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So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. (Isaiah 52:15 KJV)

INTRODUCTION: Over the past few month we as individuals and nations have been startled by events of the day. The downing of flight 703 in England, the Explosion on the west end, The explosion of a flight out of Honolulu, the 5 million dollar bounty on Salomon Rushdie. But if the passage we just read says anything it says that there is a greater more startling event and that event is cause by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who startles. Ill. Paul on the Damascus Road, Peter in Prayer, Phillip who found himself with the Ethiopia Eunuch.

The word Sprinkle is not the word which we get the sacrificial sprinkling or cleansing. It has more the idea of having water thrown in you face and startling you. We could say then the nations would be startled as a man is when cold water is suddenly and altogether unexpectedly dashed upon his face.

I.  The One Who Startles.

A.   Their is but one answer the Lord Jesus Christ.

B.   The servant of Jehovah.

C.   The one who we have seen as the Servant of the Most High God,

D.   The one who we have seen as the Prudent one.

E.   The one who will be the suffering King,

F.    The one who will be the conquering King,

G.   The one who will be the Crowned King.

II.  The Time of the Startling.

A.  In a measure, this was true of Him in the past. It has been truly remarked that "there was something amazing, portentous, sensational about Him. He set all Palestine in a ferment. He "troubled" Herod and all Jerusalem at His birth. And He continued to startle the people up to his death on the Cross. There was something electric, explosive, volcanic, in the very air while Jesus lived amongst men. And yet He never make any attempt at the sensational. startled the world:

A.  By His Birth.

1.  He was born a virgin

2.  He had no human father.

3.  No other incarnate pagan character have no compared with his wondrous birth.

4.  It is startling to find Deity in humanity and the frail bush not be consumed.

B.  By His Lowliness

1.  Born in a cattle shed

2.  Was brought up in peasant's home

3.  He came as a servant

4.  Considering his lofty claims His lowly condition was startling.

C.  By His Teaching.

1.  His teaching and preaching altogether differed from that of His day.

2.  "They were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught as one having authority and not as the scribes. "

3.  His teaching was accompanied by miracles, performed without strain or effort, were startling.

D.  By His Death.

1.  There is a great difference and a swift and altogether startling change between verse 13 and 14.

“13 ¶  Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:” (Isa 52:13-14 KJV)

2.  In the former we have His exaltation, in the latter His degradation.

3.  From the picture of His enthronement we find him confronted by a ring of shocked and horrified Spectators. (Luke 23:48)

“And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.” (Lu 23:48 KJV)

4.  He startled those around the Cross because as DR. C. I. Scofield say "So marred from the form of a man was His aspect that His appearance was not that of a son of man. He appeared not human. , the effects of the brutalities described in Matthew 26:67,68; 27:27-30:

“67  Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68  Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” (Mt 26:67-68 KJV)

 “27  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 28  And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.” (Mt 27:27-30 KJV)

a)  Spit upon him,

b)  Buffeted or beat him,

c)  Others smote him with hands and rods.

d)  Strip him

e)  Place a crown of thrones on his head

f)  Scourged him.

g)  Plucked his beard from his face.

5.  As the spectators watched Him on the Cross, many thoughts would enter their minds with startling effects.

a)  The Fact that the one so good and useful should suffer. Suffered without a reason--Pilate declared I find no fault in this man.

b)  The fact that the powerful Jesus was now so weak. Just days before he acted with such power and spake with such authority. Now he was weak and helpless.

c)  The Marring of his Visage. He was marred more than any man because he suffered more than any man to atone for the sins of all men. But we must remember that his worst sufferings were not physical, but spiritual. God had forsaken him. God has never nor will he ever for sake us but he has our Saviour.

III.  The Cause of the Startling.

A.  The greatest startling is yet future.

1.  Verse 14 is a parenthesis between the Exaltation of verse 13 and the startling of v 15.

“13 ¶  Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: 15  So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Isa 52:13-15 KJV)

2.  The Thing that will startle the nations is that the own who was brought so low for our salvation has been exalted so high.

B.  He will startle the nations when they realize the one they brought so low an hung on the cross is not sitting as Ruler and Judge of the Universe seated upon a throne.

C.  He will startle the unbeliever as they realize that this one whom the reject is now rejecting them.

ILL. In Saturday's paper there was a short article about the Atheist trying to persuade the Motel and Hotel Assoc. to have non-Bible Rooms as well as non-smoking rooms. If there is no God and the Bible is a book of fairy tales they why bother.

D.  He will startle the believer when we realize what we could have done and what we should have said, and what we did when our works are tried by fire.

IV.  THE RESULT OF THE STARTLING.

A.  Kings shall shut their mouths at Him. Tongues shall be stopped in their blasphemies, and shall confess that He is Lord to the Glory of the Father.

B.  The second result with cleansing.

1.  Many nations will be cleansed.

2.  The Jewish nation will be born anew in a day .

C.  The third result will be refreshing. So shall he cause to Leap and spring up for joy. 

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