Christ Bore All the Sadistic, Brutal Treatment Due Us—Everyone of Us. Grasping This Truth Is Bound to Drive Us to The Ground on Our Faces Before Him.

 

The Savior’s Suffering, His Atoning Death,^DS1 52:13–53:12

¹³See, my Servant^b shall prosper; he shall be highly exalted. ^14-15Yet many shall be amazed when they see him—yes, even far-off foreign nations and their kings; they shall stand dumbfounded, speechless in his presence. For they shall see and understand what they had not been told before. They shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it was a person standing there. So shall he cleanse^c many nations. (Isaiah 52:13-15) 

But, oh, how few believe it! Who will listen? To whom will God reveal his saving power? ²In God’s eyes^a he was like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. But in our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to make us want him. ³We despised him and rejected him—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we didn’t care.

⁴Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! ⁵But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed! ⁶We—every one of us—have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of every one of us!

⁷He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he never said a word. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he stood silent before the ones condemning him. ⁸From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people of that day realized it was their sins that he was dying for—that he was suffering their punishment? ⁹He was buried like a criminal, but in a rich man’s grave; but he had done no wrong and had never spoken an evil word.

¹⁰But it was the Lord’s good plan to bruise him and fill him with grief. However, when his soul has been made an offering for sin, then he shall have a multitude of children, many heirs. He shall live again,^b and God’s program shall prosper in his hands. ¹¹And when he sees all that is accomplished by the anguish of his soul, he shall be satisfied; and because of what he has experienced, my righteous Servant shall make many to be counted righteous before God, for he shall bear all their sins. ¹²Therefore, I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great because he has poured out his soul unto death. He was counted as a sinner, and he bore the sins of many, and he pled with God for sinners.^[1] (Isaiah 53:1-12) 

The Savior’s Suffering, His Atoning Death, 52:13–53:12

Isaiah 53 is the summit, the Mount Everest of biblical prophecy.¹ In this chapter, the Savior of the world is seen suffering for the sins of the human race, and the scene and meaning of His death are described in surprising detail. For true believers, Isaiah 53 is one of the most heartbreaking yet cherished passages of Scripture, for it describes the brutal treatment and horrible sufferings Christ endured on our behalf. 

A marked feature of Isaiah 53 is the vicarious, substitutionary death of God’s “suffering Servant,” the promised Messiah. Emphasizing this theme time and again, Isaiah predicts that the Savior will die “for our sins.” He will die “in our place,” “on our behalf,” “in our stead,” “for us,” “as our substitute.” Paying the penalty of sin for us, the Savior will set us free from the bondage of sin, death, and hell. Through His death, we have received from God the most amazing healing and salvation. We have been saved from the bondages of sin and death, and from the coming terrifying judgment of God against all unrepentant sinners. 

Meditating on the sufferings of Christ will break a person’s heart, for they overwhelm human imagination. Christ bore all the sadistic, brutal treatment due us—every one of us. Grasping this truth is bound to drive us to the ground on our faces before Him. 

Interestingly, this prophecy about the Messiah’s sufferings was written more than seven hundred years before the coming of Jesus Christ. How then do we know that this Scripture is a prophecy about Christ and not someone else? There are several facts that show beyond any doubt that Jesus Christ is the suffering Servant of God, the Savior of the world. 

First, Isaiah predicts time and again that God’s Servant will definitely be the Messiah (42:1f; 49:1f; 50:1f; 52:12f; also see 9:6–7). And passages throughout the New Testament repeatedly identify Jesus Christ as the Messiah promised by God (Mt. 8:16–17; 11:2–6; 16:16; 26:63–64; Mk. 15:25–28; Lu. 2:10–11; 2:25–32; 4:41; 24:45–48; Jn. 1:41; 1:49; 4:25–26; 6:14, 68–69; 8:28; 11:25–27; Ac. 8:26–40; 9:22; 17:2–4; 1 Pe. 2:21–24; 1 Jn. 5:1). 

Second, Philip the evangelist identified the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 with Christ. An Ethiopian eunuch was once reading from the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, and he asked Philip who the suffering Servant was. Without hesitation or equivocation, Philip replied that it was Jesus. Then he explained how Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the suffering Savior (Ac. 8:26–40). 

Third, Paul says that this chapter refers to the preaching of the gospel and to a person’s confession of Christ as the Savior of the world (Ro. 10:9–10, 13, 16; compared with 53:1). 

Fourth, the apostle John says that Isaiah 53 applies to Christ (Jn. 12:37–38; compared with 53:1). 

