SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON, 29TH OCTOBER,2017,TOPIC: The Messiah: God’s Suffering Servant.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON, 29TH OCTOBER,2017
TOPIC: The Messiah: God’s Suffering Servant.
MEMORY VERSE:  I Corinthians 15:3. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures ( kjv).

Lesson Text: Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12, Hebrews 12:2.
CENTRAL TRUTH: Christ suffered for sins to bring us Salvation.
FOCUS: To acknowledge Christ’s suffering and death for our sakes and experience continually His saving power.

                      LESSON OUTLINE:
1. Christ Exalted and Rejected
A. Exalted King
B. Man of Suffering
2. Christ Suffered for Us
A. Our Substitute
B. Willing Sacrifice
3. Christ’s Suffering Rewarded
A. Salvation Provided
B. Act of Joy

                   LEARNING OBEJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
1. Connect the dual themselves of Jesus’ exaltation and rejection.
2. Acknowledge that their sins contributed to Jesus’ crucifixion
3. Comprehend the suffering of Christ as they praise Him for the eternal promise of their redemption.

                  INTRODUCING THE LESSON

QUESTION: When you pray for forgiveness how often do you consider what that forgiveness cost Christ?
      Followers of Christ seek forgiveness for sins large and small, assured their prayers are effective (1 John 1:9). Yet an act of repentance that is relatively effortless to us is only effective because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
     The believer who faithfully remembers Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf will be able to more effectively combat temptation, more fully worship God, and more motivated by the same love Jesus demonstrated.

                    COMMENTARY AND APPLICATION
1. Christ Exalted And Rejected.
A. Exalted King – Isaiah 52:13-15.
     QUESTION: What foundation do the closing verses of Isaiah 52 provide for Isaiah 53?
     The end result of Jesus  Christ’s suffering was His exaltation. He fully accomplished God’s plan of Salvation through His sacrifice at Calvery and His resurrection. The Cross, when seen in the light of the empty tomb, did not represent His defeat, but rather His victory.
    Even before Isaiah presented his picture of God’s Suffering Servant, the prophet described Jesus as highly exalted (Isaiah 52:13). This exaltation echoes the same terminology used in 6:1, confirming Jesus as the divine Son of God. Nations and kings will marvel at the greatness of His salvation ( verse 15). This can be seen in His redemptive sprinkling, which parallels the sprinkling of the blood of the Old Testament sacrifice. But Jesus offers eternal forgiveness and salvation, and does so for all people from every corner of the world. The world’s kings recognize His authority and hold their silence in His presence rather than exercise any power of their own.
     Clearly, this worldwide demonstration of Christ’s kingly reign has not yet come to pass, though to some extent His reign is already at work in the lives of Christians. But Isaiah saw a time when it will be accomplished. The prophet then explained the journey God’s suffering servant would take in order to reach this exalted position.
      Isaiah’s introductory description of Jesus’ kingly authority briefly summaries the immeasurable suffering the propjet will record in greater detail in chapter 53. Serving as something of a prelude, 52:14 alludes to Jesus’ sacrifice while surrounded by the verses describing Christ’s exaltation. The opening verses of Isaiah 53 enlarge the picture of Jesus’ sacrifice in our behalf.

B. Man of Suffering- Isaiah 53:1-3.
Isaiah moved from a picture of Jesus’ authority and exaltation in chapter 52 to look at Jesus’ earthly life and humanity’s response to Him. Far from offering a picture of acceptance and acclamation, Isaiah presented Jesus’ ministry among the people of His day as humble, ultimately leading to disdain and rejection.
     There seems to be a shift in viewpoint between verses 1 and 2. The prophet spoke in verse1 as one who was sharing God’s message of truth and was not believed, even by Israel itself-the very ones who were to proclaim this message. The “arm” or power,of the Lord was to be revealed supernaturally through Christ. He would be a “tender shoot,” growing up under the protection of the Father, among a people marked by spiritual barrenness. Furthermore, nothing about the Saviour would give any evidence of royalty. It was against this backdrop that He would suffer such rejection and humiliation.
    The world rejected Jesus Christ as the one embodying God’s truth – the servant sent to prepare the way for our redemption. This rejection reached its climax at His trail, torture, and execution. Although Isaiah did not witness those specific events, he captured the intensity of those experiences in noting Jesus’ suffering and familiarity with pain ( verse 3).

