Isa 53
Notes
Transcript
The Suffering Servant
The Suffering Servant
We come back to the book of Isaiah, and with it the theme of the coming salvation of the Lord.
Remember the children of Judah and Benjamin, the Southern Kingdom have been in captivity, 70 years and the time has come for them to be released.
And God promises to bring them back and restore them, and we know this indeed happens. We understand that especially with the man named Nehemiah.
But along with this coming restoration, understand there is a brighter day coming…
There is a day coming when God is going to deal with more than the restoration of the city, but the soul as His Savior comes into the world. And we know this is Jesus.
And listen to how the Lord speaks of this coming Savior here in this chapter. We will talk about who He is, how he was treated and why He suffered.
Lets begin Verse 1 Isa 53:1
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
So this begins with 2 questions being asked by a believing group of Israelites, they have heard and accepted what the Lord has revealed to them about the coming servant.
In the past the Israelites failed to believe the Word of the Lord, He has promised them a future whereby he would remove their blindness and they would believe him.
Here they now understand and believe what the Lord is telling them.
The first question asks how many people have believed their report. How many have heard the astonishing works of the Lord and yet they are able still to trust by faith
The second one, whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? There are those who heard of his ability to save, the mighty arm of the Lord is one who rescues and saves. The servant is God instrument to save his people, not just from destruction, but we know more importantly sin.
Now verse 3 Isa 53:3
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.
The story begins talking about the life of the servant, and how people treated him.
It says that he was despised and rejected.... he was revolting to some, despicable, he was put off my others and shunned among men. While some loved them, others certainly did not… His own people did not want him.
And while we are not told all the reasons for the rejection he suffered, we know there were major theological perspectives. What Jesus taught about the kingdom, about God, about all of life, majored drastically from the religious leaders.
He was a man of sorrow and grief, being mistreated physically and mentally. He was known for his painful experiences, most literally He knew suffering....
The last part of verse 3, as one from whom men hide their faces…it is the Servant, and consider this ideal, people turned their faces from him and did not receive him
The people did not even think of him. he was not highly valued by others as he should have been. He should have been honored but he was treated as if he was a criminal
Verse 4 Isa 53:4
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
Surely he bore our griefs, even though being a just or righteous person. He suffered on account of our sins. He bore our suffering, taking them upon himself.
Even though He knew no sin, He bore the consequences of our sin. On his life the tragic consequences of sin are on display and it is indeed a very hard thing to see and comprehend.
And sadly, the people thought that he was inflicted by God because of his sin, the religious leaders thought His sin would now be punished.
But we know he was not being punished for any of his actions, he was just, it is our actions that brought suffering to him, and he bore them willingly.
Now lets look at verse 5 Isa 53:5
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.
And here we have some of the specific kinds of suffering that Jesus endured.
We begin by seeing that He was pierced or the verb can mean slain, it refers to someone who is dying, like dying at the end of a sword.
The second verb crushed speaks to a fatal incident whereby someone has had or seen as dying under the extreme weight of an object. He was oppressed by the religious leaders to the extent that their was only their desire to see him die, the weight of their accusations have weighed him down and all him
Again in both cases at the start of this verse, the ultimate reason says sin, humanities sin, transgressions and iniquities
Sin has to be punished and our only hope is Jesus.
The last part of the verse says “upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”....
The punishment that brought us peace refers to a consequences that at its heart, was meant to secure peace for all of mankind.
The healing we received was both physical and spiritual restoration that was needed. We turned to the Lord and the Lord healed us, we deserved the punishment and the death. And instead of us being put to death, he stepped in and took all of our punishment, unto death that we might have life and have it to the fullest.
Verse 6 Isa 53:6
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.
This verse accurate describes our condition. We are the sheep that wandered away from the master, his purpose and plans.
And it wasn’t that the gate was left open and suddenly we just slipped out.. no in our fallen condition we sought to leave, like the prodigal son.
We were like wandering sheep that follow their own path. We deliberately turned aside, … it was not accidental as I have already told you.
This is our present condition, but.. But the shepherd came and found us, he suffered the journey to secure our safety.
Now, looking at the last part of the verse we see that God stepped in and transferred the punishment we deserved and placed it upon the Servant. This is the substitutionary method of God;s work.
We deserved puishment, death, but he took this upon himself.
Consider the shepherd seeing the sheep wander away, he know this is a dangerous area, he could have left the sheep to suffer the consequences of its wandering.
But instead the Shepherd when and found us, along the way suffered what we should have endured to protect us.
He bore this hardship and suffering upon his own body.
