgiveness!

c. Simply by calling upon Him by name, to come into your heart and forgive you and save you from the righteous wrath to come!

III. Conclusion

A. So… Is it possible that sinful, selfish, wicked men can become right, and forgiven, and converted, and changed for the better?

B. Is it possible that our religious attempts will never fool God, and that we are doomed unless GOD steps in and saves sinful men?

C. I hope that I have persuaded you that the Gospel is true, and that it is GOOD news! Unbelievably good news!

D. But such good news is no good if it is not believed and obeyed!

E. I Know the Gospel is Hard to Believe

1. That there is a God in heaven who cares – really cares!

2. That there is a perfect place called heaven

3. That there is a horrible place of eternal punishment called the lake of fire!

4. Oh, it’s all hard to believe – but it is TRUE!

F. It is Unbelievable that God Would Accept a Substitute in Our Place!

1. Yet it pleased God to bruise HIM (53:10)!

2. The Messiah, the Christ came to be a SUBSTITUTE – to actually take all our place!

3. That’s pretty good news if you ask me!

4. That God wanted to save the likes of a sinner like ME!

G. It is Unbelievable that OUR Sins are the Blame

1. The reason why the crucifixion happened at all was because of your and my sins!

a. “ALL we like sheep have gone astray” – gotten off track

b. We have turned every one to his own way!”

c. It was because of OUR transgressions

d. It was because of OUR iniquities – sin!

2. WE deserve what we get from God (Cf Luke 23:39-41) – NO ONE can shake their fist at God and say the He is unfair!

3. There is not one person who didn’t have a part in putting Jesus on that cross!

4. Just remember that is GOOD NEWS!

5. Because The LORD God hath laid on Him (His Servant) the iniquity OF US ALL.

H. It is Unbelievable that Everything Worked Out Perfectly (Isaiah 52:13-14; 53:7-9)

1. There is nothing more for anyone to do!

2. Jesus lived perfectly

3. Jesus loved perfectly – without preference. Always sacrificially

4. Jesus suffered perfectly (53:7,8; 52:13,14)

5. Jesus died perfectly (53:9)

6. Unbelievable

7. Why was he so willing to suffer and die? Because of love!

8. Will you realise that there is NOTHING more for any of us to do but to just believe it? Accept it as a perfect gift!

I. It is Unbelievable that God is Now Pleased (Isaiah 53:10,11a)

1. GOD took ALL OUR punishment upon HIMSELF!

2. Yet now, BECAUSE of Jesus, I please Him! And any of His children can go straight to God the Father, not because of Mary, or because of some penance that you have done, or because of your own goodness… but because of Jesus making a way (John 14:6)!

J. Unbelievably, the Cross Justifies the Ungodly (53:11,12)

1. How can someone experience such forgiveness?

a. By just knowing Him (Isa 53:11; Mt 7:21-23) – knowing HIM not intellectually, but personally, intimately, desperately!

b. Simply by calling upon Him by name, to come into your heart and forgive you and save you from the righteous wrath to come!

K. The prophet Isaiah used the word “WE” a lot!

1. We all go astray like sheep and wander from the Good shepherd.

2. We all have guilt and sin for the wrongs we constantly do.

3. Can you admit that?

4. The prophet Isaiah confessed that HE was among those who needed healing and payment for our sins. He used the word "we."

5. Do you recognize YOURSELF among the we?

6. Do you recognize and admit that you yourself are one of the ones who has gone astray?

7. Will you receive the Suffering Messiah's payment for sin as your own, not just as a general payment for sin, but as the payment for your own personal sins?

8. Will you receive God's loving offer of forgiveness through the Messiah's suffering as the sin offering?