Isaiah 53 - The Suffering Servant

As I mentioned above, the last three verses of chapter 52 fit with the theme of chapter 53 better than they fit with chapter 52. The ESV and HCSB have a subtitle above chapter 52:13 referring to the suffering Servant, which is the theme of chapter 53. John Gill agrees with me on this - he was a pretty good nut.

Isaiah 52:13-15 (HCSB) See, My Servant will act wisely; 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.

The Servant will act wisely - none as wise as Christ Jesus; His wisdom is spoken of in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Just as the serpent was raised up in the wilderness, so will the Son of man be lifted up and glorified by the Father. In spite of how God views His Son, man was appalled at His appearance - so marred by the creature was the Creator that He no longer appeared as a man. A couple of chapters back we read of how part of this took place: Isaiah 50:6 "I gave My back to those who beat Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting."  In his excellent book, The Simple Gospel, Jon Caldwell has a chapter on the Shroud of Turin in which he comments on this verse: "The Hebrew word למרטים (L’Maratiym), which is translated “plucked off the hair,” literally means “to make bald.” Jesus Christ didn’t just have a tuft of His beard pulled out; His entire beard was plucked from His face!" Jewish men weren't supposed to even trim their beards. To be bald-faced was a mark of shame and/or mourning. See Isaiah 151-2 for Hebrew shaving their head and beards in mourning; see Jeremiah 48:37 for Gentiles being shaved head and face as a sign of defeat. Jesus appeared as one defeated, mourning His circumstance. We know His vision was fixed on the glory that awaited Him beyond the cross as He entrusted Himself to the trustworthy Judge.

And so even though He appeared to be shamefully defeated, He would sprinkle many nations - as the Hebrews would sprinkle blood on the altar (Lev 4:6, 17) or water on an unclean person to cleanse him (Numbers 19:18-21), yet with a more sure sacrifice that would ensure the redemption of every chosen one.

Kings will be silent, they will see what had not been told to them, they will understand that which they had not heard.  Because of their response, we see these "kings" as representative of Gentiles who, as Paul mentioned, did not have the oracle of God - the advantage was to the Jews (Romans 3:1-2). But when Christ came, He was displayed to all and His disciples went forth with His gospel and these "wise men" had their minds and hearts opened to comprehend that which had been a mystery prior to the fullness of time. Now the high and mighty men are low and humble, see Him as He is - God in human flesh, beaten and tortured by those He created, suffering the wrath of God for those He came to save. How can we not be in awe of Him!

Isaiah 53:1 (HCSB) Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the LORD been revealed to?

This question reveals what we read about everywhere: only a remnant will be saved. As man sees it, not many hear and believe. Isaiah was told he would preach to a people that would not understand or see rightly. So WHO would believe what Isaiah had heard, to whom has He revealed His strong arm of salvation? We've read much in Isaiah about the strong arm of God; it was His arm that brought Israel out of Egypt in victory; Mary's song in Luke 1 testifies "He has done a mighty deed with His arm; He has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts." Whether it's salvation or judgment, the strong arm of the Lord prevails over the hearts and souls of every man.

Isaiah 53:2-3 (HCSB) 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.

Recall that Isaiah lived and wrote more than 700 years before Christ; long before the Romans had invented crucifixion as the most cruel way possible to kill a man. Jesus the man grew up as a human, learned obedience; was brought out of Egypt to live in the backwater town of Nazareth. As a child and young man, Jesus was nothing to look at - reminiscent of David in comparison to his brothers. When those who despised Him rejected Him and demanded He be crucified, claiming they had no king but Caesar, that His blood be on them AND their children (Matt 27:25) - He was beaten, scourged, mocked, and hung on the tree. While every man who was crucified suffered, Jesus was not merely a man and His suffering was vastly worse than those on either side of Him. As Isaiah 50:6 portrayed, He was beaten so badly He was difficult to look upon. Thousands who in Jerusalem for the Jewish rites came by to see the site - and they mocked Him and shouted for Him to save Himself if He was God, proving He was right when said Satan was their father. They said the same thing he has spoken to Jesus. Only a few saw Him for what He is - the Roman centurion, who had seen the horrible butchery of war was struck with true awe as he beheld the Son of God. Saints - are you still in awe of Who He is? Let us encourage one another to see Him rightly and behold Him in His majesty, for a savior that does not inspire such a response is not a Savior.

Isaiah 53:4-6 (HCSB) 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 transgressions, 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.

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,

See Him dying on the tree!

'Tis the Christ by man rejected;

Yes, my soul, 'tis He, 'tis He!

'Tis the long-expected prophet,

David's Son, yet David's Lord;

By His Son, God now has spoken

Tis the true and faithful Word.

Great hymns and spiritual songs will point us to the biblical Christ, reveal natural man's true condition, and humble the child of God. When God in human flesh submitted Himself to the varied punishments meted out by man, this was to show man something of the suffering He would undergo. But the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that Justice gave. And man looked upon the Lam of God as He hung on judgment's tree and most saw Him as deserving it.

