Sing of The Silent Servant Isa 53 7 9

Lenten Midweek IV                                                     4/2/25
Sermon Series Theme: Sing of the Lord’s Servant!
Sermon Text: Isaiah 53:7-9
Sermon Theme: The Silent Servant! I. Silent As A Lamb! (Vs.7)
II. Stricken As A Sacrifice!(vs.8) III. Declared Innocent In His Burial!(vs.9) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. “And that’s the honest truth!”a three year old boy began defending himself when parents asked empty candy wrappers. When something happened he’d quickly blame his older brother, even if his older brother was gone. We act the same way. Fail a test, forget to turn in homework - it’s the teacher’s fault. Fired? The boss or co-workers are to blame. Marriage floundering, it’s our spouse’s fault. We lie saving our skin. Lie polishing our idol of ego as we blame others - even God, rather than honestly confessing our sins .
      Like father Adam we sew fig leaves of self-deception to cover our sin. When accused by conscience we point the finger at others loudly protesting our innocence. Stop deceiving your self - God knows your sins. You can’t hide from His eyes. He knows your deep dark secrets. He knows the words on your lips before you utter a peep. “If He knows all that then He is at blame for my sin!” we shout justifying self. Thinking, “If God knows someone is going to murder, He should stop them.’ Wanting to blame God for evil - we are chips off of the old block - brought forth in sin and iniquity in the image of Adam. Captive to Satan the fallen angel - the Liar and the Murderer from the beginning !
      Tonight our Lord gathers us at Jesus’ cross. Be still- learn to listen. Stop your incessant self-defensive chatter. Hear your Creator call, “Where are you?” and “What have you done?” His Law cuts to the bone. His Word exposes the thoughts and intents of our hearts. We yearn to make noise to distract from His Word the truth. The truth that we are sinners. Sinners deserving only death and hell. Stop the white noise! Turn off your screens! Be still! Be quiet before your God - He knows you! Be silent before God as a poor miserable sinner!
      Listen - the totally innocent Man carrying your burden prays for you! “Father, forgive them.” Learn silence! Hear Isaiah sings of Jesus - The Silent Servant! I. Silent As A Lamb! (Vs.7) II. Stricken As A Sacrifice!(vs.8) III. Declared Innocent In His Burial!(vs.9)
I.   It made Pilate marvel. It frustrated the High Priest. It amused King Herod. What? Jesus’ silence! Why didn’t He come to His own defense? False witnesses accused Him before the Sanhedrin! The high priest and ruling pharisees accuse Him of insurrection and tax rebellion before Rome’s governing official Pontius Pilate. Soldiers, dying thieves, the mob mocked blaspheming Him nailed naked to the cross. He doesn’t open His mouth to defend His own honor. Why? He is silent to serve us noisy sinners.
        Isaiah sings of Jesus: (vs.7) Jesus is oppressed. The God who spoke all things into existence out of nothing by the power of His Word - stands oppressed? What a joke! How weak a Savior He seems to the High Priest as his soldiers arrest Jesus in Gethsemane. It was the hour of darkness and darkness ruled. Jesus is quiet to stop the ongoing accusations of Satan against you - sinner. He silently hands Himself into our darkness! Satan means “adversary.’ Day and night accusing us before the God’s throne of justice, saying “He is a sinner, he belongs to me.” “She is a gossiper, breaker of the 8th Commandment, she deserves only hell” Jesus is accused, cajoled, mocked, but He is silent to forever quiet Satan’s accusations.
    Jesus is afflicted. The Innocent Man becomes the #1 Sinner of all human history! He alone shoulders the sins of humanity - the whole world. John the Baptist pointed to Him - the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His affliction didn’t just begin at Gethsemane as our Sin-Bearer. He is afflicted on the 8th day of His birth, shedding His holy precious blood to be take our place under the law through circumcision. At 30 years old, John the Baptist declares Him the world’s Scapegoat - He is baptized fulfilling all righteousness FOR YOU. For all sinners!.
