Jesus: Suffering Servant Isaiah 52:13-53:12

(Sunday 4^th July – Paul Lowe)

Four Servant songs have been identified in Isaiah: 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9 and 52:13-53-12.

Who was Isaiah referring to?

Israel. ‘But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen’ (Isaiah 41:8)

Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin represented the Davidic dynasty and the nation of Israel. King for only eighteen months, he was taken prisoner when Jerusalem fell in 586 BC. Tradition has it that he was released from captivity but killed a year later.

Cyrus. [I am the LORD] who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please… (Isaiah 44:28). Isaiah possibly knew Cyrus I and recognized him as a rising power, his grandson, Cyrus II, conquered both Assyria and Babylonia.

Jeremiah. Jeremiah warned the people of Jerusalem to repent, but he was rejected, despised and suffered throughout his ministry. Eventually he was forced to go to Egypt where he was stoned to death.

Isaiah Himself. The name Isaiah means 'The Lord saves'. He too suffered and died a terrible death, sawn in two.

Why Jesus?

At the time of Jesus there were many theories as to who the Messiah was. Many believed that Isaiah had written about two figures one who suffered for the sins of his people and the other a powerful king, who would ride to victory over Israel's enemies.

In Jesus we have only one Messiah who comes not once but twice: the first as the servant who suffers and dies for the sins of the world and who will return at some future time bringing complete victory over evil, sin and death.

Jesus clearly identified himself with the Isaiah text and often spoke of his suffering and death, cf. Mk. 8:31; 9:31; 10:33 ff. also Mk. 9:12; 10:38, 45; 12:6-8; 14:8, 21-25; Mt. 26:54; Lk. 9:31; 12:50; 13:32ff; 17:25; 22:37; Jn. 10:11-15; 12:23-25.

Jesus an Ideal sacrifice. All sacrifices had to be perfect and without blemish to be acceptable to God. However, no sacrifice made had been able to cleanse humanity from its sin. No sacrifice was perfect enough. A king was not perfect enough, 'Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.’(Psalm 146:3-4) Both human and divine, Jesus was sinless and perfect enough.

Why did Jesus suffer and die for us?

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’ (John 3:16-17)

Jesus died as an act of God's love for us. He did not have to suffer or die for us, but he did so because he loves us.