Isaiah 53 7 he was oppressed
and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as
a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb so he openeth not his mouth Let's pray and ask the Lord to
meet with us and teach us. Lord, thank you for your precious
word. Lord, may we value it now even more than our necessary
food. May we hang upon your word for all of our hope and see in
the pages of your book, Lord, our savior and what he's done
for us. And may we take refuge in him.
in Him alone and find all of our peace and comfort, rest and
hope in the Son of God, in His precious name. Amen. So we take another step here
in this study in verse 7. And I don't want to I don't want to get in a hurry, but I
want us to review a little bit and think about this One verse The word oppressed was used in
Job 39-7 for someone driving animals. It means to press or
to drive, as a taskmaster would whip or goad an animal in order
to force it to do what he wants it to do. And that's one of the
ideas in the definition of this word but also the same word is
used in Deuteronomy 15 too for the exacting of a debt to demand
that a debt be paid oppressed in Daniel 11 20 it's a raiser
of taxes meaning to be required to pay tribute or tax In other
places in the scripture, in several other places, it's used to mean
to harass or to press or to be harassed with toil and wearied
out. To be pressed so hard that you can't do anymore. And these all cause us to remember
what we've seen in the Word of God regarding the life of our
Savior and see what the Lord is teaching here. We see all
of these things in his life. He was mistreated and hounded
all of his life and treated like an animal. Really, most people wouldn't treat an
animal the way the Lord was treated by those that he created. In John 10 31, I read, I thought
about this when I thought about how men received him and what
they thought of him. John 10 31, then the Jews took
up stones again to stone him. And Jesus answered them, many
good works have I showed you from my father, for which of
those works do you stone me? And the Jews answered him, saying,
for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, because
that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. It's interesting
how people project their own evil upon someone else. Have
you ever noticed that about people? They'll accuse you of the very
thing that they are and that they do. This is our problem. Being men,
we make ourselves God. He being God made himself a man
in order to save me. We had it just the opposite.
That's the way we are. We have everything wrong, as
wrong as it can possibly be. The idea of the driving of an
animal makes us think of when he was arrested and brought before
Pilate first and falsely accused and then Pilate examined him
and questioned him and grilled him and then he sent him to Herod
and Herod you know had been looking forward to seeing him. He hoped
to see some miracle done by him. He just wanted a magic show.
He didn't care anything about justice or anything like that. And so Herod, it says in Luke
23, 9, questioned him in many words. He grilled him and yet
the Lord answered him nothing. And then Herod sent him back
to Pilate frustrated, dissatisfied with that experience and sent
him back to Pilate and ultimately they led him to Calvary. As a
sheep to the slaughter you see how the word the driving of an
animal in this word oppressed applies He was led as a sheep
to the slaughter. It says later in the bird in
the same verse Like an animal is driven goaded and whipped
and forced And keep in mind now this is God's Son This is the king of glory remember
what he said to Simon in Matthew 26 48 and It says this in Matthew 26, 48.
Now he that betrayed him, Judas, gave them a sign, those who would
arrest him. He gave them a sign saying, whomsoever
I shall kiss, that same is he. Hold him fast. And forthwith
he came to Jesus and said, hail, master, and kissed him. And Jesus
said unto him, friend, wherefore art thou come? And then came
they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And behold, one
of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew
his sword and struck a servant of the high priests and smote
off his ear. And then said Jesus unto him,
put up again thy sword into his place. For all they that take
the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot
now pray to my father He shall presently give me more than 12
legions of angels The Lord doesn't need us to defend
him do it does he You ever thought about that he
said I could all I would have to do right now is just ask Just
call upon my father and he would send me More than 12 legions
of angels, but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled I?
that thus it must be so. So this is why he opened not
his mouth to call upon his father to send those angels. This is
why he opened not his mouth to destroy those that oppressed
him. He just said I am in John 18 6 and a whole company of soldiers
fell over backwards. All he'd have to do is speak
the word. But he opened not his mouth. Just at the authority
of his voice it would be over. But he opened not his mouth. Not even to defend himself or
to justify his actions. Nor to destroy his oppressors.
Why? That the scriptures might be fulfilled. And think about
that now. Not only those scriptures that
said that he would be as a sheep before his shearers dumb, but
the scriptures that said he would be taken and crucified and rise again the third day.
