Apr 9, 2019
When reading the book of Isaiah, one must never lose sight of the fact that it is a prophetic book. While it provides an accurate historical record of the fate of the people of Judah, it also revealed many things that had not yet taken place. It provides a vivid portrait of future events that God had planned for His people. Some of these events took place not long after the book was written, but many of them would remain unfulfilled for centuries. And Isaiah 53:1-12 provides us with a glimpse into God’s revelation concerning His coming servant, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. This chapter is a Messianic passage, containing God’s promise concerning the coming servant and much of it deals with Jesus’ gruesome death. While other prophetic passages promise the coming of the Messiah in much more glowing terms, portraying Him as the conquering king, Isaiah 53 portrays Jesus as the Suffering Servant. He would suffer and die, paying the debt owed for the sins of mankind. And His faithful submission to God’s will was to be an example for the people of Judah as they faced difficult days ahead.