Exalted Savior

Isaiah 52:13-15

Intro: This Friday we will observe what is called “Good Friday.” This is the day that Jesus suffered horribly at the hands of men to pay for our sins as He was nailed to an old rugged Cross. This passage concerns Jesus’ suffering that will lead to His final exaltation and glory. The suffering is important, because His suffering bought our salvation, but His glory, which will be revealed soon, is equally important for it will show that the Servant Jesus did the will of God voluntarily and has become the exalted Savior over all mankind.

Isaiah 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;

 Many will be appalled (trans. “awestruck or astonished”) at the Servant. By human standards Jesus was not attractive when He was on the earth.  Isaiah 53:2-3 (NKJV) ² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. ³ He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

At His first coming, many were astonished at the depths of His suffering. His face and His body were marred – [disfigured] beyond recognition as a man. Matthew 26:67 (NKJV) Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, Matthew 27:29-30 (NKJV) ²⁹ When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ³⁰ Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. They pulled out His beard and Jesus was beaten to a pulp with 39 strips by Roman soldiers with lead and glass tipped whips. Nails were driven in His hands and feet.

His side pierced with a Roman spear and blood and water ran out!

Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; 
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 
Two important points are made in this verse:

1. God’s Servant will act prudently-wisely, Even though Jesus had to suffer so much,

He still acted prudently – wisely doing what the Lord wanted Him to do.

Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. Jesus was willing to give His all for the salvation of mankind.

Hebrews 10:5-7 (NKJV) ⁵ Therefore, when He [Jesus] came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. ⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. ⁷ Then I said, 'Behold, I have come-- In the volume of the book it is written of Me-- To do Your will, O God.' " Hebrews 10:10 (NKJV)  By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:14  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Because of all Jesus suffered to save mankind from destruction, 
God was pleased with Him.

 2. He will be... highly exalted, glorified and praised. His being lifted up refers not to the kind of death He died on the cross, but to His being exalted to God’s right hand in place of honor.

Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV) ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Isaiah 52:15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. 
 "So shall He sprinkle many nations." Sprinkle refers to sprinkling of something unclean with blood to cleanse, purify it as in the Old Testament. 
Jesus by the shedding of His blood shall save all who believe.

Isaiah 53:11 (NKJV)  He (Jesus) shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His (Jesus') knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Hebrews 12:24 Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. 
Abel’s blood cried out for revenge, but Jesus’ blood cries out for salvation.

All those who fought against Jesus and wanted nothing to do with Him will be startled and speechless. Psalms 2:2-6 (NKJV) ² The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ³ "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." ⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision – [ridicule.] ⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: ⁶ "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."

By His exaltation as King over all the earth, The Servant will startle people in many nations. “Kings will shut their mouths.” This carries the thought that His death will startle people when they properly understand it. 
They will see His death was for the salvation of mankind.

This Servant, whom many have not considered important at all, has actually provided the most important thing for nations and their kings, namely, cleansing from sin and the ushering in of everlasting peace.

When people see Him at His second coming those who did not consider Him important will be absolutely astounded. When He comes again men will be startled at the magnificence of His glory. Gentile kings will be speechless when they see His unheard-of splendor. They will understand then that the humble Man of Calvary is the King of kings and Lord of lords; and the Supreme Judge of all mankind. 
He will separate the evil from the good.

 Matthew 25:31-32 (NKJV) ³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

The kings of the earth will be appalled that they had miscalculated the situation so badly. Realizing their great mistake, they will have nothing to say. When they see Jesus exalted in His Second Advent, ruling and reigning over the whole earth, they will finally understand and see clearly. He bible says that when Jesus returns He will manifest Himself, as the blessed and only Potentate, (or Ruler) the King of kings and Lord of lords. 1 Timothy 6:15 (NKJV)  

All nations will be subject to Him. Those that have rejected Him will be cast into Hades until the Great White Throne judgment of God when all the unbelieving dead will be cast into Hell for all eternity, separated forever from the presence of God.

Invitation: Have you surrendered your life to this exalted Savior Jesus Christ? He is coming soon, and He will rule and reign over all the earth. If you have not asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, now is a good time. Simply say "Dear Jesus, I realize I am a sinner in need of salvation. I am sorry for my sins and I ask You to forgive all my sins. I invite You into my heart to live in me and guide me each remaining day of my life."

Then go to a bible believing church and be baptized in Jesus' name for the remission of your sins.