In everything that he did, the scriptures will be fulfilled
on several different levels. The scripture fulfilled that
he shall save his people. The purpose of God's grace must
be fulfilled. How is that going to be fulfilled
if he escapes? If he defends himself, if he
destroys his destroyers. He was harassed in the judgment
hall by Pilate and opened not his mouth in his own defense. Now, the Lord did open his mouth
all of his life. If you, that's one thing he did
all the time, everywhere he went he opened his mouth. It says
in Matthew 5, 1, and seeing the multitudes he went up into a
mountain and when he was set his disciples came unto him and
he opened his mouth and taught them saying, blessed
are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He
opened his mouth that day And every day that he walked this
earth, he taught, preached the gospel, preached the salvation
of sinners, preached concerning himself and how that he himself
is the salvation of sinners. And notice that this prophecy
of how he opened not his mouth is specific in this passage. Listen to this, or turn there
with me. Let's look at some of this together. I don't have,
I don't think we'll be long tonight at all. Matthew 26, 59. There is a particular sense in
which he did not open his mouth. He did say some things. He said
some things while he was arrested. He said some things to Pilate.
But there was a certain specific way in which he opened not his
mouth. Look at Matthew 26.59. Now the
chief priests and elders and all the council sought false
witness against Jesus to put him to death, but found none. They couldn't find anything to
accuse him of. Yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found
they none. People would come and say, well
we have this against him and they would realize that we can't
even accuse him of that, it's so stupid. So they just dismissed
him. At the last came two false witnesses
and said, this fellow said I am able to destroy the temple of
God and to build it in three days. Now that's something to
kill somebody for, wouldn't you think? Boy, he deserves to die
for saying that. And the high priest arose and
said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these
witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. He would not defend himself.
He didn't verify or deny. He didn't say a word. Can you
imagine how infuriating that was? You can read in the language
how infuriated he said, what is this? The answer is still
nothing? They were amazed that he could just sit there and calmly
ignore their questions. Then look at this. And listen,
he said, and the high priest answered and said unto him, I
adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou
be the Christ, the Son of God. He didn't say a word to defend
himself, to answer his accusers. But when asked concerning who
he was, he said unto him, thou hast said, nevertheless I say
unto you hereafter, you shall see the Son of Man sitting on
the right hand of power. coming in the clouds of heaven.
That's not what that man wanted to hear. He's sitting there thinking he's
some big shot authority. Are you not going to answer me?
You're not going to answer me? I adjure thee. And then the Lord revealed to him
who he is. Now look at, turn with me to John 19 5. Same thing
here. He spoke, but not to defend himself,
to answer his accusers. So this is specific, this prophecy
in Isaiah 53. John 19, five. Then came Jesus forth, wearing
the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them,
behold the man. When the chief priests, therefore,
and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, crucify him, crucify
him. They could not even look at him
without wanting him dead. They hated him so bad. Pilate
saith unto them, take ye him and crucify him. I find no fault
in him. The Jews answered him, we have
a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself
the son of God. And when Pilate therefore heard
that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the
judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? Where did you come from? Pilate
was disturbed by all this. You remember Pilate's wife had
a dream. She told her husband, she said,
I had a dream and here's the message of it. Don't you touch
that innocent man. Don't you do anything to him.
And so Pilate, all this is going through his mind and heart and
he's hearing what they're saying and he's hearing what the Lord
had said and what his wife had said and what he knew to be true. So he asked him, where are you
from? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest
thou not unto me? Here we go again now, he's frustrated,
he's mad. Because you know, he feels like
the Lord is answerable to him. But the Lord gave him no answer.
Then saith Pilate unto him, speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou
not that I have power to crucify thee and have power to release
thee? Now the Lord's gonna speak up, because you just crossed
it. Jesus answered, thou couldest
have no power at all against me except it were given thee
from above. You see how he answered certain
things concerning who he was and concerning his father. Don't
you blaspheme my father. Don't you say you have power
to do anything. Nobody has power to do anything
except my father and what he gives you. If he gives you some
power, you'll have it. If he don't, you won't have it.
