God’s Suffering Servant • 04.13.25
God’s Suffering Servant
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Look to God’s Suffering Servant and live!
- See the astonishing nature of God’s Servant
- Behold the Servant’s shocking fulfillment of God’s redemption plan
Manuscript:
It is a good day, is it not?! We have much to rejoice in. Not to mention that it’s Palm Sunday and we celebrate that this is the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem in preparation for completing the redemption work he was sent to accomplish! If you hadn’t noticed, the Holy Week devotionals are in the back of the room; I would encourage you to grab one of those on your way out today and use them over the next two weeks! (As well as the invite cards for Good Friday & Easter Sunday!)
Well, let’s turn our attention now to the study of God’s Word. Before we dive in…
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Isaiah 53; page 729)
Today just keeps getting better and better. Isaiah 53 – the final Servant Song on Palm Sunday! These Servant Songs have been reminders to Judah that their ultimate need is not physical but spiritual redemption. God has a plan not only to rescue them from physical exile, but spiritual exile. So, even while calling them to depart from Babylon and spiritual impurity, as we heard last week, he also reveals the ultimate answer for their sin/uncleanness. His Suffering Servant who would take on their sin, die in their place, and bear the wrath of God for their sake. He is the true Passover lamb whose blood would make them righteous. In fact, as we’ve heard in the previous Servant Songs and will hear again today, this grand redemption plan extends far beyond the people of Israel/Judah but includes people from across the earth! The Suffering Servant’s finished work is not only their hope but ours as well!
I’ll explain these concepts more as we go, but for now, let’s dive into the passage. We’re picking back up in 52:13. As I read this text, please listen carefully to the description of this Servant and what he accomplishes.
Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (ESV)
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
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 by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
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 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;
when his soul makes 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 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,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
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.
What an incredible passage to study together this morning! This chapter of Isaiah is the clearest revelation of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It provides an incredible foretelling of what he would be like, how his life would go, and what he would accomplish in his death and resurrection.
I wonder what your internal response has been as you heard this passage read aloud… For Christians, this passage ought to cause our hearts to soar with eager anticipation and thankfulness, as we know it reveals the redemptive work of Jesus Christ ~700 years in advance! Isaiah foretells what the whole world needs to know no matter where you are from or how you were raised – he provides the answer for our shame, our sin (missing the standard of God’s perfect holiness), and the wrath/judgment our sin has earned us!
One fascinating observation about Isaiah 53 is it beautifully reveals something no other world religion has… God coming down to walk among men, carrying their griefs/sorrows, enduring the penalty for their sins, and making it possible for them to have peace with Him! Isaiah 53 confronts every works-based religion with the radical redemption plan of God wherein his Servant suffers in our place and makes a way of salvation for us! So, as we look deeper into this passage today, the call is…
Look to God’s Suffering Servant and live!
You’re going to notice the use of multiple synonyms for sight today. “Look”, “See”, “Behold” because that is the call in the passage. Judah’s greatest need (and ours too) is to…
- See the astonishing nature of God’s Servant
- Behold the Servant’s shocking fulfillment of God’s redemption plan
I am going to do my best to help you perceive clearly who God’s Suffering Servant is and why it is so important to look to him for life. So, let’s begin as we…
- See the astonishing nature of God’s Servant
The last Servant Song reveals quite a bit of detail about the Servant. First, we hear that “my servant shall act wisely”. This means that he will carry out the plan of God successfully. He not only knows what pleases the Lord, but he also accomplishes it. This is an incredibly important point when you consider just what he is carrying out – the grand redemption plan of God! Or, as we heard in earlier Servant Songs, the establishment of justice on the earth and serving as a light to the nations, bringing God’s salvation to the ends of the earth!
It is no small thing to be told that he shall be successful in carrying these out. We are talking about eternity-defining accomplishments, things that affect everyone, everywhere. And this is not given as a mere possibility, but a settled certainty. As we said last week, God is not a liar and what he promises comes to pass. *pause*
If we stop here, there is already enough reason to be astonished at what the Servant is accomplishing. However, verse 13 isn’t done yet, we also see an astonishing outcome for the Servant “he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.” Because of the success in his mission, the Servant will be high and lifted up, and very exalted. Please do not miss the significance of these terms used to describe him. The words “high and lifted up” are only used in this combination four times in Isaiah (and nowhere else in the Old Testament) and every other time they are used to describe God.
Isaiah 6:1 (ESV)
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Isaiah 33:10 (ESV)
10 “Now I will arise,” says the Lord,
“now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted.
Isaiah 57:15 (ESV)
15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
If these terms are only used to describe God, then who is the Servant? … To further drive home this point, Isaiah 2 was very clear that man shall be humbled while God alone will be exalted.