Fifth, as Warren W. Wiersbe points out, up until the twelfth century, Jewish scholars interpreted Isaiah 53 as Messianic and identified God’s Servant as the Messiah. After the twelfth century, however, scholars began interpreting the passage as a reference to the sufferings of the nation Israel. But how could Israel die for the sins of Israel (v. 8)? Also, how could anyone declare that Israel was innocent of sin and had suffered unjustly (v. 9)? Isaiah 53 presents a suffering Servant who is sinless, completely innocent and unworthy of death. The prophecy does not concern a nation of innocent people, but rather an individual who suffers for the sins of the entire world, for people such as the Ethiopian eunuch (52:15; Ac. 8:26–40).² 

Isaiah 53 is a graphic description of the suffering Servant of God, who is identified in the New Testament as Jesus Christ. Because God loved the world so much, He sent His Son to save the human race from the bondages of sin, death, and the terrifying judgment to come. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, who forgives the sins of all who truly believe and love Him, obeying His holy commandments. This is, The Savior’s Suffering, His Atoning Death, 52:13–53:12. 

1.         The Savior came for four very specific purposes (52:13–15).

2.         The Savior suffered rejection (53:1–3).

3.         The Savior suffered for the penalty of sin (53:4–6).

4.         The Savior suffered willingly but unjustly: Was the sinless Son of God (53:7–9).

5.         The results of the Savior’s suffering (53:10–12). 

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES ABOUT JESUS AND THEIR FULFILLMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT (52:13–53:12)DS Deeper Study
Scripture Reference	Prophecy	Fulfillment
Ge. 3:15	The Promised Seed of a Woman	Lu. 2:7; Ga. 4:4; Re. 12:5
Ge. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18	The Promised Seed of Abraham	Ac. 3:25; Ga. 3:8 (Mt. 1:1; Lu. 3:34)
Ge. 17:19; 21:12; 22:16–17 26:2	The Promised Seed of Isaac	Mt. 1:2; Lu. 1:55, 72–74
Ge. 28:14 (Nu. 24:17)	The Promised Seed of Jacob	Lu. 3:34 (Mt. 1:2)
Ge. 49:10a	Will Spring from the Royal Tribe of Judah	Lu. 3:33; He. 7:14
De. 18:15, 18	Will Be a Prophet	Jn. 6:14; Ac. 3:22–23
2 S. 7:13b (Is. 9:1, 7; 11:1–5)	Will Be the Eternal Heir to David’s Throne	Mt. 1:1 (Mt. 1:6; Lu. 1:32–33)
2 S. 7:14a	Will Be God’s Son	Mk. 1:1
Jb. 17:3	Will Ransom Men	Ep. 1:7 (1 Jn. 2:1–2)
Ps. 2:1–2	Will Be Rejected by the Nations	Lu. 23:36a, 38
Ps. 2:7	The Son of God	Ac. 13:33; He. 1:5; 5:5
Ps. 8:2	Is to Be Praised	Mt. 21:16
Ps. 16:8–11	Will Be Resurrected	Ac. 2:25–28, 31; 13:34–35 (Mt. 28:1–2; Mk. 16:6, 12, 14; Lu. 24:1–53)
Ps. 22:1	Will Be Forsaken by God	Mt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34
Ps. 22:6–8	People Will Mock, Wag Their Heads at the Cross	Mt. 27:39
Ps. 22:16	Hands and Feet Will Be Pierced	Mt. 27:35
Ps. 22:18	Clothes Gambled for	Mt. 27:35; Mk. 15:24; Lu. 23:34; Jn. 19:24
Ps. 22:22	To Secure Many Brothers	He. 2:12
Ps. 27:12	Accused by False Witnesses	Mk. 14:56
Ps. 31:5	Commends His Spirit to God	Lu. 23:46
Ps. 34:20	No Bones Broken	Jn. 19:32–36
Ps. 40:6–8	Fulfills God’s Will	He. 10:5–7
Ps. 41:9	Is Betrayed by Judas	Jn. 13:18; Ac. 1:16
Ps. 45:6, 7	Is Eternal and Preeminent	He. 1:8, 9
Ps. 68:18	Will Lead Captivity Captive and Return to Heaven	Ep. 4:8–10
Ps. 69:4	Hated Without a Cause	Mt. 27:22–23
Ps. 69:21	Offered Drugs on the Cross	Mt. 27:48; Mk. 15:36; Lu. 23:36; Jn. 19:28, 29
Ps. 69:25; 109:8	Judas’ Fate	Ac. 1:20
Ps. 78:1–2; Is. 6:9–10	Will Speak in Parables	Mt. 13:13; Mk. 4:11–13
Ps. 89:26–27	Exaltation	Ph. 2:9 (Re. 11:15)
Ps. 95:7–11	Hearts Hardened Against	He. 3:7–11; 4:3, 5–7
Ps. 102:25–27	Is Creator and Is Eternal	He. 1:10–12
Ps. 110:1	To Be Exalted	Mt. 22:44; Mk. 12:36; Lu. 20:42; Ac. 2:34, 35; He. 1:13
Ps. 110:4	The High Priest	He. 5:6
Ps. 118:22, 23	The Stone	Mt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lu. 20:17; Ac. 4:11