And this is telling us what will happen and yet even today we think on it and are speechless, realizing how much our God loved us and he gave Jesus to settle our debt and to cancel our shame.
Verse 7 Isa 53:7
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.
The Servant was submissive, humble to the oppressive acts that were commited against him.
He was whipped, spat upon, beaten and crucified… and He never raised his voice, never exercised his power and endured it all for us.
Remember Isa 50:6-7
6 I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
7 But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
Wow
Like a lamb being led to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers, he opened not his mouth...
Jesus willingly humbled himself to these cruel acts.
He gave himself as a sacrificial lamb, laid down his life for our sins.
Now verse 8 Isa 53:8
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?
The religious leaders held the most egregious kangaroo court.
If you remember they arrested him at night and began the trail during the night which itself was against Jewish law. But they tried him and finally took Him to Pilate under the guise of that they had found him guilty, that was the verdict of the high priest, the Sanhedrin themselves were divided.
Would the people around there understand what was taking place when God asks “who considered” or “who shall declare...” the people didn’t understand the true significance of the events.. Jesus was being led like a lanb to the slaughter… He was getting ready to be the final and perfect sacrifice for sin… God would have to illuminate the people to understand. Only then which would be after the resurrection would they truly understand the significance of what Jesus did through His death, burial and resurrection.
Cut off from the land of the living means that Jesus, the servant would be sentenced to death, His fate was certain as to the His crucifixion.
8B...Stricken for the transgression of the people.... the rebellious deeds of the people, the sins of the world were as such that man was lost in sin. Only God could settle the debt that had been on the books since the garden of Eden.
Jesus suffered and died, his blood placed upon the mercy seat in the Temple not made with hands to atone for our sin, to wipe the slate clean so to speak.
The servant, Jesus would die for the transgressions of humanity. By his stripes we are healed....
Verse 9 Isa 53:9
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.
The Scriptures here tell of his death and burial, they made his grave with the wicked.
After being tried wickedly and sentenced to death, we know that morning that Jesus was crucified along with two other men who were guilty and deserving of death. They were wicked.
41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
But yet, his fate was there with the guilty. They claimed he was a wicked as the rest of them.
And moving forward the second line days that He was with a rich man at his death. Now we know from the New Testament that a man by the name of Joseph of Arimathea, came and asked for the body of Jesus.
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
And while Isaiah doesn’t elaborate on the story, we are blessed to have this in the New Testament
The second part of verse 9 Isa 53:9
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.
The second part of this verse tells us two things, this man, he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Jesus did no wrong, his speech was pure, he was innocent, which is important for us to hear. The sacrifice had to be without spot or blemish according to OT law, Jesus was made as we are yet without sin.
Listen to Hebrews, as the writer tells us of this...
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice.
Now we come two the last two verses, lets look there beginning at verse 10 Isa 53:10
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.
It was the will of the father to provide mankind with the perfect sacrifice for sin.
God loved humanity so he was pleased to provide the sacrifice that would save sinners. God’s will is fulfilled through these actions..
And here God was allowing Isa and others to hear of his plans, YET, we have the joy of knowing these were God’s plan as we redeemed us from our sin
He speaks again that he would put grief on Him and would make him a offering for guilt or sin. Remember what we have already talked about in verse 6
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.
The will of God is complete, Jesus in His death burial and resurrection made a way for all mankind to come back to him.
Verse 11, Isa 53:11
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.
This verse tells us why God and the Servant will view the life as successful. The out come of his life is not regret, it is satisfaction, He has accomplished the will of the Father and humanity is saved through him.
Salvation will be extended to all, even those outside of the household of Israel. The means and ways are there, but man must choose.
Through His grief man triumph....
Now this is not universalism, God wants all to be saved but it is necessary for man to turn back to God. Not all will do this but God does desire it.
And finally verse 12 Isa 53:12
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.
Because of that the son as done, God says therefore I will divide him a portion with many....
Those who believe by faith, receive Him. Those are His portion, but not all will… it is like the story in Matthew of the Sheep and the Goats
To divide his spoil with the strong .... what are his spoils, they are eternal life.
The strong are believers, the reward of all in Christ is eternal life.
All of this is possible because of His sacrificial death to satisfy the penalty of sin.
He has made intercession for us. The servants preistly work on behalf of those he represents and thus secure their acceptance before God. He is always at work in us, loving, helping interceeding for us.
What love has god extended to us, that He would send his son to this earth, made like us yet without sin that He would lay down his life for us.
That we might be redeemed...
Praise the Lord, what a Savior.
