The Servant Suffers: Finding victory in the pain of suffering

“Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). We know this to be true from these writings in the Old Testament / Torah but Paul confirmed it again in Romans 4 of the New Testament. For Jews and Christians alike, Abraham was a man of righteousness.

He was also a man of blessing. It was to him that God spoke, “Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).

I doubt Abraham had any idea the persecution and trials that would befall the Jewish people – his descendants through Isaac and Jacob – over the next several millennia. From the Egyptian enslavement, through countless attempts at extermination, and culminating in a final attack prophesied by Ezekiel which is still yet to happen, the Jewish people have suffered. They have known pain unlike any other ethnic group.

Many people of compassion look at Jewish history and ask, “Why?”

The Hebrew prophet Isaiah offers a hint of explanation in one of his most well-known prophecies. Yet, we often overlook it.

Join us as we consider Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – the fourth of Isaiah’s songs of the suffering servant. In this five-part study, we’ll consider the role Jewish persecution had to play in the coming of the Messiah, the significance of Jesus’ humanity, the purpose for Jesus’ life and death on earth, and the outcome for all humanity, including the Jewish people.

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Hope in the Battle

"One of the great themes of Christianity is triumphant hope. Not just hope as in a distant, vague dream, but TRIUMPHANT hope, the kind of hope where all things end right. In the midst of the struggles and the storms and suffering of life, we can advance our thoughts beyond today and see relief....triumph...victory. Because, in the end, God does indeed win" (Charles Swindoll).

I focused this month on prophecies of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Facebook, Twitter, Google+). As Passover and Resurrection Sunday ended, my focus shifted for the rest of the month. The fulfillment of prophecy didn’t end with Jesus’ resurrection; He has more to do. Here’s the connection – the fact that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of His death and resurrection are our guarantee that He will fulfill the prophecies of His second coming, millennial kingdom, and final judgment.

Jesus never taught on hope

Jesus’ fulfillment of these future prophecies completes our hope! And yet, Jesus never taught on hope. Does that surprise you? It did me.

Jesus – every part man and every part God – sees the whole picture without the limits of time. For Him, the certainty of the fulfillment of prophecy was as sure as the soil upon which His feet walked. As absolute as His role in the creation of that soil. Present, past, future – He sees them all.

Jesus’ teaching “is delivered in the language of One to whom the realities of the next world and of the future are perfectly familiar; the tone is not that of prediction so much as it is that of the statement of obvious facts. In other words, ‘hope’ to Christ is ‘certainty,’ and the word ‘hope’ is never on His lips” (ISBE).

Hope isn’t a distant, vague dream; through Jesus, hope is realized - completed - finished - fulfilled.

What is our hope?

Jesus' fulfilled prophecy at His first coming; this gives us an absolute hope for the fulfillment of still future prophecies. So, for what do we hope?

Our hope is…

• For God to be glorified (Romans 5:1-5)
• For creation and our own bodies to be set free from decay (Romans 8:20-24)
• To reflect the glory of God (2 Corinthians 3:7-18)
• A calling God wants us to know (Ephesians 1:18)
• Stored up for us in heaven (Colossians 1:5)
• The message of the gospel (Colossians 1:22-23)
• Salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
• Eternal life (Titus 1:2-3)
• The second coming of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)
• Alive (1 Peter 1:3)
• Grace (1 Peter 1:13)
• In God (1 Peter 1:21)
• Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:1)

Hope in the Battle

From Jesus’ timeless perspective, it may have been easy to see the certainty of future hope. It’s not always so easy for us. Here are a few helps from Scripture to make hope a greater reality in your life.

Hope protects our mind & thoughts

“But since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

A helmet guards the head and the mind. Our mind is how we understand the world around us; with it, we utilize wisdom and discernment. Our mind helps us to make a judgment or maintain determination. Like a helmet, hope in Christ protects our understanding, thoughts, and purpose. Hope helps us to look at a battle, discern the truth, and see the victory. When we lose focus on the hope before us – the hope of His future fulfillment of prophecy – our thoughts steer us off course.

Hope is a requirement for action

“Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

We prepare our mind for action by remaining calm and collected (serious) and by focusing on our hope. Keep your thoughts focused on the hope of what lies ahead; doing so helps us keep the battles of this life in perspective. Then we can take effective action rather than lose control in a response based entirely on our emotions.

