His Perfect Love

Announcer: Pastor Matt says there are some things in life we can't afford to put off another day, and here's the biggest of them all.

Matt VanderVen: I have not been guaranteed tomorrow. None of us here has. I have been guaranteed today. I'm alive. I've been guaranteed today. I haven't been guaranteed tomorrow. I don't know what will happen. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow. I don't know if you'll be here tomorrow. Why would you ever chance your salvation by putting off something tomorrow when you can only guarantee and know that you will be able to do what today?

Announcer: You know, when you really think about salvation, that's what we're talking about. You don't know if you'll be here tomorrow. Today on His Perfect Love, we take you to one of the greatest chapters in all the Bible: Isaiah 53. It's so detailed and accurate in its description of the scourging and death of Jesus that some have suggested that it was written after the fact.

But in reality, it was written hundreds of years before Jesus even walked the earth, and before crucifixion even existed. We'll take a look at this spectacular prophecy concerning Jesus. While it is very heavy, it is very real—a reminder of how our Savior has set us free and paid for our sins. Here's Pastor Matt VanderVen.

Matt VanderVen: Surely, he has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows. He took our grief. He took our shame. He took our hopelessness. He took our sin. All of it he took upon himself because he loves us so. He took all of it, and freely. He bore our griefs, he carried our sorrows, and yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, premeditated sin, our deliberate sin. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.

You know, there's so much speaking about the beating, the striking, the sorrows, the carrying, the infirmities, the wounded, the... I mean, this is before crucifixion existed, right? So, I'm just going to take a few moments. I just took some notes on this so I had it in front of us just to stay on point here. Just a few things that I want to go through when you look at the history of crucifixion, because it didn't exist, and yet when we read this passage, it speaks of not only crucifixion, it speaks of the scourging—things that didn't even exist at the time Isaiah was writing this.

It's interesting because when you go back and you look at the history of crucifixion, crucifixion was invented and used by other people groups. Yes, it was perfected by the Romans. Yes, we can read that and agree with that, and certainly the ultimate execution by torture. But do you know that the earliest recorded extra-biblical writing that we can find in human history goes all the way back to 519 BC? King Darius the First of Persia. He crucified 3,000 people of his political enemies in Babylon, the very nations that we're reading about in Isaiah's time, 140 years before Darius was even born.

At that time, the grossest abuse of the people was by the Assyrians when they were known to impale people or skin them alive. And then if you just follow it down after the breakup of Alexander the Great's empire, and the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes, he crucified Jews who refused to accept Hellenization, again before Christ came to earth. Crucifixion by definition—and this is what's interesting because as we just read here, we read about shame and the idea of torture and stricken and beaten—crucifixion by definition was meant to inflict the maximum amount of shame and torture.

That's exactly what it was supposed to do upon the victim. The very thing that you and I just read in this very passage: the shame that he would take our grief, our shame, our sin. That crucifixion was invented for that reason. I would dare say to you and suggest it was invented that one day Christ would come into the earth and creation and it would be used on him as the ultimate place and point of taking the greatest amount of shame and torture as the representation of what he took from the entire world and bore upon himself.

Roman crucifixion... the reason I say shame and torment is you go to the time of the ancients and you read the ancient writings. Roman crucifixion was carried out in public so that all who could see would be horrified. They would be deterred from crossing any government, anyone that would come against them. Crucifixion was so horrible that it was really reserved only for the worst offenders. The victim of crucifixion was severely scourged first and beaten, an ordeal that was almost life-threatening in itself.

And then you think about it. Jesus was forced to carry a large wooden crossbeam to the site of the crucifixion. You know, what he could until another man was told by the Roman officer to carry that on his behalf because Jesus was falling and smashing his face. Bearing this load was not only extremely painful after the beating, but it added shame to the victim because you'd see them carrying it. It was meant to bring shame as an instrument of their own torture because it was laid upon them, and then they were tortured by the weight itself.

And they carried it, and depending on how fast or slow they went, it increased the torture upon themselves. It's equivalent to what we would say now as digging your own grave. When the victim arrived at the place of crucifixion, he would be stripped naked. Why? To further shame him. Then he would be forced to stretch out his arms on a crossbeam where they would be nailed in place. The nails were hammered through the wrists, not the palms, which kept the nails from pulling through the hand.

In ancient times, the wrists again were considered part of the hand. The placement of the nails in the wrists also caused excruciating pain as the nails pressed the large nerves. You have several nerves that come through there: the median, you have the radial, the ulnar. You have these nerves that come down through, running into your hands. And the crossbeam would then be hoisted up and fastened to an upright piece that would normally remain standing between crucifixions. In other words, they would not take the post down.

They just took the cross portion off the top because that post was meant to stay in place. And then what they would do is they would take and lift it while the person was hanging on it—lift it into place as they were dangling before they then put the piece that would be underneath and nail that in, that then they would have to use to just breathe. I just want us to understand what we're reading in Isaiah. I just... we need to understand this. And I'm sorry, I know this is heavy, but this is real. This happened. And it happened to our Jesus.