But, Isaiah reminds us, He was pierced for OUR transgressions - He had none of His own! He who had NO SIN was MADE SIN so we might become the righteousness of God! The punishment He received brought us peace with God - for no sinful creature can approach Him. None but those clothed in the righteousness of Christ can approach, can have peace with the Father. Because the Son was stricken, smitten, and afflicted for us! The healing He provides is the glorious truth of our sin being put away. A pox on all who claim He suffered to cure ailments of the flesh! Eternal life if the healing He brings!

To whom did He give this healing? Not to the self-righteous (as if there were any!) but to the wretched! Like stupid sheep we wandered, seeking our own way. The only way we could be made right with God is for God to be punished in our place.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,

Nor suppose the evil great

Here may view its nature rightly,

Here its guilt may estimate.

Mark the sacrifice appointed,

See who bears the awful load;

'Tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed,

Son of Man and Son of God.

Isaiah 53:7-9 (HCSB) 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. They made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man at His death, although He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully.

Read 1 Peter 2:18ff to see the Apostle's treatment of this passage, applying it to the Christian life. The suffering of Christ is not merely and account of His death, it stands as the historical PROOF of God's redeeming love for His own and justice for the rebels.

How quick are we to defend ourselves when someone maligns us? We often deserve to be maligned and are overly self-defensive. The Creator being maligned by the creature! And He did not defend Himself, did not seek to avoid OUR punishment. Most people then - and now - fail to comprehend the necessity of the crucifixion; by human wisdom, it was "cosmic child abuse" (Sarah Young uses this term in her heretical book, The Shack).

Cut off from the land of the living - this term "cut off" refers to covenantal punishment, being separated from the community. Jesus died, didn't swoon, was not death only to His human nature. Jesus, the God-man, died - was cut off from the land of the living. This was because His people - recall that phrase? - had rebelled against His rule. We, like the rest, were children of wrath until His Spirit gave us life.

The Lord of glory was laid in a tomb as if He were nothing more than a dead man. Yet it was a rich man (a king who was made to see Him rightly?) that gave Him the tomb. All of this took place - the trial, the mocking, the scourging, the crucifixion, the wrath of God - even though He had done no violence, had spoken no deceit. These two things are the hallmark of rebels; they oppress the poor and deceive many in the marketplace. Things the Hebrew nation was noted for.

Isaiah 53:10-12 (HCSB) Yet the LORD was pleased to crush Him severely. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see ⌊His⌋ seed, He will prolong His days, and by His hand, the LORD’s pleasure will be accomplished. He will see ⌊it⌋ out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with 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 submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

But because God set His redeeming love on His chosen ones, it PLEASED HIM to punish Jesus for our sins. It was, as the HCSB put it, SEVERE. God the Father made Him the Son a restitution offering to buy back His chosen ones. The Son was one with the Father before the cross and would be greatly glorified to be reunited with Him AFTER His work was accomplished (Heb 12:2).

From before time, the Godhead knew who the saints would be, the Son knew His seed - a large number of people from every nation, tribe, and language. Though low in the grave He lay, up from the grave He arose to an indestructible, eternal life - all according to the Father's will and for His glory, which He will not share with another. There is no doubt we benefit greatly from the entire plan of redemption as it applied to us. But do not lose sight of this fact: the first and primary reason for all of creation and whatever end each bit of it faces is to bring GLORY to the Father, GLORY to the Son, Glory to the Spirit - three in one! (tip of the hat to Shai Linne)

The Son would see all this afore (recall Heb 12:2) and be satisfied in doing the Father's will (He came for this purpose - John 6:38). The righteous, obedient Servant HAS justified many, He carried their sins to the cross (Col 2:14), and He was given the many - the justified ones - as a portion, a reward, a spoil.

Consider this, saints: Jesus the good shepherd was sent to seek and save that which was lost. He will bring every lost sheep into the sheepfold of God the Father - an offering to Him. And the Father gives back to the Son all those He purchased from hell as a reward for His faithful obedience! He submitted Himself to death, even death on the cross; earning that which was His from before time - the glory He had before the world existed (John 17:4-5).

The Son was counted among the rebels - scourged, beaten, and crucified; in so doing He bore the sin of many - His people - and interceded for the rebels that were chosen.

Dear brothers and sisters, I have no words to describe the horror of our sins, the heinous price paid by the Lord Jesus to buy us off sin's slave market. How often I fail to consider these things as I go through one mundane day after another. YET - these things Isaiah recorded ARE TRUE and were written for our instruction. Let us lay them up in our hearts and mediate thereupon, encouraging one another to look unto Christ daily and not think of sin lightly. We have a sure foundation, a secure refuge from the storm in Christ Jesus.

Here we have a firm foundation,

Here the refuge of the lost;

Christ's the Rock of our salvation,

His the name of which we boast.

Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,

Sacrifice to cancel guilt!

None shall ever be confounded

Who on him their hope have built.