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.