Life and Ministry of the Christ in Isaiah
Isaiah 53
This is the last chapter which mentions my servant. Sometimes in the servant section the servant is Israel. Who is it here? This very question is asked in the New Testament:
Acts 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? [see Isaiah 53 in the New Testament below]
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
From the very beginning the church has understood this to refer to Christ and Philip is very specific, he began here and preached Jesus as the Christ. So let’s begin . . .
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Why would anyone have trouble believing this refers to Christ? Because of his humiliation. This is Christ? He has no beauty, he is not attractive and appealing in his appearance, and worse yet, he is He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
He will suffer greatly, and be wounded, bruised, and chastised. Jesus presented himself as Christ yet was rejected and crucified and they did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Why did Christ suffer so? For us. This is the atonement: he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him. As a result of his suffering, with his stripes we are healed. The cross was for our salvation.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Here is our problem (we have turned every one to his own way) and God’s solution (the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all).
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Jesus was oppressed, and afflicted, and cut off from the land of the living (that is, killed and buried). Why would God allow his Christ, his righteous servant, to be treated so badly? for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Jesus Christ suffered for us.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him What? Why? He shall make his soul an offering for sin. Again, this is the atonement. Jesus suffered for us, for our sins, that we might be forgiven through his suffering and death. But something changes in the middle of this verse. For the first ten verses we have been hearing about the humiliation and suffering of Christ, his rejection and death, now we read of his resurrection, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He was despised and rejected and we did esteem him not; he was oppressed and afflicted and cut off from the land of the living, then God raised his Servant from the dead and exalted his Christ.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Through his suffering and exaltation Christ will offer salvation – my righteous servant shall justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. This is the gospel. And the beauty of it is stated this way, He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. God was satisfied with the travail of his soul for our sins. There is nothing more we can do or offer or that is required of us. When we hear these words, shall be satisfied, we can rest in Jesus. Forgiveness and life and salvation was secured for us through the suffering of Christ and is received by us when we believe in Jesus Christ. He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great Because he was willing to suffer for our sins, he will be raised and exalted.
He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors Again, this is the atonement. Christ suffered for us that we might be forgiven and freed from condemnation and death:
He suffered for our sins v 12
for the transgression of my people was he stricken v 8
the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all v 6
he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him v 4-5
The Suffering Servant of the Lord is Christ. The gospel is the declaration that Christ has come and Jesus is this Christ. And the salvation he offers is for everyone who will believe in him, for all who will believe that he is the Christ who was crucified for our sins and raised from the dead.
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Isaiah 53 in the New Testament
Matthew 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
John 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Luke 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Acts 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
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