THE SUFFERING SERVANT

“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned toour own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  ISAIAH  53:5-6, NIV

After the Fall, life moved on for the human race. Humans increased on the earth and grew so wicked that God sent a worldwide flood to destroy humanity and start over again with Noah. Hundreds of years later, God called a pagan named Abram from the Mesopotamian land of Ur, told him to resettle west in the land of Canaan, and promised one day to make his descendants into a great nation (Israel). Even when the Israelites rebelled against God throughout their history, he mercifully provided prophets who called the nation to repent. These prophets also spoke of a coming Savior who would save the people from their sins and turn their hearts back to God. One of these prophecies, though, stands out above all the rest: the “Suffering Servant” prophecy of Isaiah 52:13–53:12.

WHAT’S IT MEAN?

No Old Testament prophecy is as extensive or vivid in its descriptions of Christ as Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant” prophecy. In fifteen verses, Isaiah discusses the following about Jesus and his sacrifice: his sinless nature how people rejected him his grief and sorrow his humility the unjust condemnation he endured the torture he suffered the toll his torture took on his physical appearance how he died in our place how he took God’s wrath for our sins upon himself” how he freely gives his righteousness to us how his death was part of God’s plan his resurrection how he intercedes between sinful humans and a holy God What a prophecy! What a passage! What a Savior!

NOW WHAT?

Read the entire Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and memorize today’s verse.

DID YOU KNOW?

Isaiah lived about seven hundred years before Jesus came to earth. And yet by God’s power, everything he prophesied about Jesus came true. Amazing!”