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Today's reading

December 21, 2024

Picture: Suffering Servant Part 2

Isaiah 53:1-12; Philippians 2:6b-8

Suffering Servant Part 2
00:00 / 04:25

As the liberated city watched the messenger run down the mountain pass and make his way into the city, they waited on baited breath to hear the identity of their deliverer. Surely this would not be Cyrus, or some foreign King, it would be a mighty ruler who would stand gloriously before them. A mighty man of war with a formidable appearance. This servant would be exactly what they need, but nothing like they expected. 

  "Who has believed what he

          has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm

         of the LORD been

         revealed?

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."

​

Isaiah 53:1-2 (ESV)

He would be a man no one expected. An unassuming man, from a humble place yet this would be the vine that was prophesied by Isaiah in Chapters 11. His victory would come through suffering rather than military might.

  "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.

Surely he has borne our

        griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him

       stricken,

smitten by God, and

       afflicted."

​

Isaiah 53:3-4 (ESV)

​

This obedient servant would liberate mankind from spiritual oppression by receiving the punishment

their sin deserved.

  "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.

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 53:5-9 (ESV)

In a strange turn of phrase Isaiah reveals that all along it was the pleasure of God to crush this servant. The concept of pleasure seems strange to apply to such brutality, however; this pleasure is more in line with satisfaction and relief. Finally, a servant has emerged who would perfectly fulfill the Fathers' will. Who would say only what He heard from God and move through the earth with an undivided heart. The righteousness of this one would justify all others. His righteousness and sacrifice deal a crushing blow to sin giving life to all who trust in Him.

  "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.

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.

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."

​

Isaiah 53:10-12 (ESV)

Through borrowed righteousness the oppressed transgressors would share in the spoils of the Servants victory over death; which is eternal life. He humbled himself stepping into time and space for our sakes.

          'Though he was in the

form of God, did not count

equality with God a thing

to be grasped, but

emptied himself, by taking

the form of a servant, being 

born in the likeness of men.

    And being found in

human form, he humbled

himself by becoming

obedient to the point of

death, even death on a 

cross."

​

Philippians 2:6b-8 (ESV)

This servant is the son of God, Immanuel, God with us, and

He is Christmas to you.

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