Ps. 118:25, 26	The Triumphal Entry	Mt. 21:9; Mk. 11:9; Jn. 12:13
Ps. 132:11, 17	The Son of David	Lu. 1:69; Ac. 2:30
Is. 7:14	The Virgin Birth	Mt. 1:23
Is. 9:1, 2	A Light to Those in Darkness	Mt. 4:15, 16
Is. 11:1	Will Be from Nazareth	Mt. 2:23
Is. 11:2	The Spirit Rests Upon in a Special Way	Lu. 4:18–21 (Mt. 12:18; Jn. 3:34)
Is. 11:10	To Save the Gentiles	Ro. 15:12
Is. 25:8	To Conquer Death	1 Co. 15:54
Is. 28:16	The Stone	Ro. 9:33; 1 Pe. 2:6
Is. 35:5–6	Do Miracles	Mt. 11:4–6; 15:30; 21:14; Jn. 6:1–2; 20:30–31
Is. 35:6; 61:1–2 (Ps. 72:2; 146:8; Zec. 11:11)	Will Meet the Desperate Needs of Men	Mt. 11:4–6
Is. 42:1–4	To Minister to the Gentiles	Mt. 12:17–21
Is. 49:6–7; 52:15	A Light to the Gentiles	Lu. 2:32; Ac. 13:47, 48; 26:23
Is. 50:4–9	Obedient to the Father	Lu. 22:42; Ph. 2:8
Is. 50:6	Smitten and Spat Upon	Mt. 26:67; 27:30
Is. 50:6; Mi. 5:1	Hit in the Face	Mt. 26:67; 27:30
Is. 52:13	Exalted	Ac. 1:9; 2:33–35; Ph. 2:9–10
Is. 52:14; 53:2	Disfigured	Mk. 15:15–19
Is. 53:1–3	Would Not Be Believed	Jn. 12:38; Ro. 10:16
Is. 53:3–6; Ps. 16:10	To Die and Arise	Ac. 26:22, 23; 2:27
Is. 53:4–6, 11	To Die for Man’s Sins	1 Pe. 2:24, 25
Is. 53:4	To Heal and Bear Man’s Sickness	Mt. 8:17
Is. 53:7	Silent When Accused	Mk. 14:61
Is. 53:9	To Be Sinless and Buried with the Rich	1 Pe. 2:22
Is. 53:12	To Be Counted a Sinner	Mk. 15:28; Lu. 22:37
Is. 54:13	To Teach As God	Jn. 6:45
Is. 55:3	To Be Raised	Ac. 13:34
Is. 59:20, 21	To Save Israel	Ro. 11:26, 27
Is. 61:1–2	Proclaim the Year of the Lord	Lu. 4:18–19
Je. 31:15	Herod Tries to Kill Christ	Mt. 2:16–18
Je. 31:31–34	To Make a New Covenant with Man	He. 8:8–12; 10:16, 17
Je. 32:6–9	Betrayal Money Used to Buy Field	Mt. 27:9–10
Da. 9:25	Would Be Rejected 483 Years After Cyrus’ Declaration to Rebuild the Temple	Mt. 21:42
Hos. 1:10–11	To Bring About the Restoration of Israel	Ro. 9:26; 11:1–36
Hos. 2:23	The Conversion of the Gentiles	Ro. 9:25; 1 Pe. 2:10
Hos. 11:1	Will Flee to Egypt	Mt. 2:13
Joel 2:28–32	The Promise of the Spirit	Ac. 2:16–21
Amos 9:11, 12	The Lord’s Return and David’s Kingdom Reestablished	Ac. 15:16, 17
Mic. 5:2	The Birthplace of Messiah	Mt. 2:5, 6; Jn. 7:42
Hab. 1:5	The Jews’ Unbelief	Ac. 13:40, 41
Hag. 2:6	The Return of Christ	He. 12:26
Zec. 9:9	The Triumphal Entry	Mt. 21:4, 5; Jn. 12:14, 15
Zec. 11:12–13	Judas’ Betrayal	Mt. 27:9, 10
Zec. 12:10	The Spear Pierced in Side	Jn. 19:37
Zec. 13:7	The Scattering of the Disciples at the Cross	Mt. 26:31, 56; Mk. 14:27, 50
Mal. 3:1	The Forerunner, John the Baptist	Mt. 11:10; Mk. 1:2; Lu. 7:27
Mal. 4:5, 6	The Forerunner, John the Baptist	Mt. 11:13, 14; 17:10–13; Mk. 9:11–13; Lu. 1:16, 17[2]

 

True and False Prophets

15 Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai.^* You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’

17 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right.

18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.

19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.

20  But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’

21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’

22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. ^[1]

---

^* 18:16 Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai.

^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

---

^DS Deeper Study

^b 52:13  my Servant. The Servant of the Lord, as the term is used here, is the Messiah, our Lord Jesus. This was the interpretation of this passage by Christ himself, the writers of the New Testament, and orthodox Christianity ever since.

^c 52:15  cleanse, or “startle.” The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain.

^a 53:2  In God’s eyes, literally, “Before him.”

^b 53:10  He shall live again, literally, “He shall prolong his days.”

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

¹ Warren Wiersbe. Be Comforted, p. 132. Wiersbe gleaned the quote from the Biblical Scholar, Dr. Kyle M. Yates.

² Warren W. Wiersbe. Be Comforted, p. 132.

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.