Isa. 52 - 53

Notice the address to Jerusalem, the holy city:

a. It promises that the uncircumcised and unclean will never again enter.

b. Obviously, this never could be fulfilled in regard to the physical city of

Jerusalem,

c. Therefore, it refers to the spiritual Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the church

(Heb 12:22ff).

1) Those who are uncircumcised in heart and who have not been cleansed

in the blood of Jesus cannot enter! (Cf. Rom 2:28,29; 1 Cor 6:9-11; Eph 2:11-22; Phil 3:2-11; Col 2:6-13.)

2) Those in this city (the church) must be holy (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 12:14; 1 Pet 1:15, 16; 2 Pet 3:11)

Through their sins, the people had sold themselves into captivity—at no cost to their

captors. In the same way, they will be redeemed without having to pay anything to

their captors (45:13); only the mighty power of God can accomplish this! God reminds

them of His proven ability to do this:

The beauty of one bringing good news, glad tidings—the gospel. Notice the contents

of the glad tidings:

a. Proclaims peace,

b. Brings glad tidings of good,

c. Proclaims salvation,

d. Announces Your God reigns!

2) Notice how beautifully and precisely the contents of this message (glad

tidings) correspond with Christ, His gospel and His church:

a) Peace (see notes on Isa. 2:4; 9:6; 11:6,7; 26:3,4; Lk 1:79; 2:14; Acts 10: 36; Eph 2:17; Jn 14:27; 16:33; Rom 5:1; 10:15)—gospel of peace (Col 1:20; Phil 4:9).

b) Good, cf. Jn 10:11—good shepherd (Acts 10:38; 2 Cor 9:8; Gal 6:10; 1 Thess 5:15).

c) Salvation—in Christ (cf. Mt 1:21; Lk 19:10; Acts 4:12; 2 Tim 2:10).

Through the gospel (cf. Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 15:1,2; Eph 1:13; Jas 1:21).

In the church (cf. Acts 2:47; Eph 5:23).

d) The reign of God and Christ (cf. Isa. 9:7; Mt 16:18,19; Mk 9:1; Lk 1:32, 33;

Acts 2:33-36; Heb 1:8; 1 Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; 19:12,16).

This will be a time of singing (Isa. 42:10-13; 44:23; 48:20ff; 49:13) and rejoicing in the

Lord’s comforting and redeeming His people (44:23). In doing this, God will show

His holy arm (righteous power) and salvation to all the world:

a. Redemption of His people from the mighty power of Babylon and

b. Redemption of His people from Satan, sin and death through His “Holy

Arm”— the Christ! (cf. Isa. 53:1ff; Acts 17:30,31; Rom 1:4,5; 4:25; Eph. 1:19-20 ; Titus 2:11,14).

v. 11 don’t be like them come out from them 2 Cor. 6:14-18

This is the fourth of four “Servant Songs” (42,49,50).

“The Servant is to conquer as a sufferer, not as a warrior (cf. Rev 5:4-6).

This song stresses the following major points about the Servant:

a. His vicarious suffering,

b. The importance of that suffering in God’s plan of salvation,

c. His total obedience,

d. His utter willingness to suffer,

e. His sorrow and rejection by the people,

f. The guilt of those rejecting Him and

g. His grand and glorious approval by God after suffering.

Proof that this refers to the Messiah, Jesus the Christ:

a. It clearly refers to an individual, not a group of people or nation.

1) He suffers voluntarily—cannot be said of Israel,

2) He is innocent—cannot be said of Israel,

3) His suffering makes possible the justification of His people and

4) He suffers quietly and patiently.

The testimony of the New Testament - Mt 8:17; Mk 15:28; Lk 22:37; Jn 12:37,38; Acts 8:35; Rom 10:16.

d. Also alluded to (not quoted but obviously referring to this section) by New

Testament writers in connection with Christ’s death as an atoning sacrifice for

sins (Mk 9:12; Rom 4:25; 1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 1:19; 2:21-25).

