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Sermon Series: Today we’re in a mini series where we’re taking a look at what led to Christmas!
53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?[a]
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected[b] by men,
a man of sorrows[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e]
and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although[g] he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;[h]
when his soul makes[i] an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[j] and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[k]
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[l]
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Last week, to prepare ourselves for Christmas, we looked at Isaiah 9:1-12, a prophecy about Jesus’ life and how that offers us peace. Today, we’re looking at another prophecy that God led Isaiah to give. This one though is about Jesus’ death. By taking a close look at it, we can learn that…
-
Jesus’ death involved Him:
a. Being despised and rejected
Is. 53:3-4, Ps. 118:22-24, Matt. 21:42, Acts 4:11, 1 Pet. 2:7
b. Physically tortured
Is. 53:5-6, John 19:1-3, Mark 15:15-20, Luke 22:44, 63-65
c. Dying and being buried
Is. 53:7-9, Matt. 27:50, 57-60, Mark 15:37, 46, Luke 23:44-56
2. This was the Father’s will, so that:
Is. 53:10, Luke 22:42, Rom. 8:32
a. There would be an offering for sin
Is. 53:11-12, Lev. 4, 16, Heb. 7:27, 1 Pet. 2:24, Heb. 9:28
b. The sinner would be made righteous
Is. 53:11, 1 Cor. 1:30, 2 Cor. 5:21, Rom. 5:19
c. Salvation would be offered to all
Is. 53:12, John 3:16-17, 2 Pet. 3:9, Titus 2:11, Rom. 10:13
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Isaiah 53 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- As you reflect on this sermon series, and the idea of the Old Testament pointing towards Jesus, what questions come to mind?
- Take some time in prayer asking God to prepare your heart for this Christmas season.
Diving In
- As you think through Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus’ death, what stands out the most?
- How does thinking through what Jesus went through to make salvation possible help your relationship with Him?
- Read Isaiah 53:10. God loves you so much that He would send His one and only Son to die for your sins. How does this help you in your relationship with the Lord?
- How does thinking through what Jesus accomplished on the cross help your relationship with God?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?