Hope can do the job

“But honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

Once hope is protecting our mind, thoughts, and understanding… Once we have prepared our mind for action through our hope… Then, hope is ready to do its job in the battle. Hope doesn’t fly off on irrational, emotional appeals. A prepared mind provides a logical understanding for why we hope as we do although it does so with gentleness and respect.

Jesus’ past fulfillment of prophecy guarantees His future fulfillment. That certainty is our hope! 

Living Life between the Cross and the Coming

Passover and Easter are over. What’s next?

My focus this Passover / Easter season has been Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy through His death and resurrection. I shared many of those thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

But now Passover and Easter are over. Jesus fulfilled those prophecies; the resurrection has happened. What’s next?

Here’s what – more prophecy fulfillment. Jesus still has a few more things to do.

He has to retrieve His bride, the church.

“Go, my people, enter your rooms and close your doors behind you. Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed” (Isaiah 26:20).

He has to return to earth; He has to come a second time. 

“On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, forming a huge valley, so that half the mountain will move to the north and half to the south” (Zechariah 14:4).

He has to judge the nations and establish His kingdom on Earth. 

“He will strike the land with discipline from His mouth, and He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips. … On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious” (Isaiah 11:4, 10).

He has to defeat Satan once and for all. 

“I will put hostility between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

He has to judge those who never chose to follow Him. 

“As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all mankind” (Isaiah 66:24).

He has to reward those who did choose to follow Him. 

“Look, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, ‘Say to Daughter Zion: Look, your salvation is coming, His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him.’ And they will be called the Holy People, the LORD’s Redeemed; and you will be called Cared For, A City Not Deserted” (Isaiah 62:11-12).

As you can see, Jesus has more to do – the fulfillment of prophecy isn’t over.

But what about now?

We’re living in the time period between the first and second coming. And in all honesty, we’re closer to that second coming than we are to the first. But how should we live during this time?

Awake & Serious

“For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be serious” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6).

I don’t have room to get into all of the day/night and wake/sleep imagery used here but let me boil it down… Live like the life Christ died to give you means something to you. Don’t spend your time and resources on your own satisfaction. God gave His life for you – spend your time and resources living your life for Him. Again I repeat, live like the life Christ died to give you means something to you.

Ready for action, Serious, & Hopeful

“Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

Get ready! Ready to fight, ready to serve, ready to love, ready to obey, ready to do whatever God calls you to do. You won’t ever be ready if you aren’t spending time now getting to know Him and know His Word.

Be Hopeful! This world is not the end game. We have more to come after this life – more than we can ever imagine. That’s the end game. That’s the goal. That’s the purpose. Yes, life here is hard but hold fast to the hope of what’s to come.

Be Serious, Pray, Love, & Play Nice

“Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (1 Peter 4:7-9).

This is a different Greek word for serious than in the previous passages. This one means to stay in your right mind, exercise a little self control, and curb your passions. Life’s not all about making yourself feel good.

Pray through the hard stuff…and through the easy stuff. Pray through all of it. Do you really have a relationship with someone if you aren’t talking to them regularly? Go to God just like you would a friend – when someone makes you mad, when something great happens, when you don’t know what to do, when you need someone to listen.

Love each other even as we remember that biblical love is all about sacrifice. Biblical love doesn’t focus on how good the loved one makes us feel; biblical love focuses on how we can give ourselves to help them feel good. Kind of like Jesus did in the ultimate expression of love – His death on the cross.

Help others out whenever you can – with a kind word, a meal, a listening ear, a little extra cash. Don’t complain or pat yourself on the back later.

So there you have it – some good ideas for how to live in this time after the resurrection of Jesus as we wait for His second coming. I’m sure there’s more but this is a good amount to get us started.

Receive the Victory, Chosen of God

"Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely" (Isaiah 53:10).

Ouch.

So begins the fifth and final stanza of Isaiah’s fourth song of the Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

• First stanza – Wake Up, City of God; the suffering of the Jews foreshadowed the Messiah’s suffering.
• Second stanza – Believe It, People of God; as hard as it might be to believe, the Messiah came as a man.
• Third stanza – Consider the Why, Rebels of God; the Servant’s suffering had purpose.
• Fourth stanza - Behold the Lamb, Children of God; the Servant was shorn and slaughtered as a lamb.

