The Coming King and Servant

We’ve studied Isaiah 53 for a few weeks, but let’s back up and look at Isaiah 52:13-15.

“Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.”

The prophet Isaiah ministered in Judah during the reign of five kings—the first king of his ministry was Uzziah and the last was Hezekiah’s son Manasseh. Uzziah and Hezekiah were for the most part good kings, but Manasseh was called the wickedest of all the kings and tradition tells us that he killed Isaiah by sawing him in half. During Isaiah’s days Israel, the Northern Kingdom, was destroyed by Assyria and Babylon was on the rise.

Isaiah prophesied of a coming King and a coming Servant and on this side of the cross we know that Jesus fulfilled both positions. As we come to 52:13 and chapter 53 we come to the most Gospel centered passage in the Old Testament. Isaiah has been wrestling with the question—How will a holy God forgive and rescue a people whom He has charged with rebellion? In other words, how will God justify the ungodly? That is the question for the ages isn’t it? How can a holy God justify the ungodly?

700 years before Jesus walked on the earth God opened Isaiah’s eyes to see the heart of what we now know of as the Gospel. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 bleeds with God’s grace and it shouts to us a central theme—it is the theme of SUBSTITUTION. God would send Someone who would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. God would send Someone who would be wounded for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities and upon whom would be the chastisement that brings us peace. This is the One upon whom God would lay the iniquity of us all—this is the lamb led to the slaughter—this is the One whom it would please the LORD to crush and put to grief so that we might be forgiven and that we might be made righteous.

The first thing we see is the Promised Servant in verse 13,

“Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.”

This is the same servant spoken of in chapter 42—this is the one of whom God said, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations…” But notice what He says about the chosen Servant—He will act wisely, He will be high and lifted up, and he shall be exalted.

“Behold, my servant shall act wisely.” This speaks of what the Servant would accomplish. The wording is simple—it means He will know and do the right thing in order to accomplish His purpose. He will not fail—He will complete what He has set out to do. It is interesting that in Luke 22:35-38 Jesus speaks of the Scripture being fulfilled in Him. In verse 37 He says, “For I tell you that the Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” Jesus wasn’t just talking about being crucified between two thieves, but He was pointing us back to Isaiah 53 where in some form or fashion the writer tells that Jesus would be numbered with the transgressors 20 times—he says that specifically in verse 12. Jesus tells us clearly that Isaiah 53 was about Him and He knew what He had come to do. That is why when Philip found the Ethiopian Eunuch reading Isaiah 53 and he asked, “About whom does the prophet say this,” Luke said, “Beginning with this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.”

Isaiah 53 is called the torture chamber of rabbis and I am told (can’t prove it) that they omit this chapter from the synagogue reading because it is so obviously a reference to Jesus, but notice the rest of verse 13—notice what else it says about Jesus. “He shall be high and lifted up and shall be exalted.” This speaks of the Servant’s Identity.

The phrase “high and lifted up” is only used 3 times in the Bible—let’s take a look, Isaiah 6:1, “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up…” Isaiah 57:15, “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy…” There is also a reference in 33:10 that comes close, “Now I will arise, says the LORD, now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted.” In chapter 2 the Lord tells us that He will humble the exaltation of man, but He will exalt Himself. So when look at how the words “High and Lifted Up,” and “Exalted” we have to know that the servant is none other than God. Last week we talked about the divinity of Jesus and here we see it spoken of 700 years before He walked the earth. God promised to send His servant and told us that He would know what he was supposed to do and that He would accomplish it and He told us that this Servant would be God.

Verse 13 tells us of the Promised Servant, but verse 14-15a introduces us to the Crucified Savior. “As many were astonished at you—his appearance and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—so shall he sprinkle many nations…” Let’s look at three words—astonished, marred, and sprinkle…tomorrow!

But for now, as we approach Advent, let’s remember that Jesus’ coming was spoken of very clearly in the Prophets…it was planned and it was accomplished.