The Suffering Servant

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Alex Hale | Cabot, Arkansas

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is perhaps the most well-known passage in the entire book. This prophecy serves as the fourth and final servant song within the book (cf. 42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-9). Isaiah inserts references to “the servant of the LORD” throughout chapters 40-55. While it is true that this servant is called Israel (49:3), he should be viewed as distinct from the people as a whole. To put it another way, the servant Isaiah speaks about is the representative of the whole. The servant is charged with two primary tasks: to bring salvation to Israel and serve as a light to the Gentiles (49:6). In chapters 50-52, Isaiah presents this servant as the true hope of Israel.

Chapter 53 explains how the servant, or Messiah, would bring that hope. Such hope would not come to the people through military conquest or political triumph, but through sufferings that would leave the people astonished and appalled (52:14). Isaiah 53 is the culmination of the servant songs, explaining the process of the servant’s rejection and the purpose of such suffering.

THE PROCESS – HOW DID HE SUFFER?

Most did not believe. Though Israel would hear the Messiah’s message, they would not believe the prophets’ report (53:1). This text introduces a sad reality: many people, if not most, will not believe. The Messianic message was rejected by the Jewish leaders in the days of Jesus (John 12:36-39) and the entire Jewish nation in the days of Paul (Romans 10:16). It is certain that the primary causes of their unbelief were their sinfulness and unwillingness to repent. It is also important to note, however, that Jesus is not what they were expecting. Verse 2 illustrates this in at least three ways:

1. The young plant. The imagery of the servant growing up before the Lord, like a tender shoot, pictures a close relationship between the Father and the Son. But it also speaks to ordinary and even unworthy beginnings in the eyes of many. John’s gospel reveals that many rejected Jesus because he came from Galilee (1:46; 7:41, 52). Even his countrymen were skeptical because of his upbringing (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3).
2. Dry ground. Though we can connect the image of a root (or shoot) to Messianic prophecy (cf. 11:1, 10), Isaiah uses the picture of dry ground to refer to the spiritual condition of Israel (cf. 32:15; 35:1, 6; 40:3). John the Baptist, and later Jesus, came during a period of spiritual darkness. Just as you would not expect a plant to grow in the middle of a desert, one would not expect the spiritual wilderness of first-century Israel to lend itself to the coming of the Messiah.
3. No form or majesty. Jesus is perhaps the most painted and sculpted figure in all of Western art, but most artists get it wrong. This text reveals that Jesus would not have been the most physically attractive in the scene. He did not have a regal look and would not have stood out as a natural leader due to his appearance.Because of their unbelief, they despised and rejected the servant (53:3). The gospels bear this out, showing us that during Jesus’ ministry, there was a long-standing opposition from the religious authorities.
   • They questioned the practices of him and his disciples (Matthew 9:11; 12:2, 9; 15:1-2).
   • They repeatedly sought a sign from him (Matthew 12:38; 16:1).
   • When he did perform miracles, they remained unsatisfied. They complained that he did miracles unlawfully (Matthew 12:10-13), and without divine authority (Matthew 21:23). They even supposed that his power came from the devil (Matthew 9:34; 12:24).
   • They were unsure of what to do about him (Matthew 21:45-46). Yet, they knew they needed to do something.

His life was filled with sorrow and grief. The prophet reveals that Jesus experienced suffering, pain, and sickness. The fleshly incarnation of Jesus is a central theme of Scripture. The Messiah coming in the flesh was prophesied (7:14; Genesis 3:15; Daniel 7:13-14), fulfilled (Luke 1:31-33), and continued to be taught by the apostles (Galatians 4:4). Jesus experienced humanity to its fullest (Philippians 2:7-8). He was born as a baby and grew up to be a man (Luke 2:51-52). Along the way, he went through times of hunger and thirst (Matthew 4:1-2; John 4:6-8; 19:28), anger (John 2:14-16), weariness (Mark 4:38; John 4:6), sorrow and grief (Matthew 26:38; John 11:35), and temptation (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15). Though in Jesus was the fullness of deity in the flesh (Colossians 2:9), he was not immune to sickness, suffering, and pain.

Yet through it all, he endured. This suffering servant did not seek to defend himself nor fight back, even though he had the power to do so (John 10:18; Matthew 26:53). Instead, he remained silent (53:7). No one else spoke up to defend the servant or speak out against this miscarriage of justice. Isaiah laments this sad reality, writing, “By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?” (53:8). Generations later, using the Septuagint, the Ethiopian eunuch read, “In his humiliation his justice was taken away” (Acts 8:33).

Governments are designed to provide a justice system that rewards those who do good and punishes those who do evil (Romans 13:3-4). However, any justice system directed by man is bound to have flaws. This is particularly true when those involved manipulate the system. In such instances, some who are guilty go free. Even more disturbing is that, at times, those who are innocent will be unjustly punished. Jesus should have had the law on his side. After appearances before Caiaphas, Annas, Pilate (twice), and Herod, it is obvious that Jesus has done nothing wrong. Both Pilate and Herod proclaim Jesus’ innocence (John 18:38; 19:4, 6; Luke 23:14-16). Yet he would still be crucified, treated in every respect as a common criminal.

Even though he was associated with the criminals, he was not buried with them. The CSB picks up on this idea, reading, “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death” (53:9). The authorities likely planned to dump the body of Jesus in the Valley of Hinnom. However, Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body and buried it in his tomb (Matthew 27:57-60). Isaiah uses this detail to point us back to his primary point: the innocence of the servant (53:9b).

THE PURPOSE – WHY DID HE SUFFER?

It was God’s will. As New Testament Christians, it is difficult for us to comprehend the shock of Isaiah’s original audience as they heard his prophecy. We know, as Paul Harvey would have said, “the rest of the story.” As they listen, however, they hear injustice, suffering, and pain. They are introduced to an unnamed servant who does nothing wrong yet is punished. To top it off, Isaiah makes it clear that all of this fell squarely under the umbrella of God’s will (53:10). Through the suffering and death of the servant, God’s plans are accomplished.

It brings reconciliation and peace for us. The cross reveals that sin is a curse. Later in Isaiah, the prophet will explain that sin brings separation from God (59:2). Though many of those who watched Jesus die surely believed that he was receiving God’s punishment for something he had done, Isaiah asserts that the sin of humanity is the cause of the servant’s wounds (53:4-6). Through his use of personal pronouns, Isaiah narrows the scope, declaring that our sins put Jesus there. I must never lose sight of a personalized version of the crucifixion account, which reminds me that my sins put him there. I sinned. Jesus did not. Yet he suffered so that I could be cleansed of my sins. This is what the gospel writers are teaching when they speak of Jesus as the ransom (Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:5-6).

The servant is rewarded. Though we are thankful for the victory we can have in Christ, we also see a reward for the suffering servant (53:10-12). Though killed, he shall prolong his days. This is the language of resurrection. The servant can witness the result of his work from an exalted place at the right hand of God. The servant’s story does not end with him battered, bruised, and bloody. Jim McGuiggan correctly quips that “as amazing as were his sufferings, so his exaltation would be.” This theme of humiliation and pain followed by exaltation is carried throughout scripture (45:22-23; Matthew 28:18; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 5:12-13). As his followers, we can share in this exaltation. However, we must also be willing to share in his suffering (Romans 8:17; Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter 4:13). As our society moves away from the Lord, let us be willing to go with him outside the camp, bearing the reproach he endured (Hebrews 13:11-14).

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January 2021 | GROW magazine