He Himself bore the sin of many and
interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12c [NASB]
This verse stands in stark contrast to how we would
act after experiencing what Jesus did. Consider the verses before it. Isaiah
prophesied in chapter 53 truths that occurred during Jesus’ life.
Isaiah said the Messiah grew up from parched land.
This land was Judah a land of God’s chosen people who chose not to obey Him nor
worship Him exclusively. Though Jesus lived in Judah, He carried no great
stature among people. He was not a king or leader of the people according to
their ways of life.
Isaiah continued with verses three and four by
saying the people despised the Messiah and turned their back on Him. They
considered Him contemptible and worthless. What He said did not matter to the
Israelites and so they rejected Him. The people of Israel considered the
Messiah as having no value for their lives and so forsook Him. Because of this,
Jesus suffered and grieved for His pain and the people’s loss, the loss of
relationship and salvation from God. The Messiah bore their sorrows and carried
them, yet the Israelites considered Him someone whom God struck and afflicted,
not One who took their punishments. They considered Him a heretic and an
outcast.
Yet, Isaiah said, this Messiah was pierced for the
sin, the rebellion against God, of the Israelites and the people of the world.
He was contrite and shattered for their guilt. Jesus was broken-hearted for the people and broken-bodied on the cross because
of the sin and guilt of people. He received the stripes, wounds, and
bruises of the punishment for us so we could receive healing, and cleansing
from our guilt and sins. So that none of us could say he didn’t cause the
Messiah to die for them, Isaiah expressly pointed out we all, like sheep, have
gone astray; we’ve wandered away from God and gone our own ways. Still, because
of God’s great love for us, the sins and guilt of all of us fell on Him; Jesus
bore them all for us.
Isaiah explained what happened to Jesus. He said He
was oppressed, bowed down, and humbled, but He did not cry out, “Foul play,” or
demand to be released. Instead, the Messiah walked like a meek lamb to His
death. He did not demand a retrial, but bore the pain of our punishment because
of His love for us. The oppression and judgment that was ours Jesus took and was
led away to die.
While He laid aside His glory and majesty to be
born as a man and suffer the indignities, judgment, and punishments from men,
Jesus also was consigned to humiliation in death. The judges made Him die as a
wicked man, consigned the worse form of death penalty reserved for the evilest
people. The people humiliated the Messiah in life and death.
Still, God was pleased
and delighted to break His Son, making Him to bear grief. He was pleased to do
this so He would see His children. The Lord would increase the days of His
people and His will would occur. Jesus humbled Himself to become a man, suffer
persecution and infamy, and die as an evil person. It would enable God’s plan
for His people to be with Him forever. Through the anguish and trouble of the
Messiah, God’s judgment of the people would be satisfied. Because of the
knowledge and wisdom of Jesus, God’s serving Son, who served both people and
the Father, many would receive justification, cleansing and righteousness,
through His carrying their burden of sin and guilt.
Because of all this what
did Jesus do?
·
Grew and lived in a parched land
·
Lived humbly as a man with no power or
glory
·
Lived despised, considered worthless,
and rejected by people
·
Knew sorrows and grief
·
Bore our grief, afflictions, pain, and
sorrow
·
Became considered as a sinner stricken
by God
·
Received our death punishment of sword,
nail, and cross
·
Accepted the oppression and afflictions
by people without crying out His personal innocence
·
Took the title of outcast as He was led
outside the city gates
·
Died the worst death, that of a wicked
man upon a cross
·
Bore the weight and punishment the sins
and guilt of people
·
Received God’s pleasure
And despite what people
did to Him, He interceded for the transgressors and continues to intercede for
us. Jesus taught His followers to love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you in Matthew 5:44. He lived this out on earth and does it in heaven
now.
This last statement of
Isaiah 53 is important. Even though people and their sins caused the need for a
sin sacrifice to cleanse us from our sins, Jesus interceded for us. Before He
died and with His death, He interceded for us with God. Since His death, Jesus
intercedes for us while sitting at the right hand of God. Paul stated this in
Romans 8:34 when he said, “Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was
raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” [NASB] Intercede
means to plead for us, to supplicate or petition. Jesus petitions God for us
for our salvation, needs, and forgiveness. Who of us, if we faced the
inhumanity to the extreme Jesus did, would pray to God begging Him for mercy
for the people who tormented, oppressed, and persecuted us? Yet that is
what Jesus did and does for us even today. Isaiah told us of what the Jews would
do to Jesus and expressed why Jesus came to live as a man on earth. This shows
God’s great love for us even while we were/are sinners.
Isaiah closed this
chapter of prophecy about the fore-coming Messiah by reminding the Israelites
how great is God’s love for them. Even though they persecuted, oppressed, and
killed His body, Jesus interceded for them to the Father in heaven to help them
and us, and not to give us what any of us deserves. That is love! God gives us
what we don’t deserve. Jesus pleads our cause even though we struck Him with
our transgressions.
What greater love is there than
God’s love!
Our
love cannot compare to His.
“The chastening for our
well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5b
[NASB]
Lord,
thank you for reminding me of my sin against You. Thank you for forgiving me each
of my sins as I repent of them. Please help me remember how great Your love is
that you would die for me and continue to plead for me with the Father. I do
not deserve Your love, yet You give it anyway. Help me to live as Jesus did and
pray for my enemies and those who I consider unworthy of help from You. Thank
you for Your love. Amen.
