i] 4 6 oO

THE YEAR WAS 553 B.C. THE PLACE THE ANCIENT EMPIRE OF BABYLON. FORA

CAPTURED, KIDNAPPED FROM ISRAEL AND CARRIED THE BABYLONIAN

RULERS HAD HOPED THAT BY TRANSPORTING THE ENTIRE CPORULACE TO A FOREIGN SOIL, BY

FORCING THEM TO LIVE IN A STRANGE CULTUR& WITH STRANGE AND DIFFERENT CUSTOMS

THAT THE JEWS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DISAPPEAR. IT WAS [EXPECTED THAT THEY WOULD

INTEGRATE WITH THE BABYLONIANS, ADOPT THEIR WAY OF LIFE, INTERMARRY AND

BE SLOWLY ENVELOPED BY BABYLON. FINALLY THIS SMALL NATLON THAT HAD CAUSED SO

—— ---4

MUCH TROUBLE FOR SO MANY AMBITIOUS RULERS WOULD BE GONE, ERASED FOREVER.

BUT THE BABYLONIAN PLOT HAD NOT MATERIALIZED, THE JEWS WERE DETIRMINED

TO PRESERVE THEIR IDENTITY, THEY DIDN'T ADOPT THE CUSTOMS OF THIS FOREIGN LAND,

THEY DIDN'T WORSHIP THE GOD'S OF BABYLON, THEY DIDN'T) INTER MARRY TO ANY GREAT

BXTENT. THEY WEi# STILL JUST A COMMUNITY OF JEWS WAITING FOR THE TIME TO

COME FOR THEIR RSTURN TO TH# HOMELAND. THEY KNEW THAT GOD HAD NOT FORGOTTEN
—

THEM, THEY WERE ST. LL HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE, IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.

BUT THERS WAS ONE QUESTION THAT LOOMED BEFORE THEM ALWAYS. WHY DID THEY

HAVE TO SUFFER? GOD LOV ED AND CARED FOR THEM, WHY THEN DID THEY HAVE TO

ENDURE THIS EXILE, THIS EXPERIENCE WAS NOT NEW TO THEM, FOR CENTURIED THEY

HAD EXISTED IN THE TURMOIL OF BABYLONIAN, ASSYRIAN, PERSIAN AND SYRIAN POWER

20

STRUGGLES. ONE AFTER ANOTHER THE INVADING ARMIES HAJ) CONSUMED THEIR TINY LAND.

ee

THEY HAD BEEN BEATEN, TORTURED, EXILED, PERSECUTED IN EVERY IMAGINABLE WAY.

THEIR TEMPLE HAD BEEN DESECRATED, AND EVEN DESTROYED,
WAS WHY? “OF ALL THE NATIONS IN THE WORLD WHY MUST W
SUFFERING, ?"

AS WAS THE CASE THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL

A MAN APPEARED TO LEAD OR GATHER THE PEOPLE TOGETHER.

SOLOMON HAD APPZARED AT CRUCIAL JUNCTURES IN THE PAS]

THE PROPHETS WER® THE MEN OF THE MOMENT. gi. THE ONd

ALL THEY COULD AS«s

E ENDURE THIS NEVER ENDING

j--WHENEVER A CRISIS OCCURRED,

MOSES, SAUL, DAVID AND

. IN THIS AGE, HOWEVER,

9 THAT TOOK THE BULL

BY THE HORNS, TiE ONES THAT PROVIDED THE NECESSARY WARNINGS, PRODDINGS OR

ENCOURAGEMENT WHENEVER IT WAS NMSDED. AND IN THIOPAR

TICULAR INSTANCE THE MAN

WAS THE PROPHET ISAIAH. ISAIAH KNEW THE QUESTION TH PEOPLE WERE ASKING, HE

ee

TOO MUST HAVE ASKED IT OVER AND OVER AND HE KNiwW THE

ANSWER. 2P-WAS-NONSENSE

tHe be pag
TOBE WAHY /B THE LORD GOD HAD A PURPOSE FOR EVERYTHING THAT
Lorth
“at

HAPPENED. IF H®& WANTED TO HE COULD AN HILATE TH! ENHMIES OF ISRAEL BUT HE

DIDN'T AND THERE WAS a REASON.
&
ae

THE REASON 8@ GAVE TO HIS FELLOW ISRAEBLITES IN CAPTIVITY IS ONE OF THE MOST

MOVING AND DESPLY PASS ONATE CONFESSIONS OF FAITH THR WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN,

AS THE Gi OSEN ONES OF THE LORD ISRAEL WAS A SUFFERING SERVANT. BY THE| SUF FER ING

3e

GHEY WERE REVEALING THE WILL AND MATURE OF G@.

