Servant Song part IV

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
     yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he opened not his mouth.

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?
And they made his grave with the wicked
     and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.  Isaiah 53:7-9

To share the blessing of the Resurrection of Christ with you, I am sharing with you my favorite section in the Bible.  Known as the Servant Song, this section foretells God’s perfect Servant, Jesus.  It is my belief that no other section in the Old Testament describes Jesus as much as the Servant Song.

          - He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that before its sharers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

After Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He was brought into custody.  Jesus’ captors mocked Him and hit him several times (Luke 22:63-65).  Jesus was then brought to the chief priests and scribes and was brought to their council.  Before the council, many people gave false testimony against Jesus to give them justification to put Jesus to death.  Yet through all of that, Jesus remained silent (Matthew 26:63).

          - By oppression and judgment He was taken away;

Jesus stood before the Caiphas the high priest and was questioned.  Caiphas asked Jesus if He was the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus replied, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then Caiphas declared Jesus guilty of blasphemy and asked what the council’s judgment was.  Their declaration was death (Matthew 26:64-66).

Jesus was then lead to Pontius Pilate.  Pilate saw no fault in Jesus and made an attempt to free Jesus.  But the people would rather have a criminal released rather than Jesus.  They demanded that Pilate set Barabbas free.  Then as one they yelled, “Crucify Him!”  (Matthew 27:15-23).  This is oppression.

          - And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living,

The Jews thought that they had killed Jesus.  They figured that He was cut off from the living.  Oh how wrong they were.

          - stricken for the transgression of My people?

1 John 2:2 applies here, that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb for the sins of Israel, but for the sins of the whole world.  It was our sins that put Him to the cross.

          - And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death,

Jesus died between two criminals.  Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, received Jesus’ body used his personal tomb (Matthew 27:57-61)

          - Although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth.

Jesus is the spotless lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice.  The only thing Jesus had done was upset the self-righteous people of His day.  He spoke the truth of God and He was hated.  The Jews who cried, “Crucify Him!” had the same spirit as their fathers before who had killed prophets who spoke the truth of God (Luke 11:47).