Jesus, Our Suffering Lamb

The rejection of the Salvation Message by the majority.

Verse 1 tells us the expectation of Isaiah the prophet.

He expects that this message be rejected.

The rhetorical question is asked to those who have believed.

The message is the salvation message.

The message ultimately fulfilled in the work of Christ and the rejection of Christ and his work

John 12:38 NASB95

This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

John 12:37–38 NASB95

But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

John 12:37-38

This rejection is not new with Christ.

It was happening in Isaiah’s day as well.

israel and non israel

Isaiah may have even expected this.

In Isaiah, he is given the joyful task of preaching to the point where the people hearts are rendered insensitive and dull.

Isaiah 6:9–11 NASB95

He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people And the land is utterly desolate,

So when Isaiah asks this question, the answer is not many and he knows that.

The question this begs of us, is who has believed the message in here?

To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed.

The imagery we see here is the image of God himself reaching down and saving for himself a people. Those who had believed him.

The Humility of the servant. Verses 2-3

He would come as a root of Jesse.

From a spiritually parched land.

He comes from David’s line that was seemingly dead.

John 1:46 NASB95

Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

An unexpected Savior.

Nothing about Him was impressive.

Physically, not the Savior you would expect.

Nothing about Him (physical or social) would have have been worth writing home about.

The normal expectation of a deliverer would be someone who would have been physically and socially well- received. Not this Savior.

He was rejected and despised by men.

We have learned of this throughout the book of John. These people hate Christ.

He came to his own. His own did not receive him.

A man of sorrows- that is a man whose most notable characteristic was sorrow.

Acquainted with grief- familiar with grieving sickness.

He was associated with all those things that no one wanted to associate.

Thus, men hide their faces.

Despised and not esteemed.

The Attack on the Servant. verses 4-6

The griefs he bore were ours.

These weren’t his griefs brought on naturally by his own sin. We have many things go on in our lives and many of them are a result of our own sin.

The sorrows he carried were ours.

He made them his burden. All so he could save.

Hebrews 4:15 NASB95

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Why did he take those on?

So he could be Stricken. Smitten of God. Afflicted by men.

Why?

Because of his sin? No.

Verse 5.

Pierced.

Crush.

Chastened.

Scourging.

All for us.

Why?

Not because there anything wrong with him, but on the other hand there is everything wrong with us.

And for us he would go through extreme pain. This is what I believe is occurring here in the beginning of verse number 5.

Nails driven into his hands and feet.

Beaten within an inch of his life with a whip.

A crown of thorns pressed and forced onto his head.

hung up by a cross so that he would need to press up on his nail driven feet just to breathe. It was exhausting, excruciating.

Chastened for us.

He took my beating. he took my eternal punishment.

So that I could be healed.