    Jesus doesn’t open His mouth. Time and again He told His disciples not to tell anyone that He is the Christ. Rescuing Jairus’ 12 year old daughter from death - He orders silence. Transfigured before Peter, James and John, they behold His glory - the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth - He orders silence - until He is risen from the dead.
      How we love bragging what we have done. We love receiving praise. Often we refuse to help if others don’t acknowledge us. This prideful attitude is from the devil, our old adam, and this fallen world - never of God.
        Jesus silently serves - The Lamb to be slaughtered FOR YOU. He is our Passover Lamb shedding His blood. We overcome Satan accusation’s by the Lamb’s blood - for the blood of Jesus Christ washes us clean of all sin. Baptism works the forgiveness of sins! It isn’t our work - it is the Silent Servant’s gift! The silent Lamb of God rescues us from death and the devil. How? Silent Jesus is like a sheep being sheared. His skin is pealed off -becomes our clothing. He clothes Himself with our sins, guilt, shame, death and hell. He takes all our afflictions and oppressions into Himself. As many of us have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. His perfect life clothes and protects you. Death has lost its claim on you. Now Jesus’ Life eternal clothes you. Satan’s accusations are silenced! The robe of Jesus perfect righteousness is your clothing by grace through faith in the cross fitted upon you in Holy Baptism. “Satan, be silent! My sins no longer belong to me - they belong to the Silent Sufferer - Jesus!”
    Learn to be silent and listen - for this is the greatest worship of the Gospel. No more noise making - listen - to receive God’s gift of forgiveness, life and salvation - poured over you in Holy Baptism, spoken to you in absolution, preached to you in the Gospel, and fed you in the Lord’s Supper. Listen to see Jesus - the silent Lamb who takes away your sins - and declares you forgiven - He says to you, “Peace be with you.”
II.   Studying the historical accurate record of Jesus’ trial. You’ll discover a travesty. A miscarriage of justice. No one could convict Jesus of sin. So the Sanhedrin trump up false charges to bring Him to Pilate for crucifixion. Falsely Jesus is accused of rebellion against Rome. Pilate examines Him on these charges and finds Him innocent. Still he sends Jesus to stand trial before King Herod. Herod finds our Lord not guilty and sends Him back to Pilate. Jesus is given no justice - the sinful mob demand His death by crucifixion. Pilate to keep peace will comply.
    Jesus is given no justice FOR YOU! He is stricken for sinners. (Vs.8). He is taken from prison, abused beaten - none pitied Him when Pilate points to the bloody pulp of a man and says, “Behold! The Man!” They only cry out “Crucify Him!” Pilate caves to the wish of a blood thirsty mob.
      The Silent Servant is cut off from the land of the living. Sentenced to die the horrid death of crucifixion. The soul that sins shall die. Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Jesus becomes the One body/soul held accountable for all the mankind’s sins through all of history. He dies once for all.
      Who allows this miscarriage of justice? God - For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. Behold the great exchange. St. Paul reminds us , 2Co 5:19-21 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. (21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
  Our sin’s burden could not be removed, except through the Father’s sacrifice of His only begotten Son in the place of sinners. Behold the love of the Father through His Son comforting us by His Spirit. Fully obedient to the Father’s will Jesus saves us. The cross is proof that God is for us - that He has forgiven us. Now daily and richly God the Holy Spirit applies the healing balm of cross won, empty tomb certified forgiveness to real sinners through real Words of our living Redeemer spoken into our ears within Christ’s Church here on earth.
III..   Graveyards are quiet places. People often speak there in hushed voices. Weeping. Mourning. Behold the victory preached in the silent grave of Jesus. (Vs.9)
          Breathing His last with a triumphant shout. The Roman centurion testifies that Jesus truly is the Son of God. Jesus’ enemies wanted His lifeless corpse thrown into the criminals mass grave. God would not allow the Holy One to see corruption.
          His burial proclaims Him innocent. There was no deceit or violence in Him. Jesus is the Truth! His Word can never be broken. He is Love in our flesh - He had done no violence to mankind - He rescued it.
    Two prominent men of the Sanhedrin, bury Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Touching His dead body they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. They didn’t need they found the true Passover Lamb - the Silent Servant - Jesus. “And that’s the honest truth!” Amen.