THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ISAIAH
A study of Isaiah 53
“The Life & Ministry Of God’s Servant ”
Isaiah 53:1-4
Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned he stood,
sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
There are so many aspects of Christ’s Passion that demand our attention and provoke our praise; for me, the reality that I find most astonishing is Christ’s humiliation. I am always amazed and filled with awe when I think that what Jesus did, He did for me! The sinless Son of God gave His life so that we could be redeemed.
F. B. Meyer describes the mystery of Christ’s humiliation. he said:
”The tender plant; the sucker (shoot) painfully pushing its way through the crust of the caked ground; the absence of natural attractiveness. Such imagery awaits and receives its full interpretation from the New Testament, with its story of Christ’s peasant parentage, his manger-bed, and lowly circumstances—fisherfolk his choice disciples; poverty his constant lot; the common people his devoted admirers; thieves and malefactors on either side of his cross; the lowly and poor the constituents of his Church. This were humiliation indeed, though the irregularities of human lot are scarce distinguishable from the heights whence He came.” (Source: Believer’s Bible Commentary: William MacDonald)
Isaiah’s prophecy declared that God’s Servant “is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (v3)
Truly, Jesus Christ was “a Man of sorrows” who knew first hand what grief was. It was not that He was just unappreciated or ignored by the people He came to save, He was “despised and rejected”.
In the prelude to this wonderful chapter God declared that His Servant would “deal prudently”, The life of Jesus proves that He most certainly discerned and accomplished the will of His Father. Though there are moments in His life where it seems as if Jesus “stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted”, Yahweh was never far away from His Son. As promised in this prophecy, Jesus “grew up before Him as a tender plant, as a root out of dry ground”. Throughout the unparalleled life of Jesus Christ, God the Father was there every step of the way!
Luke tells us about Christ’s birth in Bethlehem and gives us a glimpse into His early days in Nazareth as He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) All four of the Gospel writers tell of how Jesus’ forerunner, John, baptized Him in the Jordan River. When He was baptized the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove; and the Father spoke from Heaven and saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
After His baptism Jesus was led by the Holy Spirt into the wilderness where He was tempted by Satan for forty days. After this our Lord’s earthly ministry commenced; following John’s imprisonment Jesus came into the region of Galilee preaching and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15)
Early in His ministry while walking along the shores of the Sea Of Galilee, Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James and John to leave their nets and follow Him. He informed those first Disciples that He would make them to become “fishers of men”.
Those men went with Jesus into a synagogue in Capernaum and listened as He taught and watched as He cast an unclean spirit out of a man. From there they went to Peter’s house and witnessed Jesus heal Peter’s Mother-in-law. Later that evening crowds of people began to bring their sick to Him and Christ performed many miracles. (At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Mark 1:32-33)
Jesus and His Disciples journeyed back to Galilee and He repeatedly entered into the synagogues and preached, healed the sick, and cast out demons.
In one of those synagogues a leper came to Him seeking a miracle; Jesus cleansed Him and made him whole. Jesus warned that man not to tell anyone of the miracle; however he was so excited about what Jesus had done for him that he began to publically proclaim it throughout the area. This caused Jesus’ fame to spread, so much so that “Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.” (Mark 1:45)
In those early days multitudes gathered everywhere that Jesus went. On one occasion, in a certain house (possibly Peter’s) the crowd was so large that there was no room for anyone else to get in the door. But there was a paralyzed man who was so desperate to get to Jesus that four of his friends lowered him down through the ceiling to where Jesus was. Seeing their faith, Jesus stopped His teaching and said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." Immediately he was healed and began to walk.
The crowd was astonished and overcome with joy; Mark says that they “were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" However, there were certain scribes there who became enraged and thought that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy because He said to the man “son, your sins are forgiven.”
One day Jesus came upon the booth of a tax collector named Levi. When Jesus saw him He said to that despised publican, “come and follow me.” Levi left all and followed Jesus. Afterwards he invited Jesus and His Disciples to come to his home for a meal. Many of Levi’s friends and fellow tax collectors were there as well. When the Pharisees saw this they were enraged that Jesus would "eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Upon hearing this, Jesus proclaimed "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Mark 2:17)
The Pharisees consistently found fault in the things that Jesus said and did. They were upset that He and His Disciples did not fast. They became angry because Jesus allowed His Disciples to pick heads of grain on the Sabbath. They were especially furious when Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath day. In response to this, the Pharisees went out and joined their enemies, the Herodians and began to devise a plan to destroy Jesus. Undeterred by their antics, Jesus continued to teach, heal the sick, and cast out demons.
One day, Jesus ascended a mountain and selected Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon and Judas Iscariot to be His Disciples. Scripture tells us that He appointed these 12 men, “that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14)
Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus teaching in the synagogues, in homes, and along the sea shore. On one occasion the Lord used Peter’s boat as a pulpit. Much of Jesus’ teaching was done by using parables. Though the exact number varies depending on interpretation, Jesus taught more than 30 parables and some suggest that the total number could be over 50.
One day, when evening came, Jesus and His Disciples entered a boat to go to the other side of the sea. During this trip a massive storm arose and the boat was violently tossed to and fro. While this was going on, Jesus was asleep. As the boat began to fill with water, the Disciples woke Him up and said "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Jesus stood up and said, “peace be still”. At the sound of His voice “the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” Upon seeing this, the Disciples “feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
When they reached the other side of the sea, Jesus was met by a man who was tormented by unclean spirits. He spent his days running naked in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. Jesus delivered that man from the unclean spirts and sent them into a herd of approximately 2000 swine; those pigs ran off a steep cliff and drowned in the sea.
