ISAIAH – CHAPTER 53

VERSE 1

The report itself, Peter confirms that God has spoken through the power of the Holy Spirit;  I Peter 1:10-12 and Hebrews 1:1-4

“arm of the Lord” refers to the awesome and victorious power revealed through Jesus Christ.;   def. ‘revealed’ = to uncover

VERSE 2

A tender plant growing up in dry ground would be withered.   

So was Jesus Christ to be a suffering servant and rejected by man. After Christ was born as an infant from a virgin (Matt. 1:18-25) which was prophesied in Gen. 3:15,16

30 fold sufferings of Jesus Christ for the Entire Human Race

Isaiah 53

In the end Jesus Christ will deal prudently; have good success; make to understand and He will be exalted and extolled (able to; armour; forgive, magnify)   very high  Isaiah 52:13

1. His visage (appearance) was so marred, more than any other man.   52::14

  2. His form (figure or appearance) was again so marred more than any other man (see notes on Crucifixion)   

  3. Who will believe (support) our report (doctrine – announcement) v. 1    the ‘arm of the Lord’ refers to His victorious power

  4. Suffered human limitations; v. 2

  5. Had no form or beauty; v. 2

  6. Had no comeliness (glory)  v. 2

  7. Man had no desire for him; v. 2    a tender plant growing in dry ground would be withered and so Jesus Christ, the suffering servant              would be rejected by many.

  8. He was despised (contempt -  scorned) of man;   v. 3

  9. He was rejected (destitute – frail) v. 3

  10. Suffered many sorrows (anguish – affliction – grief – pain )  v. 3

  11. He was acquainted with grief (sickness)  v..3

  12. Men hid their faces from him;  v. 3

  13. He was despised scorned;   v. 3

  14. We esteemed (to regard – to value) not;   v. 3

  15. He bore (to carry away – to pardon) our griefs (sickness – anxiety – disease – calamity)   v. 4

  16. He carried (burdened – to bear our sorrows) anguish – affliction – grief – pain;    v. 4

  17. Yet we esteemed (to regard) stricken (to punish); to strike – to lay hand upon; smitten (to strike – to wound) of God;   v. 4 

  18. People did not recognize that Jesus Christ suffered for others and was rejected as one smitten by God for his own sins. But he was               wounded (to slay) for our transgressions (revolt – sin)   v. 5

   19. He was bruised (to crumble – to humble – to oppress)   v. 5

   20. For our iniquities (sin) v. 5   

   21. Jesus quoted v. 4 – 6 in Matthew 8:16,17; I Peter 2:23-27

   22. Chastisement  (correction – rebuke) for our peace (shalom – health – prosperity – happy) was upon Christ;   v. 5

   23. By His stripes (blueness – wound – black and blue)

   24. Jesus was flogged;   Matt. 25:26; Mark 15:15   Flogging was usually 39 times, one short of 40, the number of judgment. “Healed” – to                  cure – physician;   to make whole – to make healthful. The word, “healed” appears over 60 times and although most of the time it is            linked to physician healing, I also believe it can be emotional and spiritual as well.

   Why?   Go back to the Word PEACE – Shalom.    V. 5

   25. Sheep – the dumbest land most easily led of all animals; “gone astray”   (to deceive – to seduce – to wander) “iniquity” (fault –                     punishment – evil – moral failure)   v. ll6

   26. Though not suffering for His own sins.; because Christ as was sinless, suffered willingly and silently;   Philip used this passage with the           Ethiopian in Acts 8:31-35;  as did Peter in I Peter 2:23-25.  However, Jesus was “oppressed” – to harass, as a tax collector – to                             tyrannize; “afflicted” – brow beating – to depress – deal hardly with;  v. 7         Remember, Jesus Christ as God but also he was man.

