When The Shepherd Became A Lamb

The Old Testament, the Bible portrays the Messiah, the Messiah as a shepherd, in that well-known messianic prophecy in Isaiah 40, this is said of the Lord Jesus, he tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. He gently leads those that have young. So the Bible portrays the Lord, Jehovah God, as a shepherd of his people Israel, and Jesus as our shepherd. But the Bible also portrays Jesus as a lamb. In fulfillment of all of those Old Testament sacrifices where all of those lands were brought to cover the sins of the nation of Israel for a year at a time, Jesus is presented in the New Testament as the Lamb of God that doesn't just cover sin but takes it away when John the Baptist saw him and knew who he was and was introducing him to the people of Israel. He said that about him in John chapter 1 and verse 29. The next day, Jesus, John saw Jesus, the Bible says, coming to him and said, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So in an amazing transformation, the shepherd becomes the Lamb. There's a passage in the Old Testament among many other passages that describe how that happened and when that happened. Isaiah 53 is our text for a few moments. We just want to notice how the prophet portrays the shepherd who became the Lamb. In Isaiah 53, speaking of the one who would come and die for our sins, the prophecy of Jesus, of the Christ, Isaiah says this about him in verses 4 through 6. He is described as a sacrificial lamb. Notice verse 4. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering. Now, Jesus did die to take away pain and suffering, but he also did that in his earthly ministry. In fact, Matthew records that the fulfillment of this actually happened in Jesus' earthly ministry. Look at these two verses, Matthew 8 verses 16 and 17. When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to him and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases, quoting this verse. So this verse is literally, we know, from the New Testament, fulfilled in Jesus' ministry. The taking of diseases and healing of diseases was done while Jesus was here in his earthly ministry, but there is a more far-reaching sense in which Jesus paid for that also in his death on the cross, because we know that Jesus' death ultimately delivers the whole universe from the curse, particularly this world from the curse. Even the physical effects of the curse are covered in what Jesus did on the cross. Colossians 1 tells us that that he redeemed all of creation, reconciled, all of creation to the Lord. So ultimately, even those physical effects of the curse which had not been lifted yet, God does not promise to alleviate all your diseases. God has never promised to take away all your illnesses yet, but he will someday, when Christ comes back, that part of his death on the cross will become reality, and we will see during a millennial reign of Christ all of that lifted, and particularly in eternity to come. But he did die to cover all of that. Verse 4 continues, though, to describe how Israel viewed his death. Middle of the verse, yet we, Isaiah speaking as a representative of the nation, we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. The nation of Israel thought Jesus was dying because he was a bad man, because he had made false claims to be God, because he had been claiming to be the king. And so they thought he deserved his death. But notice how God views his death. In verses 5 and 6, notice how every phrase emphasizes that he was a sacrifice for us. His death was sacrificial. It was substitutionary for us. Just look at it in verse 5. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on him. In other words, the punishment for our sins that makes us right with God and gives us peace with God did not fall on us. It fell on him. He took our place. He was the sacrifice for us. He was the substitute for us. The end of verse 5 says, and by his wounds we are healed, spiritual healing in the context, talking about the forgiveness of sin, transgressions, iniquities, and so forth. Verse 6, we all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. And so the prophet portrays Jesus as the sacrificial lamb. He was the lamb who died in our place. Just like Old Testament lands were brought to the temple or the Tabernacle. And the the offerer laid his head on the hand of that lamb to identify his sins with the sins of that innocent substitute. And then it was the substitute that would be killed. It was the lamb that would be killed, not the center. And the lamb would be slain, and this blood would be drained and presented on the altar. And that's what Jesus did. He became our sacrifice. He became our substitute. And so all of our transgressions, our iniquities, our sins, are paid for by him. All the guilt for that is laid on him. All the punishment for those are laid on him. So he becomes our substitute. He is the sacrificial lamb. But the prophet portrays him not only as the sacrificial lamb, but notice he is portrayed also as the submissive lamb. Verse 7 through 9 describe his submissiveness to the will of God even though it required great suffering. Verse 7, he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a land to the slaughter and as a sheet before it shears as silent. So he did not open his mouth. Speaking there of the trials of Jesus, the mockery of Jesus, the beatings of Jesus, being led to the cross and hung on across all of the sufferings, all of the mockery that was hurled at him. Jesus did not retaliate. He did not defend himself. He did not strike back at those who were mocking him. He remained silent. Just like a lamb being led to slaughter, is silent. Jesus is silent. Why? Why? Because he knows he is fulfilling the will of God and he will not resist the will of God in dying for us. Verse 8, fleshes this out. Biopression and judgment, he was taken away, yet who of his generation protested. In other words, no one came to his defense. Middle of verse, for he was cut off from the dead or from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people, he was punished. And Jesus knew that. He knew he was being punished, not for his own crimes, not for his own sins, because he had none and he had committed no crimes. He knew that he was fulfilling the father's will in dying in our place and being punished for us. And so he willingly took all the abuse and the beating and