And all of this made God happy? It pleased Him?

The four previous stanzas described the sacrificial death of the Servant with awful terms.

• Disfigured, beaten to the point of being unrecognizable
• Despised, rejected, a man of suffering
• Stricken, struck down by God, afflicted
• Pierced, crushed, punished
• Oppressed, judged, cut off

Why on earth would God find pleasure in this?

Because of this…

The Servant’s death would make restitution for wrongs done against the holy name of God. Jesus gave Himself up as a restitution offering (aka, guilt offering in other translations). Jesus’ death created a way for the ultimate wrong to be made right – for God’s creation to be restored to their former position. God and people could dwell together once again.

The anguish of restitution
With restitution made, the Servant will see His spiritual offspring. Through resurrection, He will no longer experience death. He will accomplish the desire of God (Isaiah 53:10).

Yes, He will go through anguish to reach the end goal. God’s not pleased with that part. But sin’s entrance into the world brought with it the need for sacrifice. God is pleased that the Servant willingly offered Himself as the final sacrifice to permanently make right the wrong done by our choice to sin. And despite the anguish, Jesus will be satisfied because He knows the results (Isaiah 53:11).

He knows His anguish will make restitution to declare us righteous. He knows it will bear our distortion of truth (Isaiah 53:11); His resurrection will defeat our distortion of truth. He knows that He is the truth (John 14:6).

He knows His suffering will take us from co-conspirator to co-heir (Romans 8:17). From vile to victorious (1 John 5:4). From condemned to conqueror (1 John 4:4).

The victory of redemption
Jesus experienced anguish that none of us will ever know. But with that anguish came the victory of redemption. He died as our Passover lamb so that the death angel might pass over us.

He exposed His soul – the very part of Him that communed with God the Father – to death. Although He was sinless, He allowed Himself to be counted among those who have rebelled against God. He carried away our sin and caused the punishment for it to fall upon Himself (Isaiah 53:12).

Because He willingly did so, His is the greatest victory and the greatest reward. God will make Him chief or captain over all. That is why Paul later wrote, “Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:7-11).

Yes, God will make Him chief over all, but He won’t keep it all to Himself. That’s the part that knocks me to my knees every time. When final victory is His, He will assign the spoils among the mighty. In other words, there’s a part in there for us. We will be with Him. The fourth cup will be drank. The victory will be complete. In the midst of all that, He will say, “Come here, my beloved. Good job, my mighty one. I have a little something for you.” I can’t wait. How about you?

Behold the Lamb, Children of God

God’s Word never grows boring; its depth never ends. We continue to work through Isaiah’s fourth song of the suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). This prophetic passage is so rich in meaning on the surface but the intricacies and details becoming even richer as we dive deeper into each stanza. So many of these words and phrases hold a life of their own – they leave me wanting to know more! How deep can we go into some of these things? Maybe a book someday. It’s too much for this series!

Where we’ve been

Wake Up, City of God, (stanza one) – the sufferings of the Jewish people foreshadowed the suffering of the Servant of God.

Believe It, People of God (stanza two) – as hard as it might be to believe, the Servant Messiah would come as a man. God would become a man.

Consider the Why, Rebels of God (stanza three) – The people suffered, the Servant suffered, and He came to earth as a man for a pinnacle purpose. He came to carry our sickness and pain, to restore our covenant relationship, and to enable us to live life on His path.

This stanza picks up where the last one left off – the oppression and affliction of the Servant. These torments came upon Him because of our perversion and distortion of the truth. That was the “why” we looked at last week.

Here we see His response. He didn’t say a word. He could’ve declared His right to the glory of heaven. He could have proclaimed truth as a double-edged sword that would have brought His accusers to defeat. The mouth that spoke and created the universe could have spoke again and created a kingdom with Himself as King.

He could have, but He didn’t. Why not? Because when He does do those things, He wants us there with Him. That only happens if He makes a way for it to happen because we can’t ascend to that level of righteousness on our own. He did so by dying so that His blood would protect us. Kind of like the Passover lamb did for the ancient Jewish people.

Behold the Lamb, Children of God

“Like a lamb”
The lamb is first mentioned in the Bible as the animal God provided as a substitution for Isaac when God told Abraham to sacrifice him on Mount Moriah. The blood of the sacrificed lamb also provided protection for the people of Israel during the tenth plague in Egypt. The Jewish people still celebrated this event during the time of Isaiah, during the time of Jesus, and even still today although without the lamb. (That’s significant but more than we can get into here.)

