September 28th, 2025: The Servant's Suffering | Isaiah 53:1-7

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:9-13).

Our job is not to think of ways to keep people out of Heaven. Our job is to speak and live out  the truth of the Gospel and bring as many to Heaven as possible. Recent events have narrowed our focus and are inspiring renewed efforts. A resurgence of revival spirit is flowing through believers. Renewal will require submitting to God and allowing Him to clean up your spiritual temple. We’ll need to rediscover the word of God and apply what it says. (Hint - don’t worry so much about what you can’t understand. Focus on what you do understand. Learning and growth come with time and obedience.) 

Getting reacquainted with your Savior on a personal level will allow you to stop worrying so much about what others are called to do and to get busy with what you are called to do! The church is one family with many members and is equipped with many diverse talents and abilities. Don’t expect everyone to be just like you; your talent will be different, but your goal will be the same: to glorify God and worship Christ. The word of God is the same, regardless of where you come from, or what nationality you are.  The word will stand when everything else falls away. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.(Matthew 24:35).

The Suffering Servant depicted in the verses of Isaiah Chapter 53 is not what likely would come to mind when expecting the promised Messiah, the King to come, the Redeemer, the Savior.  Written about 700 years before the crucifixion, this prophecy reveals the greatest battle ever fought and won, and the unimaginable circumstances of the gospel.

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

Isaiah 53 is known as the forbidden chapter. There are many non-Christian books and scholars that attempt to discredit any semblance of comparison in this chapter with the life and death of Jesus. Historically, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, most Jewish scholars simply did not want to discuss or debate this chapter. They solved their dilemma by simply banning and forbidding it from being read at all. Christian scholars agree that the inspired message of Isaiah contains the foreknowledge of God, and allowed those looking for the Messiah to understand that His purpose would be to suffer in our place.  He most definitely was bruised as Genesis 3 predicted He would be. Man expected The Messiah to behave as they would: elevating Himself, accumulating power and political influence, and exacting revenge on Israel’s enemies. Instead, Christ did the unthinkable: He humbled Himself and died.  

Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the lord revealed?

Who could receive the truth? Only God can open the eyes of the unbeliever, allowing them to understand the victory of Jesus over death, hell, and the grave. The captivity of Judah would not happen for about 150-175 years after Isaiah penned these words. The crucifixion of Jesus happened around 700 years later. Reminder: Prophesy is not fortune-telling. It is not magical.  God allowed Isaiah to reveal what God knew He was going to do. Prophecy can only be given by God- He alone knows the future. As we study, keep in mind that the events that happened in the earthly life of Christ prove the authenticity of Isaiah’s prophecy. Conservatively, there are over 300 Old Testament prophesies that are fulfilled, exactly, in Jesus.

In the gospel of John the writer says, That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12: 38- 43).

Let us pray to NOT be like the Pharisees in seeking out the praises of men rather than the truth of God.  We are standing today at a crossroads, maybe even on the brink of our last opportunity.  Do we believe the report? Have we seen the goodness of God? What are we saying about it? How are we living because of it? 

Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23: 10-13).

We are called to be servants, in submission to God. Jesus was obedient to the will of the Father, bringing all who will believe into the family of God. If we are on the Lord’s side, the last thing we would ever want to do is to block someone from coming to Christ. You don’t get to decide who deserves forgiveness; you just clear a path to the door of salvation and get out of the way.

 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He was God and He was man. He took on our form (humanness) to be the sacrifice for our redemption. He chose to arrive without the fanfare He was due. He was a tender plant. Not a harsh prickly plant. Not overly large and obvious. Not showing off for his own benefit. He was a root out of dry ground. He was planted where He said He would be, yet among unfavorable conditions. He did not fit the stereotype that the nation was looking for. He was not a Samson or a David in appearance. Being out of dry ground might imply that He really didn’t have much of a chance to survive by human standards. He does not act, appear, or even arrive the way one would look for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

• He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:10-12).

•  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? (Matthew 13: 54-55).

• Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phillipians 2:6-8).

• Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:14-15).

  
  

They were looking for someone magnificent and strong to champion the people and overthrow Rome. What they received was so very much more than they could imagine. This suffering servant would bring the hope of salvation to the world! 

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

As you re-read the words of Isaiah, are you struck by the irony that He is still, 2000 years later,  despised and rejected of men? Many areas of the world are hostile and very restrictive toward the words of Christ and His followers. Already in 2025, there have been thousands martyred across the globe for their Christian faith. If you are in a place that hasn’t seen deadly persecutions, it is likely true that you have witnessed social, educational, and employment victimization and prejudice based on a profession of Christian faith. They despised Him; some still do. They are unfairly intolerant of a true believer. Yet he bore those injustices. He willingly took on the cross, ignoring the unbelievers and even Satan in temptation. That was the rescue plan for all of mankind. Every kick, every punch, every cut, every hurt deliberately inflicted in anger and sin, He willingly took. To redeem us all. Isaiah specifies that ALL, like sheep, have gone astray. There is not one of us who could repair the breach with God on our own.

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.

Is that hard to understand? All four gospels record that Jesus answered nothing to the accusations against Him. Mark writes it like this: And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. (Mark 15:2-5). The Eunuch in Acts chapter 8 asked about this, questioning Phillip. Only Jesus, the true King, the Messiah, in perfect control of the situation, does this thing.  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. (Acts 8:32-35).

Are you teaching Jesus? Do you believe His report? Are you willing to be a suffering servant?  The world hated Jesus, but was overcome by Him. This isn’t about you. It is about souls in the balance. It is all about eternal Heaven or eternal Hell. If you know that the authority and power of the Lord, be ready to share!

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!