Isaiah 53:1-12: a reflection

1Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD’s arm been revealed? 2For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him. 4Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. 5But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth. 8He was taken away by oppression and judgment. As for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people? 9They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and the LORD’s pleasure will prosper in his hand. 11After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities. 12Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

This great prophecy sets before us the suffering servant, who bore not his own sins but ours, pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, so that by his wounds we are healed. He was pierced for our transgressions, Isaiah says; he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, everyone to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. The servant, despised and rejected, a man of suffering, was afflicted not for his own sin, for he had done no wrong, but for ours; the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all, and he bore it, in our place, that we might be healed and have peace. This shows the suffering servant bearing our sins in our place, so that by his wounds we are healed. The suffering servant bore our sins in our place. By his wounds we are healed; the punishment that brought our peace was on him. The LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all. Christ suffered not for his own sin, but for ours.

Notice for whom the servant suffered. He was despised and rejected, a man of suffering; but his suffering was not for his own sin, for he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. His suffering was for us: he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was laid on him; by his wounds we are healed. We, like sheep, had all gone astray, each turning to his own way; and the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all, so that he bore, in our place, what our sins deserved. This is the heart of the gospel, foretold long before Christ came. Our transgressions and iniquities separated us from God and stood against us; but Christ, the righteous servant, took them upon himself, bearing our sins in our place, suffering what we deserved, so that we might be healed, have peace with God, and be forgiven. He did not suffer for his own sin, for he had none; he suffered for ours. When we grasp that Christ bore our sins in our place, that the punishment that brought our peace was on him, that by his wounds we are healed, we see the depth of his love and the ground of our peace with God. We do well to receive with gratitude and faith what the suffering servant has done, bearing our sins that we might be healed. The suffering servant bore your sins in his own body, in your place. By his wounds you are healed; his suffering bought your peace. Christ suffered not for his own sin, but for yours. Receive with faith and gratitude what Christ has borne for you.

That is worth taking to heart, for the suffering servant bore our sins in our place, pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, so that by his wounds we are healed, as Isaiah foretold. Our sins stood against us and separated us from God; but the LORD laid on the servant the iniquity of us all, and he bore it in our place. By his wounds we are healed. Receive with gratitude and faith what Christ has done: bearing your sins in his own body, suffering what you deserved, that you might be healed and have peace with God. Receive with gratitude and faith what the suffering servant has done, bearing your sins in your place, pierced for your transgressions and crushed for your iniquities so that by his wounds you are healed, as this great prophecy sets before us the servant who bore not his own sins but ours, on whom was laid the punishment that brought our peace, since all we like sheep had gone astray, everyone to his own way, and the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all; for the servant, despised and rejected, a man of suffering, was afflicted not for his own sin, for he had done no wrong, but for ours, and he bore it in our place that we might be healed and have peace, which is the heart of the gospel foretold long before Christ came, since our transgressions and iniquities separated us from God and stood against us, but Christ the righteous servant took them upon himself, bearing our sins in our place and suffering what we deserved so that we might be healed, have peace with God, and be forgiven, not suffering for his own sin, for he had none, but for ours, so that when we grasp that Christ bore our sins in our place, that the punishment that brought our peace was on him, and that by his wounds we are healed, we see the depth of his love and the ground of our peace with God, and we do well to receive with gratitude and faith what the suffering servant has done.

Lord, this great prophecy sets before me the suffering servant, who bore not his own sins but ours, pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, so that by his wounds we are healed. He was pierced for our transgressions, Isaiah says; he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, everyone to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. The servant, despised and rejected, a man of suffering, was afflicted not for his own sin, for he had done no wrong, but for ours; you laid on him the iniquity of us all, and he bore it, in our place, that we might be healed and have peace. Show me for whom the servant suffered. He was despised and rejected, a man of suffering; but his suffering was not for his own sin, for he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. His suffering was for us: he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was laid on him; by his wounds we are healed. We, like sheep, had all gone astray, each turning to his own way; and you laid on him the iniquity of us all, so that he bore, in our place, what our sins deserved. This is the heart of the gospel. My transgressions and iniquities separated me from you and stood against me; but Christ, your righteous servant, took them upon himself, bearing my sins in my place, suffering what I deserved, so that I might be healed, have peace with you, and be forgiven. He did not suffer for his own sin, for he had none; he suffered for mine. When I grasp that Christ bore my sins in my place, that the punishment that brought my peace was on him, that by his wounds I am healed, I see the depth of his love and the ground of my peace with you. Take that to my heart. Help me receive with gratitude and faith, Lord, what your suffering servant has done, bearing my sins in his own body and suffering what I deserved, that by his wounds I might be healed and have peace with you.