This lamb isn’t sacrificed, though; he’s slaughtered. The men who sent Jesus to His death didn’t do so as if they were offering up the Passover lamb even though He did die on Passover. In the minds of Jesus’ accusers, they were sending Him to slaughter. Slaughter is a sign of power and judgment. They executed judgment and power to bring Jesus to His death.

Let me point out here, though, that the Servant went willingly to His suffering. “I am laying down my life so I may take it up again” (John 10:17). He also said Satan himself has no authority to bring Him to His death. Jesus went willingly.

“Like a sheep”
Three of Jesus’ forefathers – Jacob, Judah, and David – had interesting stories involving the shearing of sheep (Genesis 31, Genesis 38, and 1 Samuel 25, respectively). It’s too much to write about here; let me just say they all involve partying, drunkenness, deception, revenge, transferred blessing, and ascent to power.

And that’s exactly what we see in Isaiah 53 with the Servant as a sheep before shearers. The shearers – the Jewish leadership of Jesus’ day – are drunk with their own power and self-righteousness. The end result is God denies them the blessing they think they’ve earned. The blessing goes to another; in this case, it goes to all people as the Servant provides salvation for all the earth. The Servant ascends to power as He conquers sin and death and is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, “far above every rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21).

Through it all, again, he was silent. The tongue of the Word Made Flesh was bound - bound as is a sheep while the wool is shorn. Once more, He knew His death must come first.

So…

He was cut off from the land of the living – cut off, just as the wool is shorn from the body of the sheep.

He was struck because of our rebellion – struck, just like the plague struck the people of Egypt who didn’t have the blood of the lamb on their doorpost.

He made His grave with the wicked – wicked, just like those destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Even still, “He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully” (Isaiah 53:9). He still was the spotless, unblemished Passover Lamb. Cut off, struck, among the wicked –Why? So we could paint the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of our hearts; so we could experience freedom from slavery and life instead of death.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Chosen of God

Consider the Why, Rebels of God

The people have suffered.

The Servant has suffered.

With this week we reach the middle – the pinnacle – of Isaiah’s Song of the Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). In the midst of this week’s stanza lies the point of the servant’s suffering; the “Why?” which we have all questioned.

The people and the city of God suffered under oppression and slavery just as the Servant would also have to suffer (Article one of this series – Wake Up, City of God).

God would have to become a man – forsaking all rights and entitlements – no matter how hard it might be to believe such a thing (Article two of this series – Believe It, People of God).

Why?

• Why did Israel suffer?
• Why did the Servant suffer?
• Why did He come as a man?

We may know the “what” of the Servant’s suffering – the characters, the details, the methods, the timing, and the place. All of that is worthless, though, unless we know the “why.” Why gives the suffering purpose.

“Why?” takes a random execution and gives it meaning. This execution held significance for all people for all time.

The Connection

A little Hebrew wordplay in Isaiah 53:3-4 ties together the suffering of the Servant Man with the reason for why He had to suffer. Verse three describes Him as “a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.” As is common in Hebrew poetry, Isaiah repeated these ideas – in reverse order and with more explanation – in verse four. “He Himself bore our sicknesses and He carried our pains.” In the pictures below, the words highlighted with the same color are the same word in Hebrew.

Yes, the Servant was a man. All men are familiar with suffering, sickness, and sorrow. The first line doesn’t tell us much that’s new. The connection between the first line and the second shows us the significance. The Servant knew pain and sickness because He knew OUR pain and sickness. Isaiah’s. The Jews’. The Gentile’s. Yours. Mine.

Another Hebrew repetition reveals even more significance to the Servant’s suffering. In verse three, when we thought the Servant was just some man who suffered, we couldn’t even be bothered with it; didn’t give it a second thought. “We didn’t value Him.” In verse four, Isaiah told us it’s our suffering that the Servant carried. And so our response changes – we do take the time to think about it. Our conclusion? We “regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.”

Yeah, we thought about it. We decided He’s just a man so God must have…

• Reached out to strike Him as a sinner
• Wounded and killed Him
• Brought Him down low

But we distort the truth

Whether or not we believe something doesn’t change whether or not it is true. Truth is truth regardless of whether we believe it or not. That’s the case here.