BEGINNING WITH THE FORTIETH CHAPTER OF HIS BOOK

Flow ing

SMOOTH AND BEAUTIFUL STYLE HOW THE SERVANT MUST SUFF

ISAIAH EXPLALNS INA

TO SHOW GOD'S WILL TO

THE OTHER NATLONS.

IF ISRAEL WERE A STRONG AND MIGHTY MILITARY POWRR

—

THE WORLD IT WOULD PROVE NOTHING. THIS SRT OF DISPIA

OF GOOD SOLDIERS AND GENERALS AND A WEALTH OF ASOURCHS

TRODDEN UNDR FUOT, AND YET SI LLIS FAL THFUL: A P#HORL
|

ALL MEN AND YET LOVE ALL MEN IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT I

—

ee

, IF THEY SHOULD conqUmR
Y ONLY POINTS TO AN ABUNDANCE

BUT A NATLON THAT IS

.

E WHO ARE DESPISED BY

NDEED. A GOD WHOIS

STILL PRAISED IN TIME OF DEFEAT MUST BE INFINITELY MORE IMPORTANT, THAN ONE

WHO LOSES HIS Propunamtry WHEN HLS PEOPLE ARE
—_—_—_—_—

ISAIAH'S BRILLIANT LITERARY STYLE IS RESPONSLELE

CHANGE.
BECOME HE. IN THE 53rd CHAPTER HE sas [ras was DESPES
=

:)

A MAN OF SCRROWS AND ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF, HE WAS DE

———

HIM NOT--HE HAS BORN OUR GRIEFS WITH HISSTRIPES WE AR}:

= EE ee

HERE ISAISH IS TALKING FOR THE NATIONS OF THE EAR

THAT IN SUFFERING ISRAEL IS SHOWING THEM THE GLORY OF
dl

PERSECUTION THEY ARE ACTUALLY WITNESSING TO HIS MERCY;

VANQUISHED.

FOR A RATHER CONFUSING

IN HIS ANALOGY BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE SUFFERING SERVANT=-ISRAEL HAS

———

ED AND REJECTED BY MEN;

PISED AND WE ESTEEMED

=

TH WHEN THEY FINALLY REALIZE

/
THE mee | THAT IN

Ae

IF YOU REMEMBER THE SCRIPTURE READING THIS MORNING AND IF YOU HAVE BEEN

——

FOLLOWING MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT YOU HAVE PROBABLY REALI

ZED THAT IN THIS DESCRIPTION

OF THE SUFFERING S#RVANT WE HAVE A FAIRLY ADEQUATE D&SCRIPTION OR PROPHECY OF THE

ah ef Sor, ¥ Jesus

COMING OF THE MESSIAH. ALTHOUGH WE MVE JUST S@EN TH

wT ISAIAH WAS EXPLAINING
———_ ———

THE REASONS FOR THETR SUFFERING TO THE ISRAELITES AND WAS NOT PkETZNDING TO

BE PROCLAIMING THE COMING OF JESUS, THE SIMILARITIES

a

BETWEEN WHAT HE SATD AND

WHAT HAPPENED 500 YEARS LATER ARE TOO GREAT TO BE IGNORED. BECAUSE OF THIS aE

MUST, DUAI NG ADVEN
—*,

7 T TAKE A LONG LOOK AT ISAIAH AND AT

4

550 B.C.

THE SUFFERING SERVANT OF

BUT FIRST LET'S CONSIDER TH! PROBLEM OF SUFFIRING, WE TOO HAVE ASKED IT.

IN A TIME OF TRAGEDY WE OFTEN THINK IF GOD LOVES US W

BEFORE WE BEGIN LET ME SAY THAT

——_—_—_———

ANYONE WHO PROFESSES TO HAVE IT. FOR TH MOMENT I wo

ac HAVE THE AISW

HY HAS HE LET THIS HAPPEN?
FR AND I GRAVELY MIS TRUST
a

ULD JUST LIKE TO RAISE THE

QUESTION AND SUGGEST A FEW OF THE ANSWERS MEN HAVE TRADITIONALLY GIVEN.

