Jesus Crushed & Grieved

[Isaiah 53:10]

In the midst of difficult times like these, certain questions always seem to come up. One that always seems to arise is, “Where is God in the midst of this?” “Where is God as the Coronavirus spreads across the globe?” “Where is God as my medical appointments are being delayed or canceled?” “Where is God as I’m being isolated and experiencing intense loneliness?” “Where is God as I’m being laid off from my job, wondering whether I’m going to be able to pay my bills and provide for my family?” 

These are major struggles/difficulties and very important questions. I don’t want to take them lightly. I want to answer them with truth—truth that will provide comfort and answers in the midst of this trial. It does us no good to find comfort by lying to ourselves. The only way we can truly find comfort—REAL COMFORT—in the midst of these difficult times, is by hearing and embracing the truth. 

If we want to begin answering these questions, it’s necessary for us to look at Jesus’ death. Where was God when Jesus was hung on the cross? To answer that question, we look at this morning’s passage. “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer…” (Isaiah 53:10, NIV). Now, that may make you cringe a bit, but I ask you to be patient with me through the end of this message. 

The repeated refrain throughout scripture is that it was the Lord’s will that Jesus would die on the cross—that He would suffer. Jesus didn’t suffer because he had done anything deserving of suffering—remember last week’s sermon, Jesus was sinless and innocent, undeserving of death. Yet, Jesus suffered and died on the cross because it was the Lord’s will. This is repeated a couple times in the book of Acts. At Pentecost, Peter says, “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” (Acts 2:23, NIV). A couple chapters later the church prays, “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.” (Acts 4:27–28, NIV). Jesus suffered and died because it was part of God’s plan and purposes. 

In the midst of these uncertain times, it does us no good to turn away from God, or try to pretend He is not in control. If you ask, “Where is God as this virus spreads across our globe?” the answer is, “He’s in the same place he was before the virus began to spread—on His throne—and He will continue to sit on His throne for all eternity.” God is in control—even over the spread of this virus. 

For some of you, this may not provide comfort. It may even provoke anger within you. You may find yourself screaming, “You’re saying God is in control of all this pain and suffering?!?!” To which I would respond, “Is it more comforting for you to believe that God is not in control of this—that this virus is in the hands of chance?” If that’s the case, if the virus is in the hands of chance, then there’s no hope—no comfort. Yet, since God is in control, there is hope and comfort because we can trust his Fatherly hand. 

Also, since God is in control, we know there is a purpose behind the suffering. It’s not random and pointless. Jesus’ suffering was not random and pointless. It had a purpose: “…and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days…” (Isaiah 53:10, NIV). Jesus’ suffered in order to be a sin offering for us. Like I mentioned last week, our sin separated us from God. Our sin also deserved to be punished. Yet, Jesus willingly stepped in to take that punishment in our place. He stepped forward—by the plan of God—to bear the weight of our sin, to bear the punishment for our sin, and to cleanse us from all our sin. His suffering wasn’t random and purposeless. 

Because Jesus was a sin offering, he can adopt us into his family. That’s why the passage says the Messiah “will see his offspring” (Isaiah 53:10, NIV). Through Christ’s death, all who turn to him in faith and trust are not only cleansed from their sin, but adopted into God’s family. We are children of God. That’s not just some “throw away phrase,” but it’s powerful. Now, as a child of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe looks upon you as a Father looks upon his child. He says, “You are my child. I love you and I will care for you like a good Father. I will protect you and sustain you like a good Father. I will provide for your needs like a good Father.” 

That should change everything—especially when we begin to think about God being in control in the midst of suffering and pain. He’s not in control like a malicious dictator. He’s in control like a loving Father: protecting, caring, strengthening, providing, and loving you. Everything comes to us from His Fatherly hand because He loves and cares for us like a Father. 

Also, the fact that God is in control, means there is always some purpose to our suffering. If God is not in control, and everything is chance and random, then there can be NO purpose to our suffering. Suffering can just come and go as it pleases. Yet, since God is in control, every suffering we encounter has purpose. Since God is in control we can embrace the very familiar passage of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV). We will not always know the purpose behind our suffering. Most times we won’t know. We don’t even need to know. All we need to know is that any suffering we encounter comes from God’s Fatherly hand and that he is working everything for the purpose of our own good and His glory. 

