The Wondrous Exchange at the Cross

Sermon preached on Isaiah 53:11 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Good Friday Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 04/07/2023 in Petaluma, CA.

Sermon Manuscript

This is now the third year in a row that I am preaching on Isaiah 53 on Good Friday. I hope you can especially appreciate that this was prophecy. It was written more than 700 years before Good Friday. And yet this prophecy so clearly foretold what Christ would do at the cross. It prophesied of his death, and even of his resurrection. It articulated in advance the gospel. And it also explained key teachings about the significance of why Christ would so suffer and die. For example, last year we looked at verse 5 and saw the teaching of substitutionary atonement. And so, then this evening, I’d like us to focus on verse 11. Let me read it again.

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. (Isaiah 53:11)

What we will find is that this not only speaks of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also of that glorious teaching of justification, that we sinners can be forgiven and declared to be in right standing with God, through faith in Jesus. It even teaches what Calvin described as a “wondrous exchange”, the idea of a double imputation, that our sin is imputed to Jesus, and his righteousness is imputed to us. That’s how the cross can make us in right standing with God. Let us then dig into this verse.

We’ll begin this evening by considering the initial words in verse 11 that describe Jesus’ “anguish of his soul.” On Good Friday, we particularly remember the anguish that Jesus endured. This chapter describes much of that anguish, both in general for Jesus’ life, and specifically at the cross. What we find foretold here in Isaiah 53 of that anguish, we see recorded as fulfilled in the four historical accounts of Jesus’ life that we have in the Gospels.

For example, verse 3 spoke how Jesus would be despised and rejected by men and all the sorrows that would go along with that. Think especially of all the religious leaders who hated Jesus and opposed him throughout his earthly ministry. Verses 4 and 5 begin to delve more into what he had to endure at the cross. There is this language that he was pierced for our transgressions. Roman crucifixion involved a literal piercing to nail him to the cross. After he died, they also pierced his side to prove that he was dead. If we keep going through the chapter, we see so many other powerful descriptions of his suffering. He was oppressed; afflicted; led to the slaughter; stricken.

These are the details we find spelled out in the gospel accounts. His arrest involved betrayal from a close friend. He’s taken at night and put under one sham of a trial after another, before both Jewish courts and Roman courts. He’s scourged. He forced to wear a crown of thorns, even while they strip him naked and divide his clothes among his captors. He’s forced to carry his cross, though in exhaustion he will need help. He’s mocked by so many through all of this. Then he has to hang there dying on the cross. Thirsting. And the worst of it all, he hung there enduring the wrath of God in our place, as he expressed by quoting Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”

Indeed, Jesus experienced much anguish of his soul especially in his suffering at the cross. But he knew this would be the case. Right before his arrest, he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, full of much anguish of soul in advance of what he knew was about to happen. But he prayed to God and entrusted himself to his heavenly father and his good plan to save his people from their sins.

Let us now consider the next part of verse 11. It goes on to see that he shall see and be satisfied. Interestingly, this verse is one of those rare cases where there is a variation in some of the manuscripts that have been preserved in history. As the footnote in the pew Bibles note, some manuscripts actually have the additional word “light” in this verse, that he shall see light and be satisfied. While the meaning would not be drastically changed either way, the manuscript evidence is very compelling for the additional word of “light”, with both the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Greek Septuagint having the word “light”. So, he shall see light and be satisfied. Verse 11 is then saying that this comes out of the anguish. Out of the darkness of his anguish, and out of the darkness of all the evil put against him, and out of all the darkness of the sin that was laid upon him to bear, out of all that, he sees light and is satisfied. So, there is something good he is recognizing out of all his anguish. And this will give Jesus great satisfaction.

So then, what specifics can we think about in terms of what he sees that makes him so satisfied? The previous verse, there is similar language, that “When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days.” In that verse, it foretells of Jesus’ resurrection, life from death. And that verse also speaks of how he will recognize that he has accomplished his mission to save a holy seed. Surely in general, both of those ideas, his resurrection, and his successful work of redemption, is the light that he sees here in verse 11 and in seeing that is satisfied. But I think we can say more in verse 11 of how that will all satisfy him. Notice how verse 11 goes on to further explain what he has accomplished at the cross. It says that, “The righteous one” will “make many to be accounted righteous, and shall bear their iniquities.”

So, there are these two things that Jesus would accomplish on the cross. He would make many to be accounted righteous. And he would bear their iniquities. Again, this is that glorious exchange. How can Jesus make people righteous? It says here that it can be accounted to them. That is the language of imputation. Through Jesus, we can be accounted, considered, reckoned to be righteous, even though we have not lived a life of righteousness ourselves. But Jesus has lived such a life, as even this verse says, that Jesus is the righteous one. So, that is how we can be accounted righteous, if Christ’s righteousness is reckoned, credited, to us. Jesus lived a complete and perfect life of righteousness. Jesus’ record of righteousness is imputed to the Christian. For the Christian, it’s as if we ourselves have lived that righteous life. His righteousness is accredited to us. That is what we call the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. It’s as if his righteousness were a robe, and when God looks upon us now, he doesn’t see our rags of lacking righteousness, but the glorious righteousness of Jesus.

