Lesson 11 The Suffering Servant, pt. 1

Isa 52:13-53:12 See, My servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at Him — His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness — 15 so will He sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. 

53:1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. 

4 Surely, He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away. And who can speak of His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. 

10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see his offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 After the suffering of His soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by His knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. 

1. As the head of the human race, Adam’s actions have consequences for all mankind. What was the result of Adam’s sin?

* Gen. 2:17;  3:19 ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­You will surely die; by sweat of brow will eat until you return to the ground 

* Ps. 14:2-3 Men don’t seek God; they have together become corrupt, no one does good 

* Ecc. 7:20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right & never sins 

* Isa. 59:2 Your iniquities have separated you from your God, He won’t hear because of your sins

* Isa. 64:6 All of us are unclean—all our righteous acts are like filthy menstrual rags 

* Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things 

* Ezek. 18:4, 20 The soul who sins is the one who will die; each person dies for their own sins 

2. “Progressive Revelation” is the term theologians use to describe the gradual revealing of God’s redemptive plan. One bite sized piece at a time, God shows how He will deal with the problem of sin and death. What do the following reveal?

* Gen. 3:21 God made garments of skin to cover Adam & Eve—1 animal died to cover each 

* Ex. 12:3, 13 1 Lamb per household—blood of the lamb is a sign protecting from      destruction 

* Lev. 16:15-16; Jn. 11:49-52 1 sin offering to atone for entire nation on Day of Atonement>1 man to die for entire nation 

* Jn. 1:29; 1Jn. 2:2 Lamb of God—atoning sacrifice for the sins of the entire world 

* Heb. 7:27; 9:26, 28; 10:10; 1Pt. 3:18 Christ sacrificed Himself for sins once for all time  

3. To say the Jews did not expect the Messiah, heir to David’s throne, to suffer and die is probably the greatest understatement of all time. Did the prophets predict the Messiah would die?

* Ps. 22:15 You lay me in the dust of death—on the cross Jesus quoted the 1st verse of this Ps.   

* Isa. 53:8 Servant cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of God’s people

* Isa. 53:12 He poured out His life unto death 

* Dan. 9:26 after 62 7s the Anointed One will be cut off & have nothing 

* Zec. 13:7 awake sword against shepherd; will strike the shepherd & sheep will be scattered 

4. Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). In previous lessons, we have noted that the Messiah is both God and man. Why does the Messiah need to be both to ransom/redeem us?

* Heb. 9:22 Law requires everything be cleansed w/ blood, no forgiveness w/o shedding blood  

* Heb. 10:3-4 sacrifices annual reminder of sins—impossible for animals’ blood to      take away sins 

* Lev. 25:49 a blood relative can redeem someone sold into servitude/slavery 

* Ps. 49:7-9 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him—the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough so that he can live forever & not decay 

* Ps. 49:15 But God will redeem my life from the grave & take me to Himself

* Heb. 2:14-15 since we are flesh & blood, He too shared our humanity so that by His death He might destroy the devil who holds the power of death & free those held in slavery to death 

* Job 33:23-28 Mediator found a ransom, flesh restored, restored by God to righteous state, in spite of sin did not get what was deserved, God redeemed soul from going down to the pit 

* Hos. 13:14 Lord will ransom them from the power of the grave, redeem them from death 

5. Some believe the concept of Christ as an Atoning Sacrifice is strictly a New Testament idea, but what do the following Scriptures reveal about the Suffering Servant?

* Isa. 52:15; Ezek. 36:25>Heb. 10:22 Servant will sprinkle clean water on many nations & you will be cleansed from all impurities>hearts sprinkled to cleanse from guilty conscience  

* Isa. 53:4; Ps. 103:3>Eph. 1:7 He took up our infirmities & carried our sorrows, forgives all sins & heals all diseases>in Him we have redemption thru His blood & forgiveness of sins 

* Isa. 53:5>1Pt. 2:24 He was punished for our iniquities, by His wounds we are healed >He Himself bore our sins on His body, so that we might die to sin & live for righteousness 

* Isa. 53:6>Gal. 3:13 the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all >Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us by being hung on a tree (i.e. the cross) 

* Isa. 53:8>Rom. 4:25 He was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people >He was delivered over to death for our sins 

