GOD UNDERSTANDS!
Introduction: John Howard Griffin was a white man who believed he could
never understand the plight of African-Americans unless he became like one.
In 1959, he darkened his skin with medication, sun lamps, and stains, then traveled
throughout the South. His book, Black Like Me, helped whites better understand
the humiliation and discrimination faced daily by people of color.[1] I wonder whether John Howard ever truly
understood the plight of the people of color and immigrants? That begs another
question, who then can fully understand our plight?
When we go through heartache,
sorrow, and pain, we wonder, does anybody care? Do I matter in any way? Does
anyone understand what I am going through? On this third Sunday of Advent, we
read from John 3:16, "For God so loved the world so much that he gave his
one and only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life."
The birth of Jesus Christ was a
fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by Isaiah 9:6, "For a child is born to
us, a son is given to us." Isaiah prophesied in chapter fifty-three how
that child would grow up, become a man, and redeem Israel and humankind by His
death on the Cross. I want to talk about how God not only understands but meets
us in our sorrows.
You may be wondering this should be
preached on Good Friday, not during Christmas. But without knowing what Christ
came to accomplish for us, Christmas remains a meaningless celebration.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Messiah
800 years before it happened. Tragically, the Jewish people did not understand
this prophecy.
Because the text indicates that the
coming Messiah will not come with military power to overthrow the Roman empire
and establish his Kingdom of righteousness; instead, He will come as a
suffering servant. This prophecy in Isaiah 53:1-12 refers to Jesus' mission on
the earth.
Jesus Himself taught His disciples
that He fulfilled at least part of it (Luke 22:37). Several N.T writers took the
cue from Him. Matthew connected Isaiah 53:4 with Jesus' healing ministry (Mt
8:7). John used Isa 53:1 to explain why not many Jews became Jesus' disciples
during his ministry (John 12:38). The writer of Hebrews (9:28) referred to
Jesus' death by drawing on the words and phrases of this prophecy. Let us
explore this prophecy.
I.
THE MAN OF SORROWS, FAMILIAR WITH DEEPEST GRIEF
Vs. 1-4, "Who has believed our
message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in
the Lord's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There
was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us
to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest
grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised,
and we did not care."
These verses talk about how Jesus grew up as a
tender shoot, under the watchful eye of God himself. Jesus must have been a
charming baby, bringing delight to his mother and onlookers as well. But as he
grew up and became a man, it was a different sight altogether.
Isaiah foresaw Jesus, not as a
beautifully majestic person, but an unattractive person from whom people would
run. On the Cross, Jesus was a beat-up man. In case if you are wondering, how
could Jesus possibly know about the pain of rejection and my deepest grief? After
all, is he not the Son of God? Yes, indeed. The prophet Isaiah showed us not as
God but as a human; Jesus experienced rejection and grief after losing his cousin
John and close friend Lazarus.
John 1:10-11, “He came into the very
world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own
people, and even they rejected him." Jesus was misunderstood. People
called him drunkard and glutton. The Pharisees spread a conspiracy saying He
was demon-possessed. His own family thought He was crazy. His disciples
abandoned him at the Cross.
Who could have imagined that an
innocent baby in a manger would be brutally tortured and crucified on the cross
one day? But that was what precisely happened. Though the suffering was unbearable,
Jesus endured it because he had internal Joy to give him the needed strength.
Hebrews 12:1-2, "let us run
with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes
on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy
awaiting him, he endured the Cross, disregarding its shame." What brought
him such great joy?
It was not the Cross and suffering
but what the Cross accomplished. It made way for your and my salvation. On
Christmas day, as you open your presents with your family and friends, pause
and thank the Lord for the Cross and the great gift of salvation.
II.
GOD'S ULTIMATE DISPLAY OF LOVE ON THE CROSS
For me, the Cross is not a symbol
of curse and defeat as many people would think. It is a public theater where
God displayed His love for humanity in the torture of His only Son. Who sent
Jesus to the Cross? It was not the Pharisees and Jews of that time, and it was
neither the Roman Government. As the prophecy suggests, "it was our
weaknesses, rebellion, and our sin.
While hanging on the Cross, how did
Jesus exhibit his love and concern for you? Vs.4-5, “He was pierced for our
rebellion. He was crushed for our sins. He was beaten for our wholeness. He was
whipped for our healing.” What more proof do you need that God loves you?
We hear people saying, “if you punch
me, I will punch back twice hard.” That is the normal human reaction. But Jesus
did not retaliate amid harsh treatment. Vs. 7-8, He was oppressed and treated
harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. As a sheep was silent before the
shearers, he did not open his mouth before his tormentors. Though he never
deceived anyone, he was unjustly condemned and buried like a criminal. But God
brought Him back to life because Jesus rose from the dead we have hope.
III.
GOD UNDERSTANDS!
In the introduction, I shared how
John Howard Griffin, a white man who tried to understand the plight of
African-Americans, became like them. Similarly, Jesus Christ indeed became like
one of us. The Incarnation shows that God understands our plight. The
definition of the word plight is “an unfortunate, complex, or precarious
situation.
What is the plight
of every human being, and where did it all begin? The messy plight of humans began
with the original sin of Adam and Eve. As a result of sin, peace and security
were gone; instead, shame and fear entered the world. Childbirth became painful;
the land was cursed, man’s toil increased, and enmity between Satan’s and the
woman’s offspring was intensified. Adam
and Eve were driven out of God’s presence. Genesis 3-4. The first family
immediately experienced the terrible consequences of sin, anger, jealousy, and
death. Since that time, the repercussions of sin followed subsequent
generations. Isaiah compares the human predicament to sheep who have strayed
away from the shepherd.
What happens to lost sheep? They become
easy prey, vulnerable to all sorts of attacks, and possibly get killed. Similarly,
like sheep, we have strayed away no matter who we are. We have left God’s paths
to follow our own. Our sin separates us from God. The longer we stay away from
God, the lonelier and more hopeless we become, and we may even die in our sins.
We see so many are lonely during
this holiday season and feel depressed and hopeless. We ourselves or someone we
know may be struggling with depression during this pandemic. Does God
understand your loneliness and depression? The answer is an overwhelming “YES.”
God sent His son Jesus into our
lostness. Jesus understands our messy situations. There is no sickness, including severe
depression, that the blood of Jesus cannot heal. He bore all our sins on the
cross so that we could be made righteous and live with Him forever. Amen!
