The Suffering Servant

Introduction

Isaiah 53 may be the most well-known passage that describes the suffering of the most outstanding Servant Jesus Christ. This passage is unique and set apart from other prophecies within the Old Testament. Although some debate the legitimacy of this prophecy, it becomes evident after continuing the study that this points to God, the author, and creator of life, coming in human flesh to suffer a horrible death so that humanity could be in relationship with God once again. Here in Isaiah, there is a prophecy of How the coming Messiah and anointed one will suffer. Further study will show how this prophecy, though difficult to read, was fully and completely fulfilled.

Context

Before jumping into the text of Isaiah 53, it is crucial to evaluate some of the introductory matters further. Although Isaiah 53 is what is most well-known as the "Suffering Servant" passage, the build-up and context of this begin within Isaiah 51. Upon further evaluation, it highlights the importance of the terms "servant" and even the word "slave." Truthfully, the Jews were waiting for the coming Messiah who would supposedly rescue them from their distorted government (Isaiah 11 and 66, 2 Samuel 7, etc.). Therefore, great confusion can arise when there is a prophecy of their Messiah as an enslaved person or a servant. However, upon accurate study, it becomes evident that the Jews needed saving not because of their corrupt government but because of the condition of their hearts.[1] Their hearts were filled with sin, and though they may have been looking for a savior that would heal their land physically, they first needed someone to heal the brokenness in their relationship with the Lord.

Despite what the Jews had believed about the coming of their Messiah, the terms "servant" and "slave" are continuously shed throughout the entire Old Testament. Specifically, this term is stated eight hundred times in the Hebrew language and seven within the Aramaic language.[2] There is a direct correlation between this word used within the definitions of the Mosaic law. In the Old Testament, Servanthood was associated with particular privileges under Mosaic Law. An enslaved person's master was not permitted by law to mistreat or murder his slave. Furthermore, debt–slavery could not exist indefinitely; it could only last for six years. Likewise, debt was wiped entirely at the Year of Jubilee, and the enslaved person was set free (Exod 21:2).[3]

However, within other descriptions in the Old Testament, there is the extensive usage of the title "Servant of the Lord." Over twenty times in the Old Testament, the phrase "Servant of the Lord" refers to prominent people, and it alludes to Moses, Joshua, David, and the entire Israelite people.[4] Since Moses' day, prophets have been referred to be "my, your, or his servants."[5] Therefore, each passage points toward the highest regarded messianic Servant's coming.

According to Christian historians, the term "servant" was used to refer to a messianic servant to whom Israel would look for future rescue. The reason for referring to a single person as a "servant" is most likely based on how the term is used elsewhere in the Old Testament (mainly Isaiah).[6] By this singular word, proof of the coming Savior is evident. N.T. Wright and other New Testament scholars believe that first-century Jews were seeking the ending of their story. In his search for a resolution, Jesus lived his life within the apparent setting of Isaiah 40–55. Jesus' return to Israel in the presence of Yahweh demonstrates his interpretation of the story that the end of the exile began with the declaration of forgiveness of sins. Jesus' presentation of the Kingdom and regular offering of forgiveness of sins eventually brought the exile to an end.[7] Overall, this shows the reader that God's hand was in the midst of the entire story and points the readers to the life of an individual sufferer and Servant who became obedient to the point of death.

Further Analysis of Isaiah 53

Upon looking into the Suffering Servant passage, it is evident how it has broken apart into seven different predictive prophecies as taught by Hindson. First, there is a Clear Vision of the Servant as the Sacrificial Lamb, which is seen right before the famous passage of Isaiah 53 in Isaiah 52:13-15. Second, there is a complete perspective of the Servant's Rejection at the beginning of Isaiah 53:1-2. Thirdly, the author introduces how the Servant Explicitly suffers in verses 3-7. Within verses 8-9, the author writes about the heinous murder of the Servant; however, it is led by the Servant's Triumphant Resurrection 10-11. By this victory, which is further accomplished in verse 12, the readers are also revealed to the true Messiah who comes as a divine suffering Savior expressed throughout the chapter.[8] For the sake of this study and with the context further developed, the implications will be further explored, specifically within Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:1-3

