Isaiah 53

Introduction

Isaiah 52

Isaiah 52:13–15 ESV

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 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.

Behold

Calls us to attention. What is about to be said is of utmost importance

As the Lord also does in other OT references to the Messiah

(Son of David - see Matt 1:1)

(Servant - see Mark)

(Man - see Luke)

Also (Branch of the LORD - see )

My Servant will Prosper (52:13)

Some Bibles translate “will act wisely” ()

Can also be translated “will prosper” or “will succeed”

See also

The same word is used in - that “David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that His name was highly esteemed” (see the rest of )

This was when Saul tried to get David killed, and offered him his daughter in marriage as a reward for 100 foreskins, thinking he would be killed. David brought 200 foreskins. When the Philistines came after David in battle, he defeated them every time.

The introduction gives assurance that the Messiah will prosper and succeed absolutely in what he will come to do.

Exalted

Because of his accomplished work, he will be worshipped and exalted above every other name - higher than Moses, Abraham and the angels

Astonished… Shut their mouths

Predicts that man will be astonished...

at the Messiah’s humility

submitting himself to the cruelest death, to the most awesome wrath, to sacrifice himself on behalf of

Isaiah 4:1–2 ESV

And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.” In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel.

Predicts kings will shut their mouths

Isaiah 4:2 ESV

In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel.

Jer

when He comes the second time

Zechariah 6:12 ESV

And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.

Isaiah 4 ESV

And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.” In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

Zechariah 3:1–8 ESV

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.

Jeremiah 23:1–6 ESV

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Thesis

The path of the Messiah is set out in the introductory statement

He will come with a purpose

He will succeed

Man will be astonished at how he achieves it

Man will be silenced when He comes again

Introduction

Reality of suffering in the world

Where is God in suffering?

God has nothing to do with suffering?

Satan is doing it?

Rather stay in bed tomorrow if God has nothing to do with suffering

God is sovereign over suffering. He has everything to do with suffering

He has chosen to bring redemption to this world through suffering, by means of suffering

See this most clearly through the life and death of Jesus

This seems like a paradox… redemption through a suffering saviour?

To the Jew of Isaiah’s day, it was unthinkable that their redemption would come through a suffering messiah...

They expected that their redemption would come through a great show of strength and might… not suffering

They were awaiting a victorious Messiah… not a suffering servant

Even the Lord’s disciples had a hard time accepting salvation by means of suffering

- Jesus asks them, who do people think I am?

The disciples say: Elijah… Jeremiah… one of the prophets

Jesus: “But who do you say that I am?

Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”

And Jesus blesses him, and says “Flesh and blood hasn’t revealed this to you, but my Father has revealed it to you. You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”

And then Jesus goes on to explain how he must soon go to Jerusalem and suffer… suffer many things… and… be killed. And be be raised on the 3rd day.

And that same Peter objects strongly, takes Jesus aside and rebukes Jesus, saying “Far be it from you, Lord!”

Peter couldn’t understand… he had just answered correctly that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah… sent by God to redeem Israel…

Now Jesus is saying that He, the Messiah, must suffer, and die.

Peter couldn’t understand… what good would that do? What good could possibly come through his suffering? What good could possibly come through his death?

Zec 3:

Zec

Why would God allow such tragedy and suffering to happen to His servant?

Many Christians struggle with the same question today

Like Peter, we also want to see redemption and victory

We see all the suffering in the world - the tragedies, the injustices, the sickness and disease, the loss, the hurt, the pain, the crime…

Day after day we must

And sometimes Christians see victory as a life without suffering, without sickness, without tragedy, without hardship

Just listen to almost any popular preacher on TV today, and you will hear things like “You can live your best life now”

Some Christians see redemption from these things

If you have enough faith, you will never be sick, and nothing bad will ever happen to you

Its never God’s will that anything bad happens to you

God wants you to be healthy, wealthy and prosperous

and its never God’s will that anything bad ever happens to you

And if something bad does happen to you, then they blame it on Satan, or maybe worse, on you

But bad things do happen