Jesus, The Suffering Servant

Jesus, The Suffering Servant

ISAIAH 53:4–5

4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

There are many prophecies in the book of Isaiah, most of which talk about the coming Messiah. The Israelites were expecting a mighty King who would wield His sword and deliver them from their enemies. So when Isaiah wrote this passage, it probably did not occur to them that the righteous, mighty King who would rescue them was also the Suffering Servant who would die for them and save them. Jesus, the embodiment of both of these prophecies, would come to bring ultimate redemption and renewal. Let’s look at how Isaiah described the Suffering Servant.