We may choose to believe that Jesus was just a man – brought low, wounded, and killed. But that doesn’t change the reality. Remember, it was our sickness which He bore and our pain which He carried. But there's more...

• Our rebellion pierced Him.
• Our distortion of the truth crushed Him.
• We needed discipline to restore our covenant relationship with God but the discipline fell upon the Servant.
• Every hit He received brought healing to us.

He never rebelled, He never distorted the truth, He never needed discipline to restore His relationship with the Father, and He never needed healing. If He was just a man He would have needed all of these things. But He’s more – He’s God. The Servant is a man; the Servant is God. Together in one.

There’s another reason

He carried our sickness and pain. He restored our relationship. In case that’s not enough, the Servant’s suffering is significant for one more reason in this stanza. God created us to go on a certain path but we wandered off it. We turned to our own path instead. We distort God’s truth as we wander aimlessly down our own chaotic path. The result of our wandering was punishment. 

But Love stepped in. The punishment that was supposed to fall on us – God made it fall on the Servant instead.

So the answer to "Why?" is this...

He did it so He could carry our sickness and pain instead of us.

He did it to restore our relationship with God, despite the rebellion and distortion of truth that is within us.

He did it to bring us back onto the right path – the path for which He created us.

Read about the fourth stanza, Isaiah 53:7-9, by clicking here: Behold the Lamb, Children of God.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Children of God.

Believe It, People of God

Passover and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection will be here soon. We don’t mourn as a people who have no hope; we rejoice in this holy season. We celebrate freedom from slavery; we find joy in God’s provision of redemption for all people.

This season we’re reading through the last of four servant songs written by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, they give detailed prophecies of the coming Messiah. Prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus. We read the first stanza last week – Wake Up, City of God.

Hard to Believe

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1 NIV). Sometimes we hear things – especially in this day of internet-based information overload – that don’t really seem possible. Sometimes a little tidbit of news seems a little too far out there – a little hard to believe. 

Or, maybe the news doesn’t quite fit with how we think the situation should play out. We expect one outcome of events and yet things appear to have happened a different way.

Kind of like the news Isaiah is about to share with his fellow Jews. Will anyone believe this message? Will anyone realize they have beheld the power of God, poetically referred to as the arm of the Lord? After all, it’s kind of a hard message to accept that the Messiah would… could lower to… could humiliate Himself to … come as a man.

Four Aspects of Jesus’ Humanity

• “He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2).

Since Jesus came as a man, He had to grow up. He lay in a manger as a baby and learned in the Temple as a boy. He grew to manhood.

But He also grew before God the Father – connected to Him as a sapling tree connects to the original tree. Yes, He was a man but He came from God and was God.

He grew before God the Father – miraculously as a root that grows out of dry earth. Yes, He was a man but He was a source of life in a spiritually dry, desolate environment.

• “He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

His body, His clothes, and His appearance were normal. 

He didn’t have the physique of Thor or Superman. He didn’t dress or have gadgetry like Iron Man or Batman. He didn’t have an intimidating appearance like the Incredible Hulk. He was a man.

• “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was” (Isaiah 53:3). 

His reputation was nothing special; He wasn’t immune from pain, sorrow, or suffering.

He didn’t focus on building a platform or deal with paparazzi. Most people who lived in the first century probably never even heard His name. He definitely didn’t break any retweet records.

He ached for His beloved city of Jerusalem, wanting to gather the people together under His protection (Luke 13:34). He wept over the death of a dear friend, Lazarus, and for the sisters who didn’t yet realize that only through Him was resurrection and life (John 11:35). He was troubled knowing that betrayal would come from a friend with whom He sat at the same table (John 13:21). In agony, He sweat drops of blood as His crucifixion drew near (Luke 22:44). He was a man.

• “He was like someone people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him” (Isaiah 53:3). 

He had no special charm and no celebrity status.

Celebrity status has taken over the American church. People love pastors and teachers for their charisma, charm, dynamic delivery, and impressive buildings. Many of us would excitedly jump at the opportunity to meet Billy Graham, Francis Chan, John MacArthur, John Piper, or __________ (fill in the blank with your favorite celebrity pastor). Usually (unfortunately not always), the pastor or teacher isn’t after the celebrity status; it's a by-product of our culture. We are drawn to them because of their charisma and charm. We lift them up; we highly esteem them.