Isaiah 2:11–17 (ESV)
11 The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
12 For the Lord of hosts has a day
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
13 against all the cedars of Lebanon,
lofty and lifted up;
and against all the oaks of Bashan;
14 against all the lofty mountains,
and against all the uplifted hills;
15 against every high tower,
and against every fortified wall;
16 against all the ships of Tarshish,
and against all the beautiful craft.
17 And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
If God opposes the exaltation of men but will himself be exalted, then who must the exalted Servant be? … Certainly, this is not speaking about the nation of Israel nor one of its prophets. This is speaking of the Messiah to come. And the astonishing nature of the Messianic, Suffering Servant is that he is God! This “arm of the Lord” that we have been hearing about is none other than God himself.
We find this understanding confirmed by the writings of Paul in his New Testament letter to the Philippians.
Philippians 2:5–11 (ESV)
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
What an incredible revelation! God the Son would come down, take on flesh, and dwell amongst us so that he could serve as the perfectly obedient Servant in our place. He would then die a substitutionary death on the Cross for our sins, bearing the wrath of God the Father that was meant for us, so that we could be forgiven and redeemed! *pause*
This is what Isaiah 53 is pointing towards and what Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ/Messiah, the Son of God, fulfilled! These are the core beliefs of Christianity. And because Jesus successfully fulfilled the grand redemption plan of God, he was exalted in his resurrection and ascension into heaven, where he now sits at God’s right hand. And one day, he will return to judge the living and the dead, and on that day every knee will bow, and tongue confess what is true about Him, whether they want to or not.
But perhaps I’ve gotten ahead of myself! We’re only one verse in so far. Perhaps you’re thinking, “Prove it!” I’m happy to do that. Let’s consider what else this passage has revealed about his astonishing nature.
Consider what we learn about his appearance. 53:2 tells us he is a man whose life begins humbly – he is like a young plant or a root out of dry ground – meaning he is small and lowly. Consider the recounting of Jesus’ birth…
Luke 2:7 (ESV)
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
His birth was inconspicuous, apart from the signs that appeared to a chosen few. He was not born in a castle, attended by a midwife or laid in a nice crib. He was born in lowly estate, kept company by animals, and laid in a manger. Shepherds and foreigners were the only ones who came to see him, and only after they saw miraculous signs.
We also are told that he would have no form or majesty that we should look at him. No beauty that we should desire him. This Servant was not coming in the manner that one might expect of a King – stately and imposing in stature… His was a majesty that was only perceived by those to whom the LORD revealed it.
The Servant would in fact be marred beyond human semblance, his body so badly disfigured that it would be beyond that of the children of mankind. Meaning when you looked at him, you would be hard pressed to tell it was a human before you…
If you’ve ever seen the movie The Passion of the Christ then you may have an idea of what this is speaking about… It is foretelling the awful treatment Jesus would endure at the hands of the Romans before and during his Crucifixion. The beatings from the soldiers, the scourging that ripped the flesh from his body, exposing his bones and organs, the crown of thorns shoved on his head, the large nails driven through his arms and feet…
This treatment of God the Son is what Isaiah is foretelling ~700 years ahead of time. And as we are hearing, it is part of God’s plan! Because another astonishing aspect of the nature of the Servant is the effect he will have on the nations… Though he suffers greatly, he will sprinkle many nations – meaning his life and ministry will affect many! The peoples of the earth will look upon him and they will be silenced as they consider what has taken place. They are dumbfounded by what they observe.
Many will even question whether this is the One sent by God. Could this possibly be the Arm of the Lord? The One who crushed Rahab and is the salvation of God!? We are told that this Servant will receive a cold reception – despised and rejected by men, and that he would be a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and that we would esteem him not (or consider him insignificant). This is an astonishing reception and response to the One whom God has sent to save us! And yet it is not a new idea if you’ve been listening closely to Isaiah.
The Servant himself gave voice to the poor reception he would receive from his people:
Isaiah 49:4 (ESV)
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”
The Servant knew men would reject him, but his confidence was that God would be pleased by him! God himself acknowledged this would be how he was received:
Isaiah 49:7 (ESV)
7 Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
And again, the Servant knew he would face such treatment:
Isaiah 50:6 (ESV)
6 I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
This was always the plan. To send the Servant to suffer at the hands of those whom he came to save! And, as we hear today, his nature was unlike what anyone expected. He would come as a man, of humble origin, without the fanfare that you would expect for the King of Kings and Savior of the world, and he would receive much suffering and abuse at the hands of those he came to save. They would look at him and think he was insignificant and of no real worth, but they could not be further from the truth! This is the astonishing nature of God’s Servant, and we must see and understand it! And be humbled by it!
The reason you must respond this way is that he is God’s answer for our brokenness. He is the One whom God sent to provide spiritual redemption to his people! And as you take time to see and understand, you will realize that this Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 is exactly who we have in Jesus of Nazareth.
