Suffering Servant

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (ESV)

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

he shall be high and lifted up,

and shall be exalted.

14 As many were astonished at you—

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.

Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,

for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand.

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

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,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And 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.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 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.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 52:7 (ESV)

7 How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news, (Gospel)

who publishes (Proclaims) peace, who brings good news of happiness,

who publishes salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Motyer- 1-39 Book of the King 40-66 Book of the Servant

52:13-15- Servants Exaltation and humiliation.

high, lifed up and exalted. resurrection, ascension and heavenly exaltedeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oswalt

LORD = Servant

Sovereign Lord has the power and will to deliver his people from their sin. - 50:4-9 Obedience of his Servant, even if the servant must suffer.

Climax on how the Arm of the LORD to restore not just his people, but the entire world.

Victory is promised, but it doesn ot seem to be through smashing conquest., but rejection and abuse.

Poem - 5 stanzas. Intro, Servant’s rejection, carying of our sins and transgressions, results, revelation of the atoning nature of the carrying.

Starts and ends with Victory- Lifted up and exalted, Divide the spoil with the strong.

In between he is not the attractive conqueror. Never heard of such things, but now see it (sprinkle-startle)

53:1-3- Astonishment to Rejection. 1. quiet and unassuming, no extraordinary beauty to draw people to himself., Takes on the pain and suffering of the world.

Came to take away the sin of the world, but no one pays any attention.

53:4-6- Why suffer- Not because of his sin, but our transgressions an iniquities. First person plural (Our Place)

We are the sheep who have gone astray, but he is beaten for our willfulness.

53:7-9 Result of carrying our sin.

Sheep- the animal of sacrifice. Rich- violence and deceit. Eventhough, he did not do what they did.

53:10-12- Atoning nature of the carrying

This was not an accident, but were intended. Terrible- Crushing his son. Greater good? Life of the Servant is offered as a sin offering that God’s purpose is realized. Servant did not come to tell people what God wants, rather, he came to be what God wants for us. he will make many righteous by bearing their iniquities. Suffering of the soul.

Isaiah 53:12 (ESV)

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.

How does the Servant bring God’s justice to the world? Vs 12.

Desiring God- Islam- Christ did not die and did not raise from the dead. The very heart of Christianity is false.

Is 53, not written by Christians after Christ’s coming. Jewish prophet 700 years before Christ came.

What becomes clear from this chapter and from its fulfillment in the New Testament is that your sins can be forgiven, you can be declared righteous before God, and you can have eternal life with the risen Christ in everlasting joy.

But God was not willing to leave us in this guilty and condemned condition. He planned from ages past to send a Suffering Servant, not mainly to model love for us, but to bear our sins as a substitute for us. "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." This is the heart of Christianity. Jesus Christ came into the world to fulfill this prophecy – yes, many others to be sure, but this one is central and basic. He came to die. He came to die in our place. He came to die for our sins.

First, verse 10b: "If He would render Himself as a guilt offering [which he did] . . ." now three things will result: "(1) He will see His offspring, (2) He will prolong His days, (3) And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand." In other words, if he dies for others as a guilt offering – as a substitute – 1) he will live to see his offspring – those whom he has saved by dying for them – and 2) he will live for a long time ("prolong his days"), by implication, forever since when death is conquered it can't defeat you again (Romans 6:9); and 3) God's great purposes will triumph in his hands – he will take the scroll of history and unroll it as the Lord of heaven and earth (Revelation 5:5). This is a picture of the Messiah who was dead and is alive and victorious forever as the Lord of all those who receive his salvation.

Verse 11: "He will see it and be satisfied." Christ was raised from the dead for HIS satisfaction.

But first: Are you his? You can be. You can belong to that great and strong people, even though you feel utterly unworthy. That is the whole point of the death of Christ. He died in our place. And all who trust him as the Savior and Lord and Treasure of your life will be forgiven and justified and live forever with him. I urge you to say "no" to all that pulls you away and say "yes" to Jesus Christ.Dr. White- Dead Sea Scroll- Isaiah 53- Copied from Isaiah hundred years before Christ. Isaiah- Written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus- What does this mean? Faithful Jewish follower 200 years before the birth of Jesus… Prophetic Truth- Look forward… Listen carefully

Was is it in the past tense and then future. Jewish interpreter.