    27. Jesus was taken from prison   (constraint – barren – oppression)  “judgment”  (penalty, crime, unworthy, a sentence, litigation)                       there are two coming judgments:   the Beam judgment for believers – rewards – five crowns;   Romans 14:10  and The Great White                 Throne Judgment – eternal damnation for unbelievers;    Rev. 20:11   Jesus was afflicted by men.   Justice was taken from Him.  He                    lived among wicked men and He was violently taken away by men.     V. 8

   28. His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there             any deceit in His mouth. On account of his suffering he was deemed to be a sinner (v. 4). Jesus could have been buried with the                   other 2 criminals with him but instead received an honorable burial through the donated tomb of rich Joseph of Arimathea (Matt.                27:57-60). Jesus was innocent of all charges against Him (I Peter 2:22)     v. 9

   29. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He             will prolong His days and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.   Matt. 26:39 makes it clear that it was the Fathers will            to see His Son be crucified. The Father did this out of love for the rest of the world as proclaimed in John 3:16.                                                               “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Eternal                  Life”     

                                                                                     

Our Messiah became our “Guilt Offering” when He became our sacrificial Passover Lamb also known as the Lamb of God.  How does someone have prolonged days after death and what is meant by his offspring?   Through a resurrection after death providing Eternal life.  Hebrews 1:13 teach that Psalm 110:1 is speaking directly about the position of the Messiah after His death which is at the right hand of God.   His offspring are His children.   (Romans 8:16)   Anyone who exercises genuine saving faith becomes a Child of God at the moment of belief.  Psalm 16 also teaches about Messiah’s resurrection.  V. 10

  30. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the            many, as He will bear their iniquities. He will be compensated for the travail of his soul by the abundant fulfillment of His wishes, both            material and spiritual. The Father’s satisfaction with the quality of His Son the Messiah as the sin offering of the world is found in I John         2:2. The messiah has the knowledge to know what needed to be done to solve the sin problem once and for all.   Romans 5:19 and II             Cor. 5:21 tech about how one sacrifice can justify many people.

   31. Therefore, l will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to                   death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors.      V. 11 

 

Therefore, meaning for his unmerited suffering, for sacrificing himself on behalf of others and for interceding in favor of His tormentors. A position is a reward (6) by dividing the spoils or booty, Isaiah is saying that the Suffering Servant will be victorious over his enemies in the end (4). Jesus will reign during the Millennial Kingdom and enjoy an environment where He rules as King of Kings with no satanic influence to be found on earth (2). Jesus was crucified between two criminals bringing fulfillment in Luke 22:37 for being numbered with the transgressors (2). This verse al finds fulfillment in Mark 15:17, 30.   Our Messiah is also our High Priest and as such He makes intercession before the Father for our transgressions. Started here on earth ( Luke 23:34) it continues now in Heaven Hebrews 7:25 and 9:24)

POWERFUL CONCLUSION

1. Jesus Christ was tempted in every way and is now our very compassionate High Priest;  Heb. 4:14 – 16

    2. The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us;   Romans 8:26,27

    3. Jesus Christ also makes intercession for us to the Father;        Romans 8:31-37;  Hebrews 7:20-28. This is the greatness of our High        Priest.

AMAZING TRUTHS

1. AFTER THE FRIST Passover, God lead about 2 million people out of Egypt with silver, gold and not one person who was sick;          Ps. 105:37-45

   2. We are reminded about the vital importance of preparing for Holy Communion;   John 19:14

    3. Israel had 4 days to inspect the Lamb;  Ex. 12

    4. Paul reminds us in I Cor. 11:23-26 that as often as we observe Communion, we do remember what Jesus Christ has done for us.                      Consider daily or weekly Communion.

Remember the promise in Isaiah 53, “the chastisement of peace was upon Him – peace – prosperity – well – health – completeness – absence of strife – harmony – fulfillment in one’s undertakings – a blessing.

Shalom is the result of God’s activity in covenant in about 2/3 of times used; shalom describes the state of fulfillment which is the result of God’s presence.   

Shalom only has its source in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself promises us His peace,  prosperity – quietness; Rest – harmonized relationships between God and man.   John 14:27.   This peace is promised in every book of the New Testament except for I John.

Prayerfully observing Communion the way Paul presents it in

I Corinthians 11:27-34.

A Lovely Comment From a Friend On This Study

"Barry, I love Isaiah 53, so thank you for this. 

My Dad read the Bible to us every morning after breakfast, then we all got down on our knees at our chair and he prayed. But every Sunday morning he would read about the crucifixion of Christ, because we ‘remembered this’ as He asked us to and partook of the bread & wine every Sunday at church. So it was Dad’s way of preparing our hearts. So he would either read it from one of the gospels or Psalm 22 or Isaiah 53. 

I once memorized Psalm 53 for Sunday School. I’m still pretty good with the first 6 or 7 verses but not the rest. Anyhow, I appreciate your take on it, Barry. What a treasure trove of scripture it is, and I value it very much! Thank you!"