Beginning with Isaiah 1-3, we see specific language that points the reader to realize that this man was of no special status or stature that He would be well-known. The language of a young plat illustrates how it grows and blooms from the dirt in time. In the same way, the Servant that is spoken of within these passages comes out of an unassuming place.[9] Additionally, by viewing His appearance, nothing about His features attracted others to him. He was deemed an ordinary man. Some would express that His features described as undesirable come from a place of being beaten so severely that He could not be tolerated even looked at. Because of His standard features and lowly roots, He was despised and rejected by men. Truthfully this shows how many failed to see the Messiah because sin blinded their hearts.[10] Yet He lived a perfect life, and still, he suffered in all the ways that others suffered (Hebrews 8). The Servant's life is marked by the suffering of sorrow, emotional pain, grief, and physical pain.[11] Yet by His suffering, He empathizes with humanity's weaknesses. He knew what the suffering of this life indeed was, yet, society rejected him.

Isaiah 53:4-6

Within verses 4-6, there is an immediate shift in how we understand the suffering of this Servant. We learn that this suffering was substitutionary by stating that He tool out pains and sorrows. The Suffering Servant was not in pain because of His wrong-doings but because He placed on Himself the suffering that humanity deserved.[12] The suffering of this Servant is also separate from the prophets that have been previously discussed. Often these prophets would experience pain as a result of persecution. Yet this Servant is struck down by God because he took on the weight of all sin and God's wrath had to be poured out. No other servant or prophet had obtained the consequence of sin in such away. These verses also show a profound picture of how the Servant suffered in that He was pierced. Hundreds of years before it happened, the prophet spoke of how this substitutionary atonement would be accomplished utilizing death on a cross, the most humiliating death received.[13]

Additionally, this passage compares humanity to a stray sheep. We, like this sheep, are folly in our ways, we chase after the destruction, and like Luke 15, the shepherd comes to find His lost sheep and bring him home, which is precisely what this Servant is doing here. He is coming to carry us back home because we would stay astray without him.

Isaiah 53:7-9

Within verses 7-9, the Servant's humility becomes evident. Strikes, cursed, and mistreated, his mouth remained closed although he indeed was an innocent man. The Servant's silence is fulfilled within Matthew 27:13-14, Mark 14:60-61;15:4-5, and Luke 23:8-9, all of which testify to Jesus' silence among those who accused him.[14] The Servant Suffered in silence. In verse 8, it is evident that this led to His death, and he perished among the wicked and was associated with them. Beyer describes this death by stating, "The Hebrew word translated 'violence' is hamas, a word that carries the notion of unjust violence. The Servant committed no violence or deceit, yet he died in shame."[15] Furthermore, the passage also speaks of Jesus dying among a rich man, filled in Matthew 27:57-60. Seeing the actual evidence of the verses being fulfilled only brings proof of the Word of God being faithful and inherent.

Isaiah 53:10-12

Entering the final three verses, this Servant has experienced denial, abuse, and death. Looking at this last passage, it becomes crucial to realize that the suffering Servant endured these things to give His people true hope. However, the first verse brings immediate confusion in that it provides the thought that the Lord delighted in the Servant's death. Why would the Lord delight in the crushing of His Servant? Significantly, one coming to realize that this Servant is His son whit whom He has spent eternity's past with?[16] God was pleased to crush Him because God so loved the world, and He decided to give His only perfect and beloved son for it (John 3:16). Here the author reminds us that this is a guilt-offering. By the Servant's end, we see restitution provided for the lives of others. A spiritual offspring is given to humanity, and eternity is supplied because the Servant is placed as the perfect sacrifice. Therefore, the Lord's purpose was accomplished, and His love was set on display and demonstrated to all of humanity.

