The Life & Ministry Of God's Servant Series

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)