This Servant of God will eventually be victorious and lifted up above all (Isa. 49:1-7; 53:12) —Jesus! (Mk 16:19; Acts 2:33; Eph 1:20-22; Phil 2:5-11; 1 Pet 3:22).

Luke 23:47–49 NASB95

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

a) Sprinkle:

(1) This is not a reference to sprinkling as a form of baptism!

(2) In the Levitical system, the sprinkling of blood of the sacrifice was

done to obtain cleansing from sin (Lev 4:6; 8:11; 16:14ff; Heb 9:19ff).

(3) Thus, through His suffering and the shedding of His blood, He will

make it possible for many to receive cleansing from sin— Jesus!

(Mt 26:28; Eph 1:17; Heb 9:22; 1 Pet 1:18,19.)

This chapter is the very heart of Isa. 40–66, and it takes us to the cross. That these verses apply to Jesus Christ is proved by John 12:38, Matt. 8:17, Acts 8:32–35, Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37, Rom. 10:16, and 1 Peter 2:24. Isaiah 53 is quoted or referred to at least eighty-five times in the NT.

The prophecy begins with Isa. 52:13–15. Verse 13 tells of Christ’s exaltation, and the rest of the section deals with His humiliation. It is this strange “contradiction” that perplexed the OT prophets, as 1 Peter 1:10–11 informs us. They did not realize that there would be a long period between Messiah’s coming as the Suffering Servant to die and then returning as the Exalted Sovereign to reign. Verse 14 informs us that Christ’s physical sufferings made Him look inhuman, so much so that men were astonished at Him. But when He returns the second time (v. 15), the whole world will be “startled, shocked” (the word should not be translated “sprinkle” but “startle”). See Zech. 12:9–10 and Rev. 1:7. The first time He came, He astonished a few people in Palestine; the next time He comes, He will startle the whole world. Now for the chapter before us. It traces the life and ministry of Christ.

I. His Rejection (53:1–3)

The unbelief of Israel is now announced: they saw Him, heard Him, but would not trust Him (John 1:11; 12:37–38). There was a three-fold rejection: they rejected His words, “report,” and His works, “the arm of the Lord”See John 12:37–40 especially. The prophet had been warned of this hardness of heart in 6:9–10. The third focus of rejection was His person (v. 2). He was not born in a palace; He was born in a Bethlehem stable, and He grew up in the despised town of Nazareth (John 1:43–46). The words “tender plant” literally mean “a little bush” such as would spring from a low branch. In other words, Christ was not a great tree, but a humble bush. See Isa. 11:1. When He appeared, the nation was barren and dry spiritually. They had a form of religion, but they had no life, and because He brought life, they rejected Him. What a remarkable Man, human (“He shall grow up”) yet divine. This offended the Jews who could not believe that God would come in the form of a Servant (Mark 6:1–3). His physical appearance was not unusual; there was no splendor or special human attractiveness to the human eye. Of course, to those who know Him, He is the fairest of the fair (Ps. 45:1ff). He was despised (not wanted, looked down upon), rejected (forsaken by His disciples, His nation, and His world), lightly esteemed (not valued highly, not wanted). Yet He went about doing good and helping the helpless. This only shows the wickedness of the human heart, that men would so treat the very Son of God.

II. His Redemption (53:4–6)

Why should an innocent man such as Jesus Christ die such a terrible death on the cross? These verses explain why: He was taking the place of sinners and bearing their judgment for them. See 1 Peter 2:24 and 2 Cor. 5:21. Note the price that he paid: (1) wounded, or pierced, referring to His death on the cross, pierced by nails—John 19:37, Zech. 12:10; (2) bruised, which means “crushed” as under a burden, the weight of sin which was laid on Him; (3) chastised, or punished as though He had broken the law, in this case with stripes from the scourging.