He set the record straight on that, but never defended himself,
never said anything that would have mitigated the accusations against
himself. In response to or defense of
his oppression and affliction or humiliation, he opened not
his mouth. And all of his oppression and
affliction was according to his father's will. That's one of
the reasons he didn't say anything about it. When God's doing what
God's going to do, what are you going to say? You're going to
sit there and watch him do it, aren't you? When God is saving
his people, Moses said to the people of Israel, just stand
there and watch God save you. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord. There's nothing for you to say.
There's nothing for you to do. God's fixing to save you. Now
watch him do it. And so as the perfect servant
of his father, he just had nothing to say about it. He agreed to
carry our sorrows in the covenant of grace in eternity.
And so when he was carrying our sorrows, how's he going to complain
about that? You're not going to complain.
It's why he came. If the scriptures were being
fulfilled, that's the same thing as saying God's purpose of grace
toward his elect is being fulfilled, right? Because that's what this
book is about. It's a hymn book, H-I-M, it concerns
God's son and God's purpose of grace in saving his people by
his son, by the life and death of his son, by the power and
grace and precious blood of his son. So when he says that the
scriptures might be fulfilled, he's saying that my father's
purpose in saving his elect might be fulfilled because that's what
the scriptures concern. And so our Lord accomplished
that without protest, of course, or without any word of power
that would have interrupted what was being done. He came to do
what was being done. When things were being done to
Him, that was Him doing things to them, and to us, and to everybody. They didn't see that. Herod and Pilate, they had a
lot of questions, you know. and a lot of concern and a lot
of anxiety over this because they didn't have any idea what
was happening. He was accomplishing the purpose for which he came
and so he opened not his mouth. Those who planted and pressed
the crown of thorns into his brow, they were doing what God
had ordained before should be done. And so he stood there as
they did and opened not his mouth. Those who whipped him and buffeted
him with their fists, they did according to the will of the
one who they were buffeting. He willingly submitted. He said,
I lay down my life. That doesn't just include the
moment that he said it's finished and gave up the ghost. That's
the moment he relinquished his power and submitted himself into
the hands of wicked men. I willingly, no man takes my
life from me. No man takes me as a lamb to the
slaughter. I'm going there willingly. I'm
going there because that's what I came to accomplish. When they cried, crucify him,
there he stands. Pilate said, behold the man.
And can you picture it a little bit? Our imagination doesn't
really help much with regard to the gospel, but there's some
things you just kind of can't hardly help but imagine. They had pressed that crown of
thorns onto his brow and so blood was running down his face and
they had whipped his back and so blood was all over his back. He just stood there while they
punched him in the face. These soldiers, these... The scriptures suggest that he
didn't look like a human being anymore. He was marred, his visage was
marred more than any man. And there he stands like that.
And still they cried, that's not enough. Crucify him. And when they did, he didn't
say, what for? What have I done? Pilate said that, but the Lord
didn't. Pilate said that because he knew
the Lord was innocent and holy. But he opened not his mouth,
because he was saving me. And this is what it took. Here's what happened now. Think
about this. This is why we're just looking at one verse tonight.
We're not even going to get close to looking at this one verse
tonight. Here's what happened. As God He opened not His mouth. Because in all that was done
to Him, He was doing what He came to do. It was Him doing
it. Do you see that? He said, with
desire have I desired to eat this last supper with you, my
beloved disciples. And when they gathered in that
room, He told them to make ready. and there was bread, there was
unleavened bread and there was wine and he took that bread and
he break it and he handed it to them and he said this is my
body which I have broken for you. He broke it. He didn't tell one of them to
break it. It wasn't already broken. He broke it. That's the picture
here. He laid down his life. This was
him when his body was broken and marred and he was oppressed. He was abused and despised and
I Don't even know I'm running out
of words That was him doing that it wasn't what something happening
to him That was something happening to me, and he was doing it It
was salvation was happening to me I so as God he opened not his mouth
because he was doing what he came to do and as perfect man
he opened not his mouth as perfect man as the man when Pilate said
behold the man you know there's really not but
one man we call ourselves men but if you think about The purpose
for which God made man, I don't measure up. There ain't but one. Behold the man. I don't think Pilate had any
idea what he was saying. And most people don't either.
Most other people don't. Behold thee, as perfect as God's
man, as the man. He opened, not his mouth. And he is our example in that.