* Isa. 53:10>Gal. 4:5-7 Though the Lord made His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring > Son redeemed those under the Law that we might receive the full rights off sons & be heirs 

* Isa. 53:11>Rom. 5:9 by His knowledge my righteous Servant will justify many & will bear their iniquities>we have been justified by his blood, saved from God’s wrath  

* Isa. 53:12>2Co. 5:18-19 He bore the sin of many & made intercession for the transgressors>God reconciled us [the world] to Himself through Christ—not counting men’s sins against them 

* Zec. 3:8-9>Heb. 9:26 Servant will remove the sins of this land in a single day >He appeared once for all to do away with sin by sacrifice of Himself  

6. It has been said that the Old Testament laws, festivals and sacrifices pointed toward the Messiah, that they were patterns of the realities in heaven (Heb. 8:5) and are just shadows of the reality that was to come (Col. 2:17; Heb. 10:1). How do the following point to Christ?

   a. Passover Lamb

   * Ex. 12:5>Heb. 7:26; 1Pt. 1:19 Sacrifice male w/o defect>High priest who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners—Christ a lamb w/o blemish or defect  

   * Ex. 12:6; Dt. 16:6>Lk. 23:44-45 slaughter at twilight on 14th day of the month >Passover—darkness over the whole land from 6thhr.[noon] until 9th hr. [3 pm] then Jesus died  

   * Ex. 12:10>Jn. 19:31 don’t leave any of it until morning>Jews didn’t want bodies left on crosses during special Sabbath, so they were taken down & buried before sunset 

   * Ex. 12:13, 23>1Th. 1:10 Blood is a sign, when Lord sees it will pass over & not destroy> Jesus rescues us from the coming wrath  

   * Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12>Jn. 19:31-36 lamb’s bones not broken>Jesus’ legs were not broken 

   * Dt. 16:2, 5-6>Lk. 9:51; 13:33 sacrifice only at the place the Lord will choose for His Name> as time approached Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem—no prophet can die outside it 

   b. Sin/Guilt/Burnt Offering

   * Gen. 22:8>Jn. 1:36 God will provide the lamb>Jesus is the Lamb of God 

   * Ex. 29:36-42>Heb. 7:27 Sacrifice each day a sin offering >Unlike other high priests, He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices day after day—He sacrificed for their sins once for all 

   * Num. 28:2, 8>Eph. 5:2 present to the Lord offerings made by fire as a pleasing aroma > Christ gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering & sacrifice to God 

   * Lev. 1:3>Heb. 9:13-14 Burnt offering to be a male w/o defect >Christ offered Himself unblemished to God  

   * Lev. 1:4>Heb. 10:10-18 offering will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him> sins forgiven & not remembered—no longer need any sacrifice for sins  

   * Lev. 4:21; 16:27>Heb. 13:11-12 sin offering taken outside the camp>Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood 

   * Lev. 6:7>Rom. 3:25 offer a sacrifice of atonement so guilty may be forgiven >God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement so that the guilty could be justified & sins not punished 

   * Lev. 16:11-16>Heb. 9:11-12, 23-25 High priest bring blood of bull for sin offer-ing for himself 1st, then one for the people >Jesus offered His own blood in the heavenly Temple 

   * Lev. 17:11>Heb. 10:19 life of creature in the blood, blood given to make atonement on the altar >blood of Jesus allows us to enter the Most Holy Place 

   * Ps. 40:6-8>Heb. 10:1-10 Law only shadow of what was coming—sacrifices annual reminder of sin & powerless to take away sin >we are made holy through sacrifice of Christ  

   * Isa. 53:10>Rom. 8:3; 1Jn. 4:10 Lord makes Him a guilt offering >what law was powerless to do, God did by sending His own Son to be a sin offering—atoning sacrifice for sins 

   c. Scapegoat

   * Lev. 16:21>2Co. 5:21 hands laid on scapegoat & all sins confessed over it—put on goat’s head >God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us 

   * Lev. 16:22>Jn. 1:29 carries away all their sins>Jesus is Lamb of God who takes away sins  

   d. Kinsman Redeemer

   * Lev. 25:47-49>Gal. 4:3-5 Israelite sold into slavery may be redeemed by any blood relative > we were in slavery to sin & God sent His Son born of a woman to lawfully redeem us  

   e. Bronze Serpent

   * Num. 21:8; Isa. 52:13>Jn. 3:14, 12:32 bronze snake put on a pole & lifted up; Servant raised & lifted up >Son of Man lifted up like the bronze snake & will draw all men to Himself

