Reading: Isaiah chapter 53.
• Isaiah chapter 53 is very much a picture of someone suffering and being crucified.
• What makes this chapter unique is this;
• Crucifixion would not be known in this part of the world for another 700 years.
• It was the invasion of the Romans, who brought crucifixion to Israel.
We know of course that these verses are speaking about Jesus:
• The New Testament makes that abundantly clear,
• Isaiah 53 is quoted or referred to at least 85 times in the New Testament.
• (e.g. John 12:38, Matt. 8:17, Acts 8:32-35, Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37,
• Rom.10:16, and 1 Peter 2:24).
This servant song divides up into 5 stanzas, 5 sections:
• In the New International version of the Bible.
• Chapter 53 is beautifully symmetrical (it's balanced, it's even).
• It divides into 5 paragraphs of 3 verses each.
• With God and man speaking alternately.
(1). His mission (chapter 52 verses 13-15).
“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him--his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--
15 so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.”
(1). His Exaltation (verse 13).
• Verse 13 tells of Christ's exaltation,
• And the rest of the section deals with His humiliation.
• It was this strange paradox that has always perplexed the Jewish people:
• They did not realize that the messiah's coming was to be in two parts.
• First as the Suffering Servant who would come to die,
• And then secondly as the returning Exalted King, coming to reign.
Ill:
• Some people buy a murder mystery book,
• And the read the last chapter first to see who done it, and then they read the book.
• Ask them why; and they say
• "Well I need to know what happened, it helps me appreciate the plot"
• Isaiah does something similar,
• He tells us of Christ's exaltation (how it will end) and then tells us of his humiliation.
Verse 13:
"See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted".
In ancient times servants and slaves were living tools:
• You used them, wore them out and then replaced them.
• But this servant will not be replaced, in fact the opposite, he will be honoured.
• God says he will greatly honour him.
• In fact this servant will have a glory like God's own glory
Quote: Compare it with chapter 6 verse 1:
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne,
high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple".
And unlike Isaiah we know (look back):
• We know that God's servant Jesus Christ has been and will always be exalted:
• Acts chapter 2 verse 33 & Philippians chapter 2 are great examples of that.
(2). His humiliation (Verse 14-15):
"Just as there were many who were appalled at him-
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness"
• This verse informs us that Christ's physical sufferings made Him look inhuman,
• So much so that men were astonished when they looked at Him.
We again know from hindsight that that verse was an accurate picture of Jesus:
• Matthew chapter 26 verse 67 & Mark chapter 14 verse 65:
• Tell us about the blows and the beatings he received at the hands of the Sanhedrin.
Verse 15:
"So will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand".
• When He returns the second time the whole world will be "startled, shocked",
• (The word should not be translated "sprinkle" but "startle".
• The first time He came, He astonished a few people in Palestine;
• The next time He comes, He will startle the whole world.
Now in the next chapter (53) before us:
• The next four stanzas.
• Traces the life and ministry of Christ.
(1). His Rejection (chapter 53 verses 1-3)
2Who has believed our messag eand to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
(1). His planned life (verse 1-2)
• As I have mentioned already;
• Israel expected a mighty conqueror:
• Someone who would storm the enemies gates,
• Someone who would lead them to freedom in a blaze of glory.
Instead "the arm of the Lord" stretched out and revealed a different kind of deliverer:
• This deliverer who would not fit the Jewish peoples pattern.
• But he perfectly fits the pattern and plan of Isaiah prophecy.
• But Israel would reject God's servant,
• In fact there was a three-fold rejection:
Notice: THREEFOLD REJECTION:
• (1). They rejected His words, "our message" (verse 1).
• (2). His works, "the arm of the Lord" (verse 1).
• (3). His person "he was rejected by men"(verse 2).
(2). His pedigree (verse 2):
• Isaiah tells us that his pedigree, his ancestral line was nothing special:
• After all why should it, humanly speaking, "He was only a servant!"
Ill:
• By the words "tender plant".
• Literally means "a little bush", one that is very unimpressive.
• In other words, Christ would not appear as a great tree, but a humble bush.
• Not a great conquering king but a humble servant.
Ill:
• Again and again that is illustrated in the gospels,
• To the casual onlooker Jesus appeared to be unimpressive:
• e.g. He was not born in a palace; but in a stable,
• e.g. And He grew up in the despised town of Nazareth (John 1:43-46).
Isaiah tells us in verse 2:
• When He appeared, the nation was "dry ground",
• The nation was barren and spiritually dry like a desert.
