Suffering Servant

 The Suffering Servant: Isaiah 53

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, like a root out of dry ground. But he was pierced for our transgression, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed..” 

Isaiah 53:2a,5

Isaiah 53 is often referred to as the gospel of the Old Testament. It is here we find the beautiful, humbling, and heart-wrenching depiction of God’s gracious plan of redemption for all mankind: a salvation only possible through the suffering of the righteous Savior. Scripture reveals to us mankind’s depravity and inability to meet God’s standard of righteousness. We must be convinced and fully understanding of our need for salvation in order to fully appreciate the harrowing beauty of Isaiah 53. There is nothing in us deserving a savior, but much necessitating one.  

Yet, man’s sinful fall did not take the Father, nor the Son, by surprise. Isaiah’s prophecy came 700 years before Christ’s birth and we do well to remember this has been God’s plan since before man’s fall. Jesus’ birth into our world wasn’t plan B. It was always the plan, and there was always a purpose. 

Even though our recent Christmas celebrations are past, Isaiah reminds us the manger without the cross is meaningless. Why is it that a Holy God, immeasurable in beauty and splendor took on such a humble form through a humble entrance? Why did a limitless God place upon himself the constraints of a babe in a womb, the body of a man? Since the fall of Adam all men in all time deserve condemnation. Yet Jesus, as a servant of God, intentionally came into this world to bear such condemnation for us-as to restore us to a right relationship with the Father. He suffered, not to serve us, but to serve Father God. Behold the Suffering Servant!

Suffering is hard to write about, read about, or watch; even harder yet to endure. In Isaiah we read our Savior was oppressed, afflicted, slaughtered, judged, pierced, despised, rejected, cut off, stricken, and crushed. Any other than God himself would at best shrink from such pain and sorrow and at worst, sink beneath it. Yet He bore them voluntarily. The crush of death upon him resulted in the crush of death by him. 

Imagine as a parent holding your newborn, caressing his soft and flawless skin, and delighting in his every breath while all the while knowing this precious, innocent baby would one day be beaten beyond recognition- to the point of death for those unworthy. The Father knew. He could have interceded, yet did not in order that Christ may intercede for us: for you, for me. The innocent Son was separated from the Father because of our sin, our guilt.   

Christ did not plead his innocence nor his defense as we are so aptly prone to do. It was not a lack of power that allowed such suffering. It was wisdom and power that kept him there. Jesus’ birth into the world that glorious first Christmas initiated our birth into God’s family. His innocence bore our iniquity. His suffering allowed for our sanctification. His piercing was our peace. May our praises echo in wonder that of the angels proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men, on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).