FIRSILY THSiE IS THE STOICAL ATTITUDE TOWARD PAI
a

N AND SUFFERING. A TRUE

STOIC SEES SUFFERING TO HE THE INEVITABLE RESULTS OF NATURE, AND MAN CANNOT AND

————

SHOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO AWD IT. A STORY IS TOLD

a7 Hs 8%
FIRST STOIC mains pone

A CERTAIN Task,

WAS -EING PRODDE

—.

DF EPICTETUS, ONE OF THE

) BY HIS MASTER TU DO

HE pero foms UPON HIS MSTER BEGAN TWISTING HIS LsG.

Bur

De

YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK MY LEG CRIED EPICTETUS, AT WHLG

—_—

MASTER BROKE THE liG. THEN HE CALMLY RIMAR ED, "SEE

H POINT, SURE ENOUGH HIS

. 3

mf OLD YOU SO." A MODERN

VERSION OF STOICISM IS EPITOMIZiD IN THE POPULAR SONG

ANOTHER EXPLANATION THAT INCLUDES GOD AND HAS AT

CHRISTIAN SEES THE UNIVERSE AS A GIANT CLOCK, GOD IS

IT, WOUND IT UP AND NOW IS JUST SITTING BACK WATCHING

Eee a

MERELY A RESULT OF MISHAPS IN THE MECHANICAL PROCESS

Fins EVER WILL BE WILL as. |

TIMES CALLED ITSELF

THE CLOCK MAKER WHO BULLT

IT RUN DOW. SUFFERING IS

OF RUNNING DOWN.

ON THE OTHER HAND PREDESTINARIANS ASSERT THT EVERY THING IS DIVINELY

PRHORDAINED, THAT IF YOU WALK OU OF YOUR HOUSE AND g
—_————————
HAS BEEN PLANNED THA T WAY.

OTHIRs THINK THAT SUFFERING IS DIVINE PUNISi

_————ee

TEP IN FRUNT OF A CAR IT

FOR EVILA-AND-—COMF ORT

AND WELL FEL NG THE REWARDS FOR BEING GOOD.
Hove. 6) these seem aclege ate

—noue

Wo vit
snes

pa. es ‘s Se RY

saute e +

—) IF ONE LOOKS TO THE INSTANCES IN HISTORY WHERE MEN HAVE DEEN TRULY CREATIVE,

INSTANCES WHERE GENIUS HAS SHOWN THROUGH IN LITERATUMS, ART, OR MUSIC, MORE

AGONY, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL,

LIKELY THAN NOT ONE WILL FIND SOME SRT OF SU'F-RING.

SEEMS TO BE A CATYLIST, A PROMPTER FOR MEN TO REACH Q

SUFFERING SEEMS TO FORCE MEN TO SHE REALITY TMTIS Q

UT BEYOND THE MSELVES:

THERWISE HIDDEN.

——

6.

TWO ART.STS COME TO MY MIND, VINCENT VAN GOGH LHD ONE OF THE MOST

MISRRABLE EXISTENCES EVER NMAGINED. HE WAS REALLY Dk

MEN, HE WAS EITHER IGNORED, OR RIDICULED BY E SRYONE

ee ee

CONTACT. AND AT THE SAME TIME THE LIFE HE PROJECTED

SPISED AND REJECTED BY

sienna

WITH WHOM HE CAME IN

ON CANVAS IS CLAIMED AS

SOME OF THE WRID's GREATEST. Ac”

TALOUSE LATREC'S LIFE WAS EVEN WORSE, ADEFORM ED

CLAIMED AS A MASTER.

MSCCENTRIC HE TOO IS Now

y
PETER TCHKAZVSKY POURED OUT THE ANGUISH AND TURMDIL IN HIS SOUL, ANDPRODUCED
— —_—

SOME OF THE WORLD'S MG T BEAUTIFUL MUSIC,

DOSTOEVSKL, WHO WAS TORMENTED AND TORTURED BY ANX

TiTY AND GRIF HAS BECRME

ONE OF THE GREATEST FIGURES EVER TO WRITE A NOVEL.

AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE [sos HAS PRODUCER BEAUTRY. ANGUISH AND

TORTURE HAVE RESULTED IN WHAT APPEAR TO BE SUPE R-HUMAN ACHIEVEMENTS, BUFFERING
— =

——

IS A PARADOX OF CREATION, THAT WE SIMPLY CAN'T SEM TI

—

SOMEHOW WE MUST TRY. WE MUST LOOK FOR THE HIDDEN BEA!
etre o

—_————s

) UNDERSTAND AND YET

UTY THAT ACCOMPANIES SUFFERING:

WE MUST SEARCH FOR THE BLESSEDNESS THAT ISAIAH SAW 1

—_—-

SUFFIRING SIRVANT OF THE LORD.

BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS SUBJSCT I WANT TO CALL YOUR

REMARKABLE DISPLAY OF SUFF RING THE WCRLD HAS EVER KW
a —— ei

) BE THE REWARD OF BEING THE

ATTENTION TO THE MOST

WN, ONE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE

DURING OUR LI = T.ME.

AFT ISA

Te

AGAIN IT IS TH! SUFFERING SERVANT--ISRAHL. 2500 YEARS
— ee

—

JAH THE JEWS ENDURED A PERSECUTION SO HIDEOUS THAT IT SEIMS UNBELIEVABLE
os — ee

= al

TODAY. 6,000,000 JEWS WERE MURDERED IN AN ALL OUT EFFORT TO RID THE WORLD
eS

OF THELR RACE. THE MOST FEARSOMS MILITARY MACHINE HI
es

AROUND A

YORK SYNA

THEIR NUMER TO BE ADMITTED, AMERICANS CALL THEM KIKES

AND DESPI

CAN

DEEP HATRED FQR THESE PEOPLE. AND TMAY SwWA

eee

GOGUES, JEW'S ARE KEPT OUT OF ORGANIZATIONS,

SED. A JEW IS STLL A MARKED MAN.

ONE READ THEIR ‘LS WRY AND SEE ANYTHING BUT |

STORY HAD SEEN WAS BUL_T

STIKA'S SHOW UP ON NEW

COLLEGES SET LIMITS ON

———

. THEY ARE STILL RIDICULED
Vous

THE prvinee CAN THEIR

FAITH AND THEIR VERY EXISTENCE BE ATTRIBUTED TO ANYTHING ELSE THAN THE LORD'S

SUFFI NG

THAN A RACE THAT HAS HAD TOUGH LUCK?

SENVANT?? AREN'T WE BLIND WHEN WE FAIL TO S$

pan

me HEGE SOMETHING MORE

st = ClonNect (OH Betwe LN TBerhy ey AAD Cyesr1 Ani C4

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE GOSPEL WRITERS WHRE WHOLHEARTEDLY CONVINCED

THAT THERE WAS A CONNECTION BETWEEN ISAIAH'S

SUFFERING SERVANT AND THEIR

MASTER. MATTHEW, MARK AND LUKE ALL REFER DI

we
tor

RECTLY TO THE NARRATIVE

BOOK OF ISAIAH--JESUS HIMSELF QUOTED PARTS OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT AND

PROCLAIMED THAT HE WAS THE ONE ISAISH WAS TA

LKING ABOUT.

IT IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT JESUS WAS PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED BY THE

PROPHECY.

PERHAPS IT WAS WE TO THE INSPIRING WORDS
————_—

—

OF ISAIAH THAT HE WILLINGLY

8.

SU°FERED. PERHAPS IT WAS THE 53RD CMMPTER, OUR SCRIPTURE READING THIS MORNING

THAT REVEALED D HIM THE PARADOXICAL FACT THAT MAN WJ

BY HIS SUFFIRING AND DEATH.
—_—

———

\S TO BE REDEEMED BY SUFFERING:

YOU MIGHT BE ASKING AND RIGHTLY SO, IF ISAIAH DIDN'T INTEND TO PREDICT THE

MESSIAH, IF THE SUFFERING SERVANT 1S ISRAEL NOT J ESUS

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS.

