Messiah’s Sacrifice

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)

God’s servant would come bringing a message of hope and salvation, as described in Isaiah 53:7-10.  Now we begin to learn more details about the messenger himself, and the things he will experience.  Previously Isaiah has served as a type or illustration, but here the description goes far beyond what Isaiah experienced.   The Messiah will be very wise in his dealings with people and will be praised and honored above anyone else, so that the kings and rulers will be silenced by his power, and he will influence many nations, even though he will be so abused and mistreated he will be almost unrecognizable.   As a result people will be amazed at how he is viewed, forcing even the powerful and educated to consider things they would normally ignore. 

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  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.  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.” (Isaiah 53:1-3)

Though the Jews were expecting the Messiah, even Jesus’ disciples could not believe he would be executed.   The year of his birth was predicted by Daniel, yet only a few were aware he had been born, with the King having to ask the educated men where he would be born, perhaps as much as two years after it happened.   Because they didn’t believe he was the Messiah, the Jewish leaders had Jesus executed in an effort to silence him. 

They were expecting him to come as king with a mighty army who would sweep through the land destroying the Roman forces.  Instead Christ came as a little baby born to an ignored branch of David’s family.  He was so totally ordinary that nobody would even give him a second glance.  Being homeless, most people would avoid contact with him, literally looking the other way and treating him as if he was nobody.  There was no concern for the sufferings and loneliness he experienced. 

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  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.  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.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Jesus experienced the same sorrows and concerns as other people, empathizing with other people to the point of experiencing the same hurt.  Other than his disciples and a few women, the Jewish people either viewed Jesus’ execution as punishment from God and something he deserved.  They didn’t understand or consider that he was the only one of them who didn’t deserve what he was suffering.  He was literally taking their punishment, to enable them to avoid damnation themselves, even as they cheered and egged on his executioners.

“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.  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.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)

When he was beaten and mocked, and spat upon, Jesus did not threaten of accuse his abusers.  He was denied a fair trial and rushed to judgment with no opportunity to obtain legal representation and was condemned to die even though the Judge, Pilate, said he found no evidence of wrongdoing.  He was executed without ever establishing a family to carry on his name.  His death was a direct result of the Jews rebellion against God and his law. 

“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.  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.  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.” (Isaiah 53:9-11)

Jesus was executed alongside two thieves who, by their own testimony, were guilty of the crimes of which they were accused, though he had done nothing to hurt or take advantage of anyone.  He was buried in a rich man’s (Joseph of Aramathea’s) tomb because he had nothing of his own.  God chose to have him suffer these things in order that he might make an offering to pay for the sins of others.   Jesus’ suffering for sin satisfied the demands of God’s justice and because he willingly experienced it many will be made right with God because he paid for their sins.  Because he has honored God’s standard he will be given eternity with those he has chosen as his children. 

“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.” (Isaiah 53:12)

God will give Christ authority over the entire universe, sharing everything with him because he willingly gave his own life for others, being considered one of the evil and taking their place to intercede on their behalf, as has been mentioned several times before in Isaiah’s writings.