Text: Lk. 9:23; Gal. 2:20 Scripture Reading: I Pet. 2:21-25

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example The Suffering Servant in Isaiah:  The Servant Has A Mission (Is. 42:1-7)  The Servant Has Great Difficulties In His Mission (Is. 49:1-7)  The Servant Will Suffer (Is. 50:4-10).  The Servant Suffers For Sin (Is. 52:13—53:12) I Pet. 2: For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22. WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23. and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24. and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example Christ left an example to follow as the “Man of Sorrows,” & saints become partakers with Him when we “take up our cross” and “crucify” our old selves to let Him live in us Note the relationship between “Him” and “we” in Is. 53:2-6:  Christ: bore our sorrows, griefs, sins and transgressions  Mankind: we hid our faces from Him, did not esteem Him, and turned away from Him Lk. 9: And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. Gal. 2: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example Is. 53:2 2. For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. Mt. 7:13-14  Jesus said that in life there are two roads, and the majority of people will choose the broad road that leads to destruction, while only a few will find and follow the narrow road.  Being in the “few” can be discouraging – I Kings 19: 1-4, 10 Mt. 11:20: Remember Jesus: even in places that received miracles the majority rejected Him  He loved the lost and continued to seek them – Lk. 15:1; 19:10

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example Rom. 6: But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18. and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Christ called us to be servants – Must follow the example of the Suffering Servant of Jehovah (The “Man of Sorrows” came to serve man – “My Servant” – Is. 52:12)  Paul and Silas in prison in Acts 16 – They were few and in a sad place; served Christ! (16:25) Those faithful to Christ must choose to serve Him despite being few in number! (Mt. 7:14)

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example Notice the accounts of persecution (II Tim. 3:12) in the book of Acts:  Jewish authorities – Acts 4-5; 7; 24:5; 28:22: Persecuted the apostles, killed Steven and chased Paul from city to city!  Roman authorities – Acts 16:12; 19-24: When their revenue was threatened, the masters of a slave girl who Paul healed had them beaten and thrown into jail! Later Years:  Jews – Rev. 2:8-10: The church at Smyrna was persecuted by Jews (2:9) and would suffer imprisonment, but like Jesus whom they were following, in the midst of all their suffering they were faithful and were encouraged to remain faithful (2:10)!  Romans – II Tim. 1:16-17; 4:6-8: Paul was imprisoned again and executed. Is. 53:3 (Jn. 15:18-21) 3. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example In the 1 st century, Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, was “despised and forsaken of men”  Faithful Christians who followed Jesus were in the same boat! (Book of Acts) We live in a day when Jesus seems to be despised and rejected by many of His people – either by neglecting to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) or change His teaching (Gal. 1:6-9):  Is. 53:3: “…like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”  This was then and is still a great danger today! (Jn. 12:48) Those faithful to Christ must choose to follow Him even when it means we too are “despised and forsaken of men!” (Rev. 2:10)

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example Christ was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”  His heart ached for His people! Despite God fulfilling His promises in their presence, they rejected the Son of God! (Mt. 23:32-38: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem!”)  He was “grieved” at their hardness of heart – Mk. 3:5  He was “grieved and distressed,” “to the point of death” at His betrayal – Mt. 26:37-38 How do we feel about the lost around us?:  The lost and false teachers – Rom. 9:1,2; Phil. 3:18 (Rom. 10:1-2)  Telling people sad news – Acts 2:36-37: they “crucified;” II Cor. 7:8-10  The misled – Mt. 9:36; Eph. 4:14: Do we pity people who have been misled or look down on them? (We need to take heed that it doesn’t happen to us! – II Cor. 11:3) Is. 53:3 3. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example His example calls us to show compassion  Forgiving: Mt. 18:21-35 (v. 27): The king and the servant who owed a large debt  Benevolence: Lk. 10:25-37 (v. 33: “compassion”): The parable of the “Good Samaritan”  Compassion: Lk. 15:20, (compassion vs. elder brother): The parable of the “Prodigal Son” Mt. 9: Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Those faithful to Christ ought to be grieved over the lost as Christ was! (Mt. 9:36)

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example Jesus came to fulfill the mission foretold of by Isaiah, and He came as the “Servant of the Lord” In coming as a “Servant” He left behind an example for us to walk in – to serve one another  Mt. 20:25-28: To be great in the kingdom one must be a servant. Mt. 20: But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26. "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27. and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28. just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The Suffering Servant Part 3: Example Christ, the Man of Sorrows (the Suffering Servant), came to save us from our sins and leave an example for us to follow! Are you walking in His footsteps? Christ took on the form of a “bond-servant” (Phil. 2:7) and so we must be a bond-servant!  Paul, a bond-servant – Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Titus 1:1  Peter, a bond-servant – II Pet. 1:1  John, a bond-servant – Rev. 1:1  James, a bond-servant – Js. 1:1  Jude, a bond-servant – Jude 1:1  Epaphras, a bond-servant – Col. 1:7  Tychicus, a bond-servant – Col. 4:7

Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Child: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)