I want us to see today that the burial of Jesus is indeed the turning point between the agony that he endured on the cross and the glory that is his in his resurrection life. Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick and Colin the title of this message is Vindication. What is it about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection which leads you to use that word? Well we’re looking at the burial of the Lord Jesus which really is the turning point of the whole story. Isaiah has been speaking about how the Lord Jesus will be despised and rejected and oppressed and cut off but at the very point where he’s crucified there’s this marvelous story in the New Testament about Joseph of Arimathea who honours the Lord Jesus Christ by giving him an honoured burial. It’s a beautiful story and it’s really the turning point because it’s a recognition of the value of the Lord Jesus Christ and of course it points us forward to his glorious resurrection. So this is a story of great hope and it’s a story that speaks to us very directly because it challenges us as regards to our response to the Lord Jesus Christ in a world that rejects him. Well today’s message Vindication is based on Isaiah chapter 53 in verse 9 so I hope you’ll join us there if you can. Here’s Colin. Well please open your Bible at Isaiah chapter 53 this marvelous chapter that describes in detail the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and Isaiah was writing hundreds of years before our Lord Jesus came into the world. He begins with the life of Jesus. The Son of God came into the world. He taught the Word of God. He did the works of God and the overwhelming response to the Lord Jesus when he came into the world was the response of unbelief. That’s verse 1. Who has believed what he has heard from us? Verse 3. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Then Isaiah tells us about the death of Jesus. We looked last week at the description in verse 8 of the arrest of the trial and of the sentencing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah says verse 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? And we saw in verse 7 that Jesus submitted to all that he suffered freely. At any time he could have called on legions of angels but he did not do that. He endured the cross because there he became our substitute. There he was taking our place. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities and the punishment that brought us peace was upon him. So looking back at what we’ve covered in verses 1 through 8, the focus has been on the life and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we see Jesus despised, Jesus rejected, Jesus oppressed and afflicted. Here we see him pierced and crushed and punished and wounded and cut off. But now if we look forward to what’s ahead at the end of the chapter, I want you to notice that verses 10 through 12 focus on the resurrection, the ascension, and even the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In these last verses we’re going to see Jesus satisfied, Isaiah says, making many to be accounted righteous, dividing the spoils of his wonderful triumph and victory with his own people. So this chapter begins with the suffering and the humiliation of Jesus and it ends with the triumph and the exaltation of Jesus. It begins with an entire community rejecting Jesus and it ends with an entire community rejoicing with Jesus. Verses 1 to 8 that we’ve been looking at are really a descent to the lowest place as Jesus’ name is despised and it’s rejected. But then verses 10 to 12 are a kind of ascent to the highest place as Jesus is honored and he is exalted. And so between the two we have this verse 9 that we’re looking at today, which clearly then is the turning point of the whole chapter. I want us to see today that the burial of Jesus, standing between his death and his resurrection as it does, is indeed the turning point between the agony that he endured on the cross and the glory that is his in his resurrection life. Now will you look then at verse 9 of Isaiah and chapter 53. Here we read these words, 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. They made his grave with the wicked. Now the they of course refers to those who despised Jesus, those who rejected him, those who esteemed him not. And Isaiah says they made his grave with the wicked. Now that is they condemned Jesus to a criminal’s death. Do you remember that when Jesus died on the cross he was between two thieves? He died in the company of the wicked. And the two thieves were not mischievous people, you know, who’d been stealing apples from an orchard or something like that. No, these men were receiving the death penalty and so their crimes were certainly not misdemeanors. They were robbers, the Bible says. And from the fact that they were enduring the death penalty it seems pretty clear that their robberies had involved aggravated violence. And you notice that Isaiah says here of Jesus he had done no violence in contrast to the horrendous acts of those who were being crucified on his right and of his left. So make no mistake about it, these thieves who were crucified beside Jesus were wicked men. And by condemning them to the death penalty the authorities were making it very clear there is no place in society for people who have acted as these men have done. Now what would have happened to the bodies of these wicked men after they were crucified? And the answer to that question is most likely they would have been dumped in the Valley of Himmel which was outside Jerusalem. The Valley of Himmel, an awful place, was a massive garbage dump with fires that continually smoldered. It was an awful