QUESTION: How do you think the world would respond if Jesus came into the world today? Why?
  Even before the cross, Jesus’ earthly life allowed Him to experience physical and Spiritual trials. When we express our deepest needs in prayer, we are approaching a Saviour who can identify with us and respond.
2. Christ Suffered For Us.
A. Our Substitute. Isaiah53:4-6
      Isaiah’s portrayal of people rejecting Christ might be expected to set the stage for some kind of retribution from God to avenge His Servant. Instead, Christ’s suffering only intensifies. Rather than punishing humanity for that suffering, God brings about a series of blessings.
  QUESTION: How does the picture of God’s grace in Isaiah 53 counter the mistaken view of a vengeful “Old Testament God”?
   Isaiah 53:4-6 describes God’s blessing in a manner normally associated with the New Testament. It reminds us that the plan of salvation has been in place since before the fall of humanity. Verse 4 begins a series of contrasts between what Jesus endured and what humanity has received as a benefit. We must recognize that we deserved the punishment Jesus experienced. Ironically, Isaiah portrays people’s natural response to Jesus as self-righteous ridicule, even implying He was receiving what He deserved from God. Instead Jesus was receiving what humanity deserves from God.
    From our perspective of looking back at the Gospels’ recordings of Jesus’ crucifixion, we see a vivid description of what Jesus endured on the cross even if Isaiah could not see the full picture of the savior’s suffering ( verse 5). Note that the terms translated “wounded” and “bruised” (KJV,or “pierced” and “crushed”, NIV) clearly indicate mortal injuries.
     With each detail of Jesus’ pain in verse 5-6, Isaiah pointed to a benefit we receive. For Jesus’ piercing, crushing wounds, we can avoid the consequences of our transgressions. He receives punishment; we can receive peace. He is wounded; we can be healed.
    Christ’s sacrifice, the prophet assured, is the remedy for sin’s affliction. Every human being has strayed into sin ( verse 6). Scripture used the imagery of a sheep’s tendency to stray on many occasions ( see Psalm 119:176;Luke 15:1-7). Yet Jesus made atonement for the sin of us all.
B. Willing Sacrifice. Isaiah 53:7-9
     QUESTION: What contrast can you see between Jesus as the sacrificial lamb and humanity as lost sheep?
   While Isaiah used the picture of sheep to show our lack of moral discernment ( see 53:6), he applied the metaphor of a lamb to Jesus. This describes Christ’s submission to God’s plan and references His substitutionary role as sin sacrifice on our behalf ( verse 7).
     At no point in Jesus’ arrest, trial, beatings, or crucifixion did He resist His captors, accusers, and executioners. He did not speak in defensive or retaliatory manner ( see Mark 14:60-62;Luke 23:8-11). Jesus’ silence points to another aspect to His response: He had limitless power that could be unleashed with a simple word, yet He chose to quietly give himself for humanity’s benefit.
   Jesus gave himself over to the oppressive persecution of His accusers (verse 8), knowing He would be sentenced to die. He didn’t even call on the Father to come to His defence. Isaiah prophesied the stark fact of Jesus’ death and the shocking truth that He died for the transgressions of others.
    Verse 9 again contrasts Christ’s innocence with His death. It was intended that His grave would be with the criminals who died alongside Him. Everything about Christ’s sacrifice pointed to one who was guilty of horrific sins. Yet there was no sin in Jesus, in word or deed. He had done no violence and had always told the truth. Even so, He suffered willingly.

3. Christ’s Suffering Rewarded
A. Salvation Provided. Isaiah 53:10-12
     QUESTION: In what sense does Isaiah’s tone change from the preceding verses beginning with Isaiah 53:10?
  Isaiah made it clear that the Suffering Servant’s agonizing experiences were all part of God’s plan. Jesus came to earth, lived among us, ministered to a spectrum of human needs, them concluded His saving mission by giving His for our sins.
    As we explore the suffering of Jesus, we must remember that God is actually giving of himself for us. Even as God works His will in the midst of this world’s evil, He has never and will never approve of evil. As the disciples would preach following Jesus’ resurrection, even within the operation of God’s plan, wicked men had brought about Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion (Acts 2:23).
QUESTION: What does Isaiah 53:10 mean when it says that “it pleased the Lord to bruise” Jesus (KJV)?
    God was pleased by the obedience of Christ in dying upon the cross (Philippians 2:8-11). Jesus would see His “spiritual Children” upon rising from the dead to reign for all eternity. There would be a profound, lasting benefit of humanity.
    The sacrifice of Christ provided a marvelous spiritual inheritance for all of humankind ( Isaiah 53:12). His work on the cross brought the honour of the Father, which He shares with those who will follow Him.
B. Act of Joy- Hebrews 12:2
     Hebrews 12:2 connects our walk of faith and our relationship with Jesus. As the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus not only brought about the means to our salvation at Calvary, but His resurrection guaranteed the end result: Our eternal redemption.
QUESTION: What attitude does Hebrews 12: 2 attribute to Christ’s approach toward suffering on the cross?
     Jesus’ divine knowledge from eternity past gave Him the full scope of salvation’s plan and allowed Him to look the Joy waiting beyond the cross. In other words, Jesus went to the cross because of the Joy it would bring. He had surrounded, for a time, the majesty of heaven to walk as mortal man on our behalf. And He endured the cross knowing that through His sacrifice our Joy would be made complete.
QUESTION: What does Hebrews 12:2 tell us about what the proper response should be to the things Christ has done for us?
   Joy can be a powerful motivator. It enables us to focus on the eternal even when there is uncertainty and struggle all around us.In that sense, Jesus provides us with an important example. We must be people driven by Joy, resting in hope of eternal rewards that await us because of what Christ has done on our behalf.

                        DISCIPLESHIP IN ACTION.
      As Christ’s disciples, we are wise to ponder deeply the price paid by the Saviour to bring about our redemption. Reviewing the details of Jesus’ crucifixion reminds us that no sin is trivial. Understanding what God’s suffering servant endured helps us realize how the temptations we encounter daily can be overcome.
    Jesus’ obedience through throughout Isaiah’s narrative calls us to examine our own commitment to following God. When we commit to obeying Him each day, we discover opportunities to reach out to those around us with His love. We don’t need to identify some overarching grand plan to our lives before we do the simple daily acts of obedience.
    Finally, then eternal perspective Jesus maintained should help us trials in perspective and look beyond them to God’s plan for our lives and His promise of eternal life.
                     MINISTRY IN ACTION.
     Isaiah prophetically shared the gospel centuries before Jesus came to earth. We are also called to share Jesus’ death and resurrection with the lost, and back up that witness with acts of compassion. Pray that students will respond to evangelism opportunities with a clear message of God’s grace and our redemption.