The Suffering Servant
Isaiah asked: Who has believed our message? Who has seen the Lord’s power at work? He’ll grow up like a young plant in dry soil—nothing impressive about him, nothing that makes you take a second look. People will reject him and treat him like he’s nothing. He’ll know suffering inside and out. We’ll turn away from him as if he disgusts us. He’ll be despised, and we won’t give him a second thought.
The truth is, he’ll carry our pain and bear our sorrows. But we’ll assume God is punishing him, that he’s getting what he deserves. But he’ll be wounded because of what we did wrong. He’ll be crushed because of our rebellion. The punishment that brings us peace will fall on him. His wounds will heal us. We’ve all wandered off like sheep, each of us going our own way. And the Lord will lay all our guilt on him.
He’ll be mistreated and tortured, but he won’t say a word. Like a lamb being led to slaughter, like a sheep silent before the shearers—he won’t open his mouth. They’ll arrest him and condemn him. Who will speak up for him? He’ll be executed, cut off from the living. He’ll die because of my people’s sins. They’ll bury him with criminals, lay him in a rich man’s grave—even though he did nothing wrong and never lied.
Yet it was the Lord’s plan to crush him, to let him suffer. When his life becomes an offering for sin, he’ll see his descendants. His days will continue, and the Lord’s purpose will succeed through him. After all his suffering, he’ll see the results and be satisfied. Through knowing him, my righteous servant will make many right with God. He’ll carry the weight of their wrongs. So I’ll honor him among the great. He’ll share the victory with the strong—because he poured out his life to death, was counted among rebels, carried the sins of many, and stood in the gap for the guilty.
Influences
- 14:2 — Isaiah 53:2 (KJV)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.
- 14:3 — Isaiah 53:3 (KJV)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.
- 14:4 — Isaiah 53:4 (KJV)Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
- 14:5 — Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)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.
- 14:6 — Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)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.
- 14:7 — Isaiah 53:7 (KJV)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.
- 14:8 — Isaiah 53:8 (KJV)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.
- 14:9 — Isaiah 53:9 (KJV)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.
- 14:10 — Isaiah 53:10 (KJV)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.
- 14:11 — Isaiah 53:11 (KJV)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.
- 14:12 — Isaiah 53:12 (KJV)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.
- 14:12 — Hebrews 9:28 (KJV)So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.