place of death and of decay and of destruction. The stench there must have been absolutely awful. No one would ever ever want to go there. The name of the Valley of Himmel in Greek is Gehenna and that translates into English with our English word hell. Writing in the New Bible Dictionary, David Payne says, the Valley seems to have been used for burning the corpses of criminals and indeed refuse of any sort. Hence the name came to be used as a synonym for hell. So the Valley of Himmel, Gehenna, was the grave of the wicked and that is where the authorities thought Jesus belonged. Literally, they thought that he should go to Gehenna. But the body of Jesus was not dumped in Gehenna. Isaiah says, they made his grave with the wicked, crucifying him between these two thieves, you see. But notice what happened and with a rich man in his death. Now Isaiah must have wondered when he wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who is this rich man? And how in the world does he get into the story? And the Gospels in the New Testament give us the answer. Each of the four gospel writers record the story of the honored burial that was given to our Lord Jesus Christ. And the burial of Jesus is the turning point between the agony of Jesus’ death where he’s rejected on the cross and the glory of Jesus’ resurrection where he is honored and adored by those who believe in him and worship him. And I want us to see today two things from the burial of Jesus and then to make three applications directly for all of us today. And we’ll do that in just a moment. You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and the message Vindication which is part of our series from Isaiah called The Gospel According to Isaiah. And if you ever miss one of our messages you can always go online, go back, listen again if you wish. Go to openthebible.org.uk. You can also find our messages as podcasts. Just go to your favorite podcast site, search for Open the Bible UK and subscribe to receive regular updates. Back to the message now, here’s Colin. The first thing I want us to learn from the burial of Jesus is that Jesus is honored on earth by those who love him. Notice what Isaiah says, they made his grave with a rich man in his death. And the Gospels tell us this story that after all the mocking and spitting and despising and rejecting of Jesus that went into the crucifixion there was a rich man who came forward and gave Jesus an honored burial. Matthew tells us that it was evening and when it was evening there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph who also was a disciple of Jesus. Now what do we know about this man Joseph of Arimathea? Well first we know that Joseph was a good man. Luke tells us that he was a good and a righteous man and Mark tells us that he was looking for the kingdom of God. So this is a good man. Second we know that this good man was a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, the company of 70 members that ruled over the Jewish community. Mark tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was a respected member of the council, respected. And Luke tells us very significantly that Joseph had not consented to their decision and their action, that is their decision and action to condemn Jesus to death. Joseph of Arimathea was there, he was a member of the council, but when all of them said yea he was one who said nay. He did not consent to their decision to condemn Jesus. And then we’re told in the scripture that this man Joseph was in fact a secret disciple. John tells us that Joseph was a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews. Now the Gospels also tell us that this man Joseph, a good man who secretly was a disciple of Jesus, that he took the initiative to ask for the body of Jesus. Each of the four gospel writers tells us that Joseph went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And remember that this man Joseph was a member of the Jewish ruling council that would of course have given him access to Pontius Pilate. And I expect that Pontius Pilate who must have been troubled by the fact that he had handed over someone who more than once he had pronounced to be innocent. He must have been happy to be able to release the body of Jesus into the hands of someone who would give an honored burial. So Joseph then was the one who took down the body of Jesus from the cross. Mark tells us that Joseph bought a linen shroud and taking him down wrapped him in the linen shroud. But of course in this Joseph did not act alone. John tells us that Nicodemus also who earlier had come to Jesus by night came to bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about 75 pounds in weight. And so they, that is Nicodemus and Joseph, the two of them took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices as is the burial custom of the Jews. And then with the help of Nicodemus Joseph laid the body of Jesus in his own tomb. Matthew tells us specifically that this was his own new tomb which he had cut out of the rock. So Joseph had commissioned the hewing out of this tomb. Presumably he intended that it would be his own resting place and it was lavish. I mean it really was. John tells us that this tomb was in a garden so Joseph had picked a beautiful spot. I mean this was a place that was suitable for the burial of a king. And Joseph gave what he had intended for himself to Jesus. In a world that despised and rejected Jesus mocked him and spat on him there was a rich man who esteemed him and loved him. And he was not alone. Matthew tells us when it was evening there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph who also was a disciple of Jesus. And the also refers back