And it was so that we could be set free, and so that sin could be paid for. And again, after fastening to the crossbeam, they would nail the feet on the cross, and normally one foot on top of another, nailed through the middle of the arch of each foot with the knees slightly bent. And the primary purpose of the nails at that point was to continue to inflict pain. Once the victim was fastened to the cross, all his weight was supported by three nails, which would cause pain to shoot through the whole body because it would peak and cause the nerve endings to be stimulated.

Nerves are funny things. It's frequency. When you look at a nerve, it's frequency and its approximation to the nerve ending where it is. It's the frequency and intensity that we describe as pain. When we say, "Oh, that hurts," it's because of frequency and intensity to the nerve ending that's being stimulated or upset or pinched or whatever. And they would use three nails in a specific place, knowing in the arch of the foot that it would cause that kind of pain to shoot through the entire body.

And then the victim's arms were stretched out in such a way to cause cramping and paralysis in the chest muscles, making it impossible to breathe unless someone, or they, could bear their own weight for a moment by their feet. And in so doing, every time they did that, they then upset the nerve ending in the feet, which then shot pain up and it would make them... even though they could get a moment to get breath, when you're in pain, do you feel like you can breathe easily? As a matter of fact, what happens when you're in pain? What does your heart rate do?

It goes up. It's called tachycardia. Your heart... and then what happens to your blood pressure? Starts going up, right? What happens to your breathing? And then you see it's meant to be the ultimate torture. So in order to take a breath, they had to endure excruciating pain caused by the nail in the feet. And then the victim would... just think about the post that's been sitting there. His beaten back already beaten from the scourging where he was pulled over that rock and beaten. And just think about that: the raw, rough wood and his back going up and down like sandpaper on that wood every time he just wanted to breathe for a moment.

He'd pull up, and everybody looking upon him and the King of Kings, and a sign that was meant to be a sign of shame: nakedness. That the nations would say, "This is what happens when you mock Rome." And God didn't fight it at all. Jesus welcomed it. Jesus welcomed the crucifixion because he knew what it was going to bring: everlasting life to his creation who would be willing to humble themselves before a holy God and call upon him for salvation.

Let's look back here in verse 5 again. "But he was wounded..." Boy, that takes on a different meaning now, doesn't it? When you think of "wounded," now you have a different picture, don't you? A different picture. So do I. And it makes it very clear: it was for our transgressions. "He was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we were healed." Scourged and beaten just like Pilate ordered, just like Pilate ordered prophetically. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way." Right?

What's the United States of America? I know it says "In God We Trust," and you turn it over, what's it say? "Our will be done." Your quarter doesn't say that? "Our will be done." And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. On Jesus. "He was oppressed, he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth." Remember that? Just hold your finger here. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 24, please. 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 24. It's so remarkable. Speaking of Jesus in 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 24, it says, "who himself, Jesus, bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for what? Righteousness."

That's how God wants us to live: righteous. Right living. "By whose stripes you were healed." Peter knew. He's quoting Isaiah. Do you see it? Peter knew. "For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have turned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." Peter was quoting and referencing back to the very writings and passages of Isaiah, realizing that Jesus Christ was the perfect fulfillment of Isaiah's writings, again, 740 years before he was even alive on this earth. He's not opened his mouth, he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before its shearers are silent, so he opened not his mouth.

You can turn back to 53, verse 8. "He was taken from prison and from judgment." Remember, he was arrested and tried in a false hearing there, again, against even the Jewish own law. They broke their own law. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare his generation? Right? Did he die without anybody to know? He was cut off from the land of the living. For the transgressions of my people, he was stricken. It's very clear here. And they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death.

And we know that: Joseph of Arimathea, right? Death and burial. Because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. He was executed blameless, right, in word and deed. And this is really almost shocking and revealing, but in a good way. Verse 10: "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him." That God allowed this. It pleased God the Father. He has put him to grief. Why? For our sake. "When you make his soul an offering for sin." And that's exactly what he came to do the first time.

But where's he going with this? You see, that night, that day beginning... remember Hebrew day begins with the night to the morning, right? Reverse than our typical day. Satan thought he won. What he didn't realize, even knowing the word of God, is that without death there cannot be life. Life is in the blood. And it's really remarkable because it was prophesied right here. "When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed." Remember it said earlier, "What of that generation? What generation would testify?" His seed. Who are his seed? All of you. Every born-again believer.

He shall see his seed, his spiritual descendants. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. What do I mean? Hold on. Just turn to John chapter 12. Look at verse 23. I'm actually going to start back in verse 20. Paul talked about this in 1 Corinthians as well, but Jesus obviously talked about it first through direct revelation and directly through his word. "Now there were certain Greeks among those," this is chapter 12 of John, verse 20, "Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.

Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.'" Isn't that interesting? That's exactly what was happening in that work on the cross. He would be glorified. "Most assuredly, I say to you," now look, this is where I pay attention here, verse 24, "Most assuredly, I say, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains what? Alone.

