Victory Through Suffering

KEY VERSE: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” —Isaiah 53:11

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 53:1-6, 10, 11

THE PROPHET ISAIAH’s description of the suffering servant explains a lot about our Master, Jesus, and his true disciples. Each servant was called by God to serve him. They were each sent on a mission to be an instrument of God’s plan of salvation for all the world of mankind. Each demonstrated a steadfast endurance in his service. Each developed a close and trusting relationship with God, so that the sentiments of Psalm 23:1 became their theme: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Despite this special relationship with God, Jesus was belittled and rejected by the very people he came to help—he did not meet their expectations of what Messiah should ‘look’ like. The prophet tells us that the people were astonished by his ‘marred appearance’. (Isa. 52:14) This would indicate, not that the perfect man, Jesus, was deformed or disfigured in any way, but rather that he was not the image of a strong warrior. Isaiah would have us look behind the perception Israel had of Jesus to the true character and perfection of his person.

In today’s passage, Isaiah describes the suffering servant as other people witnessed him. As the people turned away from him because of his appearance, he experienced rejection. (vs. 3) They treated him neither with respect nor dignity. This is ironic, because they were the very ones to whom he was bringing salvation. (vss. 4-6) And still, the servant silently carried out the mission God had given him. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”—vs. 7

How perfectly Jesus fulfilled this prophecy of Isaiah as he stood silently before his accusers and permitted them to put him to death! He was willing to suffer even unto death because it was the will of God. But thanks be to God that the servant’s mission did not end with his death. For God was pleased with his sacrifice which was for the redemption of all mankind. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. … Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”—vs. 10,12

How great was that Master Servant! When God asked for a volunteer to suffer for the redemption of fallen man, he was there. (Ps. 40:7,8) He took on a lower nature in order to fulfill God’s plan of bringing mankind back into harmony with his ways of righteousness. He suffered silently in carrying out his mission because he knew it was the will of his Heavenly Father, and would bring glory to his name. And as a reward for his faithful service, God raised him to his right hand of glory, where he will complete his mission.

Now God invites us to suffer for righteousness’ sake, even as did Jesus before us. We find strength in his example while here on earth. And with the gift of the Holy Spirit, we strive to walk in his footsteps.

| Home Page | Table of Contents |