God's Word for You (Friday, Jul 4, 2008)
A Daily Online Devotion by Pastor Tim Smith
Isaiah 52:13-15
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
When we began these devotions last October, I didn’t include an outline, since the first half of the book is a series of judgments against the nations and the outline is pretty clear. But let’s look at the outline of the second part of the book (you don’t have to study it—just find our passage for today and notice where it is).
Part 2: The Book of Comfort (chs. 40-66)
2.1 — The Deliverance of Israel: Anticipation of the Deliverance from the Bondage of Sin
A. The Coming of the Victorious God (40:1-26)
B. Unfailing Strength for the Weary Exiles (40:27-31)
C. The Lord of History (41:1-42:9)
D. Praise and Exhortation (42:10-25)
E. The Renewal of Israel (Israel of the New Covenant) (43:1-44:5)
F. The Only God (44:6-45:25)
G. The Lord’s Superiority over Babylon’s Gods (ch. 46)
H. The Fall of Babylon (ch. 47)
I. The Lord’s Exhortations to His People (ch. 48)
2.2 — The Servant’s Ministry: Atonement for Sin (chs. 49-57)
A. The Call and Mission of the Servant (49:1-13)
B. The Repopulation of Zion (49:14-26)
C. Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience (ch. 50)
D. The Redeemed Comforted (51:1-52:12)
E. The Sufferings of the Lord’s Righteous Servant to Atone for the Sins of the World (52:13-53:12)
F. The Future Glory of the Servant’s Offspring (ch. 54)
G. The Call to Salvation and Covenant Blessings (55:1-56:8)
H. The Condemnation of the Wicked (56:9-57:21)
2.3 — Everlasting Deliverance and Everlasting Judgment (chs. 58-66)
A. False and True Worship (ch. 58)
B. Zion’s Confession and Redemption (ch. 59)
C. Zion’s Peace and Prosperity; Promise of Deliverance from Sin (ch. 60)
D. The Lord’s Favor (ch. 61)
E. Zion’s Restoration and Glory: Guarantee of Bliss for Forgiven Sinners (62:1-63:6)
F: Prayer for Divine Deliverance (63:7-64:12)
G. The Lord’s Answer: Mercy and Judgment (ch. 65)
H. Judgment for Unrepentant Sinners and Everlasting Glory for Forgiven Sinners (ch. 66)
We have arrived at what one of my professors called “the center of the center of the center”1 of Isaiah: The prophecy of God’s suffering servant, whose sacrifice paid for the sins of the world. This is the clearest picture of the Messiah, of Jesus Christ, given in the entire Old Testament. Along with the first three chapters of Genesis, Isaiah 52 and Isaiah 53 are certainly the most important chapters in the Old Testament, if not in all of Scripture.
13 See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
15 so will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand. (NIV)
Verse 13 shows us the ultimate outcome of the Messiah’s work on our behalf. Because he acts in wisdom (the divine wisdom that puts its complete trust fully and only in God as laid out in the Proverbs and other wisdom books of the Bible) he will be raised (here we see him raised from the dead) and lifted up (and here we see him ascending into heaven, Mark 16:19; although Jesus used this phrase to depict his crucifixion, John 3:14) and highly exalted by God (Acts 2:33; Philippians 2:9).
Verse 14 brings us into the language of the Passover regulations. The lamb to be slaughtered for the Passover what to be inspected to be certain it was not disfigured or blemished in any way (Exodus 12:5). The prophet said: “‘Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and my name is to be feared among the nations’” (Malachi 1:14).
Christ was inspected by the chief priests (Luke 22:66), by the High Priest himself (Caiaphas, Matthew 26:57), by the whole Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:59) and even by King Herod in person (Luke 23:8-9); but none of these courts could find any fault in him, and the witnesses that were paid to lie could not find anything incriminating to say (Matthew 26:59-60). Finally Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, passed judgment: “I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 18:38).
But Jesus was so tortured and beaten that his body was disfigured and hardly recognizable. This is evident from the little sentence, “Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged” (John 19:1).
Verse 15 concludes chapter 52 and sets the stage for chapter 53, as kings “shut their mouths” because of what Christ has done. It is the depth of his suffering and the height of his accomplishment through the suffering that causes all of us to bow our heads.
Our sins placed him on the cross of his suffering; yet his suffering on the cross paid the price for all of our sins. He has freed us from guilt, from error, and even from the lingering stain of our sins. “Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you” (Psalm 140:13).
In Jesus, we have forgiveness, and pardon, and peace.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul's Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. His wife, Kathryn, attended Chapel from 1987-1990 while studying Secondary Education (Theater and Math) at UW-Madison. Kathryn's father, John Meyer, was also the first man to serve as a Vicar at Chapel.
