Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5
I continued my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series - and on Day 4 of Lesson 19, my focus is on Isaiah 52:13-15 through chapter 53. Clearly, this text focuses on Isaiah's prophecy of Jesus - the coming Messiah. My commentary shares the following divisions for this text:
- Christ repulsive but redemptive then exalted (52:13-15)
- Christ the "Arm of the Lord" but human and despised (53:1-3)
- Christ rejected but our atoning substitute (53:4-6)
- Christ innocent but willing to be slaughtered (53:7-9)
- Christ crushed so we could be justified (53:10-12)
The commentary then describes and debunks alternative views how "Israel is the suffering servant" using both Isaiah 53:8 where the text states that He was "stricken for the transgression of my people" - Israel was the transgressor not the suffering servant who was struck and pierced - Jesus was. The commentary then uses Acts 8, where Philip meets the Ethiopian eunuch who is reading Isaiah 53:7-8 and asks for help understanding the text - who is this prophet that is the subject of the text? Philip then unequivocally shares (Acts 8:35) the Good News of Jesus Christ. The commentary then proceeds to states that "the central message of Isaiah 53 is substitutionary atonement. This was the central message of the whole animal sacrificial system, that the blood of a substitute can remove the death penalty for sin." Just as Israel needed animal sacrifice to approach God (Leviticus 16:21 per the commentary), all of us needed Jesus to die on the cross for us to be reconciled to God. The commentary then bluntly states: "[t]hough this transfer of guilt is mysterious, God claims the right to do it, and without it we have no hope." Believers must reflect on this and let it sink in - our only hope is Jesus and because of what He did for us on the cross. Reflect on this and be grateful because we are NOT deserving as all of us sin and the wages of sin are death (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Romans 6:23).
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus, You are an awesome God - I was hostile and an enemy to You but You loved me first and died for me so that I could have life both abundantly now and forever with You in Heaven - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving! My sin continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