But if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. And if anyone serves me, him my Father will honor." What is he saying in that passage? The same thing we're reading in Isaiah. The thing that he prophesied. "He shall see his seed," speaking of what, right? His body shall what? Prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

"He shall see the labor of his soul," the fruit, and be satisfied. "By his knowledge, my righteous Servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." Now this is interesting. Have you ever wanted to take your Jewish friend and say, "Well, what do you make of this?" I mean, clearly this is speaking of Messiah Jesus. Do you know what they'll try to say? They'll say this is Israel. It's speaking to the nation of Israel. There's just only one problem with that. There's no recorded time in human history where the nation of Israel specifically ever died for the sin of the world.

Anytime I've ever heard that on an airplane when I used to travel, from a Jewish man or woman, and they would apply this as they do, and they will, because it's what's taught to them by the rabbis. And you will take them to this passage: who could this be other than Messiah Jesus? No one else could have done this. No one else did do this. This was Messiah Jesus. And they'll say, "No, no, no, you as a Christian don't interpret that correctly. Isaiah was speaking of the nation of Israel." In which case you turn and say to them with all due love, with love and respect, "Please tell me throughout human history when—because again, if this is written 740 years before Christ came to the earth, right, and it was speaking of a near fulfillment and a far fulfillment—please tell me when ever in human history it's been recorded that the nation of Israel ever died for the sin of the world?" which is exactly what this is saying here.

And you will get the stare. You will get the stare because they don't have an answer. They don't have an answer to it because there is no answer other than it is Messiah Jesus that it was prophesied of. But do that in love, and you'll be surprised how many Jews that you will lead to Jesus Christ with that understanding. Because then when they realize he did it for them and that they're his chosen people... it's remarkable. "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death."

Again, just thinking about all this. Just think about this. Ultimate victory, Messiah. Satan thought he won, only to realize he lost. "He was numbered with the transgressors." Remember that? How many were there on either side of him? That's right. And it said he would be. Numbered with the transgressors. Do you see how specific this is? "And he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." I mean, such detail, right? Just such detail we have here. We'll stop there tonight. But he's going to talk about a perpetual covenant, right?

Again, not even conquered by Babylon at this time, and he's already telling them of what his plan is to redeem and to save the people of Israel, even before he brings them through the captivity. How many of you like to eat your dessert before your meal? Some of you? I see some of you pointing to your wife or your husband. What Jesus did is he basically gave them and said, "Here, I want to show you that the best is yet to come and my plan and eternal plan for you, so that you know without a shadow of a doubt when these things happen exactly as they are recorded in human history that there will not be a single human being that could come back and deny that God is all-knowing, that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, and that he died," as it says there, "for the ransom of the nations."

That you and I could come to Jesus Christ. Listen friends, I don't presume to know when we have people here and visitors and different things and people listening online. It's something that dawned on me very clear today. I have not been guaranteed tomorrow. None of us here has. I have been guaranteed today. I'm alive. I've been guaranteed today. I haven't been guaranteed tomorrow. I don't know what will happen. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow. I don't know if you'll be here tomorrow.

Why would you ever chance your salvation by putting off something tomorrow when you can only guarantee and know that you will be able to do what today? You know, when you really think about salvation, that's what we're talking about. You don't know if you'll be here tomorrow. And as we're going to read in the next few chapters, God's going to actually say something very similar to that to the Jewish people: "Why are you going to speak of the future when you don't even know if you're going to be here?" Today is the day of salvation.

I want to invite and encourage each and every one of you, if you really haven't asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior—I mean all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your strength—submitted and completely surrendered to him, living for him and not for self. If you have not made that decision for Jesus, knowing full well that he wants to give you a divine inheritance that begins with his love and his offering of removing sin by believing he has the capacity and ability to do it... If you ask him to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior, he will.

He will not say no. No matter what you've done, no matter where you're at, you could be sitting in a prison right now. You could have 100 counts of murder. You could have done the worst things in the... he will still come into your heart and he will forgive you your sin and he will wipe your slate as clean and as far as the east is from the west in regards to your sin. He will see it no more.

Announcer: Well, today we heard what our Savior went through to secure our salvation from sin. All we need to do is receive the gift by faith. And if that's something you'd like to do today, we would love to speak with you. You can contact us here at His Perfect Love through our website at HisPerfectLove.org. Drop us an email, and that's also the place to turn for a replay of this study from Pastor Matt VanderVen. Again, HisPerfectLove.org. Thank you for your prayers and financial support.

You can make a contribution to the ministry and send us your prayer requests through the website, again, at HisPerfectLove.org. Those of you that live in the Mechanicsburg, PA area or will be visiting the area, we want to cordially invite you to join us for a worship service. Just like on the radio, Pastor Matt teaches verse by verse through the Bible here at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Sunday morning services begin at 8:30 and 10:30. We have a midweek service on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.

You'll find us at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, PA. Go to CCHarrisburg.org for more information. Set aside another half hour to join us tomorrow at the same time on the same fine station where Pastor Matt will pick up where we left off in Isaiah, here on His Perfect Love. His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.