Their unfaithfulness resulted in Israels exile to Babylon, a catastrophic event that shook Israels faith to the core. 53:9). 2.He would be wounded and face death sentence for peoples sins. He was sent on a mission from God that would involve suffering on behalf of others. Rather, Christ came to proclaim a kingdom not of this world whose marks were not power, glory and wealth, but of God whose marks are justice, peace and joy that is given by the Holy Spirit (Rm. How will it go down? We are told that Philip joined the Ethiopian in the chariot, and starting with this Scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:35 NRSV). God would ultimately be victorious through apparent defeat. What a total nerd! Rubinstein, Arie. That is why the church worships and serves himhe brought to us eternal life. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. He endures them, not for his own sake, but for some practical end of which he is aware and to which they will bring him. The Ethiopian was baptized, becoming not only the first African Christian, but also signifying the global, multi-ethnic reach of the redemption found in Jesus Christ. 51-52). Savant syndrome is a remarkable condition in which p eople with autism, or other serious mental handicaps, or major mental illness, have "islands of ability" or brilliance that stand out in stark contrast to their overall disability. Then youll enjoy Timothy Tennents book, The Fulfillment: Jesus and the Old Testament, where he explores how Jesus Christ fulfills many Old Testament characters, stories, themes, and practices. it found out me! Soggin, J. Alberto. Why was this Servant the unique sample of silence under suffering? In short, they did not esteem him, they didnt think much of him, especially in his condition. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. However, we know from reading the New Testament that when the incarnation actually happened, it caught everyone by surprise. Only in the light of the Resurrection and after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whom during the Last Supper Jesus promised would instruct them in everything and remind them of all He had told them (Jn. Its a profound development of that strange, poetic image we were introduced to all the way back in Genesis 3:15, about the suffering seed of the woman who would destroy the serpent: And I [God] will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. This comes about from prayer, communion with God and trust in him. This piece was originally published in 2000 in Volume 8, Issue 3 of . Centuries after this oracle was written our divine Lord came and fulfilled to the letter the words of this prophecy. He does not identify the Servant in his prophecy, but we who know the Lord Jesus Christ can see that it is He. 3) could hardly be significantthey say. God would send a son of Eve to conquer evil by allowing evil to conquer him, then overcoming its power of death by his love and eternal life. Devout Jews would have all been familiar with these themes. We will never hate our sin enough to leave it. Moses, David, Suffering ServantGod Himself, the great I Am!. Jesus love incarnate did what love does: suffers for others and pours out His entire life sacrifices all without reservation or condition for the good of another, indeed for the good every other, so that they might have life. People suffer because God is angry with them. This helps them have a holistic perspective on any situation. This, we discover, is how God would overcome the horrific evil that has duped humanity into thinking they are God. The theme announced in the first verse is now developed: the exaltation follows humiliation. helpless race; 14:17).. There are three categories: Splinter Skills where the individual possesses specific skills that stand in . But to suffer in service to God is a demonstration of love. 53:4). 1:29). In the Upper Room Jesus alluded to this passage by saying that the cup was His blood of the New Covenant poured out for many. That brought the remission of sins. The Servant accepts vicarious and substitutionary suffering on behalf of his people (53:4-6, 12). It still plays a prominent role in the sacred liturgy, being read throughout the Sundays of Advent, each Christmas Mass, on several Sundays during Ordinary Time, Palm Sunday, the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. What all vicarious suffering had failed to do in Israels experience, the suffering of our Lord accomplished. The rest of Isaiah shows how the servant then forms a group of descendants (literally in Hebrew, seed), who will listen to his voice and follow him into Gods new creation. It is serviceservice to God. Isaiah 49 describes how this individual servant of Yahweh is given the title Israel (49:3) and given Israels job of bringing