The people of that area implored Jesus to leave the area. So, He and the Disciples boarded the boat and headed back to the other side of the lake. As soon as they reached the shore, the multitudes met Jesus and the miracles continued.
Later, Jesus encountered a ruler in the synagogue named Jairus whose young daughter had just died. Jesus went to his home and raised that little girl from the dead. On the way Jesus healed a woman who had suffered from “an issue of blood” for twelve years.
It was around this time that Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth. As was His custom, on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught the people. However, the people of Nazareth did not believe in Him so He healed a few sick people and then went to the surrounding areas teaching and ministering to others.
From there Jesus went back to the seashore and “when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)
As the day drew to an end, the Disciples came to Him and tried to get Him to send the crowd away to that they could go and find food for themselves. Instead of sending them away, Jesus performed one of His greatest miracles. He took five loaves and two fish and blessed them and he multiplied those meager provisions and fed five thousand people.
After this, Jesus instructed the Disciples to get on the boat and set sail for the other side of the sea, however He did not go with them. Instead, He went to a secluded place and spent several hours with His Father in prayer. During this time, the Disciples encountered a great storm on the water; they were straining hard at the oars and trying to get control of the boat. As this was happening, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. The moment that He stepped into the boat the wind ceased and the sea was calm once more.
Once they arrived at Gennesaret the people recognized them and as had been the case so many times before, the multitudes surrounded Jesus. They brought their sick to Him hoping that He would heal them; and that is exactly what He did.
From there Jesus and the Disciples traveled to the region of Tyre. Upon entering a certain house Jesus was confronted by a gentile woman, a Syrophoenician to be exact. She implored Him to deliver her daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit. Amazed by her faith, Jesus granted her request and healed her daughter.
Jesus then went to Sidon, then to the Sea of Galilee, and into the region of Decapolis. There Jesus healed a man who was both deaf and mute. Jesus instructed those who were present not to tell anyone about the miracle, but they were so astonished that they could not contain themselves. They went out and proclaimed the mighty works of Jesus. Mark 7:37 says, “they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
On another occasion Jesus was once again confronted with a massive crowd with nothing to eat, Jesus had compassion on them and just as He had done previously, He fed them; this time using only seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. He multiplied the food, instructed the Disciples to serve the people, and well over four thousand people were fed.
After this Jesus is seen in Bethsaida, where He gave a blind man His sight. From there our Lord journeyed to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. It was here that Peter made His accurate proclamation that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Right after this, Jesus delivered the first prediction of His impending death, burial and resurrection. (Mark 8:31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.)
In one of the most marvelous moments in the Gospels, Peter, James, & John traveled with Jesus up the mount of Transfiguration. Once at the pinnacle those men watched as Jesus was transfigured. His clothes became dazzling; they were whiter than any launderer on earth could whiten them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking to Him. After this, the Father spoke from Heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him!”
We can trace the steps of Jesus from Capernaum, to Judea and beyond the Jordan; all along the way crowds gathered around Him; Jesus never missed the opportunity to teach them. Quite often, Pharisees within in the crowd would test Him. Every time Jesus astonished and angered them with His responses to their challenges.
There came a point in His ministry when the Savior set His sights on Jerusalem and the ultimate mission that He came to accomplish.
Mark 10:32 they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were astonished, but those who followed him were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things that would happen to him. 33 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 and they will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him, and he will rise after three days.”
Even knowing what was waiting once He arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus never ceased showing compassion on people. On His way into the City, Jesus passed through Jericho and encountered a poor blind beggar named Bartimaeus; Jesus healed him physically and spiritually.
I could literally go on for days sharing the many amazing things that Jesus did. Time does not permit us to cover all of the doctrines that Jesus taught along the way. (It would take months for us to cover the content of The Sermon on the Mount and The Olivet Discourse.) I have mentioned many miracles but we have only scratched the surface. In fact, there is much of Jesus story that we do not even know. John’s Gospel account closes with these words:
“And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)
Even with all the miracles that Jesus performed, the ministry that He was involved in, the messages that He taught, and the prophecies that He fulfilled, Jesus was still “despised and rejected by men”. Though “the Arm of the Lord” had been revealed, the majority refused to “believe the report” concerning God’s Messiah.
The Apostle John summed it up so well when He said, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12)
There are severe and eternal consequences for all who reject the Lord Jesus. The scriptures provide ample proof that Jesus is the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. He is the Seed of Abraham, the promised King from the line of David, He is the Messiah. He is Lord, He is Savior, He is the Christ!
Guilty, helpless, lost were we;
blameless Lamb of God was he,
sacrificed to set us free:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
He was lifted up to die;
"It is finished" was his cry;
now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
When he comes, our glorious King,
all his ransomed home to bring,
then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
“Man of sorrows”, what a name!
We have seen a brief overview of the life of Jesus Christ, but there is much more for us to consider. Once our Lord made His way into Jerusalem his Passion began. Next time we will move from “The Life & Ministry Of God’s Servant” to “The Suffering & Death Of God’s Servant”. Then, Lord willing we conclude with “The Resurrection & Exaltation Of God’s Servant”. In closing I would like to echo the words of this prophecy and encourage you to “Behold the Servant Of God”
“Man of sorrows”, what a name (Hymn lyrics by Philip P. Bliss)
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