Isaiah 53: Words of Comfort about the Suffering Savior. Pt.16

Good morning to all...

The Messiah was to be smitten and afflicted. 

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

We are working through Isaiah 53 in order to see all of the fulfillment of his prophecy in the person of Jesus Christ. We looked at the first part of verse 4 in our last post and then Isaiah tells us that the people, Romans and Jews thought Christ was stricken and smitten by God in heaven.

Matthew 26:67-68  Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68  Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?  

We connect the vile treatment Christ endured for us with Isaiah's words. The chief priests and their officers spit on Jesus which is an extreme insult inflicted on God's Son. They repeatedly hit Jesus with their fists and slapped Him with their hands. Then, they mocked the Lord. Truly Jesus was stricken and smitten by sinners.

Matthew 27:30-31  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 

The Roman soldiers also jammed a crown of thorns onto the head of Christ and took a hard stick and hit Jesus on His head. The soldiers also mocked Christ. 

Jehovah had a redemptive purpose in His Son's sufferings. 

Isaiah 53:5-6  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. 6  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. 

The Messiah would be wounded for us and bruised for us. The stripes of Roman scourging were laid on the Son of God instead of laying them upon us for our sins. The physical suffering and death of Christ brings healing to our souls because all of my sins and your sins were put on Christ on the cross. 

John 20:27-28  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 

John tells us about a post resurrection appearance of Jesus Christ. Thomas was not present when Christ first appeared to the disciples and he said he would not believe that Christ arose unless he could put his hand in the wounds of Christ. This time Jesus appears and calls Thomas to look at His hands and to put his hand into the wound in His side. Thomas immediate response was "My Lord and My God." 

1 Peter 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 

The apostle Peter brings out the fact that Jesus Christ suffered once for sins. Jesus was just which means righteous, who suffered for the unjust or unrighteous ones, which is all sinners. The purpose of God in the sacrifice of His Son is so that Jesus Christ might bring us to God. 

2 Corinthians 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

The apostle Paul puts Isaiah's prophecy into the proper context about Jesus Christ. God was in Christ. Meditate upon that reality for a moment. God was in Christ or as Paul wrote to Timothy, "God was manifest in the flesh." 

When Jesus was spat upon, God was in Christ. When the soldiers and priests repeatedly hit Christ, God was in Christ. When the crown of thorns was thrust onto the head of Christ, God was in Christ. When all the people mocked Christ God was in Christ. 

What did God in Christ accomplish? Man can now be reconciled to Holy God. The enmity between man and God has been removed and the gospel of God's grace through faith in Christ is now being preached. 

God in Christ succeeded in making a way for all the lost sheep to come back to Jehovah's pasture. This is important because all we like sheep had gone astray following our own ways and making our own choices instead of finding true life in God's Word. 

Matthew 27:26  Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 

Matthew tells us about the scourging Jesus endured as the Roman soldiers whipped the back of Christ with the infamous cat of nine tails, a very devastating tool of torture. 

Christ was silent like a lamb led to the slaughter because He loved us while we were yet sinners. 

Isaiah 53:7  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. 

Isaiah tells us that the Messiah would be oppressed, afflicted and falsely accused. The Lamb of God from John's gospel was truly like a lamb when questioned by Pilate and Herod. He answered them not. 

Matthew 27:12-14  And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13  Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14  And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 

Thoughts to Ponder....

God had a beautiful purpose in allowing the sufferings, sacrifice and death of His Son, Jesus Christ. He endured the wrath of God for my sins and your sins in His own body. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God who gave His life and shed His blood in order to redeem us. Jesus sufferings removed the enmity between man and God and this is glorious, liberating news for all. 

I pray that Jesus would help us understand more and more of this truth regarding Isaiah 53 to such a degree that our hearts are forever changed by Him. I pray that we learn to pray, worship and study His word with more intensity and passion.

For those of you who are familiar with Handel's "Messiah" one of the most beautiful songs titled "Surely He hath borne our griefs." I suggest that you listen to it sometime this weekend because it is a powerful, poignant song that captures what Isaiah is teaching us about Christ. The link to this hymn is below.

Bob