   * Num. 21:8>Jn. 3:15; 6:40 anyone who looked at it would live >everyone who looks to Son & believes may have eternal life 

7. How does the Messiah reverse the curse of sin and death?

* Rom. 5:14, 18-19 Adam was the pattern for all his descendants—because of his disobedience we all sin & die; Jesus is the new pattern—because of His obedience, we can all be righteous & live 

* 1Co. 15:21-22, 26 death came through 1 man, resurrection also came through a     man—last enemy to be destroyed is death  

* 1Co. 15:45-49 Just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man—dust of the earth, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven—life-giving spirit 

* Gal. 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us

* Col. 1:18 God appointed Him to be head over everything—He is the beginning & the firstborn from among the dead—He is supreme over everything    

8. God has been making and keeping promises to us since the beginning. In Lesson 1we saw how the Messiah was foreshadowed in Gen. 3:15 as the Seed of the Woman who would crush the Serpent’s head and have His heel bruised. Isaiah prophesied about this “Suffering Servant” as well. What does he say about this Servant?

* Isa. 42:6 I will make My Servant a covenant for the people & a light for the Gentiles  

* Isa. 49:6, 8 My Servant will restore the tribes of Israel & be a light for the Gentiles so He may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth—will make Him      a covenant for the people 

9. Throughout the Old Testament God initiated covenants with His people. The Lord’s Supper initiated the New Covenant. Besides reiterating promises made in the former covenants with the patriarchs, what was new in this covenant? Why was it needed? How is it superior to the old covenant (see Ex. 24:3-8)? 

* Jer. 31:31-34 Old Covenant broken by Israel; New Covenant—Law written on hearts & minds, all will know the Lord from least to greatest, & God will forgive & forget their wickedness & sins 

* Jer. 32:39-40 Everlasting Covenant—Singleness of heart & action—always inspired to fear God for their own good & never turn away from God—God will never stop doing good to them 

* Jer. 50:4-5 Israel & Judah will seek the Lord & bind themselves to Lord in Everlasting Covenant 

* Ezek. 16:59-63 Lord will est. Everlasting Covenant & you will know that I am the Lord when I make atonement for all you’ve done, you will remember & be ashamed of breaking 1st covenant

* Ezek. 36:23-28 Nations will know I am the Lord when I show Myself holy thru you—will gather you out of nations & bring back to land—will cleanse you from all impurities—give you a new heart & a new spirit & move you to keep My laws—you will be My people & I will be your God 

* Zec. 9:11 Because of my blood covenant w/ you I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit 

* Mt. 26:28 My blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins 

* Heb. 8:6 covenant Jesus mediates is superior to the old one & is founded on better promises 

* Heb. 9:15 Christ is mediator of new covenant so called may receive promised eternal inherit-ance because He died as ransom to set them free from the sins committed under 1st covenant 

* Heb. 13:20 God thru the blood of the eternal covenant brought Lord Jesus back from the dead

10. How has this New Covenant promise of spiritual rebirth begun to be fulfilled?

* Ezek. 39:29 Lord will no longer hide His face from them & will pour out His Spirit on Israel 

* Joel 2:28-29 I will pour out My Spirit on all people—sons, daughters, old, young, men & women 

* Mt. 3:11 Messiah will baptize you with Holy Spirit & with fire 

* Jn. 14:16-18 Father will give another Counselor to be with/in you forever—Spirit of Truth 

* Jn. 16:7-11 Counselor will come & convict the world of guilt, sin & righteousness & judgment 

* Jn. 14:26; 16:13-15 When Spirit of Truth comes He will guide you into all truth—will tell you what is yet to come—will teach all things & remind you of everything Jesus said to you 

* Ac. 2:1-4, 16-21 Day of Pentecost disciples were filled with Holy Spirit fulfilling Joel 2:28-29  

11. What about you, have you been redeemed from sin and death by looking to the Messiah in faith and accepting His atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins so that God’s wrath will pass over you?

I am. How about you?