Isaiah 53 is an interesting chapter of the Bible that speaks of a man who will suffer beyond measure giving him the title, “The Suffering Servant.” Even more interesting is that the language surrounding this man all points to the idea that he chose to suffer of his own free will. Rarely does anybody choose to suffer by their own will and if I am honest with you, I know that if I were presented with a blue pill that would give me comfort or a red pill that promised a life of pain, I would likely choose the blue pill every time.
Nevertheless, the man found in Isaiah 53 is an interesting person. If we read from the beginning to the end of the section concerning the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-Isaiah 53), we can observe notable remarks about the man himself and what he was put through. This Servant will be exalted, disfigured, and marred beyond human likeness. He will have nothing that will attract us to him naturally, be despised by mankind, and be a man familiar with pain. The servant will take up our pain, be pierced for our sins, and will be given the punishment we deserve so that we may have peace. He will be killed, and buried with the rich, and we learn that it was all the Lord’s will to make him suffer. The story of the Suffering Servant is interesting indeed.
Many times throughout scripture there is a theme concerning sin. Sin is sometimes depicted as a monster or a serpent that when fed, grows, and grows until it brings about chaos in the world and our lives. How do we defeat such a chaotic creature as sin? We cannot fight it off ourselves for we are the ones who fed it giving the creature its great size. We need someone strong enough to fight it, meaning they have never fed such a creature as sin. They need to be sinless, and willing to fight on behalf of others. They need to be like God. This is what the Suffering Servant has done: taken our sins, bore our iniquities, and fought our chaotic creature so that we may have peace in our lives and this man is Jesus.
Paul in Philippians 2:6-11 writes this about Jesus: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus has brought life to all because his life was taken away. But for Jesus, he has defeated the powers of death by coming back to life. Isaiah 53:11 says, “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” Jesus is the Suffering Servant who takes upon the sins of the world to give the people who believe in him peace.
In this Christmas season, I am glad to know about what Jesus has done for us, not only through his birth but through his death and resurrection. The entire incarnational life of Jesus is the greatest thing we can put our hope in for he is the Prince of Peace who dishes his gifts out with abundance. Thank you, Lord, for giving us the gift of your Son Jesus.