• They had a form of religion, but they had no spiritual life,
• And because He brought life, they rejected Him.
(3). His physical form (verses 2-3):
(a).
• God's servant would be fully human
• "He shall grow up".
• Like any other person he would have to experience all aspects of life:
• E.g. Luke 2:40 "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom".
(b).
• His physical appearance would not be unusual;
• There was to be no film star looks that would draw all eyes to him.
• In fact he would be hard to pick out in the crowd.
• e.g. John the Baptist.
(c).
• He would be despised, not wanted or valued, looked down upon,
• He was rejected and ostracised.
• He was a lonely man,
• Acquainted with heartbreak and pain.
• He was rejected (forsaken by His disciples, His nation, and His world),
• Lightly esteemed (not valued highly, not wanted).
• e.g. John chapter 1 verse 11:
• "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him".
(3). His Atonement (verses 4-6)
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Notice:
• No fewer than 9 times in these 3 verses,
• Are we told that God's servant bore something was ours.
(1). Substitution (Verse 4):
"Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
• How wrong people were about God's Son - and themselves:
• They thought there was something wrong with him:
• That he had done something to deserve God's judgement.
• But it's the other way round
• He carried "OUR grief's" and "OUR sorrows."
• All his sufferings are on our behalf not his.
(2). Crucifixion (Verse 5):
"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed".
In this verse we are told three things which revel the horror of crucifixion:
• (1). He was "wounded", or "pierced",
• Referring to his hands and feet being pierced by nails - John 19:37, Zech. 12:10;
• (2).He was "crushed" as under a burden,
• The weight of sin which was laid on Him;
• (3). He was punished as though He had broken the law,
• In this case with stripes from the scourging.
This brutal death in itself was shameful and horrific,
• But these physical sufferings were nothing,
• Compared to the spiritual suffering of the cross,
• In these verses we see the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
• He became our substitute taking our place.
Think about what he bore for you and me:
• Verse 4: The crookedness of our nature; and our grief's and sorrows.
• Verses 5: He bore our transgressions.
• Verse 5-6: Our rebellious and deliberate breaking of God's Law; our iniquities.
(3). Salvation (Verse 6):
Isaiah informs us of two truths:
• That we are sinners by birth ("All we like sheep have gone astray")
• And we are sinners by choice ("we have turned every one to his own way").
Notice:
• Verse 6 begins with the "all" of condemnation,
• But ends with the "all" of salvation.
(4). His submission (verses 7-9):
These verses show us that there is even more to this marvellous redemption:
• Jesus the innocent one not only bore the sins of the undeserving.
• But he did so without protest or defence.
“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her Shearer’s is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth”.
(1). He was silent (Verse 7):
"He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her Shearer’s is silent,
so he did not open his mouth."
• God's servant was not treated justly; he was not treated fairly.
• We know that his trials were rigged and the whole thing was totally illegal.
• Yet throughout his arrest and trials, even though he was oppressed, harassed,
• Yet He was silent and meek as a lamb.
(2). He was innocent (Verse 8a):
"By oppression and judgment he was taken away".
• These words suggests that God's servant was taken violently from prison,
• And was not permitted to have justice.
• And we know that was true concerning Jesus.
• After Pilot had declared him innocent - Matthew chapter 27 verses 22-31.
"Pilot had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
• Yet His generation did not protest, no-one spoke up for him!
• Barabbas the criminal was treated with more kindness than was Jesus the Son of God.
Verse 8:
• He was "cut off" like an unclean leper cast out of the city.
• His death was not a glorious one;
In spite of all this illegal and inhuman treatment, Jesus Christ did not protest or argue.
• Question: Why?
• Answer: Because He had come to die for the sins of the people.
(3). He was different (Verse 8b to 9):
“For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth”.
Different in two ways:
FIRST HIS DEATH: which was different because it was vicarious:
• His death was different because achieved something no other death could achieve,
• Forgiveness: "For the transgression of my people he was stricken!
SECOND IN HIS BURIAL:
• Since Jesus Christ was crucified WITH criminals AS a criminal:
• It was logical that his body be deposed off;
• In the normal way,
• That criminals were disposed off.
• The Romans did this by laving them unburied on a rubbish heap,
• And allowing the vultures, crows & dogs to feed upon them.
Ill:
In fact many believe Golgotha:
• May have been called the place of the skull, not because the hill was skull shaped,
• But because it was littered with skulls from previous crucifixions.
Now the dead bodies of criminals were:
• (1). Left to rot.