Jesus had none of that. Nothing drew people to Him. Very few jumped at the chance to meet Him – usually only those hoping for a healing. Most turned away from Him. He wasn’t the Christian celebrity we know today full of charisma and charm. He was a man.

It’s kind of hard to believe, isn’t it? The Savior of the world, the awaited Messiah, wouldn’t supernaturally appear as a conquering hero. He wouldn’t come with beauty and majesty. He wouldn’t be overwhelmingly popular and loved by all.

But don’t worry, that day is coming. The Messiah came the first time as Isaiah’s prophesied Servant but a second coming awaits us in the future. At that time, He will supernaturally appear as the conquering hero. The whole world will behold His beauty, power, and majesty. The whole world will worship Him as King of Kings. Amen to that.

Read about the third stanza, Isaiah 53:4-6, by clicking here: Consider the Why, Rebels of God.

Read about the fourth stanza, Isaiah 53:7-9, by clicking here: Behold the Lamb, Children of God.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Chosen of God

Wake Up, City of God

Do you ever have one of those times when you hear a Bible passage repeated over and over in your life? Church, online, devotional reading, wherever.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 has been that way for me over the last few weeks. Even more, I felt God prompt me to study it in depth each time I heard it. I couldn’t let it merely go in one ear and out the other.

Passover and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection approach with each passing day. These words from Isaiah are the last of four passages referred to as the “Servant Songs.” They all prophesy the suffering of the coming Jewish Messiah. So with that divinely orchestrated coincidence, this post begins a series building up to Passover and the Resurrection in which we’ll consider this song of the servant. Today, let's only focus on the first stanza.

The Servant Jesus

When I first read through these verses something odd jumped out at me. I immediately circled it in my notes. As it turns out, the oddity would be the key to understanding this passage.

The oddity is this – the word “You.” Do you see it right there in the third line? Who is the “You” referring to since the Servant throughout the passage is referred to as “He” or “Him?”

As a Christian, I see Jesus throughout this passage – He is the Servant who will act wisely. Who else’s appearance would appall many? Could anything be as horrific as Jesus’ disfigured, mutilated body hanging on a Roman crucifixion stake?

The context for these verses helped enlighten me to whom the “You” refers. Back up to verses 1-12 of this chapter. “Wake up, wake up; put on your strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the Holy City! For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer enter you” (Isaiah 52:1). And so it continues throughout the chapter. “You” refers to Zion, the beautiful city of Jerusalem.

Why are many appalled at Jerusalem?
After all, Israel is God’s “treasured possession” (Psalm 135:4). Jerusalem is “the city of our God” (Psalm 48:1) and “the perfection of beauty” (Psalm 50:2). This is only a very brief, quick sampling of how God feels about Zion, Jerusalem, and Israel.

However, despite all of that, the first part of Isaiah 52 reminds us His treasured possession was enslaved in Egypt and oppressed by the Assyrians (Isaiah 52:4). The rulers of Jerusalem wail and men blaspheme the name of the Lord within her (Isaiah 52:5).

How could this happen to the city – the people – that the Lord loves?
Perhaps one reason God allowed it was to serve as a picture for how His Holy Servant would also be mistreated and reviled by the world. He also would endure the extreme of separation from God before the time of His exaltation.

Despite the slavery, oppression, and groaning, God exalts His holy city. “Remove the bonds from your neck, captive Daughter Zion” (Isaiah 52:2). God redeems her (verse 3), her watchman and her ruins will both shout for joy once again (verses 8-9), and God will reveal His salvation for all nations within her (verse 10).

God will do likewise for His Servant, the Messiah. Jesus also was disfigured and beyond human recognition, but “He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13).

Just like people were appalled with “You,” Israel, they also will be appalled with God’s Servant.

Just like God will restore and exalt His Holy City, He will restore and exalt His Servant.

And you know what? These two things are going to happen at the same time – when Jesus returns a second time.

In that moment, “all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10).

In that moment, “He will startle many nations” (Isaiah 52:15).

In that moment, “Kings will shut their mouths because of Him” (Isaiah 52:15).

Because they will see and understand what didn’t previously seem possible – that Jesus, the Servant, the Messiah, is the salvation of the world.

