Isaiah 53: A Vision Of Hope Pt. 2
The 53rd chapter of the book of Isaiah is a very powerful prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah and the sufferings which He would endure. We'll conclude our study of this stirring and expressive chapter as we look at verses 7-12...
"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. 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 the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 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."
Verse 7 tells us a lot about the nature and character of Jesus, as He did not protest the punishment which was delivered to Him, although it was cruel, unusual, and undeserved. "He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter..." the meekness of Christ foretold so eloquently by Isaiah here, and as he continues..."and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Jesus chose not to speak on His own behalf, or to declare His innocence, because His suffering and death was necessary in order to satisfy the wrath of God. He willingly laid down His life, taking the punishment that we all deserve. Jesus confirms this in John 10:17-18..."Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
With verse 8, Isaiah tells us that the Messiah was "taken from prison and from judgment". Jesus was betrayed by Judas and taken prisoner by the Roman soldiers, but we are never told that He was imprisoned, which would lead to the conclusion that the "prison" which Isaiah speaks of is the grave, and this would certainly be validated by the resurrection of Christ. An interesting side note here is the fact that both His betrayer, Judas Iscariot, and His judge, Pontius Pilate, would declare His innocence, hence His being "taken from prison and from judgment." Isaiah goes on to ask the question, "...and who shall declare his generation?" There are two schools of thought on this phrase, one which defines the query as, "Who can comprehend the wickedness of a generation which would execute an innocent man?" while the other puts forth that the phrase, "who shall declare his generation?" refers to the eternal life of Jesus, and the incomprehensible nature of His everlasting kingdom. Both views provide valid points, and are not contradictory in any way, they are just different ways of interpreting the verse. Isaiah continues..."for he was cut off from the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." The fulfillment of this prophecy would come with the death of Jesus, and Isaiah counts himself among those whose transgressions the Messiah would suffer and die for.
"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." Jesus was crucified between two thieves, as if He had been the worst of the three, but He was not buried in the place where He died, as would have been common in the death of criminals. Rather, He was buried in a new grave which belonged to a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea, thereby fulfilling yet another aspect of the prophecy. The fact that Jesus was buried in an honorable way distinguished Him from a common criminal, and set Him apart as One who did not die for his own crimes, but for the sins of others.
At this point in the chapter, there is a shift in focus from the physical sufferings and death of Jesus to the sufficiency of His sacrifice, that is, the satisfaction of the wrath of God, as it was poured out upon Him. Verse 10 begins with a rather cryptic phrase..."Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:" This is in reference to the fact that justice and righteous judgment must be maintained; by the process of transference of the sin of all mankind onto the body of Jesus, the curse of sin was abolished and the wrath of God because of sin was satisfied through the suffering and death of Christ on the cross. Isaiah goes on to write..."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." As the sacrificial lamb, as the bullock upon the altar, Jesus was appointed to be born upon this earth, and to endure the penalty and consequence of sin in His own body, as we read in 1 John 2:2..."he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." From the transgression of Adam, and throughout history, to our sins today, righteous judgment for all sin was laid upon the shoulders of Jesus, as we read in Romans 6:23..."For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Finally, we read in verse 12..."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." After the death of Jesus upon the cross, and His burial, His resurrection solidified our salvation, and the beginning of His glorification. He was exalted as He returned to Heaven, to sit at the right hand of God, and because He bore our sins, He is supremely qualified to intercede on our behalf. A beautiful summary of these thoughts is found in Hebrews 7:25-27..."Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself."
One thing is certain...we are all guilty before God. Our own sin, as well as original sin which was laid to our charge, has separated us from God. As we read in Romans 3:23..."For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..." and earlier in this chapter..."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." We have all strayed from the path which God intended for us; we are, by our very nature, a rebellious people, as Isaiah reveals in chapter 59:1-2..."Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Had it not been for the precious blood that Jesus shed on the cross, we would be without hope. Finally, we read in 1 Peter 2:21-25..."For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
"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. 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.
Verse 7 tells us a lot about the nature and character of Jesus, as He did not protest the punishment which was delivered to Him, although it was cruel, unusual, and undeserved. "He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter..." the meekness of Christ foretold so eloquently by Isaiah here, and as he continues..."and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Jesus chose not to speak on His own behalf, or to declare His innocence, because His suffering and death was necessary in order to satisfy the wrath of God. He willingly laid down His life, taking the punishment that we all deserve. Jesus confirms this in John 10:17-18..."Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
With verse 8, Isaiah tells us that the Messiah was "taken from prison and from judgment". Jesus was betrayed by Judas and taken prisoner by the Roman soldiers, but we are never told that He was imprisoned, which would lead to the conclusion that the "prison" which Isaiah speaks of is the grave, and this would certainly be validated by the resurrection of Christ. An interesting side note here is the fact that both His betrayer, Judas Iscariot, and His judge, Pontius Pilate, would declare His innocence, hence His being "taken from prison and from judgment." Isaiah goes on to ask the question, "...and who shall declare his generation?" There are two schools of thought on this phrase, one which defines the query as, "Who can comprehend the wickedness of a generation which would execute an innocent man?" while the other puts forth that the phrase, "who shall declare his generation?" refers to the eternal life of Jesus, and the incomprehensible nature of His everlasting kingdom. Both views provide valid points, and are not contradictory in any way, they are just different ways of interpreting the verse. Isaiah continues..."for he was cut off from the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." The fulfillment of this prophecy would come with the death of Jesus, and Isaiah counts himself among those whose transgressions the Messiah would suffer and die for.
"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." Jesus was crucified between two thieves, as if He had been the worst of the three, but He was not buried in the place where He died, as would have been common in the death of criminals. Rather, He was buried in a new grave which belonged to a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea, thereby fulfilling yet another aspect of the prophecy. The fact that Jesus was buried in an honorable way distinguished Him from a common criminal, and set Him apart as One who did not die for his own crimes, but for the sins of others.
At this point in the chapter, there is a shift in focus from the physical sufferings and death of Jesus to the sufficiency of His sacrifice, that is, the satisfaction of the wrath of God, as it was poured out upon Him. Verse 10 begins with a rather cryptic phrase..."Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:" This is in reference to the fact that justice and righteous judgment must be maintained; by the process of transference of the sin of all mankind onto the body of Jesus, the curse of sin was abolished and the wrath of God because of sin was satisfied through the suffering and death of Christ on the cross. Isaiah goes on to write..."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." As the sacrificial lamb, as the bullock upon the altar, Jesus was appointed to be born upon this earth, and to endure the penalty and consequence of sin in His own body, as we read in 1 John 2:2..."he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." From the transgression of Adam, and throughout history, to our sins today, righteous judgment for all sin was laid upon the shoulders of Jesus, as we read in Romans 6:23..."For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Finally, we read in verse 12..."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." After the death of Jesus upon the cross, and His burial, His resurrection solidified our salvation, and the beginning of His glorification. He was exalted as He returned to Heaven, to sit at the right hand of God, and because He bore our sins, He is supremely qualified to intercede on our behalf. A beautiful summary of these thoughts is found in Hebrews 7:25-27..."Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself."
One thing is certain...we are all guilty before God. Our own sin, as well as original sin which was laid to our charge, has separated us from God. As we read in Romans 3:23..."For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..." and earlier in this chapter..."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." We have all strayed from the path which God intended for us; we are, by our very nature, a rebellious people, as Isaiah reveals in chapter 59:1-2..."Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Had it not been for the precious blood that Jesus shed on the cross, we would be without hope. Finally, we read in 1 Peter 2:21-25..."For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
Comments
Post a Comment