the scourging and the mockery and the shame and the ridicule of the cross and the incredible suffering of his death. He willingly submitted to that because it was the father's will. He was a submissive lamb as well. Verse 9, he was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. In the Old Testament, that coupled expression to be assigned a place with the wicked and the rich in your death indicated that you were probably deserving of the worst of death. The rich in the Old Testament, especially in the prophets, are typically seen as those who oppressed the poor, at least that was the case often in Israel. And so to be assigned a place with the wicked in his death and with the rich in his burial, that was considered to be a curse, if you will, and show a sign that you were deserving of your death. The New Testament would take that phrase and apply it to the man who was rich, Joseph of Eurymothea, who provided a tomb for Jesus. The Old Testament expression is an expression of shame, an expression of a deserved death. He was assigned that, look at the middle of the verse though, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. In other words, he was not guilty. He was not dying for his own's. It was not a shameful death. It was not a deserved death, even though it was seen that way by the religious leaders and by most of the Jews, it was not that, but he submitted himself to all of that mockery and misunderstanding because he knew that he was being crucified for you and for me. He was the sacrificial lamb. He was the submissive lamb, but praised God the prophet sees beyond the cross to portray him also as the resurrected lamb. Verse 10, yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer. And though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. The prophet is anticipating and and prophesying here the resurrection of Christ, even though he dies, even though he suffers for the sins of others, God will see his offspring. He will see those who will become his children. He will see those who will trust in Christ because of his death, and because of that, he will prolong his days. Even though he dies, he will come alive again, a clear prophecy of the resurrection. It's mentioned again in verse 11. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. That can refer either to God the Father who is pleased and satisfied with the suffering of Christ and thus raises him from the dead, or it may also refer to Christ who sees the light of life. Either way, it's talking about the resurrection. Jesus has brought back to life after he has suffered for our sins. And then the middle of the verse, by his knowledge or by the knowledge of him, my righteous servant will justify many, in other words, to know Christ is to be justified, to be made right with God, to have your sins forgiven, your name put on the Lamb's book of life in heaven, to be right with God, to be saved, to know the Abahomian heaven. That comes through the knowledge of the one who died for you on the cross. By knowledge of him, my righteous servant, the Messiah, will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore, verse 12 says, another reference to the resurrection, therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong. That's talking about his exaltation. He once again has seated at the right hand of the Father, enjoying the riches of heaven. Because of his death, he is resurrected. The middle of the verse says why, because he poured out his life on the death and was numbered with the transgressors, for he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. So Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, the submissive Lamb becomes the resurrected Lamb, and it's fascinating to me that in the book of Revelation when John catches a glimpse of heaven, he sees Christ portrayed still in heaven as the Lamb. In Revelation 5 there is a title deed to the earth that is sealed with seven seals, as those seals are broken and God establishes his sovereignty over this earth. He will pour out those seals in judgment. But no one is found to open the scroll. No one in heaven has the authority to open the scroll, and John weeps as he realizes no one has the authority to open the scroll. And then one of the elders says to him these words, do not weep. See the lion of the tribe of Judah. That's a reference to the root of David. Has triumph. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. And John turns to look at this one. And this is what he sees. Then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain. Jesus is presented to John in heaven in symbolic form as a lamb that has been slain. A sacrificial lamb. I saw him as a lamb looking as if it had been slain standing in the center of the throne in circled by the four living creatures in the elders. He goes on to describe the lamb mentioning him twice in the next few verses. And then the people of heaven begin to sing. They sing a new song saying, you're worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain. And with your blood, you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people in nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth. And then the angels start to sing. Listen to what they sing along with the living creatures in the elders representing both Israel and the church in the book of Revelation. They begin to sing, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. And then every creature in heaven on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them said to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praised and honor and glory and power forever and ever. Forever and ever we will worship him and exalt him. Not only as the King of kings and Lord of lords, the sovereign of the universe, we will always remember him as the lamb, the one who was slain for us, the one who died for us. We had the opportunity to remember him in that way today with visible symbols. But don't forget we will always remember him that way. We will see him portrayed that way in heaven and forever and ever we will sing worthy is the lamb who was slain. He is worthy because he was a sacrificial lamb. He was a submissive lamb submitting himself to the will of the Father at great cost and thank God he's a resurrected lamb. In heaven today still being worshiped as the lamb who gave himself for our sins. Thank God for the lamb of God, the shepherd who became a lamb.