But these physical sufferings were nothing compared to the spiritual suffering of the cross, when He bore our transgressions (vv. 5, 8), our rebellious and deliberate breaking of God’s Law; our iniquities (vv. 5–6), the crookedness of our nature; and our griefs and sorrows (v. 4), our calamities and the unhappy results of our sins. We are sinners by birth (“All we like sheep have gone astray”) and by choice (“we have turned every one to his own way”). See Ps. 58:3 and Rom. 5:12ff. Verse 6 begins with the “all” of condemnation, but ends with the “all” of salvation. He died for us all. These verses are the very heart of the Gospel—“Christ died for our sins.”

III. His Resignation (53:7–9)

He was not treated justly; He was oppressed, harassed, treated roughly. Yet He did not complain or cry out. They mocked Him and pushed Him from one place to another, yet He was silent and meek as a lamb. He was the “Lamb of God” who came to take away the world’s sins (John 1:29). Verse 8 suggests that He was taken violently from prison and was not permitted to have justice. See Acts 8:33 and Matt. 27:22–31. The trial was “rigged” and the whole thing was illegal. Yet His “generation” did not protest; His disciples had forsaken Him and fled. And His death was not a glorious one; He was “cut off” like an unclean leper cast out of the city. In spite of this illegal and inhuman treatment, Jesus Christ did not protest or argue. Why? Because He had come to die for the sins of the people. Barabbas the criminal was treated with more kindness than was Jesus the Son of God.

Verse 9 should read: “And they appointed His grave with the wicked, yet He was with a rich man in His death.” Were it not for Nicodemus and Joseph, the body of Jesus would have been buried in a “potter’s field” or thrown on a garbage heap (John 19:38–42). God had promised His Son a “grave in the garden,” and this was fulfilled. “He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth.” Men were unjust, but God was just. What an example Christ is to us as He submitted completely to the will of God (1 Peter 2:18–25). When men treat us unjustly (as they will because we follow Christ), we must glorify Christ by being yielded to His will.

IV. His Reward (53:10–12)

All of this was planned by God and His plan was a complete success. See Isa. 52:13 and Isa. 42:1–4, where we see the success of the Savior’s work. These verses in chapter 53 show us the Godward side of the cross: His death “pleased the Lord.” Does this mean that the Father rejoiced in His Son’s suffering and death? No. But it pleased Him to see the work of salvation completed, the sacrifice accepted, and sin atoned for. Now a holy God could, in His grace, save undeserving sinners. Though Christ was slain by the evil hands of men, their deeds were overruled to accomplish the purpose of God (Acts 2:22–24). Christ’s death was not a “moral example”; it was an offering for sin (v. 10). He died in our place.

What was Christ’s reward, apart from the joy of having done His Father’s will? He was raised from the dead (“He shall prolong His days”) and given a spiritual family (“He shall see His seed”). Verse 11 presents the picture of a spiritual family, for it describes the “travail” of His soul on the cross. See Ps. 22:30 and Heb. 2:13. In Isa. 9:6 Christ is called the “Everlasting Father” and this is the reason why: His death and travail on the cross have made possible God’s family of saved sinners. These are people whom He has justified, declared righteous through His grace.

Verse 12 presents another reward of the faithful Servant: an inheritance from the Father. He has conquered sin and Satan; now He divides the spoils (Eph. 4:8). When He was on earth, Christ was lightly esteemed, but now He is ranked with “the great.” Kings will bow to Him (52:13, 15; Ps. 72:8–11; Rev. 19:14ff). Psalm 2 describes how Christ will one day claim His inheritance.

The closing statements take us back to the cross. Christ was numbered with transgressors—He was crucified between two thieves and treated like a criminal (Matt. 27:38). He made intercession for the transgressors, praying for them (Luke 23:34, 43). He did not speak when men cruelly reviled Him, but He did speak for the sake of lost sinners. And today He is interceding for His own (Rom. 8:34). There is no judgment upon them because He bore it all Himself. Have you trusted Him as your own Savior?

Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Is 53). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.