Go! And Behold the Suffering Saviour - Isaiah 53 (NLT)
Opening Prayer:
Gracious Father,
We come before You in reverence and humility, asking that You open our eyes to see Jesus afresh through the power of Your Word. Speak through the pages of Isaiah 53. Let us behold the suffering Saviour, exalt Him in our hearts, and respond with repentance and faith. In Jesus’ powerful name we pray. Amen.
Introduction: The Most Misunderstood Messiah
Church, one of the most beautiful, powerful, and heart-wrenching chapters in all of Scripture is Isaiah 53. It reads like an eyewitness account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ—yet it was written over 700 years before He was born.
This chapter is often called the Gospel in the Old Testament. If you want to see Jesus—who He is, what He’s done, and why it matters—you will find Him here.
Isaiah 53 (NLT):
1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honours of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Point 1: The Suffering Servant Was Despised – But He Came for Us
(Isaiah 53:2–3)
We expect a Messiah to come in splendour—but Jesus came in simplicity. He didn’t arrive with fanfare, but in humility. The people of His day missed Him because He didn’t fit their image of a saviour.
Hebrew Word Study: "Despised" – ?????? (bazah) – to regard as worthless, to treat with contempt.
Jesus was not merely overlooked—He was rejected. He felt what it was to be abandoned and misunderstood.
John 1:10–11 (NLT): "He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognise him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him."
Charles Stanley said: "God’s plan for your life may not look like what you expected, but it will be far better than what you imagined."
And Church, that is so true of Jesus. He didn’t come as we expected—but He came as we needed.
Point 2: The Substitutionary Sacrifice – Pierced for Our Rebellion
(Isaiah 53:4–6)
This is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus took our place.
This passage reveals penal substitution—Christ bearing the penalty of our sin. He was pierced (Hebrew: chalal – to bore through, fatally wound) not for His sin, but for ours.
1 Peter 2:24 (NLT): "He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed."
John Piper wrote: "The wisdom of God devised a way for the love of God to satisfy the wrath of God without compromising the justice of God."
Let that truth grip your heart. Jesus didn’t just die with us in mind—He died instead of us.
The Bridge Operator
A story is told of a man who operated a drawbridge for a railway. One day, his young son fell into the gears. A train was approaching, and the man had to make an impossible choice: save his son or save the people on the train. With tears, he pulled the lever. The bridge came down. The train passed safely. But his son was gone.
That is a small glimpse of what the Father did for us—choosing to sacrifice His only Son so we might be saved.
Point 3: Silent Before His Accusers – A Lamb to the Slaughter
(Isaiah 53:7)
Jesus did not defend Himself. He submitted to suffering so He might redeem us.
Greek Word in Septuagint: The word for “silent” in the Greek rendering is s???? (sigao) – to keep quiet, not out of weakness, but purposeful restraint.
Matthew 26:62–63 (NLT): "Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?' But Jesus remained silent."
Tim Keller said: "Jesus lost His Father’s presence so we could gain it. He was forsaken so we could be adopted."
The silence of Jesus was the sound of love fulfilling prophecy.
Point 4: The Purposeful Pain – It Was the Lord’s Will
(Isaiah 53:10)
This verse shocks us: “It was the Lord’s good plan to crush him.”
God did not delight in the suffering itself, but in what that suffering would accomplish—salvation for many.
Romans 5:8 (NLT): "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
Max Lucado said: "Nails didn’t hold Jesus to the cross. Love did."
That love was not sentimental—it was sacrificial. The Father’s plan was always the cross. The Son obeyed fully.
Point 5: The Result – Many Made Righteous
(Isaiah 53:11–12)
The anguish of Jesus leads to our acceptance. He is satisfied—not because He suffered, but because His suffering saved.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT): "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."
R.T. Kendall once stated: "God forgives instantly, thoroughly, and eternally. Not because we deserve it—but because Christ paid for it."
Amen! That’s the Gospel in one sentence.
Gospel Presentation:
Beloved, Isaiah 53 is not just ancient poetry. It is divine prophecy. And every line points to Jesus Christ.
He was despised—so we could be accepted.
He was pierced—so we could be healed.
He was punished—so we could be forgiven.
He died—so we could live.
He was buried—and on the third day, He rose again.
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Repent. Believe. Trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Call to Action:
To the believer: Don’t become desensitised to the cross. Preach it to yourself daily. Worship in awe. Live with gratitude.
To the unbeliever: Jesus took your place. Turn from your sin. Believe in Him. You don’t need to clean yourself up first. Come as you are. He’ll do the cleansing.
Invitation to Salvation:
“Lord Jesus, I believe You suffered and died for me. I admit my sin. I turn from my rebellion and trust in You as my Saviour. Cleanse me. Forgive me. Fill me with Your Spirit and help me live for You. Amen.”
Benediction:
May you walk in the shadow of the cross—
Not in shame, but in victory.
May the Word of Isaiah 53 burn in your heart,
Reminding you that you are loved, redeemed, and called.
Go now, and live in the joy of your salvation,
Honouring the Suffering Servant who is now the Risen King!
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
