-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)
Isaiah has just so much good stuff in it that every time I read it I feel like I find something new. When’s the last time you’ve read Isaiah from beginning to end? I recommend it, it’s just got so much good stuff in it, and particularly if you really dig down into the original languages you might find some nice hidden “easter eggs”. The suffering servant passages are one of those that I recommend doing a deep, original language, dissection of. You may gain a new understanding.
Don’t speak Hebrew or Greek? Not to worry, even a layman can do a moderately accurate dissection nowadays thanks to modern technology: if you look on biblehub.com and enter any verse, you can scroll all the way down to the bottom and it’s got the original language broken down word for word with all of the potential translations of that word. While that will not give you as full of an understanding as learning the original language deeply, and you may not get some of the syntax or idioms of the original language, it’s still a handy way that anyone can become an armchair textual critic and examine the scriptures.
Starting in the last portion of Isaiah 52, and continuing through 53, we see the famous “Suffering Servant” passage of scripture, which is a prophetic description of the Messiah, the one whom God has chosen. Did they understand all of the significance of these prophecies in ancient Israel? It doesn’t seem that way, it seems like they were looking for an immediate restoration of Israel into a position of pre-eminence. Look at the way the people greeted him at the triumphal entry (listed in all the gospels, Matt 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12). Think of how quickly this esteem changed, as this event was the beginning of the week that he was crucified (and then resurrected). Like many prophecies, the full significance of these passages weren’t really understood until later.
Beginning in 52:1 we see (REV): “Behold, my servant will act wisely. He will be high and lifted up and exalted.” Do you remember when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemene shortly after that triumphal entry into Jerusalem, praying fiercely to his God (and ours, see John 20:17) to spare him from the suffering which was coming? During this gut-level, deep pleading for an escape, Jesus also said “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). This is Jesus acting wisely, and trusting in his God. He is later lifted up (on a cross), and then exalted (from the grave). Please note: the definition of wisdom is submitting yourself to the will of God. Even if you really want to do something else (like Jesus did), even if your will is different than God’s will (like Jesus’ will at the time was, by his own words), submit yourself to God’s will (like Jesus did).
The body of Isaiah 53 really gets specific on some of the things that the servant will be and do, and have done to him. It’s impossible for anyone to read this now and not think of some of the things that Jesus endured. He grows up (v2), he is despised (v3), he carries our sickness and suffering (v4), he was pierced for our transgressions and by his wounds we are healed (v5). Verse 6 tells us that “We all like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way, but Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (REV), much like the scapegoat in ancient Israel. That last line “…the iniquity of us all” strikes me pretty deeply, because I know I had enough iniquity just by myself to make a heavy load. Imagine the weight of the iniquity of us all; it was laid on Jesus, as a way for God to reconcile with man. That’s deep.
Isaiah 53:10 is just a terrible laundry list of things that the servant of God must go through, and an explanation of why (the iniquity of us all). When we get down to 53:11-12, we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel: “After the anguish of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will make many righteous by the knowledge of himself, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul to death and he permitted himself to be counted among the transgressors. Yet he himself carried the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. “
So while Jesus’ will was not to die and suffer, he permitted himself to, to submit himself to the will of God. God didn’t force it upon him but allowed him the choice, and he chose to do God’s will, and by doing so redeemed us all. To carry the sins of the entire world is indisputably a heavy, heavy burden, but he chose to do so, because it was God’s will. As a result, he has become and fulfilled the prophecy of the righteous servant who would suffer. This is our king, a man worthy enough to lead us because he was willing to bear all of our collective iniquities, the servant of God.
Luke 2:1-20 describes the wonderful birth of our king, the Messiah, and the first portion of the chapter relays a number of glorious events and declarations that happen. I think my favorite verse in this section is v19 “But Mary was treasuring up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ” (REV). Consider what a high honor it was, to be the mother that would birth the Messiah, the one who would save the world. There are a couple things later in this chapter that give us both a confirmation that this is indeed going to be the Messiah, but also a foreshadowing of the events prophesied in the “Suffering Servant” passages of Isaiah.
Luke 2:25-35 tell of Simeon, a deeply religious man whom the spirit of God was upon, who was promised to see the Messiah before he passed. He confirms that Jesus is the Messiah, and rejoices in the honor that God has given him, but tells Mary down in v35 that “…a broadsword will pierce through your own soul.”. Imagine how you’d feel as a mother, later on.
One thing that should be painfully clear to us all as we read Luke 11:21-52 is that Jesus was an “orthodox” Jew. He obeyed all of the Jewish Law, every jot and tittle (the little marks that are identifiers in the hebrew written language). He had to be, to fulfill all of the prophecies regarding the Messiah. Later on he would clarify much of this law, to more fully explain the “spirit” of the law as well as the exact letter of the law.
While we know from scripture that God doesn’t change (Mal 3:6, Ps 102:27, Num 23:19, James 1:17) the last verse in Luke 2 (and the last verse in Luke 1) clearly indicates that Jesus did: Luke 2:52 “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (REV). He grew in wisdom and in stature, and he also grew in favor with God and his fellow man. This presents a problem verse for some of the more traditional “orthodox” presentations of the nature of the Christ, but the scriptures themselves are pretty clear and simple and as always; when our interpretations or traditions are in opposition to scripture, we should defer to scripture.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Have you ever considered the weight of the burden of not just your sin but the sin of the entire world, every other human being throughout all time, placed on the shoulders of one obedient man?
- Had you ever considered how proud Mary was of her son, and then tried to imagine what she felt as she watched him suffer on the cross?
- Isaiah 53:11 says “my righteous servant”, but did you know the word for righteous is צַדִּ֛יק (tzedekh), and has much deeper connotations than “righteousness”? Do a deep study on this word (it will come up again soon, in another devotion).
PRAYER
Father God, I am humbled that my sins were carried by another. Please forgive me. Thank you for life, breath, and all things, and especially for sending us your son. In Jesus name, Amen.