Allow me to continue proving this as we also…
- Behold the Servant’s shocking fulfillment of God’s redemption plan
Verses 4-12 of chapter 53 capture the surprising way that God intends for His Servant to fulfill his grand redemption plan… And I don’t know how anyone could read these verses and not be utterly shocked by them! They lay out a plan of salvation that involves the Servant willingly carrying our griefs/sorrows and being pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (sins)… We are told that this Servant would willingly suffer on our behalf so that we might have peace with God through him! He would endure the righteous discipline/chastisement of God, not because of his own sin but because of ours! That is clearly communicated when it says, “for our transgressions, for our iniquities” or “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned -every one-to his own way”. This is a sweeping indictment of humanity! We are all guilty of sin/rebellion against God. Every one of us enters this world focused on self and as soon as we’re old enough to give voice to the desires of our heart we reveal it, “Me! Self! I do it! Mine!” Anyone who has spent any length of time around children, especially 2–3-year-olds, cannot deny the reality of our sinful nature. We are sinners, yet the Servant, who was innocent, was willing to take our guilt upon himself.
This should shock each and every one of us. This is unheard of in any other world religion. God sending His Servant to take your pains and sufferings on himself! His Servant enduring great suffering and wrath for your sins! The discipline and wrath of God that we rightly deserve for our rebellion against the Creator King placed upon the Servant instead! And the Servant does this willingly!
We are told in verse 7 that he will not open his mouth to protest this plan or fight back against his persecutors. His silence is indication of his deliberate self-submission to God’s plan to redeem many.
Listen to the testimony of Jesus’ conduct as he stood before the crowds accusing him:
Matthew 27:11–14 (ESV)
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Jesus did not speak up in defense of himself nor object to the treatment he received at their hands. He remained silent as the sacrificial Lamb of God, the final Passover sacrifice for our sins.
Or how about the connection in Isaiah 53:9, where it is foretold that this Servant will be buried with the wicked and a rich man in his death? Consider again what happened to Jesus:
Luke 23:32–33 (ESV)
32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
Even though Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, he was still crucified with criminals. And do you remember how his body was buried? By two well-respected Jewish religious leaders who clearly had significant financial resources:
John 19:38–41 (ESV)
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
There are so many wonderful connections throughout the Scriptures between what is foretold in Isaiah 53 and what Jesus fulfilled in his life and death. I would encourage you to continue digging into these connections outside of our time together today.
But for today, what is your response to the truths being revealed here? Are you willing to admit that you are a sinner – that you have failed to meet the God’s standard of perfect holiness? I hope you would be honest and say, “Yes, that is me. I am a sinner. I am not perfect as God requires.” Don’t worry, you are in good company, as that describes every single one of us here today.
But you must go beyond acknowledging your sin. You must believe in Jesus, God’s Suffering Servant, who has lived the perfect life you could never live and then died in your place to make peace possible with God. You can know this peace with your Creator!
You see verses 10-12 reveal the beautiful outcome of the Servant’s shocking fulfillment of God’s redemption plan. Let me read it for you again:
Isaiah 53:10–12 (ESV)
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes 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 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,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
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.
After the Servant suffered and died in our place, serving as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, he looked out and saw his offspring (his people – those he has redeemed)! Death was not the end for the Servant, nor for those who trust in him! Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied – Why? What could possibly bring him satisfaction in the midst of such horrific suffering? Because through his finished work he made many to be accounted righteous.
By his willing sacrifice, the Servant will make it possible for many souls to be rescued from sin and brought back into a right relationship with God. The Servant who was cut off from the land without offspring will now have many spiritual children. MANY will be accounted as righteous – declared just, not guilty – how can that be possible for sinful men and women like you and me or like the Israelites?
We read it right there in the text – “By bearing our iniquities.” God has made that clear several times in this Servant Song. The Suffering Servant is coming as a human, will live a perfectly righteous life, suffer unjustly for the sins of others, and then shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. This is what the entire Old Testament sacrificial system pointed towards… A perfect sacrifice was needed. But the blood of goats and bulls could never take away human sins. A better sacrifice was needed. And it’s impossible for us to pay for our own sins, that would leave us dead and without hope!
So, Jesus Christ came into this world, the Son of God humbled himself to take on human form and fulfill his role as the Suffering Servant. Consider what the author of Hebrews testifies about Jesus:
Hebrews 9:11–14 (ESV)
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews 10:12–14 (ESV)
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice! He is the Suffering, Victorious Servant! A mere man could not accomplish the redemption of many. Someone who is both man and God was necessary to pay this price. And so, he has. Jesus Christ is the ONCE FOR ALL sacrifice for sins. As John the Baptist exclaimed when he saw Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
This Jesus is the one who suffered many wounds so that we could be healed – aka made righteous. His sacrifice in our place, known as substitutionary atonement, is necessary for us to be made righteous. Jesus has taken what was previously separated, a holy God and sinful men/women, and made it possible for us to be brought back together again through his death, burial and resurrection.