Therefore, no longer will the others be seen as guilty. Because the Servant freely submitted Himself to death and was righteous in every way, those he bore the sins for are now justified. Jesus paid the sins of all and interceded on behalf of those he loved so that humanity could be justified and given the gift of eternity to be restored to our Lord. According to Ephesians 1, Jesus, the Suffering Servant, is exalted to the highest supremacy and is seated on the Father's right hand and extends that invitation to all of humanity.[17] Just as Isaiah 53:12 tells all that there is a portion that awaits for them.

Theological Effects

Darrell L Bock describes clearly three attributes that discuss the purposes found within these three verses, "1)Isaiah clearly states that God ordained the Servant's suffering, 2) the Servant is not suffering for his sins, and 3) the Servant substitutes himself for the people and suffer for them."[18] Therefore, it becomes evident within Isaiah 53 that we begin to understand how we are fully reconciled to God because our Suffering Servant fulfilled the role of being our substitutionary atonement.[19] These lines make it evident that Jesus' mission results in eternal salvation for those who decide to follow him.

According to the author of Hebrews 2:10-16, God wishes to glorify his innumerable sons and daughters. Christ's suffering exemplifies the majesty bestowed on God's children. Christ went through the most agonizing torture, yet it is apparent from lines 10-13 that His suffering was required for Him to relate to humanity. Jesus bore the weight of sin even as He was nailed to the cross. In verse 11, Jesus stands by society to help it respond to God's call to righteousness.

Rather than struggling to maintain an unmanageable law, we now see Christ enter the Holy Place and atone for our sins by His flawless, spotless Sacrifice, which was Himself. This implies that Jesus offers us a substitutionary punitive atonement. He stood in for us, suffered the punishment we deserved, and then paid the price.[20] A once-and-for-all sacrifice is sufficient for all of our sins (Hebrews 9). His death healed our strained connection with God, allowing us to live in harmony with Him. All we have to do is accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:31). It has completely forgiven us, and the Holy Spirit is available to everyone.

As a result of the suffering Servant's commitment to carry the weight of utmost humiliation, God has now exalted Him and seated Him on the right hand of God. The Servants Exaltation can also be further explored within Hebrews 1 and 2. Jesus' humility is evident already in the first chapter. The first chapter of Hebrews discusses Jesus' Exaltation due to His humility. He exemplifies this by pointing out how Psalms 8 is cited in Hebrews 2. As previously said, it establishes the context for understanding Christ. As Schenk states Himself, "Hebrew's use of this Psalm implies that while Christ became lower than the angels to atone for sins, he is now crowned with glory and honor."[21] This explains Christ's earthly existence; he now sits at God's right side in a unique position of exaltation.

Consequently, with Jesus as our great high priest, we can confidently approach the throne of grace. It also encourages the audience to be obedient, as Jesus was, and to follow in His footsteps. No other high priest could live a spotless life while enduring the torment of sin. As a result, we may have trust that our great high priest can have compassion for the people. On behalf of His people, Jesus, our great high priest, takes on the essence of sin. Ultimately, it reminds us our sin is taken seriously by God and that this grace was not cheap.[22] The cost came to the one who did not deserve it, and through His death, he ultimately suffered.

Application

Within the letter of Philippians, Paul writes to the church pleading that they follow the example of Christ and provide a simple application, and we are to follow this example given to us. Just as Christ came to serve, Phillipians 2:5-8 show that we are to serve as Christ was the Suffering Servant rather than be served. Through Jesus' suffering, his attitude never changed despite how much he had been rejected.[23] Additionally, His life replicated one of obedience, and He exemplified an obedient life even to death. He emptied himself of his glory, took on the form of a servant, and then demonstrated the ultimate act of humility, his death. Mark 10:45 also reminds us that Jesus came to serve others and not to be served and give his life as a ransom. Therefore, We are called to act in humility because we see how much Jesus was willing to sacrifice. So the question is, what do we need to sacrifice to be a servant? By being a servant of Christ, we can recognize that life is not about our glory but God's. Therefore, there is no purpose in ourselves but purpose in furthering the Kingdom of the Lord. We are called to humble ourselves as servants because there is a greater blessing.