This is how the Lord teaches us now by causing us to look
to him. He's not just our example now,
he's our savior. We're to be like Him. We're to
imitate Him. We are imitators of Him. But
it's Him that saved us. It's not what we do in imitation
of Him that causes us to have favor with God. It's what He
did in lieu of us. In spite of us. For us. But turn with me to 1st
Peter chapter 2 and we won't be much longer. I just want to
look at a few scriptures. 1st Peter 2.20 Think about this now as man,
as perfect man, as the God man, as my representative, as my high
priest. 1st Peter 2.20 For what glory
is it if When you be buffeted for your faults, you take it
patiently. But if when you do well and suffer
for it, you take it patiently, then this is acceptable with
God. You haven't impressed God, but it's acceptable. It's acceptable
in Christ because you see, the way you do that is by faith in
Him. By the strength and power of Him working in you to do that.
That's why it's acceptable before God. Not because you did it. Verse 21, for even here unto
were you called. Because Christ also suffered
for us Leaving us an example that you should follow his steps
You should follow his steps whose steps Who did no sin? Now let me stress again We're
to follow his steps He said when he healed he would say go and
sin no more. I That's what I want to do. But me following in his steps
is not my acceptance with God. His steps are my acceptance with
God. That we should follow in his
steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered,
he threatened not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. As man, he committed himself
to God. He said, nevertheless, not my
will, but your will be done. If this cup cannot pass from
me except I drink it, so be it. You see how that tells us what
it is, that he opened not his mouth. He committed himself to
God. Can we do that when we're wronged? Are we going to get
even or are we going to commit ourselves to him that judges
righteously, the one who balances all the books? Who his own self, now here's
our hope, bear our sins in his own body on the tree. that we being dead to sins should
live unto righteousness now listen by which life we are healed no
listen to me carefully you should live unto righteousness and if
you're his he's going to work in you and he's going to get
the glory isn't he But he's going to work in you and you're going
to live unto righteousness. But listen, it's not that righteousness
that we live unto, that we follow after. It's not our following
after. It's not our living by which
we're healed. It's by his stripes. It's by
his death that we're healed. For you were as sheep going astray,
but are now returned unto the shepherd. and Bishop of your
souls. Oh, that's closely connected
to our text, isn't it? All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned every one to our own way and the Lord has laid
on him the iniquity of us all. He bore our sins in his own body
on the tree because we were like sheep going astray. But now,
now that he bore our sins, now that he did something, we've returned. Not because we
made a decision to return, because he did something. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter. He is the fulfillment of every
sacrificial animal ever slaughtered in order to make an acceptable
sacrifice unto God for sin. And there's thousands and thousands
At the dedication of the temple alone, they slaughtered thousands
of animals to show that only by the blood of an innocent victim
can God be satisfied for sin, can justice be satisfied for
the sins of God's people. He was brought as a lamb to the
slaughter. In picture and in type, thousands
and thousands of lambs had been slaughtered under the old covenant.
And as Paul said now in Hebrews 10.3, in those sacrifices, there
is a remembrance again made of sins every year. Well, the Old
Testament folks were saved by the blood of animals. No, they
weren't. Listen to him. There was always a perpetual
sacrificing of those animals. Why? Because they couldn't put
away sin. Listen to the next verse. For it is not possible
that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
That wasn't the point of it. None of the law. It wasn't the
point of any of the law to make sinners acceptable to God. The
ceremonial law nor the moral law. All of God's law is a schoolmaster
to point us to Christ. In picture and in type and in
shadow, we see Christ in the law of God, in all of it. But of the Lord Jesus Christ,
John wrote, Paul said concerning all those sheep that have been
slaughtered down through the ages under the old covenant,
it's not possible that they could ever take away sins. But listen
to what John wrote in 1 John 3, 4. Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the
law. And you know that he was manifested
to take away our sins. And in him is no sin. The sinless lamb of God was manifested. John the Baptist said, behold
the lamb of God that takes away sin. And you see the significance
of that when you read what Paul wrote in Hebrews. The blood of
animals can't take sin away. The blood of all of the lambs
of sacrifice throughout all of the old covenant, the centuries. that his people were under the
old covenant none of that could ever take away a single sin but
there's a lamb that will there's God's lamb that takes away sin he was manifested to take away
our sins and that's how he did it by bearing them and bearing
the sorrow and the oppression and the grief brought on by that
sin the affliction brought on by it the death that is the wages
of our sin and now again let's close with
this thought as the picture of him opening not his mouth might seem weak in the sense
that the world measures weakness and strength well if you know
