My Righteous One

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

Isaiah 52:13–53:12 CSB

See, my servant will be successful; he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were appalled at you— his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form did not resemble a human being— so he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him, for they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

Introduction

Why was the Bible written?

Isaiah 53 answers this question.

In fact, the answer is the most important or essential one ever given.

It has nothing to do with our health, success, education, politics, morality, or philosophy.

It transcends all those things.

What is the question?

How can a sinner be forgiven fully and reconciled to a holy God and escape eternal hell by entering eternal heaven?

That is the question of all questions.

Every human who has ever lived with live forever — either in heaven or hell — this is the question that desperately needs to be answered.

The Bible was written to answer this question.

As far as the OT is concerned, no place more clearly answers the question than Isaiah 53.

As we study the impact of the Messiah this month, there is no better place to look at how the OT prophets framed His coming.

Some have said Isaiah 53 is the pinnacle of the OT.

It is Holy Spirit inspired — providing specific details that would come to pass 700 years in the future.

What we have here is the account of the God/Man who came into the world to die for sinners.

It is written in past tense as it is so certain to happen that it is written as if it has already happened.

This is the gospel — and Isaiah 53 is at the heart of salvation theology. In the chapter we see Jesus, the servant of the Lord,

Becoming the substitutionary sacrifice.

Dying in our place

Taking our punishment.

And ultimately, after being executed — he will be raised and exalted and become King.

It is an absolutely marvelous passage — one that we could spend several weeks in — but just do not have the time.

Today, I want to spend our time in v. 10-12 of Isaiah 53.

What does it mean that the Father was pleased to crush Jesus severely?

Jesus is God’s Righteous One.

Jesus is the one who interceded for us — rebels against God.

The Crushing of Jesus

Isaiah 53:10 (CSB)

Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.

Some versions (ESV/NASB) add “Putting him to grief.”

So not only is he being crushed physically by men — who have subjected him to brutality, abuse, and harassment.

Men who will punch, slap, hit, crown him with thorns, and nail him to a cross - then pierce him through.

Men who are doing the worst they can do.

V. 10 says God is pleased or delighted to crush him.

This may be perplexing to us.

After all, Scripture says God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

But yet, here he finds pleasure in the death of the sinless one.

Let’s go back and revisit the phrase “putting him to grief.”

Carries the idea of making him sick — not with disease or illness — but with the idea of debilitating his entire being — excruciatingly painful — intense agony.

And it is God doing the crushing here.

And this may be why Jesus cries out while on the cross,

Matthew 27:46 CSB

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

It is at the moment on the cross — I believe Jesus is facing the absolute terror of being let go by God — experiencing the divine wrath of God for sin.

Now there are a growing number of people it seems who have trouble with this.

To some, this seems like a God they don’t want to serve. A God who delights in crushing his own Son?

On the surface, it sounds brutal or even sadistic.

I think it is important to understand — that God’s pleasure in crushing His son in this way was not due to the pain Jesus felt … but in accomplishing his purpose.

It was not in Jesus’ agony — but in his accomplishment.

It was not in his suffering — but in his salvation.

Why is the Lord pleased?

Because Jesus was rendered as the guilt offering.

Jews had five different offerings.

burnt offerings

grain offerings

peace offerings

sin offerings

guilt offering.

Three (burnt, sin, and guilt) involved animal sacrifices.

Two (grain and peace) did not.

The offerings that involved animal sacrifices reinforced the principle that sin brings death.

The sin offering was about repentance. You

The burnt offering was about sin bringing death.

But int the guilt offering - the whole animal was placed on the altar — giving the picture of completion or complete satisfaction.

Jesus’ death as a guilt offering that would provide full satisfaction, full restitution, full propitiation.

The debt would be fully paid and sinners would be set free.

As John says:

1 John 2:2 (CSB)

He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

In Christ, there is complete satisfaction of the amount due for sin.

He is the complete sacrifice to which nothing can be added.

That is why God was pleased to do it.

Not that He delighted in Jesus’ agony — but he found delight in the atonement being provided.

Jesus was the guilt offering for all believers from Adam to the end of time — with their payment for sin made in full.

And the second part of v. 10 - points to the reality after His resurrection.

He would live to see his posterity.

He would live to see those bring brought to Him.

His flock gathered into glory.