} AS HE REFERED TO HIM,

IF THIS B$ SO THEN ISATAH ISN'T A

PROPHET AT ALL BUT JUST A GOOD JEW COMMENTING ON THE

THIS IS A VEXY NATURAL ty WE REALIZI

HE DID AND WHAT HE MEANT WE ARE PRONE TO DISCARD HIS

HISTURY OF HIS PEOPLE.

| WHY ISAIGH WROTE WHAT

BOOK AS MEANINGLESS TO

CHRISTIANITY. IF HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE JEWS AND WOT JESUS THEN HIS WRITINGS

DON'T HAVE A PLACE IN AN ADVENT SEASSXX SERMON.

IN OUR CONCLUDING MOMENTS THIS MORNING I HOPE I

CAN EXPLAIN WHY ISAISH

WAS A PROPHET, WHY HE IS IMMENSELY IMPORTANT IN OUR PREPARATION FOR THE CELEBRATION

OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.

I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THE INFLUENCE THE SUFFSRING SERVANT IDEA HAD

ON THE EARLY CHURCH AND ON JESUS HIMSELF. BUT WHAT I

[ \irge?)

ISAIAH, IN SEARCHING AN ANSWER TO THE SUFF“RIN; OF THE JEWS, GRASPED

ee

TRUTH.
—__e

HE WAS NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE JEWS, HE W4

S MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT

A SPIRITUAL

LS TALKING ABOUT GOD. WHILE

9

EXPLAINING THE JEW'S SUFFERING HE ALSO WAS AFFIRMING

orew@ rte Lore

THE MEAT OF ISAISH'S PROPHECY IS THAT GOD WASN"

werey

HIS BELIEFS IN THE -thkGees

— ENJOYING ISRAEL'S somaax//

BUT HE WAS USING ISRAEL, THROUGH ITS SUFFERING TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO THE WORLD.

BY ISRAEL'S STRIPES THE WORL® WOULD KNOW GOD, THEY W

POSSIBILITY OF REDERMPTION BECAUSE THE DOWN WRODDEN 4
—————

————

SERVANT OF THE LORD./ ISAI$H TELLS US THAT WE NEEDN!

NATIONS, ELEVATE CHRISTIANITY TO A WORLD POW, BUT 3

MIGHT SEE HIM IN SU FIRING,

THIS IS ALL CLIMAXED BY THE BIRTH, SUFFERING AN

PULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE
.ND DESPISED ISRAEL WAS THE

[ LOOK FOR GOD TO DEFEAT

[THAT WE MORE APPROPRIATELY

) DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST.

ISAIAH IS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE HIS WITNESS

DUPLICATED BY ANOTHER MAN 500 YEARS LATER.

—$—_—_—_—————

THIS MAN]

A PEOPLE AS THE REVELATION OF GOD POINTED TO HIMSELF

TO THE WILL OF GOD WAS

INSTEAD OF POINTING TO

BECAUSE ISATAH UNWERSTOD HOW THE LORD WOULD REDEEM THE WORLD HE CERTAINLY

IS A PROPHET OF JESUS CHRIST: BECAUSE HE UNDERSTOOD |

—$

THAT THROUGH SUFFERING GOD'S

WILL FOR MAN MIGHT HE UNDERSTOOD HE MOST CERTAINLY HAS AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN OUR

———

ADVENT PREPARATION.

THE HHKY BABY BORN IN BETHLEHEM, GREW UP TO PRO\

E ISAIAH'S WORDS: THE

STORY OF HIS PASSION WAS PRECEDED BY A NARRATIVE THAT

? DESCRIBED THE LORD'S

10.

SERVANT AS SUFFERING, DESPISED, BEARING THE SINS OF

—_—_—_——

ISAIAH DIDN'T RNOW HOW THE LORD WOULD FINALLY R]

WOULD ALWAYS USE ISRAEL, OR WHETHER HE WOULD REVEAL

FASHION.

MANY.
EDEEM MAN, WHETHER HE
HIMSELF IN A DIF rSRENT

HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE SUFFERING SERVANT WOULD BROOME JESUS THE

CHRIST. BUE+eSee—e0W THAT THE SERVANT WOULD REVE!

————

WITH
THAT "EX [11S STRIPES WE ARE HEALED."

i opr FS

LL GOD, HE KNEW AS WE Be Know

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AW ww roe Goad COW be

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