Introduction

‘Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.’ Isaiah 53:1-3

This chapter begins by describing the extreme humiliation of the Messiah. The Messiah is so despised and humiliated that none believe the prophecy of his future, Isaiah 53:1, not even the apostles and close disciples at first, Luke 24:1-11 / Luke 24:15-27. The ‘arm of the Lord’, Isaiah 53:1, means that God strongly intervened in history in order to bring about the fulfilment of this prophecy.

The first verse refers to fleshly Israel and is quoted by Paul, Romans 10:16, to show that few were obedient to the Gospel of Christ, John 1:11 / John 12:38. He is a ‘shoot’ growing up in dry ground or in unlikely places, Isaiah 53:2 / Isaiah 11:10 / John 1:46. God’s leaders have often come from out of the way and insignificant places. Jesus was the opposite of what the Jews expected.

The Messiah is a ‘shoot’ from the root of Jesse, Isaiah 11:1. There is nothing about the person of Jesus that attracted the Jews who were looking for an earthly king and kingdom, Isaiah 53:2 / John 18:36. His appearance to the Jews caused them to despise Him, Isaiah 53:3, because they used a worldly standard to measure Him, Psalm 22. Many of those to whom He came didn’t accept Him as the Messiah and Son of God, Isaiah 53:3 / John 1:10-11. He was well acquainted with the sorrows of the earth, Isaiah 53:3 / Hebrews 2:18 / Hebrews 4:15.

‘Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ Isaiah 53:4-6

Those who were with Him during His ministry wouldn’t stand with Him during His trials and crucifixion. Nevertheless, God accomplished His work through Him. Here we read that the former despisers of the Messiah now confess Him.

Those who formerly despised the Messiah because of His sufferings, now confess that those sufferings were for a different purpose than they had supposed. Whereas they had supposed the sufferings to be a just reward of a pretender, they now see the real meaning of the cross, Romans 4:25 / 2 Corinthians 5:16-17. Those who rejected Jesus accused Him of being from Beelzebul, and so, stricken by God for assuming to be the Son of God, Mark 14:61-64 / Luke 22:37.

All of our burdens, sorrows, and sins are borne by the Messiah, Isaiah 53:4 / Matthew 8:17. Isaiah 53:5, continues the true state of the case as contrasted with their false judgement. Peter quotes this passage in 1 Peter 2:24, He was bruised through crucifixion but in being bruised, He crushed the head of Satan, Genesis 3:15.

His sinless person died as the perfect sin offering, Isaiah 53:5 / Hebrews 9:28 / 2 Corinthians 5:21. All the redeemed body confessed with penitence that he whom they so grossly misunderstood was made a sin offering for them, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Notice the text says they ‘have gone astray’, Isaiah 53:6, it doesn’t say they were ‘born astray’! It means the world had wandered off into sin, Numbers 27:17 / 1 Kings 22:17 / Psalms 119:176 / Ezekiel 34:5 / Zechariah 10:2 / Matthew 9:36.

The cross, therefore, was by grace, for there was no one who was righteous, and so, deserving of the forgiveness of God, Romans 3:9-10 / Romans 3:23. He seeks to do only that which is right in his own eyes. The full weight of sin which belonged to the whole mass of mankind rested upon Jesus, Isaiah 53:6. He suffered on behalf of the wicked, Mark 10:45.

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Note here that the prophecy states that Jehovah laid the sins of all men upon Jesus. This corresponds with Paul’s statement that ‘God set forth his Son to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood’, Romans 3:25. Thus the initiative lay with God in the sufferings of Jesus upon the Cross.’

1. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. God was not the only one, however, who had a part in Jesus’ sacrifice upon the Cross.

2. Satan did indeed bruise the heel of the Seed of Woman.

3. Christ Himself engineered His death upon Calvary, Luke 9:31.

4. The Jews crucified Him.

5. The Romans crucified Him.

6. The human race crucified Him.

7. Every man crucified Him.

‘He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.’ Isaiah 53:7-9

Here we read of the prophecy of the suffering, death, and burial of Jesus. He was harshly treated and mishandled, yet He opened not his mouth, Isaiah 53:7. Peter holds this forth as our perfect example, 1 Peter 2:21-24. He humbled Himself to be mistreated by those whom He had created, Colossians 1:16 / Philippians 2:5-8.

In the ill-treatment He received, He offered no retaliation, 1 Peter 2:23, but accepted it in humble obedience, John 10:17-18 / Matthew 26:63 / Hebrews 5:8-9. Jesus came specifically into the world to be the sacrificial Lamb of God, Isaiah 53:7 / John 1:29.

Isaiah now speaks of the closing portion of the life of Jesus. It was by a judicial crime that our Lord was condemned Isaiah 53:8. The judgement of Pilate declared Christ to be innocent, but this judgement was taken away Isaiah 53:8. He had done nothing by which He deserved the treatment He received. He was the sacrificial lamb of God, John 1:36 / Revelation 5:12. He was literally snatched from the land of the living for the transgression of His people, Isaiah 53:8 / Galatians 3:13-14.

In having seen the patience with which He suffered and the manner of His death, there is now offered a brief glance at his burial, Isaiah 53:9. The antithesis is in what the Jews would have done in His burial and in what was actually done by Joseph of Arimathea, Matthew 27:57-61 / John 19:38-42.

‘Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.’ Isaiah 53:10-12

Here we read that God extended the life of the Messiah, Revelation 1:18. God allowed Christ to suffer in our place, Isaiah 53:10. He became an offering for our sin, Isaiah 53:10 / 2 Corinthians 5:21. When He was made an offering, His life was thus extended, Isaiah 53:10 / Hebrews 9:14 / Hebrews 10:5-7.

Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.

1. Because the Messiah had voluntarily submitted himself to those sorrows which were necessary to show the evil of sin; and in view of the great object to be gained, the eternal redemption of his people, he was pleased that he would subject himself to so great sorrows to save them. He was pleased with the end in view, and with all that was necessary in order that the end might be secured.

2. Because these sufferings would tend to illustrate the divine perfections, and show the justice and mercy of God. The gift of a Saviour, such as he was, evinced boundless benevolence; his sufferings in behalf of the guilty showed the holiness of his nature and law; and all demonstrated that he was at the same time disposed to save, and yet resolved that no one should be saved by dishonouring his law, or without expiation for the evil which had been done by sin.

3. Because these sorrows would result in the pardon and recovery of an innumerable multitude of lost sinners, and in their eternal happiness and salvation. The whole work was one of benevolence, and Yahweh was pleased with it as a work of pure and disinterested love.

We also read of the blessings given the Messiah for His self-sacrifice. The suffering of Christ was not in vain, Isaiah 53:11. The work of salvation as accomplished by Christ is the great object of His calling and continues victoriously through His mediation, Isaiah 53:11.

He now reaps the fruit of his self-sacrifice in a continuous priestly course, Hebrews 1:3 / Hebrews 8:1 / 1 John 2:1. The last reward of His offering self for sin, for the sin of man, is His full dominion over His kingdom, Isaiah 53:12 / Matthew 28:18 / Acts 2:36 / Hebrews 1:4-8. This promise stands between the humiliation and His exaltation. Jesus receives it because of His sacrifice but people rally around Him because He was exalted above every name, Philippians 2:9-11.

Jesus was worthy to receive the blessing of the church because He gave Himself for all those who have obeyed His death, burial, and resurrection, Isaiah 53:12 / Romans 6:3-6. Jesus was worthy to receive glory, honour and power because He was crucified for transgressors, Isaiah 53:12 / Luke 23:34 / Revelation 4:11.

Go To Isaiah 54