Jesus Sinless & Innocent

[Read Isaiah 53:9]

We are in a time of uncertainty. Today things are different than they were yesterday. We know that things will be different again tomorrow. Many of the normal things we did everyday can no longer be done. Our rhythms and routines have been modified beyond recognition—some would even say they were destroyed. Things are not like they used to be and we don’t know what the future holds. 

We don’t like this. None of us like to admit/recognize that we are not in control and helpless. That’s really why we find ourselves uneasy. We are being forced to recognize our own helplessness. We cannot control the spread of this disease. We want to be able to snap our fingers and remove it from the earth, but we can’t. The spread of this disease has forced us to admit that we are small and helpless in comparison. We need help. 

Some respond to this feeling of helplessness by running to the store and buying up all the toilet paper and groceries. Some respond by making jokes to ease the tension. Some respond by mocking all those who are fearful and afraid. Some respond by running away and hiding. 

Yet, deep down inside, eventually, everyone knows they should respond by looking beyond ourselves to something higher. We need to turn our eyes up to the God who is much bigger than us and much bigger than this disease. No matter how much some people may not like to hear this, we cannot stop the spread of this disease in our own power. God is the only one who can stop it. We have to look to him and pray to him. 

Yet, some will find themselves praying to God only to feel like their prayers are bouncing off a “glass ceiling.” They will cry out to God and wonder why He’s not answering their prayers. Some will cry out to God but feel a sense of separation between them and God—like He’s distant in some way. 

Interestingly, this has happened throughout history. The book of Psalms is a book full of prayers. It’s also a book full of people asking why God hasn’t heard them. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.” (Psalm 22:1–2, NIV). “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,” (Psalm 13:1–3, NIV). 

This distance is the result of sin. Sin always causes separation between us and God. He is holy and cannot be in the presence of any unholiness—any sin. So, because we have messed up and sinned, we find ourselves separated from God—feeling like He’s far away or distant from us—feeling like our prayers are not reaching Him. We need someone to bring us into the presence of God—someone who is perfect and without sin. 

Yet, on the surface, the Messiah isn’t the one. In this morning’s passage, Isaiah says, “He was assigned a grave with the wicked…” (Isaiah 53:9, NIV). The last few weeks we spoke about how the Messiah was Despised and Rejected, Wounded and Crushed. In the midst of all this, Isaiah says that the Messiah will be killed, “like a lamb to the slaughter…” (Isaiah 53:7, NIV). Yet, his death would not appear noble. His death would be disgraceful and his burial would be disgraceful. One commentator named Ridderbos said, “It is the intent of the adversaries of the Lord’s Servant that His burial shall be as disgraceful as His death…The ‘wicked’ are not just bad people in general but those in particular who were given a special dishonorable burial, such as condemned criminals, for instance.” (Ridderbos, p. 482). 

As we’ve pointed out throughout this series, the Lord’s Servant—the Messiah—is Jesus Christ. When Jesus walked the earth, people were out to prove that he wasn’t who he said he was. They were constantly trying to prove him wrong. Eventually, they murdered him. They beat him, cursed him, hung him on a cross, and left him for dead like a criminal to prove that he wasn’t who he said he was. They wanted the world to see that he was nothing but a low-down, good-for-nothing criminal. 

If that is who Jesus is, then we’re in a world of trouble. If Jesus is a dishonorable criminal, we have no one to bring us into the presence of God. We have no one to bring our cries for help and our prayers for concern into the presence of God. We’re just stuck here. Helpless. 

Yet, Scripture paints a completely different picture of Jesus. Those who killed him wanted the world to see that He was a dirty criminal and dishonorable, yet Scripture repeatedly tells us that Jesus was sinless and innocent. This passage in Isaiah says the same thing: “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:9, NIV). 

That word “though” is very important. It’s contrasting the beginning of the sentence with the end. It’s saying that they treated him like a wicked person EVEN THOUGH he had done no violence and no deceit was on his mouth. He was treated like a criminal but he was far from being a criminal.

Actually, this prophecy is using words very carefully. When it speaks about the Messiah not doing any violence nor speaking deceit, it’s speaking about words and actions. It’s looking at the inner and the outer life of the Messiah. As it looks at the inner and outer life of the Messiah, it says he will be completely innocent—without fault, sinless. 