Read about the second stanza, Isaiah 53:1-3, by clicking here: Believe It, People of God.

Read about the third stanza, Isaiah 53:4-6, by clicking here: Consider the Why, Rebels of God.

Read about the fourth stanza, Isaiah 53:7-9, by clicking here: Behold the Lamb, Children of God.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Chosen of God

Easter Dresses: What will you wear when the resurrection comes?

I walked into an elegant, chic clothing store, circa 1950. Plush carpet, elaborate lighting; tufted round benches and armchairs awaited the shopper while attendants brought the latest in fashion and design. Taken back and overwhelmed by the glitz and glam of the store, I focused on my purpose for being there. I had to make a decision; Easter was only a few days away and I needed a dress.

Dreams have a powerful effect on us. These early moments of a dream I had a week ago – a few weeks after Easter this year – have stayed with me. Many times I have reflected on this dream and pondered its significance. As you continue to read it, you may think I’m crazy but I can’t shake the feeling that I need to share it with you.

As I ascended the few steps into the store, an older couple passed as they strolled to the exit. The man looked quite sophisticated in his tailor-made Frank Sinatra suit, a Fedora angled ever so slightly on his head. His wife’s style coordinated with sophistication. Her fitted suit was the same hue as her polished pumps and tilt hat. Pure white gloves completed the ensemble.

A Voice spoke, “Remember that couple; notice their clothes. That’s going to be significant later. They’ve already made their choice; they’re ready for Easter.”

I selected a few dresses to try on in the dressing room. Consistent with the aura of 1950’s chic, a variety of people waited in a lounge area of couches and armchairs outside the dressing rooms.

The Voice spoke again, “Look at these people – each of them. Think about them before you enter the fitting room and make your choice.”

I first noticed a young man on the couch; he leaned forward, his focus on a young woman in the chair sitting perpendicular to the couch. They appeared to have just met as they joked and flirted with one another. They didn’t care about Easter; they didn’t care about new clothes. Their concerns didn’t exceed what was going on in the moment. And for right now, the moment was each other.

A young man waiting with his older parents next drew my attention. The older man’s beard and the yarmulke upon his head revealed them to be Jewish. The parents were pleading with their son; they wanted him to celebrate Passover with them. More secular than his religious parents, the son had never grown a beard. According to the traditions, this refusal prevented him from joining the celebration. The father tried to convince the young man to wear a beard-looking mask crocheted by the mother. The parents hoped the young man would appear to believe on the outside, even if his heart didn’t believe.*

A man lounging in the corner to my left was the final person in the room. I turned my focus to him and saw his focus was on his iPod. (A man can have an iPod in the 1950’s in a dream.) Although he wore earbuds to listen to the music, I realized his song selection also played through the store intercom. I stopped to listen to the music and heard the chorus to, “Do You Hear the People Sing?” I instantly recognized the popular song from the musical Les Miserables; a song of freedom, of refusal to succumb to slavery, of a battle fought with martyr’s blood, a song of hope. Hope that comes not in the horrors of this life but shines through the promise of life after our time on earth.

The Voice said of the man in the chair, the man listening to music, “He represents grace.”

I had taken in my surroundings; I had seen what I needed to see. I proceeded into the fitting room to try on my Easter dress choices.

Alone in my fitting room, I listened to the Voice speak a final time, “Those are the four choices. You can be like the first couple whose life focuses entirely on outward appearances. Yes, they’ll be at church on Easter morning and they will look splendid. But the Message will never penetrate past their outer sophistication.

Or, you can be like the second couple who will never see beyond this moment. They will have fun now but that will be all. They won’t even realize Easter is here until it has passed.

Or, you can be like the Jewish family. They’ll spend their lives so wrapped up in ancient traditions that they’ll miss the beautiful, personal fulfillment of those traditions.*

Or, you can be like the final man. Grace can pour into your life as the music flowed through the earbuds into his mind; grace can pour out of your life as the music poured out through the intercom system for anyone who would stop to listen.

Which is it? What’s your choice? What will you wear when resurrection morning comes?

"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).

* The requirement of a beard for Jewish men varies between different sects of Judaism based on their varying interpretations of Leviticus 19:27. The Jewish family in this dream isn't a criticism of Judaism or Jews, a belief system and people group I care about passionately. The representation in the dream is against the practice of rituals and traditions that have lost meaning to those who perform them - a phenomenon experienced throughout Christianity as well.