I don’t know why God is allowing this virus to spread across the globe and cause all kinds of problems and suffering. But I do know this one thing: God is still in control and that He has a good purpose behind all of it. So, I trust Him. 

That’s why this passage brings up “the will of the Lord” one more time. It says, “…the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:10, NIV). At the beginning of the passage it said that it was the will of the Lord to crush him. Now, it points out that the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. The will of the Lord played a role in Jesus’ suffering, but Jesus’ suffering also played a role in prospering the will of the Lord. That was God’s good purpose behind his suffering. Through Jesus’ suffering, many would be healed, redeemed, and saved. The Lord’s will would prosper and spread like it had never prospered and spread before. 

Prior to Christ, God’s people were a small group of people. Yet, after Christ’s death he told his disciples, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:18–20, NIV). And, two-thousand years later, God’s people have grown beyond number. God’s people have spread onto every continent of the globe. God’s people have spread into every nation that is suffering from the Coronavirus. Through Christ’s suffering, blessing has been poured out upon the entire earth in abundance. Through Christ’s death, His Kingdom has come and His will has been done on earth as it is in heaven. 

This is why Christ suffered willingly and joyfully. There’s one phrase in this passage that can be easily missed, that I want us to look at. It says, “…when his soul makes an offering for guilt…” (Isaiah 53:10, ESV). Why does it say soul? Commentators answer the question this way: “The translation ‘When his soul makes…’ emphasizes the Servant’s willing commitment of his very self to the task of reparation.” (Motyer, p. 440). Another way of saying this comes from Hebrews 12:2: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, NIV). Jesus endured the cross willingly and for the joy set before him. 

In the midst of our own trials, we can learn a lot from Jesus’ suffering. Jesus willingly and joyfully entrusted himself into God’s Fatherly hand. He didn’t go to the cross grumbling and complaining, but willingly and joyfully. He was able to do this because He KNEW God was in control and that there was a purpose behind the suffering and that God would use the suffering for something greater. So, he submitted himself to God and trusted him. 

We see this wrestling match in the garden. As Jesus sees the cross on the horizon, he drops to his knees and prays, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42, NIV). This is a good wrestling match. Jesus isn’t afraid to tell the Father that he would like to be saved from this suffering. Jesus isn’t afraid to ask the Father to relieve him from this suffering. Yet, he entrusts himself into the God’s Fatherly hand and says, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42, NIV). He knows God is in control and God is good. So, he trusts him. He willingly and joyfully submits to God and endures the cross, scorning its shame. 

Knowing that God is in control of our suffering does NOT mean that we should stoically walk through life, unaffected by any sorrow. We should look to Christ’s example. Right now, we should be on our knees praying, asking God to remove this cup of suffering from our world, our nation, our families. We should be begging and pleading God to protect and save us. Yet, as we wrap up our prayers, we should entrust our world, our nation, our families, and ourselves into God’s hands. We should find ourselves resting—with peace washing over us—saying, “Yet, not my will, but yours be done. I trust you.” 

As we entrust ourselves to God’s Fatherly hand, we can trust him to provide us with everything we need to get through this difficulty. We can trust Him to bring us through to the end. One passage that has been repeatedly on my mind comes from 1 Peter. It says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10, NIV). This can only be true if God is in control. Yet, because we know God is in control, because we know we are in God’s Fatherly hand, we can also have confidence that God will bring us through to the end. After we have suffered for a little while, God himself will restore us. God himself will make us strong. God himself will make us firm and steadfast. We can have confidence of these things—find comfort in these things—because God is in control. 

God is with us before, during, and after our suffering. As we find ourselves in the midst of difficulty and suffering, wrestle with God. Through Christ, enter into his presence and beg him to remove this suffering from us. Beg him to deliver us from this virus. But, when you’re done praying, make sure your heart says, “Not my will be done, but your will be done Father. I entrust all of this into your Fatherly hand. I trust that eventually you will restore us and strengthen us and make us firm and steadfast in our faith. I trust that we will come out on the other side of this stronger because of You. So, we give ourselves to you willingly and joyfully. We trust you.”