But the other part of this wondrous exchange, this double imputation, is that Jesus bore the iniquities of his people whom he came to save, as it says there in verse 11. When sin is described as iniquity, it especially has in mind the guilt that is incurred for our sin. Jesus was the propitiation for our sin. On the cross, he took on all the sins of those whom he would save. He bore the punishment for that sin, for the guilt of that sin, and thus he put it away. He expiated our guilt. That satisfied the debt to justice and to God that our sin incurred. His sacrifice was an atonement, a covering, for our sin, by taking on the guilt and thus the punishment, in our place. His substitutionary sacrifice meant that the penalty for our sin was paid 100% in full. So then, this is the other imputation. The Christian’s sin was imputed to Christ on the cross. Jesus himself hadn’t sinned. He didn’t deserve such a punishment. He didn’t deserve God’s wrath and curse. But our sin was accounted, credited, reckoned to be on Jesus, and so he took on the punishment for us.

This is that glorious exchange. 2 Cor. 5:21 says of this, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” People usually think of the Apostle Paul when we talk about the doctrine of justification and this wondrous exchange of sin and righteousness between Jesus and the Christian. Read Paul’s letters to the Romans and the Galatians, and you will get a wonderful treatise on all this. But it’s right here, actually. Long before Paul wrote letters like Romans and Galatians. Here, God foretold this would happen through the prophet Isaiah. And it foretold even how Jesus would see it through and how his heart would be satisfied. Surely, that is expressed when Jesus on the cross declared, “It is finished”, and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Let us lastly observe from this verse that what Jesus accomplished at the cross is not something everyone will enjoy. Verse 11 says that this great exchange happens via knowing Jesus. Verse 11 says, “by his knowledge, shall” Jesus make people righteous and bear their iniquity. Theologians have discussed the grammar here a bit, to understand what is referenced there when it says “by his knowledge.” Some have thought it spoke of how Jesus was acting in the knowledge that he would be redeeming a people unto himself. But likely the intention here of the grammar is that by knowledge of him, Jesus, that people will enjoy this great exchange that it goes on to describe. As EJ Young put it, this language of “by his knowledge,” is effectively a description of faith. By our saving knowledge of him, and the trust and personal relationship that entails, we are accounted righteous in Christ and our sin is forgiven in Christ.

This interpretation of the grammar is also consistent with the rest of Scripture. This is a truth most clearly elaborated in various other places in the Bible. And it is a very important truth today. The only way people will know this glorious exchange, is through turning to Christ Jesus in faith. Repent even today of your sins, acknowledge that you need his righteousness, and believe on him. He says if you do, then you will be saved. He says if you put your faith in him, then you are justified in God’s sight. Justification is possible for us sinners because of what Jesus did on the cross. But that justification only becomes effectual to us when we believe on Jesus and are saved. May you appropriate his salvation through faith.

So then, we proclaim Christ crucified, as well as Christ risen, so that people can come into this saving knowledge of Jesus. And so, people can know this double benefit. In Jesus, we are accounted righteous. In Jesus, our sins are forgiven.

Today we’ve seen how out of the terrible anguish of soul, Jesus found tremendous satisfaction in what he accomplished in saving us. For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame, so that he would accomplish such a glorious salvation. Have you yourself known such satisfaction? Have you known the great joy and real meaning of life to be found in Christ and to be in good standing with God? That God would be your God and you would be part of his people? That you would have such a relationship with your maker? Nothing is more satisfying in life than this. And nothing will be more satisfying in eternity than that.

Have you seen and found this satisfaction? Maybe you already had, but had started to lose sight of how satisfying this sweet gospel is. May we each be renewed this evening in such satisfaction to our souls, even as we remember the anguish of Christ that won it for us. Amen.

Copyright © 2023 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.
Outline = Isaiah 53:11 – Double Imputation at the Cross

Introduction
Third year in a row here on Good Friday; today focus verse 11
Is 53 was prophecy (How many years in advance?)
About Jesus’ death on the cross
But also in articulating the gospel
And even in explaining key related doctrines
Last year: subs atonement
This year: doctrine of justification; even the specifics of what we call double imputation

The anguish of his soul
What we read of in Is 53
What we read in historical narratives of the gospels
Anguish of his soul even leading up to in the garden of gethsemane
Anguish of his soul when he cried out that he was forsaken by God

He shall see (light) and be satisfied
See light – surely foretelling resurrection
Be satisfied: at the results of his suffering; his anguish was worth it!
Many accounted righteous
Bear their iniquities
2 Cor. 5:21 ESV ESV 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

By his knowledge…
Discuss
EJY: makes good case that this is talking about people knowing Jesus, thus is along the lines of faith… that this becomes justification by faith (on account of Christ’s sacrifice in bearing their iniquities, etc)
Thus a call to appropriate this salvation by faith
Justification is via the instrument of faith
Double imputation included
Thus we proclaim christ crucified (and risen) so that people can come into this saving knowledge, and enjoy the double benefit

Exhortation
He shall see and be satisfied…
His suffering and death was worth it to him, b/c of the joy set before him.. b/c of the results that came from it.
have you seen and found this satisfaction???

Amen

Copyright © 2021 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.

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