Origen spoke with Jews- speaking about the nation of Israel- Isreal is described as God’s servant- oddity- sins laid upon his people? Coming Messiah- He is anointed and victorious. This guy we did not esteam. Suffering servant.

Some prayed that their death would atone for the sins of the world.

Paul and John used this text. John identifies Jesus as Yahweh. Matthew. Peter chapter 2. Is 53:5. Ethiopian eunuch. Bible missed the date.. NT writers see in this text the clearest prophecy. Observed the life of Christ. Rejoice before we celebrate the birth of Christ. God is the Lord of History.

Bible is irrelevant? young people secular world view. Transcendent God seems foolish. Today and tomorrow. For 700 years, the followers of God wondered who is this servant? Despised, future and past. Waiting to understand.

Clear evidence that God give accurate revelation about a future event about the future of his people. Written for our edification and encouragement.

Many are imbalanced in wanting to know about tomorrow. Jesus will be Lord then as he is now.

The true God knows the past and knows the future.

Harold Campy

Before suffering, exaltation. Why?

John Stott- Ethiopian finance minister- Scroll of Isaiah 53. Who is written book. Good news of Jesus.

End of 52:13- Exaltation of Jesus. 15; he shall startle/sprnkle- Light to the nations. World wide mission.

Physical, Mental and Spiritual suffering

Isaiah 50- Back to those who beat him… 52:14- Appearance marred to unrecongition.

Mental Suffering- 53:3- Despised and rejected by men. Sorrows and Grief.

Spiritual sufferings- Accepted sin in our place.

4- He has born grief and carried our sorrows. For our transgressions.

All we like sheep have gone astray.

Sufferings include our death- vs 7- Lamb to slaughter, 8 cut off of the land of the living, 9, Grave with the wicked. Death is a sin offering 10- bruise him, makes himself an offering to sin 11- Bear iniquities, 12- sin bearing- Transferred to him. Jesus died. God’s great love for us to be forgiven

What does it mean? We are sinners, gone our own way, astray like sheep turning away from God, Brought on ourselves the just judgement of a Holy God. God loves and our judge became our savior. Jesus voluntarily assumed the role of the suffering servant. he died our death in our place.

Suffering service

Suffering service of the followers of Jesus. All authentic Christian service is suffering service. Path to glory is suffering. Way to life is death.

Our suffering service is not atoning or saving, but his suffering service is a pattern. Not a prosperity gospel. If you name it, you can claim. False gospel of JC in the NT. World is threatened.

Peter- If you suffer for doing good, not evil, that is acceptable to God because you have been called to this. Romans- We are joint heirs with Christ, If we share in his suffering we will share in his glory.

Servant community. Bonhoeffer- Suffering is he badge of the true Christian. Prison for being part of the Confessing church, and opposing Hitler.

Christians suffering around the world, but even in the FM area, if we are committed and compromise less we would suffer more.

Why did he have to suffer and why do we?

What is so offensive? Answer- jesus challenges self righteousness- save ourselves, self indulgence- life pleasing to ourselves. 2 selfishness. Leave me along Jesus. I do not need your help. jesus says your righteous is like filthy rags. You deserve nothing, but judgment. Destined to hell if you do not repent and place your trust in me. Holiness, purity, self control and to love. Do not indulge, but deny yourself. Pick up your cross and follow me.

Come to Jesus the suffering servant. Didn’t come to be served, but to serve. He loves you and gave himself for you. Self denial is the way to self fulfillment. What does it prophet you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul. Come to Jesus. come to the cross. He died in your place and mine. Take up your cross and follow him in a humble life of suffering service.

53;11- Many to be accounted righteous… Bare their iniquities in his death.

Titus 2- eagerly awaiting the appearance of JC.

Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Chapter 52

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to make himself equal to God, but emptied himself, taking upon him the form of a servant, made in the likeness of man, and found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, being made obedient even to death, and the death of the cross