Because He Lives

I've sang this old hymn many times in my life; today I started really thinking about the words. 

Because He lives

Jesus not only loved enough to give His life to atone for our sin but He also had the power to resurrect from the dead (1 John 4:10, Ephesians 1:18-20, respectively). Not only is the tomb empty but Jesus is alive. Because He lives, everything we know has been changed.

I can face tomorrow - Hope

"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers" (2 Corinthians 1:10-11). I have hope for what might come despite the darkness of the world. I have hope for the eternity I face after my physical body reaches its end.

All fear is gone - Confidence

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Those who know Christ live in confidence; they have no fear of what might happen.

He holds the future - Trust

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). We don't have to worry; it doesn't matter how things play out. We can trust the one who holds the future.

Life is worth the living - Purpose

"Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Corinthians 5:5). A relationship with God gives our lives purpose. We have a reason to be - to bring Him glory. We have the privilege of being used by Him to build His kingdom.

We have hope.

We have confidence.

We can trust.

We have purpose.

All because He lives.

What do you have because Jesus Christ lives? Leave a word or phrase in the comments below.

Born to Die; Died to Live

“Mom, do you like Christmas or Easter better?” My daughter asked me this question out of the blue the other day.

I told her I couldn’t pick one or the other.

“Why not?”

“Without Easter, Christmas is just another baby born in a small, crowded town 2,000 years ago. Without Christmas, Easter is just another Roman crucifixion.”

 

Every prophecy, every miracle, every word of the Word made flesh. It all comes together in one Life – in one Man. It’s one story - the whole story.

And besides, maybe the question should be, “Do you like Hanukkah or Passover better?” 

But that’s another story…

Spiritual Differences: Focusing on the truth that unites us

During our trip to Israel in 2008 we walked the Via Dolarosa. At that time I wrote,

I haven't been looking forward to this post but I want to paint a true picture of this land we are visiting. After leaving the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter, we walked through a tunnel and came out at the Via Dolarosa in the Muslim Quarter. In my head (fortunately for those around me), I was worshipfully singing...

Down the Via Dolarosa called the way of suffering,
Like a Lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me
Down the Via Dolarosa all the way to Calvary.

What a shock to come out of the tunnel, realize where we were, and behold this filthy and crowded row of shops. The situation was worsened by all of the shopkeepers anxious to make a dollar off pilgrims wanting religious icons from the place where Christ had walked.

The Via Dolarosa ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As with all the churches we have visited up until this point, it was absolutely beautiful architecturally. Spiritually, the place was dead. I would like to tell you the six Christian sects who share the church lay theological differences aside and have come together in a spirit of peace and unity. Sadly, that is far from the case. Disagreements and attitudes have led to centuries of violence, hatred, and dishonest practices within the church walls.”

My personal journey along the Via Dolarosa was such a stark contrast to the Garden Tomb, the other believed site of Jesus’ burial. Whereas the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was known for its division and oppression, the garden inspired awe, reverence, peace, and unity.

Disagreements and divisions among Christians have been gnawing away at me lately. Many are stepping away from studying and reading the Bible; they are focusing more on what other people say about the Bible. I keep running into conversations that include things like…

Are you a 3-, 4-, or 5- point Calvinist? A hyper-Calvinist? Arminianist? Dispensationalist? Amillenialist?

Are you Emergent? Reformed? Evangelical? Progressive? Conservative? Mainline? Liberal?

What’s your take on Rob Bell? Rick Warren? John Piper? Marc Driscoll? Greg Laurie?

Uh, I don’t know.

I know Jesus died on a cross and resurrected back to life. I know He did so because the creation He loved had sinned and could no longer have a relationship with Him. I know that my faith in His grace will save me. It has nothing to do with what I used to do or what I’ve done since accepting His gift of salvation or what I will do in the future. I know Jesus doesn’t want us to be divided or live under oppression. I know He desires for us to know awe, reverence, peace, and unity.

Hours before Jesus was crucified He prayed, “My prayer is not for them [the disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20-23 NIV).

To read my first article entitled “Convergence,” please click here.

To read the entire article of my journey along the Via Dolarosa, please click here.

To read the article of my journey to the Garden Tomb, please click here.