Isaias 53

A prophecy of the passion of Christ.

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W ho hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? *

1.1 'Who hath believed our report?'—John 12:38 quotes this to explain why many did not believe despite Christ's signs.

1.2 The Servant's suffering was a stumbling block; it contradicted expectations of a glorious Messiah.

2 And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him:
3 Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not. *

3.1 'Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows'—Jesus was rejected by His own, condemned by leaders, abandoned by disciples.

4 Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted. *

4.1 'Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows'—Matthew 8:17 applies this to Christ's healing ministry.

4.2 The Servant bears not only sin but sickness; redemption includes the whole person.

5 But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. *

5.1 'He was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins'—vicarious atonement clearly stated. He suffers in our place.

5.2 'By his bruises we are healed'—1 Peter 2:24 quotes this: 'By whose stripes you were healed.'

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6 All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. *

6.1 'The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all'—the sins of humanity transferred to the Servant. Substitutionary atonement.

7 He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth. *

7.1 'He was offered because it was his own will... as a lamb before his shearer'—Christ goes willingly to death, silent before His accusers (Matt 26:63).

7.2 'Lamb to the slaughter'—the background to John's 'Behold the Lamb of God' (John 1:29). The Servant is the Paschal victim.

8 He was taken away from distress, and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him. *

8.1 'He was cut off out of the land of the living'—He dies. 'For the wickedness of my people have I struck him'—for our sins.

9 And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth. *

9.1 'He hath given the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death'—Jesus was crucified with criminals but buried in a rich man's tomb (Joseph of Arimathea).

9.2 'No iniquity in his mouth'—He was sinless, fulfilling 1 Peter 2:22.

10 And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a longlived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand. *

10.1 'If he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed'—after death, the Servant lives to see spiritual offspring. The resurrection implied.

10.2 His death is a 'guilt offering' (asham)—sacrificial terminology. Christ's death is a true sacrifice.

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11 Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities. *

11.1 'By his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many'—justification comes through the Servant. He makes many righteous.

11.2 'He shall bear their iniquities'—imputation of sin to the Servant, bearing what we deserved.

12 Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors. *

12.1 'He was reputed with the wicked'—fulfilled in Luke 22:37. Jesus was crucified between two criminals.

12.2 'He hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors'—'Father, forgive them' (Luke 23:34).