Our help is in the Name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
Beloved, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, through the mighty working of God the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Psalm of praise 47:1, 4
Prayer
Scripture hymn 5-2:6 (7:6)
Scripture reading:
Isaiah 53
Scripture
text:
Isaiah 53:9; Catechism Lord’s Day 16
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. (ESV)
Here we find grief and joy simultaneously, because it speaks of the
worst part of Christ’s suffering on earth but also of the breaking
through of his glory.
- The utter depth of
his suffering was his death on the cross together with two gang
leaders, while He was completely innocent.
- The breaking through
of his glory is revealed by Isaiah’s words: and with a rich man in his
death.
In the spirit Isaiah was standing in front of the cross.
- He saw how the Lord
Jesus’ was afflicted – the way He was abused, and also when his eyes
glazed and He died between the two robbers.
- But Isaiah also
walked to the garden of Joseph from the town of Arimathea. Here Jesus’
glory began to break through. He was buried in a new tomb.
- The old was
replaced. From then onwards Jesus would make all things new!
We divide this sermon under two headings:
1. Sentenced but innocent – therefore
buried in wealth!
2. That burial tells of our own future!
1. Sentenced but innocent – therefore
buried in wealth!
Let’s first look at Christ’s death as planned by his enemies. Isaiah
says in verse 8 that He was cut off out of the land of the living (ESV).
- He lived among
people, but they didn’t want any contact with Him.
- They didn’t want to
learn anything from Him – nothing that was important for their
salvation.
- And eventually they
also rejected Him. They demanded his death sentence in spite of his
innocence.
- Together with
criminals those for whose salvation He came to earth crucified Him.
- His beneficiaries
became his enemies who hatefully nailed Him to the cross in the middle
– between the two murderers – as if He was guiltier than they were.
Everybody thought He was also going to be buried together with these
criminals.
- The Roman custom was
that people who were crucified were left on the cross until all of them
had died.
- Then they dug one
hole in which all the criminals were buried.
- That was part of the
curse of the death and burial of a person who deserved the death on the
cross.
But it was different in the case of Jesus. The Jews were too scared to
bury Him like the criminals, because according to the Jewish law their
deceased had to have a proper burial.
- Although they had
condemned Him, He was a Jew after all!
- So Jesus was saved
the scorn of being cast into a grave with criminals.
- The Jewish law
provided for Jesus’ proper burial.
- This was possible,
because Jesus Christ completely emptied his cup of sorrows when He died
on the cross.
Because the Romans passed sentence, Jesus’ body belonged to them.
Therefore the people who wanted to bury Hom had to go and ask for his
body.
For us the family is responsible for the burial of a family member.
- But the Bible says
that Jesus’ grave was with the wicked. This refers to the fact that the
Romans wanted to bury Him together with the two criminals (and then
also the fact that in terms of the law his body belonged to them).
- So intense was the
hatred of Satan and his people against the Anointed of God!
But God puts limits to evil. Therefore He foils the rest of the devil’s
work.
- This is why Isaiah
could write about Jesus who would be with a rich man in his death!
- After the
crucifixion God did not plan any more grief for his Son. Suddenly the
scorn was over.
A man held in great respect among the people in Jerusalem – Joseph from
Arimathea – approached Pilate.
- He was a member of
the Jewish high council and went to ask for the body of the Son of God.
So it happened that Jesus’ body was with the rich man.
- This man had a new
tomb available.
Jesus’ sermons now bore fruit. The rich man was overcome by fear,
because the death of Jesus changed his heart.
- This man (Joseph)
expected the kingdom of God and he realised that he needn’t be ashamed
of the crucified Jesus, because He preached about the resurrection from
the dead.
- The early Christians
cared for each other and here Joseph from Arimathea already shows this
caring love.
- They removed the
body of Jesus from the cross.
- A fine shroud (winding-sheet)
lies ready.
- Myrrh is available to embalm the
body.
- A personal tomb is given up for
Him.
- A cloth is wrapped around Jesus’
head that had been cut by the crown of sharp thorns.
- The wealthiest man in Jerusalem
couldn’t have given more for the burial of his own son.
This event symbolises the fact that the old had passed and that
everything became new – same as the burial and the tomb of the Son of
God.
- Jesus Christ was
buried in an honourable way to ensure us that He really died.