In verses 9-11, we are reminded of Christ's humility in Isaiah 53 and how it points us to the blessings.[24] Through our humility, we lift Christ just as God did, and it is not our blessing but God's. When we view it this way, we realize we do not honestly want the glory and all the blessing, but we want our purpose to further Christ's name. We want Him to be seen, not us, for we have nothing compared to His glory. We want everything I do to point to Him. We must recognize that we must sacrifice our pride to gain a heart of humility as Christ our Servant had. To have a spirit of humility, start by going out of your way to serve Christ and allow others to be first. We were created not for our purpose but for one purpose, all as one body, to serve Christ just as He has served us.

Conclusion

Alec Motyer states it perfectly within his book The Prophecy of Isaiah, An Introduction and Commentary by saying how Isaiah 53 is made up of "Revelation: human testimony, based on divine revelation, witnessing to the fact and meaning of the Servant's suffering and death."[25] Ultimately Isaiah 53 shows clearly how the Suffering Servant points to Jesus Christ as the coming Messiah. He suffered a great deal on humanity's behalf so that humanity may be entirely restored to Him. He took on the weight of humanity's sin and death and defeated the grave; however, that came with a high cost. Throughout this paper, by taking a closer look into the context of Isaiah 53, the theological takeaways, and the application, it became evident that the Suffering Servant was necessary to restore humanity to God once again. Jesus Christ humbled, became obedient to death, and suffered for what He loved most.

Bibliography

Beyer, Bryan E., and Beyer, Bryan. Encountering the Book of Isaiah (Encountering Biblical

Studies): A Historical and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.

Bock, Darrell L., and Mitch Glaser. The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology. Kregel Academic, 2012.

Evans, Tony. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda.

Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2019.

Firth, David G. Interpreting Isaiah, Issues and Approaches. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009.

Hindson, Ed Topic: Powerpoint.” Accessed April 18, 2022. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/176243/discussion_topics/2378347.

Koester, Craig R. Hebrews: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010.

Schenck, Kenneth. Understanding the Book of Hebrews: The Story behind the Sermon. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.

Watts, John D. W. Isaiah 34–66. Vol. 25. Word Biblical Commentary. Nashville, TN: Zondervan, 2005.

[1] Tony Evans. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2019). 669. [2] Hindson, Ed. “Topic: Powerpoint: Isaiah 53,” accessed April 18, 2022, https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/176243/discussion_topics/2378347. [3] Ibid. [4] David G Firth, Interpreting Isaiah, Issues and Approaches (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009). [5] Ibid. [6] Hindson, Ed. “Topic: Powerpoint: Isaiah 53,” accessed April 18, 2022, [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Bryan Beyer, Encountering the Book of Isaiah (Encountering Biblical Studies) : A Historical and Theological Survey, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.) 206. [10] Tony Evans. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda. 669. [11] Beyer, Ibid. 206.

[12]Encountering the Book of Isaiah (Encountering Biblical Studies) : A Historical and Theological Survey. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.) 207. [13]Tony Evans. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda. 669. [14]Tony Evans. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda. 669. [15] Encountering the Book of Isaiah (Encountering Biblical Studies) : A Historical and Theological Survey. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.) 208/ [16]Evans, Ibid. 670.

[17] Tony Evans. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda. 670. [18] Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser, Kregel Academic, 2012). Pg. 184.

[19] Ibid. [20]Craig R. Koester, Hebrews: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010). 287. [21] Kenneth Schenck, Understanding the Book of Hebrews: The Story behind the Sermon (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003). [22] Hindson, Ed. “Topic: Powerpoint: Isaiah 53.” [23]CSB Worldview Biblical Commentary. Holman Bible Publishers, 2018. [24] Ibid.

[25] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah An Introduction and Commentary (Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1993).