Sermon # 170             Series: Isaiah

 

Title:  “A Root Out of A Dry Ground”

Text:  Isaiah 53:2

Subject:  The Comparison of Christ to a Root out of A Dry Ground

Date: Sunday Evening – December 26, 1993

 

Introduction:

 

My text tonight is Isaiah 53:2.  The prophet of God is describing the Messiah.  He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground.”  Tonight, I want us to meditate on the metaphor, comparing the Lord Jesus Christ to “a root out of a dry ground.”  But before we look at that metaphor, let me call your attention to several things clearly taught in this text.

 

First, Isaiah’s words clearly establish the doctrine of:

 

1.  Man’s total Depravity and Inability.  It is astonishing that the Jews, who were well acquainted with Isaiah’s prophecy, could have failed to recognize Christ as the Messiah!  As I showed you last Sunday morning, Jesus of Nazareth clearly and obviously fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament relating to the Messiah.  Yet, when our Savior came unto his own, his own received him not!  Why?  How can that be explained?  Only one thing can explain it – the fact that all people by nature are totally depraved and spiritually impotent, unable to understand or receive the things of the Spirit of God (I Cor. 2:11-14).  The plainest instruction, delivered in the most simple terms, and applied with the most forcible illustrations, can never cause unregenerate minds to grasp spiritual truth.

 

 

As Mr. Spurgeon put it – “Inspiration itself cannot put a spiritual truth so clearly that men will see it, unless their eyes be opened by the Holy Spirit.”

 

2.  Second, our text demonstrates The Necessity of Regeneration by the Holy Spirit.  Until men and women are born again they can neither see nor enter into the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-7).  “Ye must be born again!”  How we ought to adore and worship God the Holy Spirit who stooped to us to give us life!

 

3.  Thirdly, our text is a display of The Real Humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  He grew up before God and men as a “tender plant,” a little sucker from whom nothing could be expected.  What humiliation!  What condescension!  He is God, but he is a “tender plant.”

 

 

4.  Fourthly, Isaiah here teaches us the same thing that Zechariah does (Zech. 4:10).  We must Never Despise The Day of Small Things.  When the gospel of the grace of God first began to be preached by our Lord and his disciples, the church and kingdom of God in this world was, like the Lord himself, just “a tender plant.”  That tender plant was bent by many a storm, but never uprooted.  Today, it is a mighty tree!  In our own souls, the grace of God was, in the beginning, just a tender plant.  It was as sure then as ever.  But it appeared to be a very weak and fragile thing.

 

Now, I want us to meditate on this metaphor.  Isaiah, by the Spirit of Inspiration, compares the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, to “A Root Out of A Dry Ground.”

 

Proposition:  I want to show you how that this metaphor applies both to the Person of our Savior and to his church and Kingdom, how that it speaks of him both personally and mystically.

 

Divisions:

 

  1. The Explanation of the Metaphor.
  2. The Experience of the Metaphor.
  3. The Encouragements of the Metaphor.
  4. The Excellence of the Metaphor.

 

I.  The Explanation of he Metaphor.

 

As I have shown you repeatedly, this entire chapter is a prophecy regarding the Person and work or our Lord Jesus Christ.  This metaphor, as “a root out of a dry ground,” is no acception.  It is a picture of our Savior.

 

A root which grows in a flat, well-watered, fertile field is not surprising.  You expect things to grow in such a place.  But in that case, the root owes much to the ground in which it grows.  However, when we see a tree growing on a wall of rocks or in the midst of a barren, sandy field, where nothing else appears to be growing, that is remarkable.  We admire that as God’s doing!

 

That is the picture we have before us.  The Lord Jesus is here described as a root growing and thriving in a dry, barren, desolate piece of ground.  He is pictured as a root that derives nothing from the soil in which it grows, but puts everything into the soil.  Christ does not live because of his surroundings.  He makes those who are around him to live.  Ever so, the church of God in this world derives nothing from the world, but imparts much to the world.

 

This is what Isaiah is teaching us – Christ is always “as a root out of a dry ground,” self-contained, self-sustained, and self-sufficient.  He derives nothing from without.

 

A.  Our Lord derived nothing From His Parentage.

 

It is true he was and is the Son of David.  Both his mother and his adopted father were in the line of royalty; but by the time he came into the world the family of David was a fallen, withered, poverty-stricken family.

 

  1. He was not born into nobility.
  2. He was born into, and grew up in, and died in poverty.

 

B.  Christ Jesus gained nothing From His Nationality.

 

The Jews were The most despised race of people in the world.  The Romans found a way to incorperate all races and all religions into their society, all but the Jews and Judaism.  More than that, The Jews’ religion had degenerated into nothing but form and ceremony, pretense and pageantry.