The only appropriate response to this grand plan of redemption is faith in Jesus Christ. God sent His Son so that we could believe in Him and not perish but have eternal life. God has made a way for His people to be reconciled to Him and it is through faith in the finished work of Jesus. This is the only hope for both Jews and Gentiles – faith in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. What an amazing plan.
The people who overlooked the Servant, treated him unjustly, who had rebelled against God are shown extravagant mercy and grace. They are given the opportunity to be rescued and redeemed, adopted into the family of God, provided an inheritance in heaven that will never spoil or be taken from them…
How will you respond to this grand plan of God? Will you believe in Jesus as the offering for the forgiveness of your sins? Or will you trust in your own works? Will you rejoice at the cosmic scale of God’s plan of redemption for a rebel like you? Or will you scoff at the notion that you need forgiven and redeemed and continue on your rebellious way?
Consider this… Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God, a place of victory and power. He has made it possible for all who believe in Him to be perfected and have the hope of heaven! Listen to how the Apostle Peter connects the dots from Isaiah 53 to Jesus and then to Christians.
1 Peter 2:21–25 (ESV)
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Peter demonstrates that Jesus is the Suffering Servant who committed no sin nor deceit but continued entrusting himself to God as he suffered on our behalf. He bore our sins and by his wounds we have been healed. These glorious realities are true for you if your faith is in Christ! So, turn from sin and believe in Him! Take up the free gift of salvation that he offers you.
Christians are described as those who are no longer straying but have returned to God. So Christian brother or sister, let’s make it our aim to live righteously. If there is sin in your life, identify it, confess it, and forsake it. If there is suffering in your life, look to Jesus as you endure it. Follow his example as you entrust yourself to God.
As we go through life, we must continually look to God’s Suffering Servant and live! For salvation and sanctification. He is the answer for our brokenness and sin. It is by his wounds that we are healed. And it is through his death that we have life. Let’s live for Him!
Before we close in communion, I want to give you three specific ways to live for him in the coming weeks:
- Prayerfully invite others to join us on Good Friday & Easter Sunday that they may hear this Good News
- Take a Holy Week devo and use it to prepare your own hearts to worship him
- Commit to praying for our High Five Camp ministry from now until July – signups for both kids and volunteers open Mon, 4/21 (the day after Easter) and it is a significant ministry to the Next Generation and our community. High Five is an all-hands on deck serving opportunity, so please also consider how you can volunteer to help get the Good News of Jesus Christ to kids in our community this summer!
Communion
We are going to close out our services today by worshiping the Lord through the celebration of communion or the Lord’s table.
Communion is an opportunity for Christians to remember all that the Lord has done for us through his death, burial, and resurrection. This is an opportunity for Christians to remember that we have embraced the promised hope of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and salvation of our souls!
We will celebrate by partaking of both the bread and the cup as a symbol and reminder of Jesus’ body broken in our place and his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is an opportunity to remember how great a price was paid so that we could be saved from our sin. It is a sobering, yet joyful celebration for Christians. Sobering that the Son of God would give himself for us as a ransom. Joyful that he did, and the result is a living hope that cannot be taken from us! Jesus is victorious; therefore, we have the hope of heaven with Him!
At this time, I’d like to invite the ushers forward with the elements.
Before we pass them, I want to share the biblical requirements for joining in this celebration.
This celebration was given by Jesus to his followers. We invite anyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation to join us in this celebration today. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone, then we would encourage you to let the elements pass by you and simply consider what you’ve heard so far during the service this morning and reflect on what is keeping you from trusting him for the forgiveness of your sins and salvation of your soul.
The second requirement we see in Scripture is a call to examine ourselves. This is the idea of making sure that you’ve confessed any known sins and sought to turn away from it. It would not be wise to partake of the table if you have sin in your life for which you are not repentant. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking the table while living in sin is eating and drinking judgment on yourself. I would ask you not to do that, for your sake and the sake of God’s glory. Instead, I would encourage you to use this time to confess that sin and make a plan to address it right away. If you know you need to be reconciled to someone else in this church, please take care of that during this time. The table is time to protect the unity of the church.
The ushers are going to pass the elements now as we have a time of silent reflection and prayer to prepare for the table. Please use this time to reflect on all that we’ve talked about today and to prepare yourself to take communion by confessing and repenting of any known sin. After the elements have been passed, I’ll lead us in prayer and taking communion together.
Ushers pass elements
Silent prayer. Corporate prayer.
1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Take bread.
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Take cup
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!