to others who took their stand with Jesus on that day. Matthew specifically tells us about the women. There were also many women there. He says looking on from a distance who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Now think about it these women had stood at the foot of the cross as Jesus suffered and died over a period of six hours. They were there watching they were there waiting and they were there because they loved him. And these women were not alone in honoring Jesus. Matthew also tells us about the centurion and about his soldiers. When the centurion and those who were with him keeping watch over Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place they were filled with awe and said truly this was the Son of God. Now notice that the centurion was not alone in honoring the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew says specifically the centurion and those who were with him. When the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross you remember Jesus prayed Father forgive them they know not what they do. And here we see how that prayer was answered. Before the day was done the centurion and those who were with him were confessing faith in Jesus as the Son of God. So we have the soldiers, we have the women, we have Joseph of Arimathea, we have Nicodemus and they’re all honoring Jesus. So let’s put this together the first eight verses of Isaiah and chapter 53 all focus on Jesus being despised and being rejected. Isaiah has been asking two questions at the beginning in verse 1 who believes who has believed what he has heard from us and then verse 8 as we saw last time who cares who even considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living who believes and who cares that’s verses 1 through 8. But you see from verse 9 where we look at the burial of Jesus we see that Joseph of Arimathea would answer these questions by saying who cares who believes while I do. I believe in Jesus I care about him who believes who cares the women would have said we do we’re here at the foot of the cross because we love him and we believe in him. Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night and then came out into the open when Jesus died he would have said I care about Jesus I believe in him I want to take my stand with him and even the centurion and those who were with him the soldiers who would have nailed him to the cross the soldiers for whom Jesus had prayed they would have said on that day we believe in him we believe that he is indeed the Son of God. Now do you see that God’s answer to a world that hates his son is a community of people who honor his son and that community of those who love and honor his son was already emerging even at the cross. We’ve got to pause the message there but we’ll continue this message called vindication in our next broadcast so I hope you’ll be able to join us for that. Remember if you ever miss one of our broadcasts you can always catch up or go back and listen again by going to our website that’s openthebible.org.uk there you can find any of our previously broadcast messages you can also find the messages as podcasts go to your favorite podcast site search for open the Bible UK look for the purple banner and subscribe to receive regular updates. Also on our website and as podcasts you can find open the Bible daily this is a series of very short two to three minute reflections written by Pastor Colin Smith and read in the UK by Sue MacLeish. Again you can find those as a podcast or on our website openthebible.org.uk. Open the Bible is supported by our listeners that’s people just like you if you feel you’d like to get involved in this way this month we’d like to offer you a free gift if you’re able to support the work of Open the Bible in the amount of five pounds per month or more we’d love to send you a book called Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. It’s by J.I. Packer. Colin who is this book for? Well if there’s someone in your life who you would long to see come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ this book is going to be wonderfully encouraging for you. I’m thinking now about someone I would love to see come to faith in Christ so I ask the question now what can I do well I can pray for this person you know I can share the gospel with this person but you know when you see that someone you care for in your life really has no openness at all and has proved very resistant perhaps over many many years you have a profound sense of you know only God himself is going to be able to turn this person around and that’s why the Sovereignty of God is really really good news that God is able to take a person as hardened against the gospel as Saul of Tarsus was and literally turn him around and make him a new God is able to do that so grasping the Sovereignty of God is actually the greatest encouragement and incentive for praying and for evangelism. I found this book to be wonderfully encouraging it has helped to sustain in me a hope for people who’ve been long away from the things of the Lord Jesus Christ because the Sovereignty of God actually motivates us to pray and to reach out with the gospel. I think it’d be a wonderfully encouraging book for anyone who really cares about a loved one or a friend who is far from God. We’d love to send you a copy of this book if you’re able to set up a new donation to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of £5 per month or more. For full details or to give online go to openthebible.org.uk For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll be able to join us again soon. What is God’s answer to a world that hates his son? Find out next time on Open the Bible.