The Servant Song Part III

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.

All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:4-6

            We are continuing one of the most wonderful passages in the Bible known as the Servant Song.  It is my opinion that no other section in the Old Testament points to Jesus more clearly than the Servant Song.  To celebrate Passion Week, I am covering this section.

            - Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;

Jesus offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to cleanse us of our sins (Hebrews 10:12).  Jesus was sinless and blameless before God the Father, He paid the penalty of death for our sins.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

            - Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

The thought that God would allow Himself to be crucified is abhorrent to many.  Most Muslims will recognize that Jesus was a great teacher and prophet; however, they will not recognize that He was crucified.  Many Muslims say that it was Simon the Cyrene or another who was crucified in Christ’s place.  They cannot accept that someone so holy could be punished like a common criminal.

It was difficult for the Jews to accept that their Messiah would have to suffer so.  It’s no wonder Paul wrote that the message of the cross was folly to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18).  The Jews would have believed that Jesus was cursed and stricken by God.

            - But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities;

Psalm 34 is a prophetic psalm pointing to the Messiah.  It records that not one of His bones would be broken (verse 20).  In John chapter 19, the day of the crucifixion was Friday and the Sabbath was fast approaching.  The Jews were pressing the Romans to get things finished before sunset which marked the start of the Sabbath.  The Romans went to the two thieves and crushed their legs.  This would have put additional pressure on their already collapsing lungs and would have sped up the process.  But when they got to Jesus, rather than breaking His legs, they pierced His side with a spear to be sure He was dead.

            - upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  – Revelation 1:5,6.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, - Ephesians 1:7

We all are born sick with a pre-existing condition.  The disease will lead to death, an eternal death.  Through what Jesus suffered, we are healed from the sickness of sin completely, that we may have eternal life with Him.

            - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned –every one- to his own way;

This part again speaks to how the disciples fled from Jesus, even Peter who said that he would rather die at Jesus side.

            - And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. – Hebrews 2:9

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.  – 1 John 2:2

Jesus took on Himself the weight of every sin that each and every one of us has or ever will commit.

Grace and peace be to you on this passion week.