justice and good news to the nations. We have no healing for our souls, no removal of our sins, no justification before God, apart from the penal suffering of Christ, the substitutionary death in which he took our sins upon himself. by Hans Goedicke. No one else could remain silent under pain. If we Christians have learned to see in sufferings the purpose of God, and in vicarious suffering Gods most holy service; if patience and self-sacrifice have come to be part of our spiritual lifethe power to make this change in our faith has been Christs example. Although the song gives a first-person description of how the servant was beaten and abused, here the servant is described both as teacher and learner who follows the path God places him on without pulling back. The NT does generally portray Jesus death as shameful and his resurrection as honorable (Phil 2, among others). They are Messianic prophecies of the coming perfect Servant. Pain, in Gods service, shall lead to glory. It was Israel who rejected Gods servant, and they led him to his death and killed him (Isaiah 53:7-9). From all appearances, an innocent mans life ended fruitlessly. of love divine. He was a professor at Western Seminary and served as a teaching pastor for many years. 52:1353:12. VT 3 (1953):87-92. In summary, we may report from the Bible that it is the will of God that believers suffer. The following verses are a consistent reminder to me. On the contrary, the fifth stanza begins, Gods will and pleasure was in it. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Such positive behavioural characteristics can be assumed to pave the way for the emergence of positive, compassionate, and emotionally healthy organizations that . Explore Career Opportunites and Apply Here, BibleProject Resources in 55+ languages and counting, Hosea and Amos: Two Sides of Covenant Failure. The figure in Deutro-Isaiah who bears suffering in hope of redemption, perhaps an individual, but understood as Israel in exile. As the second oracles relates, the mission of the Servant is one of suffering because the people will not listen to what he reveals. The present study fills this gap. Now is the Son of man glorified. This devotional will focus on the fourth Suffering Servant song found in Isaiah 52:1353:12. What is success? There is no peace with God apart from the chastisement that he, the sinless Son of God, bore. 39; Hos. He is an instrument of Gods salvation to all nations. Exhibit B is the exile itself. Jesus Is Always Present in His Humanity: Maximally in the Eucharist, St. Joseph Shows Us the Love & Dignity of Work, The Real Marie Antoinette | feat. There was no preparation to consider the possibility that God Himself would come to earth as the Great High Priest and then offer Himself as the sacrifice before rising again as the victorious King. It was judicial murder. Hoerschelmann, Werner. JSOT Supp 4. The passage is divided into five stanzas of three verses each. Exhibit A is the fact that just as he promised through Isaiah (see Isa 13:17), hes raised up the Persians and Cyrus, their king, to topple Babylon, who took them into exile (see Isaiah 41:2-5, 41:25, 45:13). In Isaiah 53:8, the suffering Servant is definitely distinguished from the people of the nation. 2:2). At the conclusion of his public ministry, He gathers the disciples in the upper room for the Last Supper at which point He established the Holy Eucharist whereby His disciples would henceforth be able to understand the meaning of His entire life: that is on Good Friday, when He was to be crucified, God would speak his final and complete word about the meaning of love and the mystery of God to the human race. Paul says that he made him to be sin (here, sin offering) for us that we might become righteous (here, justify) (2 Cor. Nonetheless, the servant has a message of good news: God is going to fulfill his great promises and bring his kingdom over all nations (ch. Why does the Bible call it good news, and why should we? Pp. Santala, Risto. Verse 4 makes this clear, and verses 5 and 6 amplify it. What follows is a very famous biblical poem: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 53:7). Furthermore, the suffering Servant is clearly an innocent victim throughout this passage. Using military terminology Isaiah declares that the Lord will divide the spoil. This is very intelligible, because it is based on love. If Jesus had come forth like a mighty warrior and overthrown the power of Rome, many would have said that this was exactly the way they expected His kingly role to be fulfilled. In other words, God would have to do this work through the Messiah, a holy King who could atone for the sins of His people and establish them in righteousness. He acknowledges the call God has given to him from his birth and announces that the salvation of Israel is ordered not only to their own redemption, but indeed the deliverance of all nations. The language reflects the coronation and exaltation of a king being exalted in Gods presence. Payne, D. F. Recent Trends in the Study of Isaiah 53. IBS 1 (1979):3-18. Isaiah depicts this historic moment of salvation with the language of new creation and new exodus. Yet again, God would rescue his people from shame and restore their honor. We hate suffering and try to avoid it. Some New Testament References to Isaiah 53. The Expository Times 68 (1957):254-255. