High and Lifted Up

This Sunday the world will celebrate Easter. For Christians, this is a time of year when we see an

emphasis on the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a bit misleading to assume that this is the only time of year when this reality is celebrated. For the true believer, the full gospel message is our reality every minute of every day and is to be celebrated, sung about, praised, and rejoiced over. That message is clear: the eternal God of the universe stepped out of eternity and into time to take on human flesh (the incarnation) to live a perfect life in obedience to God’s will and law so that He could take our place (our sin, our shame, the wrath reserved for us) on the cross in death, and then overcome death by being brought back to life (the resurrection). These truths we celebrate daily! But for this Sunday, we will focus on His death, burial, and resurrection.

What a sobering thought. Stop for a moment and consider it. The sovereign God of the universe, the creator and sustainer of all things, sent His only son to dwell in flesh and to purchase for Himself a people from every tribe and tongue and nation. When we see the depths of our sinfulness, we are driven to our knees in humble adoration for the one who took our place on that cross. There was nothing about us that recommended us for salvation (grace). But God saved us for His glory–for His name’s sake. Let us then take a moment to see Christ as He really is–high and lifted up. That is what Isaiah recorded in this week’s scripture reading as he foretold the coming of the suffering servant who would be crushed for our iniquities and pierced for our transgressions.

Scripture Reading for Sunday, April 20, 2025

Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 (ESV)

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Reflections on Scripture Reference

Isaiah prophesied the coming of one who would do for His people what they could not do for themselves. It is clear from this passage that he was writing of Jesus Christ who would come to do that very thing. Listen to these words again. I cannot read them without emotion.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Isaiah 53:3-7

What a sobering reality. All of those things assigned to Jesus in this passage belonged to us. They were our iniquities–our transgressions. We should have been despised, rejected, sorrowful, acquainted with grief, stricken, pierced, crushed, oppressed, afflicted, and smitten by God.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

And this is the reality of what God has done for us in Christ–the very heart of the good news of the gospel. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He took our sin, guilt, and shame to Calvary. He suffered and died in our place. The God of glory was humiliated, spit on, cursed at, beaten, and murdered–and all for you and me. What a price was paid for one such as me. How can I not then give Him my all?

For anyone reading this who has not repented and believed in Him, today is the day of salvation. Read those words again from Isaiah. Consider what God has done for you through Christ Jesus. Lift up your eyes and see the one who is high and lifted up for your transgressions. Believe in Him and live!

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. John 12:32-33

Song Selection for Sunday, April 20, 2025

Song 1

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Let us look on Him–high and lifted up. “When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count as loss and pour contempt on all my pride”.

Song 2
Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
“Come behold the wondrous mystery Christ the Lord, upon the tree. In the stead of ruined sinners hangs the Lamb in victory. See the price of our redemption. See the Father's plan unfold. Bringing many sons to glory Grace unmeasured, love untold.”

Song 3
In Christ Alone
Our hope is found in no other. “'Til on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on Him was laid. Here in the death of Christ I live. There in the ground His body lay, light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious Day; up from the grave He rose again.”

Song for Consideration

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
Performed by Shane and Shane
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery by Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, and Michael Bleecker

Lyrics

Come behold the wondrous mystery
In the dawning of the King
He the theme of Heaven's praises
Robed in frail humanity
In our longing, in our darkness
Now the light of life has come
Look to Christ who condescended
Took on flesh to ransom us

Come behold the wondrous mystery
He, the perfect Son of Man
In His living, in His suffering
Never trace, nor stain of sin
See the true and better Adam
Come to save the hell-bound man
Christ, the great and sure fulfillment
Of the law, in Him we stand, oh, we stand

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Christ the Lord, upon the tree
In the stead of ruined sinners
Hangs the Lamb in victory
See the price of our redemption
See the Father's plan unfold
Bringing many sons to glory
Grace unmeasured, love untold

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Slain by death the God of life
But no grave could ever restrain Him
Praise the Lord, He is alive! He is alive!
What a foretaste of deliverance
How unwavering our hope
Christ in power resurrected
As we will be when He comes

What a foretaste of deliverance
How unwavering our hope
Christ in power resurrected
As we will be when He comes