John 6:37–39 (CSB)

Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day.

Jesus Carries Our Sins

Isaiah 53:11 (CSB)

After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities.

My righteous servant.

Jesus is the righteous one.

He is the only one who can bear that title.

This is such a marvelous designation of the Messiah.

“By his knowledge, he will justify many and he will carry their iniquities.”

Many:

those who believe.

Those who are the people of God.

Those for whose sins he died and atoned.

He will justify — he will declare them righteous — through His sacrifice.

He will take on their sins and make them righteous.

“by His knowledge.”

Isaiah 53:11 (CSB)

After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities.

Justification will come to those who know him .

Those who know Him, His person, His work, and His provision through his death and resurrection.

God says he is going to justify those who have knowledge of Him.

Indeed there is salvation in no other name. No one comes to the Father but by him.

And so what you have here really is the urgency of proclamation of the message of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.

The many will be saved when they hear and respond to the message concerning Christ.

Romans 10:17 CSB

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

This is not just about knowing about him.

This is about knowing Him as savior.

Those who do, will have their sins borne by Him.

Jesus Intercedes for the Rebels

Isaiah 53:12 (CSB)

Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

Note here again that God’s righteous one willingly submitted to death …

He literally handed his soul over to death.

Then “and was counted among the rebels.”

He let himself be included among the rebels.

This is a reference to his incarnation.

He was literally embedded among the transgressors.

He mingled in this world.

He didn’t look any different from anyone else.

No halo.

No stately form or majesty.

Nothing about him attractive.

He looked like every other man.

He did what humans do.

Nothing about his appearance would make it obvious that he had supernatural power.

And yet, here is God himself saying that he came down and allowed himself to be embedded in this fallen world.

Philippians 2:5–7 (CSB)

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.

Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man,

Though he was blended in with sinners in the world — he was the only one qualified to rise above them and be the sacrifice for their sins.

He appears like all the rest - but he is more than capable of lifting up their sins and carrying them away.

Let’s go back to Isaiah 53:12

Isaiah 53:12 (CSB)

Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

He “interceded for the rebels.”

interceded = mediated. He stood between us and the Father.

He is the one who pleads our case before the Father.

He is our bridge to heaven.

“interceded” in the Hebrew here is an imperfect verb — meaning that it is describing continuous activity.

All the previous verbs are in perfect tense — which denotes completed action.

“He willingly submitted unto death.” that’s completed. He did that once.

“He bore the sins of many.” This was accomplished on the cross — never to be repeated.

But “interceded” here is imperfect — because his intercession goes on long past his action on the cross.

Hebrews 7:25 (CSB)

Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.

Romans 8:34 CSB

Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

So what do we have here in Isaiah 53:10-12?

It is God himself affirming the vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice of His Son as the only offering that can satisfy His justice and provide salvation for us bringing justification.

As We Close…

Look now, if you will, at the beginning of v. 12:

Isaiah 53:12 CSB

Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

Here, we have a foreshadowing to his life after his resurrection.

God’s suffering servant, the Righteous One, will be rewarded.

After his suffering - satisfaction.

After his sorrow - salvation.

After his death - deliverance.

After the pain - pleasure.

After the thorns - the throne.

After the cross - a crown.

Look back Isaiah 52:13-15

Isaiah 52:13–15 CSB

See, my servant will be successful; he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were appalled at you— his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form did not resemble a human being— so he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him, for they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard.

This is powerful, royal imagery.

This is the imagery of a conquering hero having triumphed over all of his enemies.

He will reign and be forever exalted.

Back to v. 12…

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

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.

He will receive the many as a portion.

the many is us. the ones he justified.

And he will divide the spoil with the strong.

Again that’s us…

We will have been made strong by God — having become heirs of Him.

We’re not going to sit in eternity impoverished watching Jesus enjoy all the rewards…

Everything that He will possess is ours to share.

That is the extent of God’s marvelous grace.

We the many are made great, and we the weak will be made strong.

We will triumph through Him.

And so, we’re back to where we began.

How can a sinner be forgiven fully and reconciled to a holy God and escape eternal hell by entering eternal heaven?

It is, by knowing Jesus.

What can you do to day to know Him?

Cast yourself on Him in belief, repenting of your sins, confessing your decision to make Him Lord, and be baptized.

Can we help you?