The New Testament echos this same language. Peter rewords this passage from Isaiah and says, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22, NIV). That’s pretty black and white. He committed no sin. Even though he was treated like a sinner, he was without sin. Even though he was treated like a guilty criminal, he was completely innocent. 

Even those who participated in Jesus’ murder recognized this fact. In Luke it says, “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”” (Luke 23:46–47, ESV). After watching everything take place, and watching Jesus die, the centurion’s words were: Certainly this man was innocent! Undeserving of death. Undeserving of the punishment. Sinless. 

Since Jesus is sinless, it means that he lived the perfect life. He lived the life we were created to live. That means he perfectly fulfilled the law of God. It also means that he is the perfect image of God. 

All of this talk of Jesus’ perfection can sometimes make people feel like Jesus is distant—so unlike us. How in the world can we relate to a perfect person when we are so imperfect? How in the world can we connect with someone without sin, when we mess up all the time—surrounded by a world of sin? 

It’s important to remember this passage from Hebrews: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, NIV). This is a powerful reminder. Jesus was just like us. He was tempted by the same things we are. He experienced weakness just like us. We suffered just like us. Yet, he didn’t sin. Jesus wasn’t some disembodies spirit, floating above the earth, but became fully human—just like us—and knows what it’s like to be fully human. He knows what it’s like to suffer. He knows what it’s like be experience weakness. He’s not removed from reality, but is standing right here with us in the trenches. Yet, he didn’t sin. 

And because he became like us in every way, and because he didn’t sin in the midst of it, he can be our perfect sacrifice on our behalf. That’s the power of Jesus’ life and death. His perfect death—although dishonorable on the outside—was the most honorable act in the history of the world. By his death he carried our sins and our sorrows so that they would be wiped away and cleansed. By his perfect, sinless life, he has credited that perfect life to our account. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we not only have our sins cleansed because of his death, but we have his perfect life credited to our account. Now, through faith, we are considered sinless and innocent in Jesus Christ. Anything that caused us to be separated from God, has been removed. Anything that we needed in order to enter the presence of God has been given. 

That’s the powerful reminder that Hebrews gives. Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15–16, NIV). Because Christ became like us in every way, and Because Christ didn’t sin, we can enter God’s presence with CONFIDENCE in our time of need. That’s the power of Jesus’ life and death. 

We no longer need to wonder whether God will hear our prayers. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can enter into God’s presence with our cries for grace and mercy and have CONFIDENCE that he will hear our prayers. When we find ourselves struggling in a time of need, we don’t have to wonder whether God is listening to our prayers—or hearing our prayers—we have CONFIDENCE that he is listening. It doesn’t matter what we feel like. It doesn’t matter whether we feel like our prayers are “bouncing off a glass ceiling.” By faith, through Jesus Christ, we have CONFIDENCE that we are entering into the very presence of God and he will hear us. 

Apart from Christ, you cannot have this confidence. There is a separation between you and God that you cannot overcome. He may hear your prayer for help, but you cannot have confidence that he will. If you want confidence that God will hear you cries for grace and mercy—your cries for help—you have to look to Christ in faith—trusting him to forgive your sins and give you new life. When you do that, anything that separates you from God is removed, and you can enter into the presence of God with your prayers through Christ. 

For all those who are anxious about what the future may hold, I beg you, look to Christ for forgiveness and righteousness. Then you can draw near to God and have confidence that he will hear your prayers. For all Christians, I remind you that you can draw near to God with confidence that He will hear your prayer in time of need. It doesn’t matter if it “feels” like God is far away. He is not. Draw near to Him through prayer with confidence because our perfect Savior—Jesus Christ—has brought you into God’s presence. 

So, in this time of need, keep on praying with confidence. Keep casting your anxieties on him, knowing that he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Then, as you keep on praying, you will begin to experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6–7). 

In this time of need, I plead with all of you—whether Christian or non-Christian—look to Christ. By his perfect life and perfect death, he has opened up a way for us to enter into the presence of God. So, let us draw near to God with confidence through Christ.