• (2). Or a relative of the criminal could claim his body for burial.
• All of Jesus' relatives were Galileans, from up north.
• And none of them would have possessed a tomb in Jerusalem (south):
• But Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man stepped in,
• And fulfilled this verse of the prophecy.
• Christ died with both the wicked i.e. criminals.
• And with the rich, i.e. in the tomb of a wealthy man.
(5). His Exaltation (verses 10-12)
In this section we see:
• God's perspective on his Son's suffering.
• And we see the vindication of one so unjustly condemned.
2Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
• These verses in chapter 53 show us the God ward side of the cross:
• All of this was planned by God and His plan was a complete success.
(1). He was rewarded (Verse 10):
(1). HIS FATHER'S APPROVAL:
His death "pleased the Lord." or "was the Lord's will":
• Obviously this does not mean;
• That the Father rejoiced in His Son's suffering and death.
• But it pleased Him to see the work of salvation completed,
• The sacrifice accepted, and sin atoned for.
• Verse 10 makes it clear that Christ's death was not a 'moral example';
• It was an offering for sin. He died in our place.
(B). HIS FATHER'S POWER:
Christ's reward for obeying the father's will:
• He that he was raised from the dead: "He shall prolong His days".
• We will look at that in more detail in a moment.
(C). HIS FATHER'S GIFTS.
• He has been given a family.
• Verse 10: "He shall see His offspring" or "seed".
• Ill: This verse is fulfilled by Christ in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 13.
• Quote: And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."
Ill:
In Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 Jesus 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.
(2). He was resurrected (Verse 11):
"After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life? and be satisfied?;
ill:
• The year was 1947.
• The place was a cave near the north-west shore of the Dead Sea.
• Among the find was the oldest known scrolls of the book of Isaiah.
• Both scrolls found display the word "Light" as the object of the verb.
Quote: The N.I.V translates verse 12 this way:
"After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life? and be satisfied?"
• In triumph Jesus emerged from the darkness of death,
• And saw the light of resurrection light.
Ill:
• God had promised in Psalm 16 verse 10 that if ever there lived a perfect man,
• His body would not see decay, corruption.
• In these verses God is reaffirming that promise,
• And of course he went on to fulfil, to keep that promise.
(3). He was victorious (Verse 12):
"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong".
Ill:
• These words are a picture, an illustration;
• A victorious military leader or king helped himself to the riches of the defeated enemy.
• Because Jesus on the cross has conquered sin and Satan;
• He can now divides the spoils, he has plundered the riches of the evil one.
"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great":
• When He was on earth, Christ was lightly esteemed,
• But now He is ranked with "the great".
Kings will bow to Him because of his great victory on the cross:
• And so in these closing statements,
• We are taken 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).
In conclusion:
Ill:
Is a picture of the cross, viewed from 2 viewpoints:
• Spain Holiday - visit a Monseratt.
• Look up and it's awesome, but if you look down it's even more amazing.
• Two different views;
• Giving two different insights.
Isaiah chapter 53 is a picture of the cross, viewed from two viewpoints:
• (1). From Mankind's perspective.
• (2). God's perspective.
(1). MANKIND / A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW.
• Notice as you read the chapter,
• That the seven things he bore, our all "Ours".
e.g.
• (1). Verse 4: "Surely he took up OUR infirmities".
• (2). Verse 4: "And carried OUR sorrows".
• (3). Verse 5: "But he was pierced for OUR transgressions".
• (4). Verse 5: "He was crushed for OUR iniquities".
• (5). Verse 5: "The punishment that brought US peace was upon him".
• (6). Verse 5: "And by his wounds are WE healed".
• (7). Verse 6: "And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of US all".
(2). THE CROSS VIEWED FROM GOD'S VIEWPOINT:
• Again there are seven aspects;
• And again, notice he is punished on behalf of others, not for himself.
• (1). Verse 8: "For the transgression of MY people he was stricken".
• (2). Verse 10: "The LORD makes his life a guilt offering".
• (3). Verse 11: "By his knowledge MY righteous servant will justify many".
• (4). Verse 11: "And he will bear THEIR iniquities".
• (5). Verse 12: "I will give him.... because he was numbered with the transgressors".
• (6). Verse 12: "For he bore the sin of many".
• (7). Verse 13: "And made intercession for the transgressors".
So Isaiah chapter 53 is a picture of the sufferings and the cross of Jesus, viewed from two perspectives:
• (1). From Mankind's viewpoint.
• (2). God's perspective