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. InHow Jesus Saves: Atonement for Ordinary People, Joshua McNall unpacks the meaning of Jesuss life and death for everyday people. 32 views, 3 likes, 1 loves, 3 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Grace Lutheran Church - Waterloo: April 30, 2023 Sunday Worship He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed (53:5). Calvary was no accident (Acts 2:22-24). She demands exact and unmerciful payment. Were talking about a daily alignment of our life to the light and love of Jesus, as we read in Ephesians: Our work is anchored in helping dissatisfied and passionate believers follow that ancient hymn. Yet the nation of Israel was unrighteous (1:120; Rom. Leveen, Jacob. Indeed, its direct and indirect use by Our Lord Jesus Christ and its vast role in the life of the Church had led the Fathers to refer to it as the Fifth Gospel., (This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.). MacKay, John R. Isaiah 52:1353:12: An Analysis. Evangelical Quarterly 3 (1931):307-311. 26:1439; Isa. 61:1ff.) 2The Servant endures shame. Marred is mild. If people at first make rash observations about the suffering of Gods Servant, they are soon led in their conscience to realize its purpose. The Suffering and Glory of the Servant - See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Vicarious suffering is not arbitrary or accidental; it comes with our growth, it is of the very nature of life. We consider the sufferer an unlucky person who is falling by the way. Throughout the pages of Israels history, there was indeed a more subtle strand, a nuanced preparation for this unexpected revelation of Messiah that would only be understood in retrospect, as the early Christians looked back upon their own prophets message. Rignell, L. G. Isa. In C. S. Lewiss well-known story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the evil witch demands the life of young Edmund, who had been revealed as a traitor. Jails are not usually a place of rejoicing but Paul, as a prisoner, rejoiced. 6. When Jesus came and began to heal the sick and cast out demons, the gospel of Matthew identifies Jesus with the Suffering Servant, who took our infirmities and bore our diseases (Matt. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your God reigns as king! While the death and resurrection is the climax of these prophetic passages, these aspects of the Suffering Servant were realizedin the Messiahs entire life. It appeared to many that the death of this Servant was an awful tragedy. It basically means that God willed the suffering. It was the will of God that this Servant experience suffering, for it was through the vicarious suffering of the Servant that my righteous servant will justify many (53:11) and bear the sin of many, making intercession for the transgressors (53:12). Phoenician Elements in Isaiah 52:1353:12. In Near Eastern Studies in Honor of W. F. Albright. The Suffering Servant: Scapegoat or Example? Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association 4 (1980):59-67. The servant bears unspeakable shame from others. There are four passages in Isaiah that highlight this fifth major figure, which is mysteriously known simply as the Suffering Servant. It is foolishness in our way of doing things, but it is wisdom in God's economy. The poetry and narratives in this book were foundational for Jesus and his understanding of his Kingdom of God mission. The Interpretation of Isaiah 52:15. WThJ 3 (1941):125-132. Isaiah, then, presents us with a picture of the ideal suffering Servant. We, the guilty sinners, have been declared righteous before God. With pinpoint precision, Isaiah describes for us the events of the cross before they occurred. Later, after the resurrection, Philip encountered an Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot, reading the Suffering Servant song from Isaiah 53. Tod und Auferstehung des leidended Gottesknechtes; Jesaja 53:8-10. ZAW 87 (1975):346-355. Only by a sovereign work could this kingdom be established (52:36, 10). Everyone knew that when the Messiah came, He would fulfill these expectations. It had been said of him in 52:13: My servant shall deal wisely. He knew what he was about.