Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Isaiah
Date Penned: (700-681 BC)
Overview: To Tell of God's Salvation through the Messiah (c 1-66)
Theme: Words of Comfort (c 40-66)
Message: The Lord Will Rescue His People (v 1-15)
Isaiah 53 Commentary
(53:1) The Messiah - This chapter continues to speak of the Messiah, Jesus, who would
suffer for the sins of all people. Such a prophecy is astounding! Who would believe that God would choose to save the world
through a humble, suffering servant rather than a glorious king? The idea goes against human understanding and worldly visions
of success. But God often works in ways we don't expect. The Messiah shows his strength through humility, suffering, and mercy.
(53:2) Deity - Nothing was beautiful or majestic in the physical appearance of this servant.
Israel would miscalculate the servant's importance--they would consider him an ordinary man. But even though Jesus would not
attract a large following based on his physical appearance, he would attract thousands, and eventually billions, because of
what he said and did. He would bring salvation and healing to the world. In more than 2,000 years, no one has equaled or improved
on his teachings, and no one can do what he has done in restoring humanity's relationship with God. Many people miscalculate
the importance of Jesus' life and work, and they need faithful Christians to point out his extraordinary nature. When the
opportunity arises, encourage people who are seeking truth to read the Bible and meet Jesus there.
(53:4-5) Not Seeing the Messiah - How could an Old Testament person understand the idea of the Messiah
dying for his people's sins--actually bearing the punishment that we deserve? The system of sacrifices pointed to this idea,
but killing a lamb is one thing; thinking of God's chosen servant as that Lamb is quite different. But God was pulling aside
the curtain of time to let the people of Isaiah's day look ahead to see the suffering Messiah and the resulting forgiveness
made available to all people.
(53:5-6) A Holy God - Isaiah mentions
five times that the Lord's righteous servant would carry our sins. Why was it necessary for the Messiah to do this? Because
God is holy, we cannot enter his presence marked by sin. So the perfect, sinless Lamb of God, Jesus, took our sin and experienced
the death we deserve. He made our sacrifice for us so we can now enter God's holy presence. Best of all, the Messiah's sacrifice
did not end merely in death; he rose from the dead to show that he had power over death and gave us confident hope that we,
like him, will experience eternal, resurrected life.
(53:6) Wandering
Sheep - Isaiah speaks of Israel straying from God and compares the people to wandering sheep. Yet God would send the Messiah
to bring them back into the fold. We have the hindsight to see and know the identity of the promised Messiah, who has come
and died for our sins. But if we can see all that Jesus did and still reject him, our sin is much greater than that of the
ancient Israelites, who could not see what we have seen. Have you given your life to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd (John
10:11-16), or are you still going your own way like a wandering sheep?
(53:7-12)
Sacrifices - In Old Testament times, people would offer animals as sacrifices for their sins. Here, the sinless servant of
the Lord offers himself for our sins. He is the Lamb, offered for the sins of all people (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6-14). The
Messiah suffered for our sake, bearing our sins to make us acceptable to God. What can we say to such love? How will we respond
to him?
(53:11) Getting Right with God - This verse tells of the enormous
family of believers who will be made right with God, not by their own works, but by the Messiah's great work on the cross.
They are justified because they have claimed Jesus, the righteous servant, as their Savior and Lord (see Romans 10:9; 2 Corinthians
5:21). Their life of sin is stripped away, and they are clothed with Christ's goodness.
Dave Burnette's Life Application
By His Stripes We Are
Healed
Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter
making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today,
we continue in the Book of Isaiah with Chapter 53. In our text today, we see Isaiah prophesying about the Savior
to come as he tells of God's Servant who will be despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and with His stripes,
we are healed. In applying, we see that what Jesus did for us should place us in the heart of worship. To lift Him up
for the price He paid for us. What amazing love that one would suffer and die so that we might be redeemed. How about you?
Have you worshiped the Lord today? Let us learn from our text today and the amazing prophesy of
Isaiah, who told us before the Lamb of God had come to us that He would pay the price that we could not pay that should
worship Him because of His stripes we are healed.
