Peter tells us that the two things constantly spoken of by the Holy Spirit in the writings of the Old Testament prophets were "The sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow" (I Pet. 1:11). Our Lord Jesus himself, when he expounded Moses and the prophets to his disciples, showed them that the message of the inspired writers of Old Testament Scripture was the fact that Christ must suffer and then enter into his glory (Lk. 24:26-27).
These two things are certainly spoken of in Isaiah 53, and spoken of here more fully and clearly than in any other single chapter of the Old Testament. This chapter is quoted repeatedly in the New Testament and constantly applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry wrote, "This chapter is so replenished with the unsearchable riches of Christ that it may be called the gospel of the evangelist Isaiah rather than the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah."
Tonight, I want us to look at the first three verses of this blessed and glorious chapter. I take the opening words of the chapter as the title for my message – "Who Hath Believed Our Report? Just hold your Bibles open on your laps. My outline will be taken directly from our text.
Proposition: In these verses the prophet of God describes with astonishment the unbelief of man, the lowliness of our Savior's appearance, the greatness of his grief, the reproach of his sufferings, and the sin and folly of unbelief.
I. Meditate with me for a moment or two on the first line of our text. Here Isaiah foretells with wonder and astonishment the unbelief of man – "Who Hath Believed Our Report?"
The contempt of men, both Jews and Gentiles, for Christ is here spoken of with amazement (Jews – John 12:38; Gentiles – Rom. 10:16). Unbelief is something more than neglect, lack of concern, and carelessness. It is abhorrent contempt for the Lord God – (I John 5:10).
A. Though many hear the report of the gospel, there are relatively few in every generation who believe it. (Matt. 22:14).
The report Isaiah is talking about is the doctrine of Christ, the gospel of the free grace of God in him, the message of Christ crucified, the report of free and full salvation in and by the Lord Jesus Christ, through the doing and dying of the Son of God as the sinner's Substitute.
The message we preach we preach publicly and openly. It is not whispered in a corner, but shouted from the housetops. It is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation (I Tim. 1:15). One would think this message would be universally believed; but it is not, never has been and never will be commonly believed by men. True believers are always in the minority!
"To this day, of the many that profess to believe this report, there are few that cordially embrace it and submit to the power of it." – (M. Henry).
B. Though few believe it, the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ is a good, good report.
The gospel is not good advice, but a good report. It is the report of a work done, not advice on how to get a work done. It is the report of…
C. The fact that many do not believe this report is never to be looked upon as a matter of indifference.
We recognize and bow to God's sovereign purpose. But our God is not a stone and his servants are not stoics. It is to us an astonishing matter of grief that you do not believe the gospel!
1. The Lord God is not indifferent to your unbelief (Isa. 48:18).
2. The Son of God is not indifferent to man's unbelief (Mt. 23:37-38; Mk. 6:34).
3. The servant of God is not indifferent to your unbelief (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1).
What a pathetic cry – "Who hath believed our report?" Now look at the next line.
II. "And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"
This is the exact same question viewed from another angle. The first question viewed man's unbelief from the standpoint of every man's responsibility to believe the gospel. Here the prophet of God addresses the issue of God's absolute sovereignty in the free exercise of his saving grace.
Actually, Isaiah is answering his own question. He asked, "Who hath believed our report?" Then he answers, "All of those and none but those to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed.
A. "The arm of the Lord" is the saving power and goodness of God in Christ.
B. The arm of the Lord is revealed to all men externally things the preaching of the gospel, but only to God's elect internally and effectually by the power of God the Holy Spirit (I Thess. 1:5; Ps. 65:4).
C. No man by nature can or will believe the gospel of Christ (John 5:40).
D. All to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed in saving, effectual power do believe.
III. "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground."
This refers, of course, to our Savior's incarnation, lowly entrance into this world, and his meek life of obedience to God the Father as he grew from infancy to manhood before him. Our Savior's lowliness and humility is here described as one reason for man's unbelief.
A. A Tender Plant is a little sucker. It springs out of the earth with little notice. It is liable to be crushed without regard. Nothing is expected from it.
B. A Root out of Dry Ground is the sprout of a withering plant, a dying tree. This refers to the fallen, withering house of David.
V. Now, look at the last part of verse 2 – "And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."
Despised as a lowly man – Rejected as a licentious man – Reckoned to be a madman – Maligned as a Demonce Man – Looked upon as a worm and no man!
VII. Then Isaiah describes our Savior as "A Man of Sorrows and Acquainted with Grief."
It was not only in his death that he was such, but the whole period of his thirty-three years on this earth was one continued series of miseries and sorrows, labors and pains. So worn and weary was he with grief that when he was just 30 years old men thought he was 50 – (John 8:57). Grief was his constant companion. Sorrow was his constant experience. Our Lord, we are told, wept often. Not once do we read, "Jesus laughed!"
He who came to be made sin for us experienced all that sin had brought upon our cursed race. In sorrow he ate his bread all the days of his life (Gen. 3:17). "His life was one continued series of sorrows, from the cradle to the cross" – (John Gill).
NOTE: Read the sorrows of Christ and cease to feel sorry for yourself!
VIII. Next the prophet says, "And we hid as it were our faces from him."
A. We hid our faces from him as one who was loathsome and adherent to look upon!
B. He hid his face from us (margin) as one conscious of his own deformity.IX. Now, look at the last line – "He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
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