"Who would have believed what we just heard?
When was the Lord’s power revealed through him?" V.1
The nations will be shocked because they have never heard of a deliver who would be willing to fall so low in order to deliver them. Who could have believed that when the “arm of the Lord” was made known and came to deliver his people it would look like this? The shocking essence of the Servant is expanded to include the entire unexpected nature of his ministry.
This man does not fit our picture of God’s deliverer at all. We are not drawn to him or his plans, “He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block.” V.7, rather we are repulsed by him and them.
Jesus’ birth did not shake the Roman Empire, he was born in some back stable of a village in. The revelation of him to the world was simply that of a man quietly coming to the great preacher of the day and asking to be baptized. We were expecting s costumed drum major to lead a triumphal parade. Our eyes get caught up in and love superficial spendor. This man, says Isaiah, will have none of that.
“He was despised and rejected by people….v3” He was considered someone worthless, unworthy of attention. In the eyes of the world, He is not one of the winners, he is one of the losers. And losers can not deliver other losers. Thus the revelation of the Servant of the Lord who will deliver the Lord’s people is net with shock, astonishment, distaste, avoidance, and dismissed.
Yet in this Servant, God has found a way to both gratify his love and satisfy his justice.
Isaiah 53 is an amazing revelation of the both the extreme love and the extreme justice that is at the heart of God’s desire to save his people, and the instrument through which he will save his people, the Servant, Jesus Christ.
I have spent time in “church” today. This chapter has drawn me to read it over and over. And I could write pages of thoughts on it that are filling my heart and head. I shared just a little of them. I would love to hear your thoughts and revelations from this chapter.