- Jesus Christ was
worthy of all these marks of honour. Consider that Isaiah said that He
had done nothing wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth.
The crucifixion was still part of Jesus Christ’s suffering, but not his
burial.
- It was proof of his
innocence, and here his glory began to break through.
- Isaiah’s prophecy
already stated that Jesus was not the instigator as Satan and his
followers gave Him out to be.
- They tried to make
people believe that He was a man of deceit and injustice – quite the
opposite of what or Scripture text says.
But God preaches the truth.
- His Son is buried
like the rich people – the burial of a righteous person!
- His burial clearly
proclaimed to the entire world that He was innocent.
2. That burial tells of our own
future!
This burial also contained the work of Christ.
- He is the only
Righteous who died for the unrighteous. Isaiah puts it very clearly::
- He was wounded for our
transgressions, and He was bruised for our iniquities.
The burial of Jesus Christ was also to satisfy the need of his people.
- The faithful really
needed to know that Christ was definitely dead.
- We have to know that
He really died – that his suffering was really so intense because of
our sins!
In the garden of Joseph from Arimathea everything was alive – all but
the body of Jesus in the new tomb.
- But the first
assault on death also took place in this same garden.
- In this garden the
Son of God left this tomb, because He rose from the dead and returned
to life.
- On the morning of
the third day, when the women came to the tomb with the burial spices
they had prepared, the tomb looked completely different. The linen
wrappings were lying there and the cloth that had covered his head was
folded up. The body was gone!
- Jesus Christ
conquered death. He did it with such ease that He even had time to tidy
the tomb before He left it.
- He left his shroud
behind because He left the grave in glory.
It should be the same for us.
- We should live to
die in Jesus Christ.
- We shall also leave
our worldly clothing in the grave and rise from it glorified.
- This is Jesus
Christ’s promise to us through his burial and resurrection.
The burial of Jesus Christ tells us that our sins caused Him to die and
be buried! But it also preaches life to us!
- Jesus Christ rose
from the dead – and we shall also rose from the dead!
- He will wake us up
and return us to life in the same way that He rose from the dead.
Jesus Christ’s burial tells us that He was not destroyed when He had to
die for our sins.
- His tomb is empty,
because death was not powerful enough to keep Him.
- He conquered sin and
death for us.
- His empty tomb
therefore preaches life to us. We shall also rise from the dead to be
with Him eternally.
- Jesus’ tomb does not
speak of death. It speaks of a new life!
This sermon is summarised in Catechism Lord’s Day 16:
40. Q. Why was it necessary for Christ
to humble Himself even unto
death?
A. Because of the justice and
truth of God[1] satisfaction for our sins
could be made in no other way than by the death of the Son of God.[2]
[1] Gen. 2:17. [2] Rom. 8:3; Phil.
2:8; Heb. 2:9, 14, 15.
41. Q. Why was he buried?
A. His burial testified that He
had really died.[1]
[1] Is. 53:9; John 19:38-42; Acts
13:29; I Cor. 15:3,4.
42. Q. Since Christ has died for us,
why do we still have to die?
A. Our death is not a payment
for our sins, but it puts an end to sin
and is an entrance into eternal life.[1]
[1] John 5:24; Phil. 1:21-23; I
Thess. 5:9, 10.
43. Q. What further benefit do we
receive from Christ's sacrifice and
death on the cross?
A. Through Christ's death our
old nature is crucified, put to death,
and buried with Him,[1] so that the evil desires of the flesh may no
longer reign in us,[2] but that we may offer ourselves to Him as a
sacrifice of thankfulness.[3]
[1] Rom. 6:5-11; Col. 2:11, 12. [2]
Rom. 6:12-14. [3] Rom. 12:1; Eph.
5:1, 2.
44. Q. Why is there added: He
descended into hell?
A. In my greatest sorrows and
temptations I may be assured and
comforted that my Lord Jesus Christ, by His unspeakable anguish, pain,
terror, and agony, which He endured throughout all His sufferings[1]
but especially on the cross, has delivered me from the anguish and
torment of hell.[2]
[1] Ps. 18:5, 6; 116:3; Matt.
26:36-46; 27:45, 46; Heb. 5:7-10. [2] Is.
53.
Amen.
Closing prayer
Closing hymn: Psalm 49:5
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen.
Dr MJ du Plessis
Reformed Church Bellville
Date: 17 October 2004 (evening)