God Reigns (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
When we look into the OT, we need to recognize that God gave it to us to prepare us for the gospel. All of the OT is like a song that is building tension and crescendoing to Jesus. If there was one text, you could go to in the OT to understand the gospel better, which would it be?
Isaiah 52:7 (ESV) --- 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Here is a text that talks about the gospel or good news. It tells us that the feeling of the one who brings this gospel is beautiful. We could imagine a man running from town to town declaring this good news. He comes in and lets everyone know, "Your God reigns!" Wait, is that the gospel? I thought the gospel was that Jesus died for my sins. The truth that God reigns is another way to describe this good news about Jesus. The text we are going to study this morning reveals that to us.
God's Servant (52:13-53:3)
After making this statement, Isaiah describes how God will reign. At the end of chapter 52 and in chapter 53, there is a description of God setting up his servant so that he can reign through him. We will divide this into three sections---a description of the servant, what the servant will do, and why he will do that.
Isaiah 52:13--53:3 (ESV) --- 13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you--- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind--- 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. 1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
The first thing God does is set up his servant to be exalted. If he is going to reign through him, he has to exalt him. But notice how the servant is described. It says, "his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance." To be marred is to be disfigured. The servant would not be pristine and beautiful to many. They will be astonished at how he doesn't fit what they were expecting.
Take a closer look at the illustrations. In 53:2, it says that his servant grew up like a young plant and a root out of the dry ground. That's an image of weakness and vulnerability. Dry ground indicates spiritual deadness and a desert land (32:15). This servant is not growing in a time of great spiritual revival. Everything in the land is dead until the Spirit is poured out from on high. This will make him stand out spiritually, but physically he is seen as insignificant.
Also notice that he has no form or majesty or beauty that we should desire him. This servant is described as someone no one pays any attention to. Instead, they despised him and rejected him. The final image is that he is like someone diseased or deformed. People refuse to look at him, and no one esteems him. In other words, no one holds him in high regard.
God's servant is mainly described as someone who doesn't fit the image men come up with for a ruler. He is not something pretty to look at, but God wants to exalt him. "He shall be high and lifted up." This is the way God operates. He finds more faithful obedience in those who are ugly and despised. Those who are beautiful and accepted by men typically care more about the desires of men than the desire of God. That's something for you beautiful people to think about.
What Does He Do?
So God will reign through a man who is not widely accepted or loved. This man will live a rejected life and be despised by men. When you hear that, don't you wonder how that is going to work? What will this servant do, and how will he help God reign?
Isaiah 53:4--9 (ESV) --- 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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? 9 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.
Bearing Our Griefs and Sorrows
The work of this servant is to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. This is interesting. The servant is like a mule or donkey, carrying a heavy load for us. What is the heavy load he takes away from us? He carries our griefs and sorrows. That is good news. That is the one thing we do not want to carry any longer. God sent this servant on a beautiful mission. One that we have been waiting for since the beginning of time.
But he doesn't receive appreciation for all that he is doing. Instead, it says, "He was pierced," "He was crushed," "Upon him was the chastisement," and "With his wounds we are healed." This servant doesn't carry our griefs and sorrows away with ease, recognition, or excitement. He is so despised and rejected that men harm him in his work. We oppressed and afflicted him.
Verse 4 says everyone "esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." They thought he was a blasphemer or a horrible sinner worthy of punishment. Verse 8 says is fascinating. It says, "By oppression and judgment he was taken away." There seems to be a sense of injustice leading to judgment. He was innocent, but the powerful oppressed him and judged him. They carried him away.
The picture here matches perfectly with Jesus. Contrary to the typical depiction of Jesus throughout the Bible, he was not head and shoulders above everyone else. There was a movie that came out when I was younger called Shallow Hal. Hal is hypnotized, so the external beauty represents the woman's inner beauty. That's what happens in most depictions of Jesus in our society. He is a beautiful specimen, but that's not reality. Men were pleased to let him suffer because they didn't think much of him.
Who Considered?