 

 

It had been 400 yrs. Since the nation had heard from God.  In the nation of Israel no one could find…

 

 

C.  Jesus Christ, “as a root out of a dry ground,” gained nothing From His Followers.

 

1.       He could have chosen Caesar, but he chose Peter instead.

  1. He could have chosen a princess, but he chose to save a prostitute.
  2. He could have chosen philosophers, but he chose publicans.
  3. He could have chosen famous athletes, but he chose fishermen.
  4. He could have chosen mighty men of renown, but he chose instead meager men of ill repute.

 

NOTE:  He still chooses the Same (I Cor. 1:26-29).

 

D.  Our Lord and his kingdom, “as a root out of a dry ground” gained Nothing From The Means He Chose For The Propagation of His Faith.

 

1.  He refused Political Power.

 

·         The Sword.

 

2.  He refused to appeal to man’s base, carnal nature.

 

 

3.  His chosen method for the Propagation of His Faith was and is The Preaching of the Gospel – (Mk. 16:15-16; I Cor. 1:21-23).

 

E.  Christ and his cause gained Nothing From The Times and Circumstances In Which He Lived.

 

I have heard men suggest that Christianity flourished in those days because the world was more receptive then to the things of God than it is now.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

  1. The religion of Israel was dead – “Whited Sepulchers!”
  2. The religions of the world were idolatry – (Acts 17).
  3. The moral fabric of society was non-existent – (Rom. 1).

 

F.  Christ, his church, and his Gospel, “as a root out of a dry ground,” Gained Nothing From Human Nature.

 

Some “sweet sounding” deceivers tell us that the gospel of Christ commends itself to the nature of man, and that the teachings of Jesus harmonize with that which men really want.  It is not so!

 

  1. Christ teaches mercy – Men seeks revenge!
  2. Christ teaches forgiveness – Man seeks retaliation!
  3. Christ teaches purity – Man seeks perversity!
  4. Christ teaches self-denial – Man seeks self-indulgence!

 

That is the explanation of the metaphor.  “as a root out of a dry ground,” so Christ and his church flourish, not because of the ground in which they are found, but inspite of it.

 

II.  The Experience of The Metaphor.

 

Rolfe Barnard used to say, “You don’t believe anything until you experience it.”  So let me talk to you for a minute or two about the experience of this metaphor.  When the Lord Jesus Christ comes into a sinner’s heart he grows there “as a root out of a dry ground.”  He finds nothing in out hearts that is of any benefit or service to him.  The heart of man is not fertile ground for the grace of God.  If Christ Jesus is formed in you and me, if he lives in our hearts, he lives there “as a root out of a dry ground.”

 

That which he requires of us and that which he alone works in us is foreign to us and contrary to our nature.

 

Illus:  The Pearl Merchant.

·         Faith (John 3:14-15) – Contentment (Phil. 4:12).

 

Have you experienced the teaching of this metaphor?  Does the Son of God live in you “as a root out of a dry ground”?

 

III.  The Encouragement of the Metaphor.

 

There is much encouragement in this metaphor.

 

A.  For Helpless Sinners!

 

When Christ Jesus saves sinners he borrows no help from them! – He puts fertility where there is nothing!

 

B.  For Barren Believers!

 

The lesson of the text is this – “Away with creature confidence.”  “Beloved, when we get to realize the lesson taught us in our baptism, we are drawing near the truth.  What is that?  Say you.  Why, it is the burial of the creature in Christ’s tomb. – (Spurgeon).

 

·         Learn to be Nothing!

·         Christ must be All!

 

C.  For Every Servant of God!

 

If ever God honors a man in public he will whip him in private and make him cry. “Who is sufficient for these things?”  “Our sufficiency is of God!”

 

1.       Christ can make a dry stump fruitful.

Illus:  Aaron’s Rod.

2.       Christ can make a stammering, stuttering tongue powerful.

3.       Where Christ comes, unfitness is fitness to service him; your best qualification is your disqualification.

 

D.  For The Church of God in These Days of Darkness.

 

I grant, we are living in dark, dark days.  Amalgamation and compromise is the rule of the day.  The truth of God is trodden upon like mine in the streets.  What affect does this have upon us?  Are we discouraged?  Not on your life!  Christ and his kingdom is “as a root out of a dry ground!”

 

·         Luther in Germany

·         Bunyan’s Cusssing Boys.

·         Here!

 

IV.  The Excellence of This Metaphor.

 

The excellence of this metaphor is just this – Christ gets all the glory…

 

·         In the Salvation of Sinners!

·         In the Triumph of the Church!

·         In the Usefulness of His Servants!

 

Application:

 

1.       “Despise Not The Day of Small Things” (Zech. 4:10).

2.       “The Lame shall Take The Prey” (Isa. 33:23).

3.       Never Measure God’s work with man’s yardstick!