if you're accused you should stand up for yourself that's
what a strong person would do No, the omnipotent God didn't
open his mouth. Now that takes strength. We can't
do that. I guarantee you, you cannot not
open your mouth unless God gives you grace to do it. And under
those circumstances, you cannot do it. And I can't either. But that
might seem like weakness to the world, you know, to not open
your mouth. We know by God's revelation that
he could have, if he had opened his mouth and spoken one word,
he could have killed every enemy he had with one word. But also this picture of a lamb
being sheared, being stripped and slaughtered, it expresses
his humiliation and shows him to be a victim. And the world
would look at him, most people would look at him hanging on
the cross and say, yeah, see there, he said, you know, he
talked about his father, but he won't have, his father won't
even have him now, look at him. And they mocked him. They considered
him a failure. There was one thief that didn't
think that way though. He's humiliated, he's the victim
and yet it's in this very character as the slaughtered lamb, the
slain lamb that he sits upon the throne of this universe. God doesn't see things the way
we do by nature and thank God we don't see things the way we
do anymore. We look to a slaughtered lamb
and say, there's my God. There's my King. There's my Savior. There's the omnipotent Son of
God. Let's just close by reading Revelation
5, 1 through 12. He was brought as a lamb. to the slaughter. Revelation 5, 1. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside
sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof? And no man in heaven nor in earth
Neither under the earth was able to open the book, neither to
even look at it. And I wept much, because no man
was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto
me, Weep not. Behold, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo,
in the midst of the throne, And of the four beasts and in the
midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain. One of the elders said, stop
crying. There's one who's worthy. And
John looked and there he was, the lamb of God, the slain lamb. Having seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the
earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of
him that sat upon the throne. I've heard a lot of good teaching,
a lot of bad teaching about that book. But I'll tell you this,
I know this much, if that book don't get opened, we're all goners. That's why he was crying. That's
the book of all of the purpose of God's grace toward His elect. It's the purpose of God in all
things. Fulfilled by Christ only. Nobody else can even look at
that book, much less can't understand it, can't open it, can't bring
to pass. The opening of the book is the
bringing to pass of all that God has purposed in His love
and redemptive mercy toward His people. There is one who can
open it. and he is a lamb as it had been
slain. In verse 8, when he had taken
the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell
down before the lamb, having every one of them harps and golden
vows full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. A lamb,
you think about that, of all of the The figures, the pictures,
the images that would cause men to bow. You wouldn't think of
a lamb would you? The lion, I understand that.
The lion of the tribe of Judah. But a lamb. We're bowing to the
lamb. Because it's in that character
now. In his redemptive character as the slain sacrifice. that
we rejoice the most that we glory in the most Paul said God forbid
that I should glory in anything else verse 9 and they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take
the book and to open the seals thereof because you were slain
You see that? That's what makes him worthy.
He said, herein does my father love me, because I lay down my
life for my sheep. I tell you what, that's why I love
him too. Here in his love, that he laid down his life for me.
And I love him because he loved me like that. And gave himself
for me. And has redeemed us to God. He wasn't slain in order to make
things possible or make things available or to try and do his
best. He was slain in order to redeem. And he did. You've redeemed us
to God by your blood out of every kindred and tongue and people
and nation. You didn't redeem every kindred,
people, tongue and nation, but you redeemed us out of them.
That ought to settle the debate right there, shouldn't it? It has for me, by his grace,
it has for me. I'm not interested in a debate,
are you? It has made us unto our God kings and priests and
we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld and I heard the
voice of many angels round about the throne. and the beasts and
the elders and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000
and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy is
the lamb. That one that Isaiah prophesied
of all those centuries ago is sitting upon the throne now and
he's opened the book, he's brought to pass and fulfilled all of
the purposes and promises of God which are all yes and so
be it in him. concerning the salvation of his
people. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and
riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And as we look into the language
of Isaiah chapter 53, may that be our song. Worthy is the lamb. We've been
singing it now. But when we sing it in eternity, it'll still be
new. And we're gonna be singing it a lot better than we do now
in his very presence. What a wonderful blessing it
is to go word by word, verse by verse, phrase by phrase through
the word of God and see the glory of his son, see hope for a wretch
like me. in His precious blood. Let's
pray together.