This servant is pictured as nothing but good and innocent. He didn't retaliate or stop the injustice. He let it happen because he is God's servant. He's not serving God for himself. He doesn't expect exaltation from men even though it has been promised to him by God.
We, on the other hand, are not innocent. Verse 6 says that we are like sheep who have gone astray. We rejected the way of our shepherd and went our own way. Typically, this leads to a sheep being eaten by a wolf or predator. Will the servant still carry the griefs of those rejecting him this way? Will a predator devour the sheep? At the end of verse 6, we have an answer. It says, "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." God is making his servant bear our sins as well.
In verse 8, we read, "Who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?" This text's overall feeling is that those being served have no idea what is going on. They fail to see the greatness of the servant, and they fail to treat him as he deserves to be treated. It is as though our desires blind us.
Isn't this the way that men and women treated Jesus? Is it the way people treat him today? Who considers that he is God's servant and worthy of praise and adoration for his service? Who exalts him and rejoices in the good news of his work?
Why Does He Do It?
Isaiah 53:10--12 (ESV) --- 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Verse 10 is startling. We learn that the evil oppression of men was the will of our God. he wanted to put him to grief. These events weren't just allowed to take place. God orchestrated them so that his servant could "make an offering for guilt." This is why he was willing to go through all of this. God told everyone in the 700 years before Jesus came that he would turn the death of his servant into an offering for sin.
But notice what else God accomplishes through the servant's sacrifice. God lets the servant see his offspring as he prolongs his days. What does that mean? The servant was just cut off from the land of the living with no offspring, but now he is alive and able to see the offspring. Offspring is a reference to those who are blessed by God, a remnant seed of Abraham. This servant will have his soul satisfied as he makes many people righteous. This servant will receive a reward and share it with those who see what God has done through him.
Now there is a transition from everyone being evil and guilty of rebellion to many becoming the offspring made righteous. Their sins are carried away, and they receive a portion of the spoil because the servant "makes intercession for the transgressors."
Message
This is God's picture of establishing his reign through his servant. It doesn't fit in with what we would expect. The servant is greatly exalted as he "sprinkles may nations" according to what was said in chapter 52:13, 15. But the path to exaltation is not what anyone would expect. Those who receive the good news aren't immediately convinced. They start out rejecting him because their desires blind them. But he serves them anyway. As we study the New Testament, we know God has accomplished this through Jesus. Next week, we will study Acts 8, where a foreigner looks at this text and understands that Jesus is the man it talks about.
God, in his infinite wisdom and understanding, gave us Isaiah 52-53 so that He would convince us of the good news of Jesus. In Matthew 8:17, we read about him coming in and carrying diseases and demon oppression away. He shows that he can take away the griefs and sorrows that we suffer from. Then, he stays silent as men oppress and judge him. Can you imagine how difficult that would be? Who here wouldn't speak out with words of vindication? Jesus remained silent like a lamb to the slaughter. He accepted his fate because he knew it was God's will (Matt 26:39). He accomplished his Father's will (John 17:1-5). Jesus knew that God was in control and that he would exalt him after his time of suffering was over.
The good news is that God has sent a servant to intercede for transgressors and bring us to a state of peace and prosperity. He did this even though we were utterly unworthy and undeserving.
Application
So what are we going to do with this information? Will we consider Jesus? All the historical evidence points to him as the world's savior, but most reject him. Most do not think of him as someone who could save anyone. Most follow their own way and stray like sheep. Is that you? Those who come to Jesus find an offering for their sins. They find one who is merciful and compassionate toward them. Jesus is in the presence of God, making intercession for our sins so that we can find a great reward.
This is a simple message, but it is so profound and vital. We must carry this with us and explain it to those who don't see it.
For those who have accepted this truth, will we follow in his footsteps? Will you be his offspring? God calls us to be servants like Jesus. He calls for us to stop focusing on pleasing men and start devoting ourselves to the will of God. Notice what Peter says.
1 Peter 2:21--25 (ESV) --- 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Peter refers to Isaiah's description and says that Jesus left us an example to follow. It's not enough to believe. We have to submit our lives to the service of God. If you feel the weight of your sin and your unworthiness, respond by taking up this servanthood.